issuing out of 

 the earth. 



RALPH FITCH ad. 



1583-91. 



they take away certaine of the boates untill they be 

 past. 



The Tower of Babel is built on this side the river The tower of 

 Tygris, towardes Arabia from the towne about seven or ^^"^^' 

 eight mileSj which tower is ruinated on all sides, and with 

 the fall thereof hath made as it were a litle mountaine, 

 so that it hath no shape at all : it was made of brickes 

 dried in the sonne, and certaine canes and leaves of 

 the palme tree layed betwixt the brickes. There is 

 no entrance to be scene to goe into it. It doth stand 

 upon a great plaine betwixt the rivers of Euphrates and 

 Tygris. 



By the river Euphrates two dayes journey from Boy ling pitch 

 Babylon at a place called Ait, in a fielde neere unto it, is J^f/^^^'f^-JI 

 a strange thing to see : a mouth that doth continually 

 throwe foorth against the ayre boyling pitch with a filthy 

 smoke : which pitch doth runne abroad into a great fielde 

 which is alwayes full thereof. The Moores say that it 

 is the mouth of hell. By reason of the great quantitie 

 of it, the men of that countrey doe pitch their boates two 

 or three inches thicke on the out side, so that no water 

 doth enter into them. Their boates be called Danec. 

 When there is great store of water in Tygris you may 

 goe from Babylon to Basora in 8 or 9 dayes : if there be 

 small store it will cost you the more dayes. 



Basora in times past was under the Arabians, but now 

 is subject to the Turke. But some of them the Turke 

 cannot subdue, for that they holde certaine Ilandes in the 

 river Euphrates which the Turke cannot winne of them. 

 They be theeves all and have no setled dwelling, but 

 remove from place to place with their Camels, goates, and 

 horses, wives and children and all. They have large 

 blew gownes, their wives eares and noses are ringed very 

 full of rings of copper and silver, and they weare rings 

 of copper about their legs. 



Basora standeth neere the gulfe of Persia, and is a 

 towne of great trade of spices and drugges which come 

 from Ormus. Also there is great store of wheate, ryce, 



467 



