AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1583-91. 



so fast downewardes that they cannot returne. They 

 carie you to a towne which they call Felugia, and there 

 you sell the boate for a litle money, for that which cost 

 you fiftie at Birra you sell there for seven or eight. 

 From Birra to Felugia is sixteene dayes journey, it is 

 not good that one boate goe alone, for if it should chance 

 to breake, you should have much a doe to save your 

 goods from the Arabians, which be alwayes there abouts 

 robbing : and in the night when your boates be made 

 fast, it is necessarie that you keepe good watch. For the 

 Arabians that bee theeves, will come swimming and steale 

 your goods and flee away, against which a gunne is very 

 good, for they doe feare it very much. In the river of 

 Euphrates from Birra to Felugia there be certaine places 

 where you pay custome, so many Medines for a some 

 or Camels lading, and certaine raysons and sope, which 

 is for the sonnes of Aborise, which is Lord of the Arabians 

 and all that great desert, and hath some villages upon 



TelugLa. the river. Felugia where you unlade your goods which 

 come from Birra is a little village : from whence you goe 

 to Babylon in a day. 



Babylon. Babylon is a towne not very great but very populous, 

 and of great traffike of strangers, for that it is the way to 

 Persia, Turkia and Arabia : and from thence doe goe 

 Carovans for these and other places. Here are great 

 store of victuals, which come from Armenia downe the 

 river of Tygris. They are brought upon raftes made of 

 goates skinnes blowne full of winde and hordes layde 

 upon them : and thereupon they lade their goods which 

 are brought downe to Babylon, which being discharged 

 they open their skinnes, and carry them backe by Camels, 

 to serve another time. Babylon in times past did belong 

 to the kingdome of Persia, but nowe is subject to the 

 Turke. Over against Babylon there is a very faire vil- 

 lage from whence you passe to Babylon upon a long 

 bridge made of boats, and tyed to a great chaine of 

 yron, which is made fast on either side of the river. 

 When any boates are to passe up or downe the river, 



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