days journey you shall see no other green Herb upon the Ground but only Pimpernel the Roots whereof are so large that there are some a Foot and a half in diameter The next day the Fields are cover'd with a large thick Leaf the Root whereof is bulbous and as big as an Egg. There are also great store of yellow red and violet Flowers Tulips of several colours Emonies and single Daffadillies But in general Mesopotamia is a very barren Country and there are very few places that can be better'd by Art or Industry Nesbin is only the Shadow of the ancient Nisibis being now only a large Village the Inhabitants whereof are Christians both Armenians and Nestorians Our Caravan lodg'd a little beyond in a Church-yard adjoyning to one of the Armenian Churches The next day hearing people sing I went to the Church with the two Capuchins where I saw an Armenian Bishop with his Miter and a wooden Crosier accompany'd with several Priests and a good Congregation When Service was done after some few Compliments between us he led us down under the Church into a Chappel where he shew'd us the Sepulcher of St. James Bishop of Nisibis In the Church-yard is a Stone about a Foot thick and six high upon which were laid several Candles of Wax and Tallow which the Poor Offer in their Necessities but especially in their Sicknesses They believe that Stone to have been the Pedestal for the Statue of some Saint which the Turks have defac'd so that they give the same Honour to the Pedestal as they would have giv'n to the Statue There are also some Roman Characters to be seen but half worn out and spaces brok'n off in some parts so that I could not learn in Honour of whom that Statue was erected Half a League from Nisbin runs a River which you cross over a Stone-Bridge In the way to the River are several pieces of Wall with an Arch which made me conjecture that formerly the City extended as far as the River Twice Musket-shot from the River you meet with a Stone half buried upon which are written certain Latin Words whereby it appears that it was the Tomb-stone of the General of an Army that was a French-man but I could not read his Name which time had desac'd The same Bishop inform'd us that formerly the Moors having besieg'd the City there came such a prodigious company of strange Flyes and did so torment both Men and Horses that they were forc'd to raise the Siege You must pay the same Toll at Nisbin as in other places that is two Piasters and a half for every Mule or Horses Load We lay there three days together to furnish our selves with Provisions 'till we came to Moussul which is five days journey from Nisbin the Country between being altogether desert and uninhabited There is no Water to be found but in two places and that not very good neither near to which you shall see some few Herdsmen grazing their Cattel The first of April we departed from Nisbin and after we had travel'd eleven hours we lay near to a River whither certain Shepherds brought us Hens to sell. The second we travel'd ten hours and lay at a paltry Town where we met with nothing to eat The third we travel'd thirteen hours and lodg'd by a pitiful Fountain the Water whereof was hardly good enough for our Horses The fourth we travel'd ten hours and came to lodge by the Bank of a little River near to which appear'd the Ruines of a Bridge and a Castle The fifth we travel'd eleven hours to reach Moussul which is not far from the ancient Niniveh Moussul is a City that makes a great shew without the Walls being of Free-stone but within it is almost all ruin'd having only two blind Market-places with a little Castle upon the Tigris where the Basha lives In a word there is nothing worth a Man's sight in Moussul the place being only considerable for the great concourse of Merchants especially the Arabians and Curds which are the Inhabitants of the ancient Assyria now call'd Curdistan where there grows great plenty of Galls and for which there is a great Trade There are in it four sorts of Christians Greeks Armenians Nestorians and Maronites The Capuchins had a pretty Dwelling upon the Tigris but the Basha laying a Fine upon them because they went about a little to enlarge it they were forc'd to quit it The City is govern'd by a Basha that has under him part Janizaries part Spahi's about three thousand Men. There are only two scurvy Inns in Moussul which being full when we came I caus'd my Tent to be set up at the Meydan or great Market-place Now to say something in general of the difference of the two Rivers Tigris and Euphrates in reference to their Course and Waters I observ'd that the Water of Euphrates appear'd somewhat red and that the Stream was not so swift as that of Tigris which seem'd to be whitish like the Loire As for its Course Euphrates runs a far longer way than Tigris But now let us cross the Tigris over a Bridge of Boats to view the sad Ruines of a City that has made such a noise in the World though there be now scarce any appearance of its ancient splendour Niniveh was built upon the left Shoar of the Tigris upon Assyria-side being now only a heap of Rubbish extending almost a League along the River There are abundance of Vaults and Caverns uninhabited nor could a man well conjecture whether they were the ancient Habitations of the people or whether any houses had been built upon them in former times for most of the houses in Turkie are like Cellars or else but one Story high Half a League from Tigris stands a little Hill encompas'd with Houses on the top whereof is built a Mosquée The people of the Country say 't was the place where Jonas was bury'd and for that place they have so great a veneration that no Christians are suffer'd to enter into it but privately and for Money By that means I got in with two Capuchin Fryars but we were forc'd to put off our Shooes first In the middle of the Mosquée stood a Sepulchre cover'd with a Persian Carpet of Silk and Silver and at the four corners great Copper Candlesticks with Wax Tapers besides several Lamps and Ostridge-Shells that hung down from the Roof We saw a great number of Moores without and within sat two Dervi's reading the Alcoran About a Musket-Shot from Moussul toward the North-East stands a great Ruin'd Monastery enclos'd with high Walls the greatest part whereof is still to be seen We stay'd ten days at Moussul and having provided all things ready for the rest of our Journey we set forward for Ispahan CHAP. V. A Continuation of the Road from Nineveh to Ispahan Together with the Story of an Ambassador call'd Dominico de Santis HAving pass'd the Tigris we stay'd three quarters of an hours Journey from Nineveh for some
lik'd the proposition well and immediately put my self into the Society of those two Gentlemen from whom I never separated 'till they departed for Syria from Constantinople But before we left Germany we resolv'd to see the Court of Savony whither we got in a few days By the way we pass'd through Freybergh a small City but well worth seeing for the beauty of the Electors Tombs and most splendid and magnificent both for Materials and Workmanship in all Europe From thence we went and view'd the stately Castle of Augustburgh seated upon a high Mountain wherein among other things there is a great Hall adorn'd from top to bottom with nothing but Horns fasten'd to the Wall among the rest is the Head of a Hare with two Horns sent the Elector by the King of Denmark for a great Rarity In one of the Courts of the Palace stands a Tree so large in Body and spreading out the Branches at so wide a distance that they will cover three hundred sixty five Tables with their shade And that which makes this Tree more wonderful is that it is only Birch that rarely grows to that Immensity Dresde is the Residence of the Elector a little City but a very near one and well fortify'd with a Stone Bridge over the Elbe that parts the Old and New Town The Palace is one of the largest and fairest in Germany But it wants a Piazza before it the principal Gate standing just at the bottom of a narrow Lane From Dresde we went to Prague which was a third time that I saw that great and fair City or rather three Cities together only separated by the Molda that throws it self into the Elbe some five or six Leagues below Having travers'd Bohemia and touch'd upon the corner of Moravia we enter'd Austria and came to Vienna resolving there to Embark with all speed because the Winter came on We stay'd one day at Presburgh to see the great Church and some Relicks which they shew'd us and from thence fell down to Altenburgh Altenburgh is a City and Province belonging to the Count of Arach It was the Childs part of one of the Queens of Hungary who upon her death-bed bequeathed it to one of the Lords of her Court upon condition that he and his Successors should always keep such a number of Peacocks for defect whereof the Territory should revert to the Crown Thence we came to Signet from whence I took a little Boat and hasted to Raab where I did my Devoirs to the Viceroy who was glad to see me and gave noble entertainment to the Messieurs de Chapes and de St. Liebau Here we stay'd eight or ten days for the Basha of Buda's Answer whether he would give liberty to two French Gentlemen to pass with their Train through his Garrison or no which being return'd such as we could desire we Embark'd at Comorra in a sort of Brigantines well fitted for defence and convenience From Vienna to Javarin we laid three days upon the water by reason of the great turnings and windings of the Dunaw Leaving Javarin we lay at Comorra and from Comorra we row'd to Buda in two days For the Road by Land is seldom travell'd in regard that the Frontiers of both Empires are full of Thieves and Boothaylers In fair weather you may go from Bada to Belgrade in less than eight days but we were forc'd to stay longer upon the Water in regard of the Cold weather It is the custom in Hungary that in all Roads little frequented by Strangers not to take any Money of the Traveller For the Burghers lodge and entertain them civilly for which the Burgo Master at the years end repays them out of the publick stock But besides that they are not troubl'd with many passengers Hungary which is one of the best Countries in Europe affords provision at so cheap a rate that to Belgrade it costs us not above two Crowns a day for fourteen people Buda stands upon the right hand of the Danaw about half an hours travelling from the River The Basha being advis'd of our arrival sent his Squire with led Horses and several Slaves in very good Liveries to conduct us to the Town And though we stay'd twelve days before we could speak with him by reason of his being sick at that time yet he allow'd us a fair provision of Mutton Pullets Rice Butter and Bread and two Sequins a day for small expences He was a comely person and of a handsom carriage and at our departure he sent six Caleshes with two Spahi's to conduct us to Belgrade with order to defray our expences which would by no means be accepted Coming to Belgrade we found the Sangiai as rude as we had found the Basha civil before For he made a ridiculous demand of two hundred Ducats a Head and for fifteen days prolong'd the contest But at length I so terrify'd him by threatning to send our Complaints to the Ottaman Port of his ill usage of two Gentlemen kinsmen to the Embassador of France that he was contented with fifty Ducats for all Belgrade is scituated upon a point of Land where two great Rivers the Danaw and the Sava meet and is furnish'd with Wine Bread and all sorts of provisions at a cheap rate From Belgrade we took some Saddle Horses some Coaches for Adrianople as every one lik'd best We pass'd through Sophia a large and well peopl'd City the Metropolis of the ancient Bulgarians and the residence of the Basha of Romeli In it stands a fair Mosquee which hath been a Christian Church built with so much Art that three men may go up to the top of the Steeple and not see one another From Sophia we came to Philippoli between which Town and Adrianople we met with two Troops of Tartars well mounted When they saw us they made a Lane for us to pass through them with a design most certainly to have fall'n upon us since they could not hope to do any good upon us but by surprize and number for they were ill provided of Weapons and we rarely well Arm'd Thereupon we alighted and Barricado'd up our selves with our Chariots In the mean time we sent our Spahi's to the Commander of those Tartars to tell them we would not stir 'till they were gone and that being Souldiers as they were they could not hope for any booty from us The Commander answer'd that he had divided his men in that manner only to do us Honour but since we desir'd they should be gone they requested us but to send them a little Tobacco A boon which we readily granted them and so we pass'd on We came to Adrianople the three and twentieth day after we parted from Belgrade Adrianople takes its name from the Emperour Adrian being formerly call'd Orestes It is pleasantly situated at the mouth of three Rivers that throw themselves into the Archipelago The old Town is not very big but the Turks dayly enlarge the Suburbs being a place which the
receiv'd every one then labour'd to testifie their joy for his return They sent him Horses Mules Camels rich Carpets and every thing fit to furnish a Lords house But all this while he wanted money which because he could not meet with among the Persians he was forc'd to have recourse to the Armenians of whom he desir'd to borrow five or six hunder'd Tomans As for the Kalenter he would have had the sum lent but the rest would not Thereupon the King taking a walk to Zulpha Ali-Couli-Kan put it into his head to go and see the great Cathedral belonging to the Armenians where several Bishops with several Monks reside The King entring into the Church where the Bishop stood ready at the head of the Clergy to receive him and seeing all things new and strange as coming but lately out of the womens Haram ask'd his favourite what sort of people those were clad in such an extraordinary manner Ali-Couli-Kan told him they were Devils Devils said the King What! added he dost bring me into a house of Devils The King thus incens'd against the Armenians resolv'd to force 'em to turn Mahumetans But Ali-Couli-Kan being a Georgian repenting that he had rais'd the Kings indignation to so high a pitch and not believing it would be any advantage to him for the Armenians to turn Mahumetans contented himself only with frighting them which was enough to bring the Armenians upon their knees and to make them come and beg the Intercession of his authority Which favour as he order'd it cost the Armenians ten thousand Tomans to the King and four or five thousand Tomans to his Favourite The 23. of September 1677. the King made a Cavalcade then which there could be nothing imagin'd more magnificent All the richest Furniture was brought out of the Exchequer into the Meydan The golden buckets to water the Horses The golden Fat out of which they take the water together with the buckles harness and nails of gold to which the Horses are ty'd After the King had play'd at Mall as I have already describ'd and had also shot at the Goblet upon the top of the Mast in the middle of the Meydan he went and fate in the Divan which is over the Gate call'd Ali Capi where he had the pastime to see Lyons Bulls Bears Tygres and Rams fight But that which was most admirable was to see a man stand upright upon the Saddle while the horse ran full speed which he did three times the whole length of the Meydan The first time 't is true he fell but the two last times he stood firm On day the same Ali-Couli-Kan presented two handsom Youths to the King which had both delicate voices The King hearing them sing was very much troubl'd that he could not make use of them in his Haram which Ali-Couli-Kan observing sent for a French Chirurgeon and promis'd him a great reward if he could cut the youths and save their lives The Chirurgeon for lucre of a large recompence cut them both and cur'd 'em very well Which done Ali-Couli-Kan presented the two youths to the King who was surpriz'd to see them but was well pleas'd that he had got two such new attendants in his Haram But see the reward of such a wicked action Ali-Couli-Kan dy'd soon after The Chirurgeon never was pay'd and being advis'd to present a Petition to the King by the Meter the Meter ask'd him whither he would turn Mahometan which when the Chirurgeon deny'd to do the Meter bid him be gone like a Rascal telling him withall that he did not think the Religion of the Christians had permitted such acts of villany The two youths were born at Cashan and had both Fathers and Mothers and were promis'd in Marriage When their Parents heard of it they came to Ispahan to weep over their Children Which the King observing to appease their sorrow gave them a Pension during life CHAP. IX Of the Government of Persia. THE Government of Persia is purely Despotick or Tyrannical For the King has the sole powre of life and death over all his Subjects independent from his Council and without any Trials or Law-proceedings He can put to what death he pleases the chief Lords of the Kingdom no man daring to dispute the reason nor is there any Soveraign in the world more absolute then the King of Persia. The King deceasing and leaving Male Issue behind him the Eldest ascends the Throne while his Brothers are kept in the Haram and their eyes are put out and if there be the least suspicion of any contrivance against the King they are forthwith put to death without any farther examination And not only they but the Children also of the Kings Brothers and Sisters I remember when I first travell'd into Persia they were not so rigorous but were contented to move a red hot iron to and fro before their eyes But Sha-Sefi perceiving his command had bin negligently executed and that the poor unhappy Princes had some sight left them he order'd their eyes to be digg'd out of their heads Sha-Sefi's cruelty went yet farther for he spar'd not his Eldest Son Sha Abbas the lawful Heir to his Throne ordering one of his Eunuchs to move an Iron before his eyes no man being able to tell the reason But the Eunuch compassionating the young Prince did indeed move an Iron but not a red hot Iron before his Eyes and teaching him to counterfeit himself blind preserv'd his sight till his Father lay upon his death-bed at which time his Father was very penitent for having put out the eyes of his Eldest Son to whom the Throne of right belong'd The Eunuch seeing the King so sadly afflicted and ready to give up the ghost assur'd him that he would restore the Prince to his sight and to comfort him at his death brought the Prince with perfect eyes to the bed side The sight of which prolong'd the Kings life till next day and gave him time to command all the Grandees of the Court to obey Sha Abbas his Eldest Son as his lawful Successor and their King But to return to these blind Princes There were several at Ispahan when I was there and I knew one particularly who is still alive and is a person of excellent natural parts As blind as he is he is a great lover of Curiosities and has built him a House in Ispahan which is worthy a mans sight He is overjoy'd when any person brings him any rarities out of Europe feeling them in his hands and causing his Eunuchs which are very apprehensive to tell him the meaning of every thing He is a great admirer of Clock-work and Watches and can tell by his finger when a Watch is right in the Case To know what a Clock it is he has little points set up in the Dial-plate and a half hand to the end he may not be deceiv'd which part of the hand points to the hour By means of certain figures which he makes of
Grand Signors very much delight in for the pleasures of Hunting and Hawking especially at the wild Duck and Heron. The fifth day after we departed from Adrianople and the forty second after we departed from Vienna we happily arriv'd at Constantinople and crossing through the City over to Galata went to the Ambassador's House While we stay'd there to winter we made a small Voyage to the Dardanells to the Ruins of Troy where we beheld nothing but Stones not worth the while of going so far to see Another day we took three Barks and Sail'd to Calcedon that lies upon the Sea There is in it a very ancient Church and they shew'd us the Room where the Council was held with the same Chairs which were then made use of Now it is only a Monastery where two Bishops after they had shew'd us what they could handsomly entertain'd us Then we went to view Pompey's Pillar at the mouth of the Black Sea Concerning the Channel of which Sea I must make one Observation that though there be no part of the Sea but has one Current yet this has two quite contrary one to another That part next to Europe carries the Vessel to the Black Sea and that next Asia brings it back again to the Mediterranean So that you have no more to do but to cross over from one Shore to the other The Winter being over the two French Gentlemen pursu'd their Voyage for Alexandretta But for my part I having another design in my head stay'd at Constantinople in expectation of a Caravan which the people told me from Month to Month was coming I was then ignorant and did not understand that every year there were five or six Caravans that went from Bursa Besides that sometimes eight or ten Merchants travelling together might go safe to Ispahan Which ignorance of mine made me stay longer than I intended At length after I had continu'd eleven Months in Constantinople I departed with a fair and numerous Caravan for Ispahan which was the first time I travell'd into Asia After that I made five others wherein I had time better to understand the Qualities of the Countries and the Genius of the People The three last times I went beyond Gauges to the Island of Java so that for the space of forty years I have travell'd above sixty thousand Leagues by Land never returning but once into Europe by Sea And thus in my six Voyages and by travelling different Roads I had the leisure and opportunity to see all Turky all Persia and all India particularly the famous Diamond Mines where no European had been before me Of these three great Empires therefore have I resolv'd to make an ample and exact Description and I will begin with the several Roads which may be taken from Paris into Persia. These Computations are made supposing a French Crown to be in value Sterling 54 pence or 4 s. 6 d. the reputed Par and that 12 Deniers make a Sous 20 Sous a Liver whereof 3 make an Escu By which Computation 10 Sous is in value 9 d. and 10 Deniers 3 q. Persian Money French English   l. s. d. q. ABassi 18 Sous 6 Deniers 0 01 04 2â…— 3 Abassi's and 1 Chayet 1 Ecu 0 04 06  2 Mamoudi's 1 Abassi 0 01 04 0â…– 2 Chayets 1 Mamoudi 0 00 08 0â…• Casbeké Simple 5 Deniers 1 Half-peny 0 00 01 2 4â— 100 Double Casbeké 11 Deniers 0 00 03 0 8â— 100 Bisti 1 2 Double Casbekés 0 00 06 1 74 100 Chayets 1 5 Double Casbekés 0 00 04 0â…• 1 Or 5 Abassi's 0 06 11 1 1 Toman 46 Livers 1 Denier â…• Piaster 3 09 00 0 9 â—5 Indian Money French English   l. s. d. q. LArins 5 1 Ecu French within 8 Sous 0 03 10 3â…• Demi-Larins 10 Half as much 0 01 11 1â…— Roupy of Gold 21 Livers 1 11 06  Roupy of Gold 30 Sous 0 02 03  Pecha 6 Deniers 0 00 00 1â…˜ Half Roupy 16 Sous 0 01 02 1â…— Quarter of a Roupy 7 Sous 6 Deniers 0 00 06 3 Pagods Demi-Pistol in Gold a Pistol is 11 Livers 0 08 03  Fano's 6 1 Ecu 0 04 06  Cheda Money 1. 2. 2 Sous 0 00 01 3 â— 5 Cheda 3. 4. 4 Deniers 0 00 00 1 â— 5 Achen Gold 16 Sous 8 Deniers 0 01 03  Macassar Gold 23 Sous 8 Deniers 0 01 09 1 â— 5 Camboya Silver 4 Sous 0 00 03 2 â— 5 Siam Gold 7 Livers 1 Sous 0 10 06 3â…— Siam Silver 32 Sous 4 Deniers 0 02 05 0â…– Asem Silver 23 Sous 0 01 08 2â…˜ Tipoura Silver 22 Sous 0 01 07 3â…• Arakan Money 21 Sous 0 01 06 3 â— 5 Pegu Silver 20 Sous 6 Deniers 0 01 06 1â…˜ Gold Fanos 15. 1 Real 0 04 04  Asem Fanos 22. 1 Ecu 0 04 06  China Goltschut 1350 Livers 101 05 00  China Silver pieces 59 Sous 8 Deniers 0 04 05 2â…˜ Japon Gold N o 1. 87 Livers 10 Sous 6 11 03  N o 2. 3. 29 Livers 31 Sous 4 Deniers 2 05 10 1 Japon Silver pieces 30 Sous 0 02 03  Silver Ingots N o 1. 24 Livers 10 Sous 1 16 09  2. 8 Livers 10 Sous 7 Deniers 0 12 09 2 1 10 3. 4 Livers 5 Sous 5 Deniers 0 06 04 3½ 4. 3 Livers 10 Sous 11 Deniers 0 05 03 3 â— 10 5. 3 Livers 8 Sous 8 Deniers 0 05 01 3â…• 6. 1 Liver 5 Sous 1 Denier 0 01 10 2 5 10 7. 1 Liver 9 Deniers 0 01 06 2 7 10 8. 16 Sous 4 Deniers 0 01 02 2â…˜ A Telle 4 Livers 5 Sous 0 06 04 2 Muscovy Gold 20 Sous 1 Denier 1 Half-peny 0 01 06 0 3 10 Muscovy Silver 1 Sous 0 00 00 3â…– THE CONTENTS OF THE Persian Travels The First BOOK of Monsieur TAVERNIER's Persian Travels Of the several Roads from Paris to Ispahan the chief City of Persia through the Northern Provinces of Turky Chap. I. OF the Roads from France to the hither parts of Asia and the places from whence they usually set out for Ispahan Pag. 1 Chap. II. Of the Road from Constantinople to Ispahan which the Author kept in his first Travels into Persia. 3 Chap. III. A continuation of the Road from Constantinople to Ispahan from the Borders of Persia to Erivan 10 Chap. IV. A continuation of the same Road from Erivan to Tauris 15 Chap. V. A continuation of the Constantinopolitan Road from Tauris to Ispahan through Ardeüil and Casbin 24 Chap. VI. The ordinary Road from Tauris to Ispahan through Zangan Sultany and other places 26 Chap. VII Of the Road from Smyrna to Ispahan through Natolia 32 Chap. VIII How the Author was rob'd near Tocat and of a certain sort of a rare and fine Wool which he first brought into France 40 Chap. IX Of the Road from Kerman to Ispahan and the fortune of Nazar Mahomet-Ali-Beg 42 Chap. X. Of the
Jurisdiction As I return'd from Persia in the Year 1655 I came to the Three Churches about the end of February the Caravan stay'd there eleven Days as well by reason of the great Snows that stop'd up the Ways as for that the Armenians resolv'd to keep their Carnival there and after that to perform their Devotions The next day I went to visit the Patriarch who was sitting cross-leg'd upon a Mat. There were four Archbishops and nine Bishops sitting about him in the same posture among whom there was one that spake very good Italian I stay'd with him three Hours and while we were discoursing together in came one of the Monks of the Convent who had not spoken to any person whatsoever in Two and twenty Years by reason of a Penance that was impos'd upon him Never did Man appear so meager and deformed but the Patriarch sent for him and by his Authority commanded him to break Silence which he did by speaking at the same Instant The Saturday before Shrove-Sunday the Patriarch invited all the Caravan as well Masters as Servants to hear Mass the next day and then to dine at the Covent Mass being concluded the People were brought into a long Gallery about 15 or 20 Foot broad there being a Table on both sides made of several Stones and Benches next the Walls At the upper end of the Gallery stands a Table four Foot square over which is a vaulted Roof sustain'd with four Pillars which serves for a Canopy in the midst whereof is a Chair set for the Patriarch who from thence has a full view of both sides the Gallery with two other Chairs of each hand for two Archbishops the other Archbishops Monks and Guests sate at the long Tables The Meat which they brought us was several sorts of Pilaw and several Dishes of Fish among the rest excellent Trouts The Pilaw was brought in forty wide Plates so well fill'd and so large that they were every one as much as a Man could carry They were all set down upon the Ground before the Patriarch who then Pray'd and gave Thanks Then six Bishops with Ladles took out the Meat out of the great Platters and putting it into lesser serv'd both the Tables Every one had also his earthen Pot of Wine which was very good and was fill'd again when it was empty The Patriarch and the two Archbishops eat nothing but two Eggs and a few raw Herbs no more did the other Archbishops that sate at the Table At the end of the Feast a Bishop comes with a Paper and Pen and Ink in his Hand and asks of every one what he pleases to Subscribe for the Benefit of the Church then every one proposing according to his Devotion the Bishop writes down the Names of the Persons and the Sum which they mention which he comes and gathers the next day There are some rich Merchants that will give two Tomans but the meanest Servant will give an Or. The Bishop having done writing the Table was clear'd and then they brought us Melons and other Fruits In a short while after the Bells rung to Evening Service and the People went to Church After Evening Service the Patriarch sent for me to behold a Combat of Bufalo's of which there are great store in that Country some serving to Till their Ground while the Female ones yield store of Milk of which they make Butter and Cheese and which they mingle with all sorts of other Milk There are some of these female Beasts that will give two and twenty Pints of Milk a day They brought us into a wide Enclosure to behold the Sport wherein there were eight Bufalo's To provoke them one against another they shew them a Red Cloth which puts them into such a Rage that there were two that dy'd with the stroke of their Horns upon the place and there were none of the rest which were not very much lam'd The Sport being at an end they bring a great quantity of Wood which they pile together on purpose to set it on Fire When the Wood was heap'd in as big a Pile as they intended one of the Archbishops presented a Taper of white Wax to all the Company both Masters and Servants who every one agreed with him what they should give the next day for their Tapers The Tapers being lighted the Patriarch with a Stick like a Bishop's Crosier march'd before singing an Hymn attended by all the Persons both Ecclesiastical and Secular till they had in that manner walk'd three times about the Pile When the Pile came to be lighted there was great striving who should have the Honour One of the Merchants offer'd a quantity of Oyl for Lamps for the Church another out did him and a third proffer'd more than he and the Honour of Lighting the Pile was given to him that offer'd most Immediately upon that every one put out his Taper For they esteem it a most precious business believing that the lighting of one of those Tapers in a Sterm and throwing it into the Sea is a present Charm against Shipwrack For say they The Virgin Mary forty days after she was brought to Bed went to Jerusalem with Joseph and her Son and going into the Temple met old Simeon who taking the Child in his Arms began to sing the Song Lord now let thy Servant c. the Song being ended all the People began to cry that Christ was born and to publish it about the City Now in regard it was Night every one ran out with Torches in their Hands and some made Fires before their Doors where Christ was to pass along This Festival among the Armenians is like that of Candlemas-day and they call it in their Language Ter en Areche Where is the Lord The Armenians Masters and Servants drank all Night to make an end of their Carnival while the Patriarch was busie in dressing up the Church with its gayest Ornaments Ten Leagues from Erivan toward the North appears a great Lake wherein there is an Iland upon which is built a very fair Covent The Monks that live there live so austere a Life that they never eat Fish or Flesh above four times a Year neither do they speak one to another but upon those four Days The rest of the Year they feed only upon Herbs which they gather out of the Garden for say they it is not Fasting to eat either Butter or Oyl The Bread which they eat is brought from the neighbouring Villages and the Iland is replenish'd with all sorts of excellent Fruits On the one side of the Lake nearer to Erivan is a large Plain wherein there are six Monasteries One of which is entirely hewn out of the Rock with the Pillars that sustain it being seated in a very hard Rock The Armenians call that Church Kickart in their Language and the Turks in theirs Guieurghieche that is See and away In this Church according to the Traditions of the Armenians is kept the Lance wherewith the Side
of Christ was pierc'd the Figure whereof I caus'd to be drawn upon the Place The Armenians have this Lance in great Veneration saying that it was brought thither by St. Matthew Five Leagues from Erivan towards the South-East begins the Mountain Ararat which will be always famous for being the resting-place of Noah's Ark. Half a League from that Mountain where the Plain begins to grow level stands a Church upon a little Hillock close by which are several Pits like Wells They report that it was into one of these Wells that Cerda an Armenian King caus'd St. Gregory to be thrown because he would not Worship his false Gods Between this Church and Erivan are to be seen the Ruines of the Ancient Artaxate the Seat of the Kings of Armenia which demonstrate that it has been a great City besides there appear the Ruines of a fair Palace Erivan lyes in 64 Degrees 20 Minutes of Longitude 41 Degrees 15 Minutes of Latitude in a most plentiful Country of all things necessary for Humane Life but especially abounding in good Wine It is one of the best Provinces of all Persia and yields the King a very large Revenue as well by reason of the goodness of the Soil as for being the great Thoroughfare of the Caravans The yearly Revenue of the Governour only otherwise call'd the Kan of Erivan amounts to above 20000 Tomans which make 840000 Livres This City lying upon the Frontiers of both Empires has been taken and retaken by the Turks and Persians several times By which means the old City being ruin'd they have built a new one 800 Paces on this side upon a Rock at the foot whereof upon the West-side runs a rapid Stream it is call'd by the Name of Sangui-Cija and in many places it is deep and full of Rocks You cross it over a fair Bridge of three Arches in which are built little Chambers where the Kan retires in the heat of the day It is full of Fish especially Trouts which nevertheless are dear enough This River comes from a Lake called Gigaguni about 25 Leagues from Erivan toward the North and falls into the Aras that runs not above three Leagues off to the South Though this City be fortified to the West by the River yet it is never the stronger by reason of the Hills on the other side which command it and in regard it is built upon a Rock the Moats of the Fort are not above three or four Foot deep In some places the City is secur'd with a double Wall with several Towers but the Walls being only of Earth as are most of the Houses the Rain does more mischief than the Cannon would do That part of Erivan to the North-West is a kind of Suburb but far better inhabited than the City for there live all the Merchants and Artificers together with the Christian Armenians who have four Churches there with a Monastery And of late years they have built also a very fair Inn in the same Quarter In the City there only lives the Kan with the Military Officers and Souldiers the Kan's Lodgings lying upon the River The Governour is a Person of great Power and has always sufficient Forces about him to guard the Frontiers The Summer being very hot at Erivan he lyes in Tents upon the Mountains during the Heat When a Caravan arrives he is forc'd to give the King advice thereof and if any Ambassador come thither he is bound to maintain him at his own Expence and to cause him to be conducted to the Territories of the next Governour who is oblig'd to do the same So that Ambassadors are not bound to be at any Expences in the Territories of the King of Persia. Four Leagues from the City are high Mountains where the Natives that inhabit the hot and Sun-burnt Countries toward Chaldea come twenty thousand together to seek out good Pasturage for their Cattel and about the end of Autumn return again into their own Country I cannot compare this Mountainous Tract whether for its Valleys and Rivers or for the nature of the Soil to any Part that I have seen better than to that portion of Switzerland which is call'd the Country of Vaux and there is a Tradition among the Natives That certain People that inhabited between the Alpes and Mount Jura and which compos'd a Squadron of Alexander's Army having serv'd him in his Conquests seated themselves in this part of Armenia which they found so like their own Country From Tocat to Tauris the Inhabitants are for the most part Christians Which large Tract of Ground being that which the Ancients call'd the Province of Armenia 't is no wonder to meet with fifty Armenians for one Mahometan There are many ancient Armenian Families in Erivan which is their native Country but they are ill us'd by the Governours who being far distant from the Court do what they please This City not being far remote from the Province from whence the Silks come is the place where all the Buyers and Sellers resort But neither in Erivan nor in any other part of Persia are the Merchants put to open their Bales at the Custom-Houses as in Turkie They only pay certain Duties toward securing the Highways which Duties they call Raderies and those that gather them Raders The Kans or Governours of Provinces in Persia are civil to Strangers especially to those that they like or that shew them any thing of Curiosity The first time that I went into Persia I took a young Watch-maker with me and coming to Erivan I carried him to the Kan who was then Governour It was at a time when Watches were very rare in Persia and the Kan understanding what Trade the Young Man was of told us he was the first Watch-maker that ever had been in Persia Thereupon he brought the Young Man a Watch to mend and that he might have the pleasure of seeing him work he lodg'd us in a Chamber next his own and made us drink with him every day for he was a true Toper and compell'd us to drink with him from four in the Afternoon 'till near Midnight in a place which he had made on purpose in his Garden to take off his Glasses This was he that having deliver'd Erivan to Sultan Amurat went along with him to Constantinople and became his Favourite for teaching him to Drink Amurat left a Garrison of 22000 Men in the City but Sha-Sefi the Persian King begirt it presently with a strong Army and planting himself securely under one of the Hills that command the City he batter'd it incessantly with eight Pieces of Cannon the fourth day he made a Breach and though he had the repute of a Coward he was the first at the Assault and took the City and because they would not yield at his Summons he put all the Garrison to the Sword For which Amurat was quit with Sha-Sefi afterwards though not in so noble a way for entring a Victor into Bagdat he put all the Persians
go out of the way to the Covent of St. Stephen which lyes to the South Now the Road from Naksivan to St. Stephen's lyes first to a great Village call'd Ecclisia where live the richest Armenians that drive a great Trade in Silk and have built them a very fair Church Two Leagues from Ecclisia you must cross the River Aras in a Ferry-Boat being as it were squeez'd between two Mountains in that place Once I went over upon the Ice About two Musket-shots from thence you must cross over a Bridge another River that falls into the Aras From the foot of the Bridge you begin to ascend a little Hill at the top whereof you meet with a great Village call'd Shambé all the Inhabitants whereof as well Men as Women grow Mad at 18 years of age but it is such a Madness that is not mischievous Some believe it to be the Punishment of Heaven for that their Forefathers in these Mountains persecuted St. Bartholomew and St. Matthew From hence to St. Stephen's it is not above a League but the Way is very troublefom St. Stephen's is a Covent built not above 30 Years ago It stands upon the Mountains in a barren place and of difficult access But the reason why the Armenians chose that place before any other is because that St. Bartholomew and St. Matthew retir'd thither in the time of their Persecution They add that St. Matthew did a Miracle in that place for that there being no Water there before he only strook his Stick upon the Ground and presently there arose a Spring This Spring is about half a quarter of a League from the Covent under a Vault with a good Door to it to keep the Water from being wasted The Armenians go to visit this Spring in great Devotion having laid the Water into the Covent with Pipes They also say that in this place they found several Relicks which St. Bartholomew and St. Matthew left there to which they add a great many others among the rest a Cross made of the Basin wherein Christ wash'd his Disciples Feet In the middle of the Cross is a white Stone which as they report if you lay upon a Sick person will turn black if the person be likely to dye and recover its former whiteness after the death of the party A Jaw-Bone of St. Stephen the Martyr The Scull of St. Matthew A Bone of the Neck and a Bone of the Finger of St. John Baptist. A Hand of St. Gregory who was the Disciple of Dionysius the Areopagite A little Box wherein they keep a great number of pieces of Bones which they believe to be the Relicks of the Seventy Two Disciples The Church is built in the form of a Cross as are all the Churches of the Armenians in the middle whereof rises a fair Duomo round about which stand the Twelve Apostles Both the Church and Covent are of Free-stone and though the whole Edifice be not very big there has been abundance of Gold and Silver wasted upon the Walls many Armenian Families have been very much endamag'd thereby for the Women were so devout that unknown to their Husbands they sold their Jewels and their very Cloaths to defray the Expences of Building The first time that I was at St. Stephen's in the company of some Armenians two Bishops attended by several other Monks came out to meet us and led us into a great Hall where we were very well treated For it is the custom of the Armenians a little before Meals to present their Guests a large Cup of Aqua-vitae with Sweet meats of all sorts besides Citron and Orange-peels candy'd in seven or eight Porcelan-dishes laid in a great China-Basin This is a little Prelude to exoite the Appetite for the Armenians both Men and Women will empty great Cups of Aqua-vitae After Dinner they go to Church where they sing certain Hymns when you return there are a sufficient number of Mattresses or Quilts to lye upon for they use no other sort of Beds over all Asia only at Night you spread a Carpet upon a Quilt and shut the Door We saw not the Archbishop all that Evening only at Church About Midnight all the Bells rang and every body rose to go to Church I believe it was more than usual because it was Shrovetide for both the Office and the Missa were both concluded by break of day Between eight and nine in the Morning the Cloth was laid before which time we saw abundance of the neigbouring Country People who brought Wine Fruits and other Provisions and presented all to the Archbishop While we were at Breakfast news came that a certain Bishop was dead in his return to the Three Churches whither he was sent by the Patriarch to gather certain Duties due from the Villages Immediately the Archbishop rising from the Table with all his Assistants and having made a Prayer for the Dead sent a Bishop and six Monks to fetch the Corps who returning a little after Midnight the Body was presently laid in the Church upon a Carpet spread upon the Ground with the Face turn'd toward the Altar In the mean time a great number of Wax-candles were lighted and all the rest of the Night two Monks watch'd by turns to Pray for the Dead Early in the Morning the Archbishop the Bishops and all in Religious Orders said the Office for the Dead which lasted half an Hour and at the end of the Mass they brought the Corps to the Altar so that they made the Feet of the Corps to touch it Having so done they took off the Linnen Cloth that cover'd his Head at which time the Archbishop anointed him in six places with the Holy Oyl saying certain Prayers every time Then they cover'd him again and said other Prayers which lasted half an Hour These Ceremonies perform'd they carry'd the Corps out of the Church with Crosses and Banners and every one a Taper in his Hand As the Corps pass'd by one of the Bishops put a Paper in his right Hand containing these Words I came from the Father and I return to the Father Being brought to the Grave upon a little Mountain near the Covent and set down they said other Prayers which lasted a quarter of an Hour In the mean time a Bishop going down into the Grave took away all the Stones and made the place smooth after which the Corps was let down wrapt in a large Linnen Sheet Then the Bishop according to their custom rais'd his Head a little higher than his Body turning his Face to the East Which being done the Archbishop and Assistants took every one a handful of Earth which the Archbishop blest and giving it to the Bishop he strew'd it over the Body Then the Bishop coming out again the Grave was fill'd up From St. Stephen's there is a descent for a League together to Aras by the side whereof you are to keep along till you come to Zulfa where you come into the high Road again There
Governour of the Place more civil than usually the Turks are accustom'd to be made us very welcom In the Evening one of our Janizaries had quarrel'd with one of our Servants who thereupon had beaten him and therefore he complain'd to the Fellow's Master who not giving him that satisfaction which he desir'd thereupon the Turk study'd to be reveng'd upon the whole Company For this reason upon some pretence or other he went before the better to bring about his design We staid till the Morning and then departed early from Scalanova and by Noon we came with good Stomachs to the Mosquee near Ephesus where we had been the day before And some of the Company thought it a very convenient place to dine in i' the shade thereupon we sent for our Provisions with a Boracho of Wine and another of Water and fell to eating in the Passage into the Mosquee not dreaming any harm We had not been long at it when we perceiv'd two or three Turks about two hundred Paces off who came from a Village very near to the Mosquee I knowing the custom of the Country better than they told them that they were certainly coming to pick a quarrel with us and therefore caus'd them to hide the Bottle of Wine immediately for it was then the Turks Ramezan or Lent during which time Wine is strictly forbidden These two ill-contriv'd and ill-clad Fellows were the Janizaries of the place whom the Cadi had sent upon the information of our Janizary who knowing we had eaten in the same place before as indeed we had done made no question but we would do so again thinking to surprize us as we were drinking Wine in a place which they esteem Sacred and by consequence was among them accounted an act of Sacriledge Christian Dogs cry'd they when they came near us to eat and drink in a Mosquee and profane a holy place as you do at a time that renders the offence more criminal No cry'd I answering for the rest we drink no Wine we drink nothing but Water and you may tast it said I to him that was the most busie with that I caus'd a Glass to be pour'd out and giv'n him and I gave one of the Turks a private wink who understanding it was a promise of gratuity turn'd about to his Comrades and cry'd 'T is very true they drink no Wine However in regard they had Orders to bring us before the Cady there was no contending Thereupon I and three others undertook to and answer for all the rest The Cady revil'd us as bad as the Janizary at first but he was not only surpriz'd but very much troubl'd when they all unanimously affirm'd that we drank no Wine believing they were confederates with us But I had cunningly slipt eight Ducats into the Hand of the Turk to whom I had made a sign with my Eye who over-joy'd at so plentiful a gratuity had over-perswaded his Comrades not to say any thing against us The Cady though he did not like their Testimony yet call'd for Coffee for us according to the custom of the Country and sent us to his Lieutenant who having been often greas'd in the Fist by the Smyrna-Merchants receiv'd us very kindly and told us that the Cady was but newly come to his Place and was needy however a small matter would content him Thereupon we gave the Lieutenant twenty-five Ducats who most certainly went snips with the Cady and so return'd us to our Company who were much afraid we would not have come off so We were resolv'd to return to Smyrna not the same way we came and so we took another Road which was a very pleasant way partly over firm Sands and partly thorough Meadows where we met with several narrow Dikes very well Pav'd Then we cross a rugged high Mountain and lay in a Mahumetan Barn The next day we return'd to Smyrna having finish'd our small Journey to Ephesus in five days When we told the Consuls how the Janizary had betray'd us they made their Complaint to the Janizary Aga and the Cady who for his punishment put him out of the Consul's service which is an advantageous Employment For besides that the Consul's Janizaries are exempt from the Duties of War they are well plac'd for there is never a Merchant that is not beneficial to them some way or other especially at good times as New-years-day and other Festivals Nor could the Janizary have been more severely punish'd for the Turks love Money above all things in the World But to return to our matter The Rendezvouz of all the Caravans is generally two Leagues from the City near a Town call'd Pongarbachi The day of their setting out being fix'd every one provides himself for his Journey and meets the Evening before at the place appointed to be ready at the hour From Smyrna to Tocat is thirty-five days journey with the Caravan and the last time I went we made it thirty-eight from Pongarbachi The first day we travel'd eight hours through a Country whose prospect was not unpleasing leaving some Villages more than a League from the Road and we lodg'd in a Park near the River Pactolus which is a small River the Sand whereof shines and is of several colours Which caus'd Antiquity to call Pactolus Golden-Sanded It falls from the Mountain Tinolus and after it has water'd the Territory of Sardis mixes with the River Hermus that throws itself into the Archipelago through the Gulf of Smyrna The Mouth of it is not above two or three Leagues from the City toward the North. The next day in six hours we came to Durgout a little City in a Plain All Christians that live not in the Territories of the Grand Signor and pass that way once a Year pay Carrage or a Tribute of four or five Crowns but the Franks are exempt both at Durgout and over all Turkie There resides a Basha in this City and we were constrain'd to stop there a whole day because the Caravan that comes from Persia arriv'd at that time so that they were forc'd to change their Camels The third day after five hours travel in extremity of Heat we came to lodge near a paltry Village The fourth day we travel'd six hours and stop'd near to a small River In the Morning we pass'd over the Ruines of the ancient Sardis the Capital City of Lydia and Seat of King Croesus There were still to be seen the Ruines of a large Palace and two fair Churches with a great number of Pillars and Corniches of Marble This City having held out six Years against the Army of Temur-leng who besieg'd it so soon as he had taken it in revenge he utterly destroy'd it There is a Village near Sardis of the same Name where stood the City which was one of the Seven Churches mention'd in the Revelation The fifth day we rode for seven hours through a Country but ill manur'd and took up our Stage in a Plain upon the side of a
River The sixth day we pass'd by the Walls of the ancient Philadelphia call'd at present Allachars which was also one of the Seven Churches of Asia There is something of Beauty still remaining in those Walls and the City is very large but ill peopl'd It is situated upon four little Hills at the foot of a high Mountain over-looking a fair Plain to the North that produces excellent Fruit. To witness its Antiquity there is yet the Ruines of an Amphitheater with certain Sepulchers from whence the Inhabitants report that the European Christians took out the Bodies that were buried there and transported them into Europe believing them to be the Bodies of Saints It is now all destroy'd but re-built of Earth by the Turks after their mode It was formerly one of the principal Cities of Mysia and in regard it was alway very subject to Earthquakes the most part of her Inhabitants liv'd in the Country The last time I travel'd that way in the year 1664 the seventeenth of June the Turks were feasting and rejoycing upon the News as they said which they had receiv'd of the defeat of the Christians in Candy But the News was false and only contriv'd to encourage the People for the Grand Signor was then making Levies in those Parts We lodg'd that day after seven hours travel upon the Bank of a small River a League and a half from Philadelphia The seventh day we travel'd eleven hours over a Mountain where those Trees plentifully grow that bear Galls and Valanede which is the shell or rind of an Acorn that Curriers make use of to dress their Leather We lodg'd in a Meadow on the top of a Mountain which is call'd Ijagli-bogase or The Mountain of Robbers The eighth day we continu'd our Journey over the same Mountain which is a very barren Country where there is no Provision to be had We travel'd but six hours and lodg'd near a River in a Plain call'd Sarrouc abaqui The ninth day the Caravan travel'd thorough dry Lands where there is not one Village to be seen and lodg'd near a Bridge built over a River call'd Copli-sou in the Plain of Inahi The tenth day after we had travel'd eight hours over an uneven and barren Country we stopt in a Valley near a River call'd Bana-sou the Water whereof is not good In the Night there arose a Tempest that put us all in a disorder and the Rain that fell was as cold as is it had been in the depth of Winter We were wet to the Skins and were forc'd to throw Coverlets over the Bales to keep the Goods from being spoyl'd The eleventh day we travel'd through a pleasant Country between Vales adorn'd with a most delightful Verdure and we were in view as we pass'd along of certain hot Baths though very little regarded We lodg'd upon the Banks of a small River by the side whereof we had travel'd for some hours The twelfth day we continu'd our Road for six hours between the same Vallies and lodg'd by a River The thirteenth day we travel'd eight hours and stop'd near to a Village in a Country call'd Doüagasse The fourteenth after a Journey of seven hours we pass'd by the Walls of Aphiom-Carassar that is The Black City of Aphiom or Opium because it has a Prospect over a fair and large Country well cultivated where they sow great store of Poppies whence they draw their Opium or Aphiom as the Turks call it Aphiom-Carassar is a great City dirty and ill built the ancient Name whereof I could never learn for the Greeks and Armenians are very ignorant But according to all probability and the situation of the place it ought to be the ancient Hierapolis situated upon the Maeander a famous River of the Lesser Asia that winds and turns the most of any River in the World And indeed we are the more to seek in regard the Turks change the ancient Names according to their own custom and pleasure and give no other Names to Rivers than that of the principal City through which they pass or else deriving their Names from the Colour of their Sands There is to be seen in that City an ancient Castle of Free-stone upon the Point of a high Rock separated from the Mountains that are next it toward the South which make a Semicircle All the Armenian Christians Subjects to the King of Persia passing thorough Aphiom-Carassar must there pay Carage from which they are not exempted though they have paid it before at Erzerom or elsewhere The Caravan does not stop at Aphiom-Carassar as well for that there are no Inns but what are ruin'd as for that about a League farther there is a place where you have excellent Fish and very cheap and they of the City bring Barley Straw and other things which the Caravan wants The Caravan therefore that day lodges upon the Banks of Maeander which is to be cross'd over a Bridge not far distant from a small Village In this River are great store of Crawfish and Carps and the Fishermen will be sure to attend upon the Caravan I have seen some Carps there above three Foot long The fifteenth our Caravan began to part it self some for Tocat some for the Road to Aleppo the one part taking the right-hand Road toward the Winter-East for Syria the other the left-hand Road North-East for Armenia After we were parted we travel'd two or three hours in sight of one another They that go to Aleppo fall into Tarsus where St. Paul was born and from Tarsus to Alexandretta But we continu'd our Road to Tocat and after we had cross'd a great Plain having travel'd six hours we lodg'd in a Mershy place near a small Village There is one thing remarkable in this Road as in many others which manifests the Charity of the Turks For in most of the high Roads that are far from Rivers they have set up Cisterns whither when the Rains fail the neighbouring Villages bring Water for the Travellers who would else be very much distress'd The sixteenth we travel'd eight hours through a very even Country but ill manur'd where we saw a little City call'd Boulavandi There are some Mosquees which the Turks have built out of the Ruines of the ancient Greek Churches from which they have taken Pillars of Marble and other pieces of Architecture to adorn their Sepulchers without any order at all which you meet with very often upon the high Roads the number is the greater because they never lay two Bodies in one Grave There is also in this City an Inn cover'd with Lead which is all the Beauty of it nor do Travellers make any use of it but only in foul weather We lodg'd a League and a half from the City and staid there all the next day The seventeenth we travel'd eleven hours through a mix'd and uneven Country and came to lodge in a Village where there are not above three or four Houses though there be excellent Pasturage about it There is
which time has not defac'd From Shaquemin you come to dine at a Village call'd Angare where every Traveller isentertain'd for his Piaster as at the other Stages Between the other Villages it is ten hours journey but between Angare and Aleppo but three We alighted at the French Consul's House at what time the Customers came presently to search our Cloak-bags after which we went to the Quaissery which is a place where all Strangers are at the expence of half a Crown a day for themselves and a quarter so much for every Servant and are well entertain'd CHAP. II. The Description of Aleppo now the Capital City of Syria A Leppo is one of the most famous Cities in all Turkie as well for the bigness and beauty of it as for the goodness of the Air and plenty of all things together with the great Trade which is driv'n there by all the Nations of the World It lyes in 71 Deg. 41 Min. of Longitude and 36 Deg. 15 Min. of Latitude in an excellent Soil With all the search that I could make I could never learn how it was anciently call'd Some would have it to be Hierapolis others Beroea and the Christians of the Country agree with the latter The Arabian Historians that record the taking of it call it only Aleb not mentioning any other name Whence this Observation is to be made That if the Arabians call it Aleb others Alep the reason is because the Arabians never use the Letter P in their Language This City was tak'n by the Arabians in the fifteenth Year of the Hegyra of Mahomet which was about the Year of CHRIST 637 in the Reign of Heraclius Emperour of Constantinople The City is built upon four Hills and the Castle upon the highest that stands in the middle of Aleppo being supported by Arches in some places for fear the Earth should tumble and moulder away from it The Castle is large and may be about five or six hundred Paces in compass The Walls and Towers though built of Free-stone are of little defence There is but one Gate to enter into it from the South over a Draw-bridge laid over certain Arches cross a Moat about six or seven Fathom deep There is but one half of it full of Water and that a standing Puddle to boot the rest is a meer dry Ditch so that it cannot be accounted a wholsom place However there is Water brought into the Castle through a large Pipe from the Fountains in the City and there is a strong Garrison kept in it The City is above three Miles in circuit and the best half of it is unmoated that Moat there is not above three Fathom deep The Walls are very good and all of Free-stone with several square Towers distant one from the other about fourscore Paces between which there are others also that are less But these Walls are not all of them of an equal height for in some places they are not above four Fathoms from the Ground There are ten Gates to enter into the City without either Moat or Draw-Bridge under one of which there is a place that the Turks have in great veneration where they keep Lamps continually burning and report that Elisha the Prophet liv'd for some time There is no River that runs through Aleppo and but only a small one without the City which the Arabians call Coïc. However though indeed it be but properly a Rivulet yet it is very useful to water the Gardens where grows an abundance of Fruit particularly Pistaches much bigger and better tasted than those that comes from the parts near Casbin But though there be no River yet there are store of Fountains and Receptacles of Water which they bring from two places distant from the City The Edifices neither publick nor private are very handsom but only withinside the Walls are of Marble of several colours and the Cieling of Foliage Fret-work with Inscriptions in Gold'n Letters Without and within the City there are six and twenty Mosquees six or seven whereof are very magnificent with stately Duomo's three being cover'd with Lead The chiefest and largest of all was a Christian Church which they call'd Alhha or Listen'd unto which is thought to have been built by St. Helen In one part of the Suburbs also stands another Mosquee which was formerly a Christian Church In that there is one thing worthy observation In the Wall upon the right side of the Gate there is a Stone to be seen two or three Foot square wherein there is the figure of a handsom Chalice and a Sacrifice over the hollow of it with a Crescent that covers the Sacrifice the two Horns whereof descend just upon the brims of the mouth of the Chalice One would think at first that those Figures were in Mosaïc-Work but it is all Natural as I have found with several other Franks having scrap'd the Stone with an Iron Instrument when the Turks were out of the way Several Consuls would have bought it and there has been offer'd for it 2000 Crowns but the Basha's of Aleppo would never suffer it to be sold. Half a League from the City lyes a pleasant Hill where the Franks are wont to take the Air. On the side of that Hill is to be seen a Cave or Grotto where the Turks report that Haly liv'd for some few days and for that there is an ill-shap'd figure of a Hand imprinted in the Rock they farther believe it to be the Hand of Haly. There are three Colledges in Aleppo but very few Scholars though there be Men of Learning that belong to them who have Salaries to teach Grammar and their odd kind of Philosophy with the Grounds of their Religion which are the Principal Sciences to which the Turks apply themselves The Streets of the City are all pav'd except the Bazar's where the Merchants and Handicraft-Tradesmen keep their Shops The chiefest Artists and the most numerous are Silk and Chamlet-Weavers In the City and Suburbs there are about forty Inns and fifty publick Baths as well for Women as for Men keeping their turns 'T is the chiefest Pastime the Women have to go to the Baths and they will spare all the Week long to carry a Collation when they go at the Weeks end to make merry among themselves in those places of privacy The Suburbs of the City are large and well peopl'd for almost all the Christians have their Houses and Churches there Of which Christians there are four sorts in Aleppo I mean of Eastern Christians that is to say Greeks Armenians Jacobites or Syrians and Maronites The Greeks have an Archbishop there and are about fifteen or sixteen thousand in number their Church is dedicated to St. George The Armenians have a Bishop whom they call Vertabet and are about twelve thousand in number their Church is dedicated to the Virgin The Jacobites being about ten thousand have a Bishop also and their Church is likewise dedicated to the Virgin as is that of the Armenians
threats or by rewards The eleventh after a Journey of ten hours we came to Ourfa where the Caravan usually stays eight or ten days for here it is that they live that hire the Horses and the Mules who have always some business in this place We lay at an Inn three or four hundred paces distant from the City toward the North. When the Inn is full the rest retire into the Grotto's which are near at hand and are very good quarters Here the Toll-gatherer presently comes and counts the Bales without op'ning them They that carry any Sacks must pay for half a Load if not he op'ns the Sack to see if there be any Merchandise therein for then the Merchant must pay the whole duty Ourfa is the Capital City of Mesopotamia built as they say in the same place where Abraham liv'd and where stood the ancient Edessa where the people of the Country report that King Abagarus generally kept his Court. There are still to be seen the ruines of a Castle from whence they add that the same King sent to CHRIST for his Picture and offer'd him his Kingdom and his people to defend him against the Jews whom he understood to be his Enemies The Chronicles of the Armenians report that Abagarus was their Country-man and that in his Reign they began to be Christians and to be Baptiz'd by the hands of an Apostle whom CHRIST sent to that Prince after his Resurrection * Neither is this Castle yet so far ruin'd but that there is still to be seen a spacious Hall and three or four handsom Rooms with some relicks of Mosaick work I was curious to see what ever was remarkable in this City And first they led me to a large Fountain which resembles a Fish-pond the Spring whereof is under the Foundations of the principal Mosquèe which was built in the honour of Abraham The Christians of the Country say that it was in that place where he pray'd before he went about to Sacrifice his Son Isaac and that two Springs of Water arose from the two places where he rested his knees which now feed the large Fountain I have made mention of It is pav'd with Free-stone and so full of fish that if you throw them in a little Bread they will follow you from place to place as you walk by the side of the Pond There is no medling with them for the Turks have a great veneration for those Fish which they call Abraham's Fish Besides that the place about the Fountain where the water wid'ns it self to water all the City is cover'd with very fair Carpets for about twenty paces in bredth This Fountain at length falls into a little River that runs by the Walls As for the Grotto where the two Springs rise there is no going into it before you have pull'd off your Shooes and it is a great favour for a Christian to see it such a favour as cost me six Piasters I also saw the Church under the portal whereof they say St. Alexis liv'd seventeen years a private life It stands in the middle of a Church-yard in the highest part of the Town in the possession of the Armenians But their principal Church is about a quarter of an hours walking from the City built by St. Ephren who is there buried The Monastery stands yet entire enclos'd with fair Walls In the Church I saw a large Bible in Armenian Characters The Sepulchre of St. Ephren is in a Cave at the foot of the Mountain to which there also belongs a Chappel where they keep three or four Lamps continually burning There are other Grotto's up and down the Mountain where are to be seen very ancient Sepulchers of the Christians The City of Ourfa is seated in a good soil very well manur'd which extends it self out of sight toward the East There are several pleasant Gardens near the walls water'd by little Channels brought thither by Art The soil produces good Wine so that a man may live as well at Ourfa as in any part of Turkie While I stay'd there I kill'd abundance of Feldfares in those Gardens and indeed there is great store of wild Fowl all the Country over The Walls of the City are of Freestone with Battlements and Towers but within the houses are small ill built and ruinous And there are several void spaces in the City which makes Ourfa to look rather like a Desert than a Metropolis The City is Govern'd by a Basha who has under him a hundred and fifty Janizaries and six hundred Spahi's standing more in need of Cavalry than Infantry by reason of the Incursions of the Arabians especially in Harvest time In short Ourfa is the place were they dress such great quantities of Cordovan Skins by reason of the waters particular to the Country which give them that peculiar beauty The Yellow Skins are drest at Ourfa the Blew at Tocat and the red Rat Diarbequir The twentieth of March we set out of Ourfa and after a Journey of six hours we lay at a pittiful Village where the Inn was fal'n all to decay There is a Fountain of excellent water by it which is all the convenience of the place for there is no Provision to be had The twenty-first we travel'd nine hours and came to lye near several Caverns which are very deep at the entry whereof there are little Rooms which are suppos'd to be the places where the People of the Country liv'd that fed their Cattel thereabouts There is also Rain-Water to be had in some of the Concavities of the Rock Half this days journey you must pass over Rocks where it is almost impossible and very dangerous to keep your Horses back The twenty-second having travel'd eleven hours we lodg'd near a Cavern having forded a River that runs at the foot of it There are two great Grotto's on each side where Travellers take up their Quarters and whither the Natives of the Country bring Provisions both for Horse and Man The Toll-gatherers coming from a Fort about three Leagues distant from these Caverns here exact two Piasters and a half for every Horse and Mules Load and search your Sacks to see if there be no Merchantable Goods therein About half the way of this days journey you meet with a City quite deserted by the Inhabitants and about an hours march after that with Tombs of Stone in the middle whereof stands a Cross with Armenian Characters The twenty-third we travel'd elev'n hours and lay at Dadacardin This appears to have been a great Town but is all ruin'd nor is there any thing remaining but a long Stone-Bridge very well built under which runs a River that is very broad when it overflows The People of the Country have no other Habitations than the Hollows of Rocks yet they bring to the Travellers Hens Butter Cheese and other Provisions which they sell very cheap The twenty-fourth we travel'd nine hours and lay at a place call'd Cara built upon a Hill The Caravan lay
at the Inn but the two Capuchins and I lay at a private Christian's House who carry'd us to the Church where was then the Vertabet or Bishop of Merdin It was a pitiful poor Church where they had nothing but two Planks supported with four Sticks instead of an Altar They dare not leave any Furniture in it but as soon as the Priest has said Service he must have a care to take away every thing as well the Planks as the Covering of the Altar which was only a Painted Cloth For the Turks that travel that way if it be foul weather will break open the Door put their Horses there burn the Altar and take away whatever they find In the Village where we lay there was a Pond the sides whereof were surrounded with fair Free-stones which were fetch'd from the Christian Churches and the Tombs of the Christians thereabouts Among the rest there was one very large Stone with an Epitaph upon it in large Latin Letters whereby we knew it to be the Tomb-stone of a Norman Gentleman who had been a Captain of Foot The Bishop inform'd us that it is recorded in the Armenian Stories that the French were a long time in this Country at what time the Christians were Masters of Syria This Country is all a large Plain about twenty Leagues in length which might be well manur'd and make the Inhabitants rich did not the Tyranny of the Turks and the Incursions of the Arabs reduce them to the utmost degree of Poverty The twenty-fifth after we had travel'd eight hours we lay at a Village call'd Cousasar where there was no Inn. There were formerly three great Monasteries a quarter of a League one from the other The Turks have ruin'd two all but the Steeples of the Churches that belong'd to them The third which stands all entire and is the fairest Pile of Building serves for a Mosquee They have made Shops round about the Cloysters in the middle of which is a fair Spring of Water The twenty-seventh we lay still at Cousasar being the place where you must pay the Customs of Diarbequir which is not above two days journey off amounting to two Piasters and a fourth part for every Load of Merchants Goods Merdin is not above two Leagues from Cousasar This is a little City seated upon a Mountain with good Walls and a fair Fountain replenish'd from the Castle which stands upon the North side in a place yet higher that commands the City where there lives a Basha who has under him two hundred Spahi's and four hundred Janizaries Merdin is the place where was born the Lady Maani Gioerida the first Wife of Pietro de la Valle so well known for his famous Travels As for Cousasar which is a large Village it is inhabited for the most part by Armenian Christians and Nestorians The Armenians perform Divine Service in their own Language the Nestorians in the Chaldaïc The latter shew'd me two Bibles in a large Volume in the same Language writt'n in Vellum all the Capital Letters being in Gold and Azure They seem'd to be very old and one of their Priests told me that it is 937 years ago since one of them was writt'n the other not above 374 since When Service is done they put them in a Chest and hide them under Ground I would have giv'n 200 Piasters for the oldest but they durst not sell it in regard it belong'd to the Church and was not at their disposal The twenty-seventh after we had travel'd nine hours we arriv'd at Karasara which had been formerly a great Town and no doubt inhabited by Christians as appears by seven or eight Churches half ruin'd though the Steeples are little the worse They stand at a good distance one from the other and upon the North-side of one of those Churches there is a Gallery at the end whereof through a little Door you descend about a hundred Steps every Step being ten Inches thick When you come under the Church you meet with a larger and bigger Vault supported with Pillars The Building is so contriv'd that there is more light below than in that above but of late years the Earth has stop'd up several Windows The great Altar is in the Rock on the right side whereof is a Room which receives the light from several Windows contriv'd in the Rock Over the Gate of the Church was a great Free-stone wherein were certain Letters that I could not read On the North-side of the same Church under Ground are to be seen two great Cisterns each four hundred and fifty Paces long with two great Arches sustain'd with several Pillars Every year they fill them with the Water that falls from the next Mountain and makes a kind of a River A quarter of a League from the Church you descend the Mountain for above a hundred Paces together among the Rocks on each side whereof are Rooms cut out of the Rock Upon every Door there is a Cross and in every Room as it were a Bench and a Table with a little place about the length of a Man like a Bedsted all cut out of the Rock At the bottom of the Rock is a Hall round about the Wall whereof is a Bench to sit on The Roof is all plain without any Arch in the middle whereof there is a Hole to the top of the Mountain but in regard it gives no light 't is very probable 't was only made to let out the Smoak when they drest their Meat or else to let in the fresh Air as I have seen in many Villages upon the Persian Gulf. Upon the highest of those Mountains stands a paltry Village where they buy their Victuals But before the Caravan arrives certain Merchants ride before to inform themselves from the Herdsmen whether they know of any Thieves in the Grotto's that often hide themselves there in expectation of Prey In the year 1638 Sultan Amur at going to besiege Babylon march'd this very way as well to see these Ruines as to give order for the demolishing a Fort that stood not above two Leagues off of Karasera which the Thieves of the Country made their place of retreat He also at the same time caus'd the Road to be clear'd for four days journey by ord'ring the Stones to be pickt up and laid in heaps all along the Road. He also built a Bridge over the River And indeed that March of the Grand Signor was very advantageous to all Travellers that pass this way The twenty-eighth we travel'd eight hours and came to Nesbin anciently Nisibis Two or three hours travel on this side near the Road is a kind of Hermitage being a small Room enclos'd with Walls the Door whereof is so low that a Man must creep upon his Belly to get in Three or four Jews went and perform'd their Devotions at this Hermitage believing it to be the place where the Prophet Elisha was buried The Country from Cousasar to Nesbin is a large Plain where for the first
the Venetians to make it stronger reduc'd it to the circuit of three The Work of the Fortification was so neat and such a proportion observ'd in all things that the most famous Engineers esteem'd it one of the most stately Fortresses in the World when Sclim the Second sent an Army against it under the Command of Mustapha his Grand Vizier Famagosta is a Sea-Town upon the East-side of the Iland and the chief Bulwark of it It is kept in good repair the Castle within being in form of a Cittadel The Turks have converted into Mosquees the Churches of the Christians who are not suffer'd to dwell in the City They have only the liberty to come thither in the day and to open Shops which they shut up again at night and then go home to their Houses in the neighbouring Villages The City is govern'd by a Bey who has no dependance upon the Governour of the Iland who is oblig'd to maintain a Galley for the guard of the Coast. Cerines is another little City but without any defence the Walls thereof being all tumbl'd to ruine Only there is a Fortress toward the Sea well built with a Garrison in it There is also a handsom Monastery of Religious Greeks built somewhat after the French manner wherein there are some of the Cells which stand so upon the Sea that they can fish out of the Windows The Fields about it bear Cotton which is the chief Revenue of the Monastery There is only the Fort of Cerines upon the North where the Iland does not lye so open as toward the South and East which besides by that of Famagosta are guarded by the Forts of Salines Limisso and Paphos The Inhabitants of the Iland are for the most part Greeks especially in the Villages They are clad after the Italian manner both Men and Women the Men wearing Hats like the Franks and retaining their ancient Customs as much as is possible for them to do The Trade of the Iland lyes in Cotton-wool which is the best in all the East and some Silk which is neither good nor very plentiful However the Iland is fertil enough did it not want Inhabitants enow to till it As for Bread Wine Cheese and Milk they are all very cheap and there is Oyl enough to serve the Iland But for the Wine it is transported out of the Iland to all the places of Trade not far distant The best grows at the foot of Olympus and is a delicious sort of Drink The Country between Nicosia and Famagosta produces Cotton of which there grows also some between Paphos and Limisso The chief place where the Silk is made is call'd Cytherea a large Town water'd with a fair River that runs from the Mountain of Venus This River turns several Mills which are the chief Revenue of the Iland There is Silk also made between Paphos and Limisso upon the Road between which two places you meet with a Town call'd Piscopi where are to be seen several Aquaeducts that carry'd the Water into the Rooms and Magazines where the people formerly made Sugar But since the Iland was tak'n from the Venetians one of the Basha's that was sent as Governour burnt up all the Sugar Canes in the Country Toward the Sea-shoar near Limisso is to be seen one of the fairest Gardens of Cyprus which they call Shiti to which there belongs a magnificent House and a Grove of Orange-Trees It was built by a rich Venetian who had a good Estate in Lands thereabouts In Cyprus the people take a vast number of Birds as big as a Lark especially near the Mountain of the Holy Cross. In the Months of September and October the Country-people of the adjacent Villages make themselves little Hutts in the Fields where usually those Birds are wont to light and feed upon the Seed of an Herb that grows there which when it is dry the people daub over with Lime-twigs But this they never do but when the North-West Wind blows and that the weather be very cold for with a Southerly Wind they never take any These Birds are accounted great Dainties by the Venetians who make no great Feasts in Carnival-time wherein they do not set these Birds upon the Table pil'd up in Dishes like a Pyramid They buy them up every year being first prepar'd fit for exportation by the people who having pull'd off their Feathers parboyl them and pickle them up in Barrels with Vinegar and Salt When they are to be eat'n they are set upon a Chafing-dish between two Dishes Sometimes there are above a thousand Barrels exported out of the Iland and indeed were it not for this Trade the poor people would see but very little Money Upon the Mountain of the Holy Cross stands a Church of the same name upon which the report of the Country goes that St. Helena returning from Jerusalem left a piece of our Saviour's Cross with the Christians of Cyprus who built a Church there by means of the Liberality of the same Princess Afterwards those of the Town of Leucara took it from hence and carry'd it to their Church where I saw it The piece is as big as the Palm of a Man's Hand set in a great Cross of Latten emboss'd with several Figures In the Kingdom of Cyprus there is an Archbishop and three Suffragans The Arch-bishop takes upon him the Title of Nicosia to which Famagosta belongs with all the Country between Nicosia and Famagosta with the Territories of Nicosia and all the Villages round He has a House about a League from Nicosia where the chiefest of his Revenue lies Some years since he caus'd the high Altar of the Church to be painted and guilded being a neat piece of Workmanship Thus the Arch-bishop has under his Jurisdiction all the middle part of the Island and some part toward the East The Bishops are the Bishops of Paphos Larneca and Cerines The Greeks are very much addicted to the observation of their ancient Customs and Ceremonies and generally their Masses are very long Upon Sundays and Holy-days they rise between one and two of the Clock in the Morning to Sing Mattins To which purpose there is a Clerk that goes from door to door and knocks with a Hammer to wake the people and then cries out with a loud voice Christians go the Church The men and old women fail not to go as being more zealous but the maids and young women never go out of doors in the night for fear of the Turks There are seven or eight Villages the Inhabitants whereof are Maronites who came from Mount Libanus and speak Arabic at home but Greek among the Islanders They follow the Romish Religion and have their Churches peculiar to themselves The Island of Cyprus is no wholesom Air being subject to the spoyl of a sort of Locusts that some Summers destroy all their Fruit aud Corn. During the heats they hover in the Air which they will dark'n with their number like a thick Cloud but
and came to lye at a Town call'd Tegrit upon Mesopotamia side There belongs to the Town a Castle half ruin'd and yet there are still some handsom Chambers to be seen Upon the North and East the River serves for a Moat but upon the West and South it has a deep Artificial one pav'd with Free-stone The Arabians say that formerly it was the strongest place in all Mesopotamia though it be commanded by two Hills not far from it The Christians dwelt half a League from the City where the Ruines of a Church and part of a Steeple are still to be seen whereby it appears to have been a considerable Pile of Building The twenty-first after we had row'd three hours we met with a Town upon Assyria side which was call'd Amet-el-tour from the name of a person that lyes inter'd in a Monastery whom the people account to be a Saint Therefore is it a place of great Devotion among them so that great numbers of Votaries go thither in private That day we were twelve hours upon the Water and lay upon the Banks of the River The twenty-second having been upon the Water two hours we met with a great Channel cut out of Tigris to water the Lands which runs up as far as just over-against Bagdat and there falls into the Tigris again Coming thither we landed upon Chaldea side by reason that there were certain Turks with us who would of necessity perform their Devotions at a place call'd Samà tra In the same there is a Mosquee not above half a League from the River to which many Mahometans pay their Devoirs especially Indians and Tartars who believe forty of their Prophets to be buried there When they knew us to be Christians they would not permit us no not for Money to set our Feet in it About five hundred Paces from the Mosquee stands a Tower very ingeniously built There are two Stair-cases without that belong to it made twirling like a Periwinkle-shell one of which Stair-cases was built deeper into the Tower than the other I would have taken better notice of it could I have been permitted to have come nearer it Only I observ'd that it was made of Brick and that it seems to be very ancient Half a League from thence appear three great Portals that look as if they had been the Gates of some great Palace And indeed it is not improbable but that there was some great City thereabouts for for three Leagues all along the River there is nothing to be seen but Ruines We were twelve hours that day upon the Water and lay upon the Banks of Tigris according to custom The twenty-third we were twenty hours upon the Water and all the day long we saw nothing upon either side of the River but pitiful Hutts made of the Branches of Palm-trees where live certain poor people that turn the Wheels by means whereof they water the neighbouring Grounds We also met that day with a River call'd Odoine that falls into Tigris upon the side of the ancient Chaldea The twenty-fourth we were twenty-two hours upon the Water together never stirring off from the Kilet The reason is because the Merchants having tak'n out of the Kilet all their Money and the best part of their Merchandizes give them to the Country-people who carry them very faithfully to Bagdat whither they go to sell their own Commodities which the Merchants do to avoid the payment of Five in the Hundred in the City I trusted them also with several things of which they gave me a very good account as they did to others being contented with a small matter for their pains The twenty-fifth about four of the Clock in the Morning we arriv'd at Bagdat which is as usually call'd Babylon They open the Gates by six and then the Customers come to take an account of the Merchandize and to search the Merchants themselves If they find nothing about 'em they let the Merchants go but if they have any thing about 'em which ought to pay they carry the persons to the Custom-House where they write down the quantity of the Goods and let them go All the Merchandize upon the Kilet is carry'd thither also which the Merchant fetches away again in two or three days paying the Custom All which is done in very great order without any noise or disturbance in the least Though Bagdat usually bear the name of Babylon yet it is at a great distance from the ancient Babylon whereof in due place But now for Bagdat as it stands at this day Bagdat is a City seated upon the River of Tigris on the Coast of Persia and separated from Mesopotamia by the same River It lyes in 33 Deg. 15 Min. of Elevation The Chronicles of the Arabians report that it was built by one of their Califfs nam'd Almansour in the year of the Hegyra of Mahomet 145 and of Christianity 762 or thereabouts They call it Dar-al-sani that is the House of Peace Some say it deriv'd its name from a Hermitage that stood in a Meadow where the City now stands whence it was call'd Bagdat or a Garden bequeath'd About forty years ago digging up the Foundations of an Inn the Work-men found a Body entire habited like a Bishop with a Censor and Incense by him And in the same place several Cells of Religious Houses shew'd themselves which makes it very probable that where Bagdat is built there was anciently a great Monastery with several Houses where the Christians inhabited The City is about fifteen hundred Paces long and sev'n or eight hundred broad and cannot possibly be above three Miles in circuit The Walls are of Brick and terrass'd in some places with large Towers like Bastions Upon all these Towers there are mounted about sixty pieces of Cannon the biggest whereof carries not above a five or six Pound Ball. The Moats are wide and about five or six Fathom deep There are not above four Gates three upon the Land-side and one upon the River which you must cross over a Bridge of thirty-three Boats distant one from the other about the bredth of one Boat The Castle is in the City near to one of the Gates call'd El-Maazan upon the North side It is partly built upon the River encompass'd only with a single Wall terrass'd in some places and adorn'd with little Towers upon which are planted about a hundred and fifty Cannon but without Carriages The Moat is narrow and not above two or three Fathom deep neither is there any Draw-Bridge before the Gate The Garrison consists of three hundred Janizaries commanded by an Aga. The City is govern'd by a Basha who is generally a Vizier His House is upon the side of the River making a fair shew and he has alway ready at command six or sev'n hundred Horse There is also an Aga that commands three or four hundred Spahi's They have besides another sort of Cavalry which is call'd Ginguliler that is to say Men of Courage commanded by two Aga's
Turkish Adrianople Edrené Burse Brousa Belgrade Beligrade Buda Boudim Grand Caire Mesr. Alexandretta in Egypt Iskendrié Mecca Meqquie Balsara Basra Babylon Bagdat Nineveh Moussoul Nisibis Nisbin Edessa Ourfa Tiqueranger Diarbequir Eva-togea Tokat Teve Toupolis Erzerom Shamiramager Van. Jerusalem Koutsheriff Damas Cam. Tripoli in Syria Cam Taraboulous Aleppo Haleb. Tripoli in Barbary Taraboulous Tunis Tunis Algier Gezaiir Candy Guirir Rhodes Rodes Cyprus Kebres Chio Sakes Methelin Medilli Smyrna Izmir Troy Eski Istamboul Lemnos Limio Tenedos Bogge-adasi Negropont Eghirbos The Dardanels Bogaz-ki Athens Atina Barut Biroult Seyde Saida Tyre Sour St. John of Dacres Acra Antioch Antexia Trebizond Tarabozan Sinopus Sinap In the Fortress of Sinopus at the lower part of the Wall there is a Stone to be seen where there is an Inscription in Latin abbreviated with the word Rome in it whence some conjecture may be made that the Romans built it The Mediterranean Sea Akdeniis The Ocean Derijay Mouhiit The Black Sea Kara-Deniis CHAP. VIII Remarks upon the Trade of the Island of Candy and the principal Isles of the Archipelago as also upon some of the Cities of Greece adjoyning with a particular Relation of the present Condition of the Grand Signor's Galleys belonging as well to the Isles as to the Continent Of the ISLAND of CANDY OUT of the Island of Candy Strangers export great store of Wheat and Sallet-Oyl all sorts of Pulse Cheese yellow Wax Cottons Silks but more especially Malmsey wherein consists its chiefest Trade When Vintage draws near the Country-people that are to gather the Grapes wrap their Feet in a piece of a Boar's Skin which they tye together upon the upper part of the Foot with a piece of Pack-thred to preserve their Feet from the violent heat of the Rocks upon which they are to tread Those Skins are brought out of Russia by the Russes that bring Botargo and Caviare to Constantinople where they have a vast vent for it all over Turkie Persia and Ethiopia where they that follow the Greek and Armenian Church eat little or nothing else all the Lent By the way take notice that the Turks make a certain Glew out of Sturgeon which is the best in the World so that whatever is fasten'd with it will rather break in another place than where it is glew'd They make it thus When they have caught a Sturgeon they pull out his Guts and then there remains a Skin that covers the Flesh this Skin they take off from the head to the belly It is very clammy and about the thickness of two Sheets of Paper which they roll as thick as a Man's Arm and let it dry in the Sun When they use it they beat it with a Mallet and when it is well beat'n they break it into pieces and steep it in Water for half an hour in a little Pot. When the Venetians were Masters of Candy they that had committed any Crime which deserv'd Death if they could get out of the Island before they were apprehended went directly to Constantinopole to beg their pardon For you must know that no person but the Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Venice had the Priviledge to pardon Crimes committed in Candy For example when Signor Dervisano was Ambassador for the Commonwealth of Venice at Constantinople a Candiot having a desire to lye with a Woman by force she told him she would sooner eat her Child's Liver than yield to his Lust. Whereupon the Villain enrag'd he could not compass his design took his opportunity kill'd the Child cut out the Liver and made the Mother eat it and then slew the Mother also Upon this he fled to Constantinople to beg pardon of the Ambassador and obtain'd it there But the Ambassador at the same time wrote word to the Governour of Candy to put him to death at his return having only granted him his Pardon to preserve his Priviledge And indeed to speak truth the Candiots are the most wretched people under Heaven Of the ISLAND of CHIO THE City of Chio which gives the Island its Name contains about thirty thousand Inhabitants where there are little less than fifteen thousand Greeks eight thousand Latins and six thousand Turks Among the several Greek and Latin Churches the last of which hath continu'd ever since the time that the Genoeses possess'd the Island there are some indifferent handsom Structures The five principal Latin Churches are the Cathedral and the Churches belonging to the Escolantines the Dominicans the Jesuites and the Capuchins The Turks have also their Mosquees and the Jews their Synagogue Four Miles from the City near to the Sea-side is to be seen a vast Stone which was cut out of some Rock it is almost all round only the upper part which is flat and somewhat hollow round about the upper part and in the middle are places like Seats cut into the same Stone of which there is one higher than the rest like a School-master's Chair and Tradition reports that this was Homer's School where he taught his Scholars In this Island there is such an infinite number of Partridges that the like is not to be found in any part of the World But that which is a greater Rarity is this that the Natives breed them up as we do our Poultry but after a more pleasant manners for they let them go in the fields all the day long and at night every Country-man calls his own sevèrally home to Roost by a particular Note whither they return like a Flock of so many Geese There are great quantities of Damasks and Fustians wrought in the Island of Chio which are transported to Grand Cairo and to all the Cities upon the Coast of Barbary Natolia and particularly to Constantinople Three Leagues from the Island of Chio upon a Mountain to the South there grows a peculiar sort of Trees the Leaves are somewhat like a Myrtle their Branches so long that they creep upon the ground but which is more wonderful that when they are down they rise again of themselves From the beginning of May to the end of June the Inhabitants take great care to keep the Earth under the Tree very clean for during those two Months there issues out a certain Gum from the joynts of the Branches which drops upon the ground this is that which we call Mastick and the Turks Sakes according to the Name which they give the Island The Island produces great store of this Mastick which is spent in the Seraglio of Constantinople where the Women continually chew it to cleanse and keep their Teeth white When the Mastick Season draws near the Grand Signor every year sends a certain number of Bestangi's to take care that it be not exported but be preserv'd for the use of the Seraglio If it be a plentiful year for Mastick the Bestangi's that cull out the lesser sort to sell put it into little Bags and seal it up which Bags being so seal'd are never question'd by the Custom-house Officers The Island also
which he made the Grand-Signor was in Iron and Steel and a great number of Slaves The first time of his Audience he had a train of above 200 Persons But every day he sold two or three to defray his expences So that at his departure he had none but his Secretary and two Vassals more left He was a man of presence but no wit and every time he went to visit the Grand-Visier he presum'd to wear the white Bonnet which all the Franks wonder'd at when they saw that the Grand Visier wink'd at it For should any other Christian have done so he had been most certainly put to death or constrain'd to turn Mahumetan By which it was apparent how much the Grand Signor valu'd the Friendship of the King of Mengrelia and how careful he is of offending those that are sent from his Court He knew those People suffer no affronts but upon the least word presently draw besides that there is nothing to be got by provoking them This Embassadour going once upon a visit into the Country returning home was surpriz'd with a Storm whereupon he pull'd off his Boots and carri'd them under his Coat choosing rather to go bare foot to his lodging then to spoil his Boots Another time it being the custom of all Catholick Ambassadors to go to Mass to the Covent of Grey Friars in Pera upon St. Francis's day the Mengrelian Ambassador after Mass was done coming out of the Church and seeing several baubles which the Pedlers expose in the Cloyster upon that day bought a Tin Ring two or three small Looking-Glasses and a Pipe which he put in his mouth and went piping all the way i' th Street as Children do coming from Fairs But to return to the matter you must take notice that there are not only Iron Mines but also Mines of Gold and Silver in two places five or six days Journey from Teflis the one call'd Soiianet the other Obetet But the mischief is the people can hardly be got to work there for fear the Earth should tumble down and bury them in the Mine as it has many times happen'd There is also a Mine of Gold near to a place which is call'd Hardanoushé and a Mine of Silver at Gunishé-Koné five days Journey from Erzerom and as many from Trebisond As for the people themselves both Georgians and Mengrelians they never trouble themselves about the jgnorance and viciousnes of their Priests or whether they be able to instruct them or no. The richest among them are they which are in most credit and absolutely give Laws to the poor There are also some heads of the Church that assume such a jurisdiction over the people as to sell them both to the Turks and Persians and they choose out the handsom'st Children both Boys and Girls to get the more money by which authority also the great men of the Country enjoy Marry'd Women and Maids at their pleasure They will choose out their Children for the Bishops while they are yet in their Cradles and if the Prince be dissatisfi'd at it all the Clergy joyns with him that makes the choice and then together by the Ears they go In which Skirmishes they will carry away whole Villages and sell all the poor people to the Turks and Persians And indeed the custom of selling men and women is so common in that Country that a man may almost affirm it to be one of their chiefest Trades The Bishops dissolve Marriages when they please and then Marry again after they have sold the first If any of the Natives be not Marri'd to his fancy he takes another for such a time as he thinks fit for which he pays her all the while as the Turks do Very few of these people know what Baptism means Only two or three days after the woman is brought to bed the Priest comes and brings a little Oyl mumbles over a few Prayers and then anoints the Mother and the Infant which they believe to be the best Baptism in the World In short they are a people of no Devotion at all neither in their Ceremonies nor in their Prayers But there are great store of Nunneries where the young Maids apply themselves to their Studies and after such an age whether they stay in the Nunneries or betake themselves to the Service of any of the great Lords they Confess Baptize Marry and perform all other Ecclesiastical Functions which I never knew practis'd in any other part of the World beside CHAP. XI Of Comania Circassia and of certain people which they call Kalmouchs COmania is bounded toward the East by the Caspian Sea Westward by the Mountains that divide it from Circassia Northward it lies upon Muscovia and Southward it is bounded by Georgia From the Mountains that bound upon the North-East to Tercki which is the River that parts Moscovia from Comania it is all a level Country excellent for Tillage and abounding in fair Meadows and Pasturage However it is not over-peopl'd which is the reason they never Sow twice together in one place The Climate is much the same as between Paris and Lion where it Rains very much and yet the Country people have cut several Channels from the Rivers to water the Grounds after they have Sow'd them which they learnt from the Persians Those Rivers fall from the Southern Mountains being not at all tak'n notice of in the Map There is one among the rest a very large River which can be forded at no time They call it Coyasou or The thick water in regard it is continually muddy the stream being so slow that they can hardly discern which way it runs It falls gently into the Caspian Sea to the South of the mouth of Volga Not far from this River in the months of October and November all along the Shore of the same Sea you may see vast shoals of fish about two foot long Before they have two legs like a Dog's legs behind instead of legs they have only claws Flesh they have none but only fat with a bone in the middle Now in regard they are but flow pac'd when they come upon Land the Country people easily knock them on the head and make Oyl of them which is the greatest Trade they have The people of Comania commonly call'd Comouchs dwell for the most part at foot of the Mountains because of the Springs so plentiful in those places that in some Villages you shall have above twenty or thirty Three of these Spings meeting together make a stream strong enough to drive a Mill. But this is not the sole reason for there is Water enough in the plain But in regard they are a people that only live upon the spoil and plunder of their Enemies and of one another as they are in continual fear of being set upon they love to dwell near the refuge of the Mountains whither they fly with their Cattle upon any occasion of danger For all the people round about as Georgians Mengrelians
least prone to Jealousie By the way take notice that the Nogaies though they live almost after the same manner as the Tartars and are under the same Prince yet they perfectly hate them reproaching them for effeminate because they live in Houses and Villages whereas the true Souldier should live in Tents as they do to be ready upon all occasions They that run a-foot as well in these Countries as in Persia when they are weary take Walnuts and bruise them and then rub the Soles of their feet with them before the fire as hot as they can endure it which presently makes them fresh again Having thus done with all the several Roads here follows an Alphabetical Table of the Longitudes and Latitudes of all the Principal Cities of the whole Empire of Persia. THE LONGITUDES and LATITUDES OF THE Principal Cities of PERSIA according as the Geographers of those Countries place them A. A Amoul is in 72 Degrees 20 Min. of Longitude 36 deg of Latitude The Lands about this City abound in Prunes Abeher in 74 deg 20 min. Long. 36 deg 15 min. Lat. 12 Leagues from Casbin a small City but the Land is good about it Absecun in 79 deg 15 min. Long. 37 deg 10 min. Lat. A small City in an excellent Soil Abdehil in 60 deg 20 min. Long. 36 deg 24 min. Lat. The Inhabitants are most Christians and there are many ancient Churches in it It depends upon Sultany Ahwaz 70 deg 15 min. Long. 31 deg 15 min. Lat. A small City half ruin'd in the Province of Belad-Cowreston in a Soil that yields excellent Fruits Arbella 69 deg 50 min. Long. 36 deg 20 min. Lat. A small Champaign City where Provisions are Cheap Ardevil 62 deg 30 min. Long. 38 deg 15 min. Lat. Ardeston 77 deg 10 min. Long. 33 deg 7 min. Lat. Famous for the Copper Vessels that are there made Arion 74 deg 32 min. Long. 32 deg 25 min. Lat. One of the three places where Olives grow in all Persia. Assed-Abad 63 deg 40 min. Long. 34 deg 50 min. Lat. A small City toward Amadan Ava 75 deg 10 min. Long. 34 deg 40 min. Lat. This is a very small place Azadkar or Yevin 82 deg 15 min. Long. 36 deg 32 min. Lat. A City in a great Plain where there are above four hundred Channels under-ground B. Bab El Abab or the Gate of Gates call'd also Demir-capi or the Gate of Iron The Tartars call it Monjou 75 deg 15. min. Long. 45 deg 15 min. Lat. It has been formerly a strong place Badkeist 85 deg 32 min. Long. 35 deg 20 min. Lat. A small but most pleasant City and well built Baste 80 deg 15 min. Long. 29 deg 15 min. Lat. A City in the Province of Kerman where in Summer the Mornings are very cold the Afternoons hot yet the Air very good Bafrouche see Mahmeter Beylagon 63 deg 52 min. Long. 41 deg 20 min. Lat. A City toward the Caspian Sea in a Country abounding in Corn and Fruit. Balk 91 deg 36 min. Long. 38 deg 10 min. Lat. Three days journey from Moultan Bem or Bembe 74 deg 15 min. Long. 28 deg 20 min. Lat. Thought to have been built by Caliph Mouktadar near the great Desert of Bersham Berdoe 63 deg 15 min. Long. 35 deg 30 min. Lat. It lyes surrounded with Pasture-grounds which breed great store of Cattel Berzendé 63 deg 14 min. Long. 37 deg 40 min. Lat. Here are made a sort of course Druggets for ordinary people Beston 79 deg 15 min. Long. 37 deg 20 min. Lat. It lyes in a Country abounding in Corn and Fruits Bimonoheer 74 deg 10 min. Long. 37 deg 30 min. Lat. Here is great Trade for Silk Bost 91 deg 28 min. Long. 32 deg 16 min. Lat. A great City to which belongs the fairest and strongest Castle in all Persia. Bourou-Jerdé 74 deg 30 min. Long. 34 deg 20 min. Lat. Famous for Saffron and for being the native City of many Learned Men. C. Chemkon 63 deg 15 min. Long. 41 deg 15 min. Lat. Chiras 78 deg 15 min. Long. 29 deg 36 min. Lat. Chirvan or Erivan 63 deg 15 min. Long. 38 deg 32 min. Lat. Here all the Silk Caravans rendevous and it is one of the richest Kanats or Governments in Persia. D. Dankon 78 deg 15 min. Long. 30 deg 15 min. Lat. A bad Town in a bad Soil Darabguired 80 deg 15 min. Long. 30 deg 15 min. Lat. In several parts round about this City they meet with Salt of several colours as red and green black and white Here they also make long-neck'd Glass-Bottles which are very curious work nor are they without Sider to fill those Bottles in regard of the great plenty of Apples thereabouts Near to the City there is a Sulphur-Mine and great store of Mummy very much esteem'd in Persia. Debeston 80 deg 15 min. Long. 38 deg 15 min. Lat. This is not properly a City but a great many Villages joyn'd together Deras 79 deg 30 min. Long. 31 deg 32 min. Lat. Devinmaat 62 deg 5 min. Long. 38 deg 40 min. Lat. Din Ver 63 deg 15 min. Long. 35 deg Lat. A City in a fruitful Soil stor'd with Mosquees Doulad 74 deg 15 min. Long. 37 deg 50 min. Lat. The Country about is full of black Mulbery trees Dourak 74 deg 32 min. Long. 32 deg 15 min. Lat. Here they make the loose Cassocks without Sleeves which the Arabians wear Near to this City the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates meeting at a place call'd Hellá make a Marsh where grow the Reeds of which the Eastern people make their Pens E. Elalbetem 87 deg 15 min. Long. 37 deg 15. min. Lat. Eltiib 70 deg 15. min. Lon. 32 deg 15. min. Lat. Enderab 93 deg 15 min. Long. 32 deg 15 min. Lat. Erivan see Chirvan Espharaïen 81 deg 40 min. Long. 37 deg 15 min. Lat. The Country about it abounds in Pears and Apples Estakré 78 deg 30 min. Long. 30 deg 15 min. Lat. The ancient City in the Province of Fars properly Persia in a Soil abounding in Vines and Date-trees Esterabat 75 deg 35 min. Long. 36 deg 50 min. Lat. F. Ferah 18 deg 15 min. Long. 39 deg 15 min. Lat. Built by Abdalla the Son of Taher in the time of Maimon Reshid Caliph of Berni-Abbas Ferouzabad 82 deg 32 min. Long. 30 deg 10 min. Lat. Anciently call'd Hourbecthion G. Girefte 73 deg 40 min. Long. 31 deg 10 min. Lat. One of the biggest Cities in the Province of Kerman The Trade of the City consists in Hones and Wheat Girrcadegon vulgarly Paygon 75 deg 35 min. Long. 34 deg 15 min. Lat. Goutem 74 deg 46 min. Long. 37 deg 20 min. Lat. A little City full of Silk-Twisters H. Hamadan 75 deg 20 min. Long. 34 deg Lat. The Country about it breeds great store of Cattel Hasn-Eltaf or The Center of Beauty
pleasant news or other to tell the King his Majesty was pleas'd to ask him what the people said of Jafer-Kan adding withall that he had made him Governour of several Provinces and had never heard any complaint of him before but that now he was accus'd of strangely tyrannizing over the people The Musick Master being a meer flatterer and knowing that Jafer-Kan was extreamly belov'd by the King confidently averr'd that the Governour was falsly accus'd and that he had always known him apter to give than to receive There was at the same time in the Room an Agis call'd Manouchar-Kan lately return'd from a Pilgrimage to Mecca him the King also ask'd what was his opinion of Jafer-Kan and his Government being a person that had been long acquainted with him to whom the Agis thinking to please the King return'd the same answer that the Musick Master had giv'n Whereupon the King who had been well inform'd of the Kans behaviour turning toward the Lords that were present What think you said he of these two Flatterers that absolutely know the contrary to what they speak And at the same time commanded two of the Musick Masters teeth to be pull'd out of his mouth and to be driv'n into the head of the Agis which had like to have cost him his life being a very old man As for Jafer-Kan he was disgrac'd for a time but being a person endow'd with noble qualities valiant generous and pleasing in conversation he was recall'd to Court and knew so well how to make his tale good that his Majesty gave him the Government of Shemeloubostan of which Semeran is the Capital City Shemeloubostan signifies a Country manur'd to bear fruit Nor is there any Province in Persia that so abounds in Pastures and Castles that daily fall to ruine Jafer-Kan being restor'd to favour the King sent for several Lords of the Court to come and drink with them He also commanded five French Artificers which he had in his service to wait upon him a Goldsmith nam'd Sain two Watchmakers Lagis and Varin and two Musket-makers Marais and Bernard After they had heated themselves a little with Wine the King drew a Ruby out from off his finger which I sold for him a hundred Tomans and a Diamond Jewel worth thirteen or fourteen hundred Tomans which he gave to Jafer-Kan with whom he was whispering at the same time Now though the Nazar were at a distance yet without doubt somewhat of the discourse was heard insomuch that the Wine emboldning him he told the King aloud that if he would let him have but four thousand Horse he would cut all that Rabble to pieces The King bid him hold his tongue and go to sleep testifying his displeasure at his discourse For the Nazar conjectur'd that the King was talking to Jafer-Kan about the incursions which the Usbeck Tartars often made from Meshed side As for the Franks three of the five were gone home to sleep Sain Lagis and Bernard Maras and Varin stay'd behind in the Room But Marais being of a humor that when he was drunk he could not hold his tongue and having heard what the Nazar said he likewise took upon him to tell the King that if the King wanted a General there was none fitter to make a General than Jafer-Kan and presently began a long repetition of his praises The King commanded him to hold his tongue which he did for awhile but then falling again into his former impertinencies the King commanded him to be dragg'd out of the Room by the feet and that they should rip up his belly Thereupon Marais was seiz'd upon by the Meter who having a great kindness for the Franks and knowing that the King had a singular love for Marais delay'd the execution of the Kings command pulling his Cloathes off very slowly and finding that the King did not rise to go into his Haram which is the sign of no pardon to be given he caus'd him to be dragg'd as near the person of the King as he could thereby to try whether the King would have compassion on him or no while certain Lords took the boldness to implore the Kings mercy in his behalf At last when the King saw him dragg'd along he commanded the Officers to let him go and withall order'd him to put on his Cloathes again and resume his place The King of Persia's eldest Son comes very raw to the Throne and his first divertisement is to make short journeys into the Provinces thereby by little and little to gain the knowledge of such things as concern him Above all things he never fails to visit the principal Church of the Armenians at Zulpha That which makes him so curious is his desire to see the Armenian women who are very handsom being also further incited thereto by the Sultanesses who are glad of any recreation And then he has a Courouk through all Zulpha at what time all the men must retire to Ispahan or to their Friends at a distance Sha-Abbas the second went several times in that manner to Zulpha and one day among the rest upon the report of the beauty of the Wife of the Kelonter Gorgia Sasras Son of Kelonter Gorgia Nazar the King having seen her lik'd her very well and desir'd her to go along with the Sultanesses who carry'd her into the Haram where she continu'd fifteen days and then return'd home with a fair Neck-Lace of Pearls which the King gave her when she went away To say the truth of Sha-Abbas the second he was a man too much given to drink and too much govern'd by his passion otherwise he was a lover of justice and very magnificent and generous to Strangers CHAP. VI. Of the misfortune of Mahomet Beg in the raigne of Sha-Abbas the second MAhomet Beg was born at Tauris the Son of a Taylor who bred him a Scholar He had a quick apprehension and was naturally enclin'd to vertue and being desirous to advance himself in the world he had the good luck to obtain the employment of Major-Bashi or chief of the Essayers and Refiners of Money who has a power to visit all places where money is coyn'd After that he became acquainted with the Aila Verdi Beg or Mr. Godsgift the Kings chief Huntsman by the title of Mert-Shekar-Bashi who gladly presented him to the King to whom the King was very thankful so soon as he had found the noble Qualities of the person he had presented Thereupon so soon as Mahomet Ali-Beg grand Master of the Kings House dy'd the King bestow'd that Employment upon Mahomet Beg who not only gain'd the favour of his Majesty but the good will of all the Lords of the Court He had a great respect for them all without medling with any of their employments and supprest his revengeful spirit not finding it seasonable as yet to disclose his passions Kalise Sultan at that time Athemadoulet hapning to dye the King conferr'd that place upon Mahomet Beg who at first behav'd himself
When they were brought to Goa they could never be brought to learn any thing of the Portugal Language So that they could gettout of them nothing of that further discovery at which they aim'd of a Country from whence they only brought away two pound of Gold three pound of Ambergreese and thirty-five or forty Elephants teeth One of the Cafres liv'd but six months the other fifteen but both languish'd and pin'd to death for grief to be so trapann'd From Goa I pass'd to Mingrela where there fell out an accident not to be forgotten An Idolater dying and the Fire being ready prepar'd for the burning of the Body his Wife who had no Children by the permission of the Governour came to the Fire and stood among the Priests and her Kindred to be burnt with the Body of her deceas'd Husband As they were taking three turns according to custom about the place where the Fire was kindl'd there fell of a sudden so violent a Shower that the Priests willing to get out of the rain thrust the Woman all along into the Fire But the Shower was so vehement and endur'd so long a while that the Fire was quench'd and the Woman was not burn'd About midnight she rose and went and knock'd at the door of one of her Kinsmens Houses where Father Zenon and many Hollanders saw her looking so ghastly and grimly that it was enough to have scar'd them however the pain that she endur'd did not so far terrifie her but that three days after accompany'd by her Kindred she went and was burn'd according to her first intention CHAP. XV. The Story of Father Ephraim and how he was put into the Inquisition at Goa by a surprisal THE Chek who had marri'd the Eldest of the Princesses of Golconda not being able to perswade Father Ephraim to stay at Bagnabar where he promis'd to build him an House and a Church gave him an Ox and two Men to carry him to Maslipatan where he staid to embark for Pegu according to the order of his Superiors But finding no Vessel ready to set sail the English drew him to Madrespatan where they have a Fort call'd St. George and a general Factory for every thing that concerns the Countreys of Golconda Pegu and Bengala They over-perswaded him that he might reap a fairer Harvest in this place than in any other part of the Indies to which end they presently built him a very neat House and a Church But in the conclusion the English sought not so much the interest of Father Ephraim as their own For Madrespatan is but half a league from St. Thomas a Sea-Town upon the Coast of Cormandel indifferently well-built as formerly belonging to the Portugals In that place there was a very great Trade especially for Calicuts and a very great number of Merchants and Workmen liv'd there the greatest part whereof desir'd to inhabit at Madrespatan with the English but that there was no place for them to exercise their Religion in that place But when the English had built a Church and perswaded Father Ephraim to stay many of the Portuguezes quitted St. Thomas by reason of the frequent Preaching of Father Ephraim and his great care as well of the Natives as of the Portugals Father Ephraim was born at Auxerre the Brother of Monsieur Chateau de Boys Counsellor of the Parliament of Paris who was very happy in learning Languages so that in a little time he spoke English and Portuguez perfectly well But now the Clergy of St. thomas-Thomas-Church seeing Father Ephraim in so high a reputation and that he drew the greatest part of their Congregation to Madrespatan were so enrag'd against him that they resolv'd to ruine him And thus they laid their plot The English and Portuguezes being neer-neighbours could not choose but have several quarrels one among another and still Father Ephraim was appli'd to for the composing their differences Now one day it happen'd that the Portuguezes quarrell'd on purpose with some English Mariners that were in St. Thomas-Road and the English came by the worst The English President resolving to have satisfaction for the injury a War broke out between the two Nations which had ruin'd all the Trade of that Countrey had not the Merchants on both sides been very diligent to bring things to an accommodation not knowing any thing of the wicked contrivance of particular persons against Father Ephraim But all the interposition of the Merchants avail'd nothing the Friar must be concern'd in the affair he must be the Mediator to act between party and party which he readily accepted But he was no sooner enter'd into St. Thomas but he was seiz'd by ten or twelve Officers of the Inquisition who shipp'd him away in a Frigat that was bound at the same time for Goa They fetter'd and manacl'd him and kept him two and twenty days at Sea before they would let him once put his foot a-shoar though the best part of the Mariners lay a-shoar every night When they came to Goa they staid till night before they would land Father Ephraim to carry him to the Inquisition-House For they were afraid left if they should land him in the day the people should know of it and rise in the rescue of a person who was in an high veneration over all India The news was presently spread abroad in all parts that Father Ephraim was in the Inquisition which very much amaz'd all the French-men But he that was most surpriz'd and most troubl'd at it was Friar Zenon the Capuchin who had been formerly Father Ephraim's Companion who after he had consulted his friends resolv'd to go to Goa though he were put into the Inquisition himself For when a man is once shut up there if any one have the boldness to speak to the Inquisitor or to any of his Councel in his behalf he is presently put into the Inquisition also and accounted a greater Offender than the other Neither the Arch Bishop nor the Vice-Roy themselves dare interpose though they are the only two persons over whom the Inquisition has no power For if they do any thing to offend them they presently write to the Inquisitor and his Council in Portugal and as the King and the Inquisitor-General commands they either proceed against or send those two great persons into Portugal Notwithstanding all these considerations Father Zenon taking along with him the Sieur de la Boulay a decaid Gentleman goes to Goa where when he arriv'd he was visited by some friends who advise him to have a care not to open his mouth in the behalf of Father Ephraim unless he intended to bear him company in the Inquisition Father Zenon seeing he could do nothing at Goa advis'd the Sieur de Boulay to return to Surat and goes himself directly to Madrespatan more particularly to inform himself concerning the reason of Father Ephraim's being sent away But when he understood how he had been betraid at St. Thomas he resolv'd to have satisfaction and
pens These Pencils did him a great kindness For the Maltese calling for such a deal of Tobacco which is always cut and ti'd up in white-paper for the profit of the seller who weighs both Tobacco and Paper together these Papers Father Ephraim kept very charily and with his Pencil wrote therein whatever he had studi'd at any time though he lost the sight of one of his eyes through the darkness of the Chamber which had but one window half a foot square and barr'd with iron They would never so much as lend him a Book or let him have an end of Candle but us'd him as bad as a certain Miscreant that had been twice let out already with his Shirt sulphur'd and a St. Andrews-Cross upon his stomach in company with those that are lead to the Gallows and was then come in again Father Ephraim having staid 15 days in the Convent of the Capuchins to recover his strength after 20 months imprisonment return'd for Madrespatan and passing through Golconda went to return his humble thanks to the King of Golcolda and his Son-in-law who had so highly interess'd themselves for his liberty The King importun'd him again to stay at Bagnagar but seeing him resolv'd to return to his Convent at Madrespatan they gave him as before an Oxe two Servants and Money for his journey CHAP. XVI The Road from Goa to Maslipatan through Cochin here describ'd in the story of the taking of that City by the Hollanders AFter the Dutch had dispossess'd the Portugals of whatever they had in Ceylan they cast their eyes upon Cochin in the Territories whereof grows the Bastard Cinnamon which hinder'd the utterance of Ceylan Cinnamon For the Merchants seeing that the Hollanders kept up their Cinnamon so dear bought up that of Cochin which they had very cheap and that coming into request was transported to Gomron and distributed there among the Merchants that came from Persia from Tartary from Moscovia from Georgia Mingrela and all the places upon the black Sea It was also carried away in great quantities by the Merchants of Balsara and Bagdat who furnish Arabia as also by the Merchants of Mesopotamia Anatolia Constantinople Romania Hungary and Poland For in all those Countries they use it either whole or beaten in most of their meats to heighten the taste thereof The Army which was commanded out of Batavia for the Siege of Cochin landed at a place call'd Belli-Porto where the Hollanders had a Fort made of Palm-Trees It is near to Cranganor a small City which the Hollanders took the year before not being able to take Cochin then though they had made some attempts upon it So soon as the Army landed they murch'd within Cannon-shot of the City there being a River between them and the City That part where the Hollanders encamp'd is call'd Belle-Epine where after they had fortifi'd themselves as well as the Nature of the place would permit they rais'd some Batteries which could not much annoy the City by reason of the distance They lay there till they had recruits of more men for they had but three Ships full though he that commanded them were one of the bravest Captains of his time Some few days after the Governour of Amboyna arriv'd with two Ships more and afterwards a Dutch Captain brought a great number of Chinglas who are the Natives of the Island of Ceylan For the Forces of the Hollander would not be so considerable as they are did they not make use of the Natives of the Country to fill up the Companies which they bring out of Europe The Natives of Ceylan are good for digging Trenches and raising Batteries but for a Storm they signifie little Those of Amboyna are good Soldiers four hundred of which were left at Belle-Epine The Body of the Army took Shipping again and landed near to Cochin not far from a Church dedicated to St. Andrew where the Portugals with certain Malavares seem'd to have stay'd ashore for the Hollanders coming But seeing the Enemy to land with so much resolution they only gave them one Volly and retreated In their March the Hollanders descry'd certain Companies of Portugueses near the Sea-shore others somewhat farther up in the Land in a Church call'd St. Johns Thereupon they sent out some Horsemen to discover their number but the Portugals still retreated after they had set fire to the Church Thereupon the Hollanders made their approaches to the Town and after they had besieg'd it for some time a French Soldier who was under their pay seeing a Pannier ty'd at the end of a Cord hanging over one of the Bastions ventur'd notwithstanding all the Bullets that flew about his Ears to see what was in it But he was strangely surpriz'd to find nothing but a languishing infant which the Mother had hung there that she might not see it perish for hunger The Soldier mov'd to compassion took the Infant and gave it such as he had to eat at which the Dutch General was so incens'd saying that the Soldier should have let the Infant perish that he call'd a Council of War where he would have had the Soldier run the Gauntlet which was very cruel but the Council moderating the sentence condemn'd him only to the Strappado The same day ten Soldiers out of every Company were commanded to go to one of the Houses of the King of Cochin but they found no body there having plunder'd it the year before At which time the Hollanders slew four Kings of the Country and six hundred Blacks nor did there escape but only one ancient Queen who was taken alive by a common Soldier call'd Van Rez whom the Commander of the Army made a Captain immediately for his reward They left one Company in that House but the Queen stay'd there but six days for they gave her into the custody of Savarin one of the most potent of the petty Kings upon that Coast to whom the Hollanders had promis'd to give the City of Cranganor if they took Cochim provided he would be faithful to them Six weeks pass'd ere any thing considerable was done but then the Hollanders storming the Town by night were repuls'd and lost abundance of men slain and taken Prisoners through the Governour of Cranganors fault who commanded them and was drunk when the assault was made Two months after the General of the Hollanders resolv'd to make another assault in the same place and because he would not want men he sent for those that lay upon the side of Belle-epine But by misfortune the Frigat struck upon the Sands and splitting abundance of the Soldiers were drown'd They that could swim got to land near Cochin not finding any other place convenient and were all taken Prisoners by the Portugals being not above ten in all Soldiers and Mariners The General however would not give over the assault but causing the Sea-men to land he arm'd some with half-Pikes others with Swords to others he gave hand-Granadoes and about ten a Clock in