Chap.IV. c/Monfieur Tavernier. 19 



From this Bridge to Zulfa is but one days journey \ which Town being altogether 

 ruin'd , fhews the realbn wherefore the Caravan lodges upon the Bank of the River 

 five hundred Paces on this fide. .:. ■ 



Zulfa, the ancient Habitation of the Armenians which Sha-Abas carried into 

 Pcrfia, is a Town fqucez'd between two Mountains , through which thcAras runs* 

 leaving but little Land on either fide. It carries no Boats till about two Leagues 

 below, (for upward it will hardly bear a piece of Timber) and in regard the 

 Country grows low and extends it felf into Plains, there is no fear of Rocks , the 

 courfe of the Stream being very quiet. There was a fair Stone-Bridge, which 

 Sha-Abas caus'd to be broken down ; when he wholly deftroy'd the Town , that it 

 might be no harbour for the Turks. Neither by the Ruines, nor by its Situation, 

 doth it appear to have been a City of any ancient Beauty :, the Stones were clapt 

 unskilfully together without Morter , fo that the Houfes were more like Caves 

 than Houfes. The North-Weft fide was moft inhabited , there being nothing on 

 the other fide worth taking notice of. The Lands about Zulfa being very fertil, 

 there are certain Arme?iian Families return'd, who live very quietly. Cogia Naz.ar f 

 one of the chief Armenians that went out of Zulfa , growing rich by Trade , and 

 being in great reputation with Sha-Abas, and Sha-Sefi his SuccelTor, who made him 

 Kelontcr, or Chief Judge of the Armenian Nation, built two great Inns, for the 

 Honour of his Country, in Zulfa , upon each fide of the River one. He fpent above 

 an hundred thoufand Crowns, but dying left two remarkable Pieces of Work 

 unfinifh'd. 



Half a League on this fide Zulfa, before you crofs a Torrent that falls intoAra/, 

 you may take your choice of two ways to go to Tauris. The one upon the right 

 hand, leading to the South-Eaft , which is the ordinary Road ; the other upon the 

 left hand , toward the North -Eaft , which we took eight or ten in company together 

 on horfeback , the laft time I went to Iftahan. We left the Caravan , that takes 

 the great Road, and never goes the other way, becaufe it is full of Rocks and Stones 

 that fpoil the hoofs of the Camels. However I was willing to fee a new Country, 

 which I {hall defcribe before I come to the great Road. 



- From the Torrent where we left the Caravan , we went forward , and lay at a 

 Village not above a League and a half off. 



. The next day, after we had kept along by the Banks of the Aras for five or fix 

 Hours, we came to Aflabat , which lyes a League from the River , where we (laid 

 above two Days to divert our felves. This is but a little City, but a very neat one } 

 where there are four Inns , and every Houfe has its Fountain. The great plenty of 

 Water makes the City very fruitful in all things j more efpecially in good Wine. 

 This is the only Country in the World that produces the Ronas, for which there is 

 a vaft utterance all over Perfia 'and India. The Ronas is a Root that grows in the 

 Earth like Liquorice, and is not much bigger. The ufe of it is to dye Red, and 

 this is that Red which gives that beautiful tin&ure to aH the Calicuts that come out 

 of the Mogul's Country. Though the Roots which are pulPd out of the Earth are 

 very long , yet they cut them into pieces not above as long as a Man's Hand , for 

 the better accommodation of Carriage. It is a wonderful thing to behold at Ornms 

 whole Caravans laden with this Ronas , whith they Ship off from thence to the 

 Indies. 



The Root is full of Juycc , and yields a very high Tintture •, for I remember 

 that an Indian VelTclthat was laden with it, being caft away in the Road of Ormw, 

 where the Bags of Ronas floated , the Sea Iook'd of a red colour for feveral 

 days. ' 



Departing from Aflabat , it bchov'd us to provide our felves with Straw and 

 Barley for ourHorfcs, understanding that we fhould meet with none all that days 

 journey. From thence we travell'd upon a delcent for an hour together to the 

 River Aras, which we crofs'd in a Boat-, and all the reft of the day we travel'd 

 through Mountains j over Torrents and Stones. That Evening we lay upon the 

 Bank of a fmall Stream. 



The day following, after we had travel'd through a ipacious Valley for two or 

 three hours, we attended a high Mountain , at the top whereof we met with two 

 or three pitiful Houfes, where we ftopt that day. 



The next, which was the fifth after y we left the Caravan, we travel'd upon sr 



G 2 defcent 



