34 



The Persian Travels Book I. 



Inhabitants. Befides , there hardly paflcs a Year but the City is infefted with the 

 Plague, which however is not ib violent as in Chriftendom. The Turks neither fear 

 itnornieit, believing altogether in Predeftination. Yet I believe, if the Inha- 

 bitants of Smyrna would take care to drain away the Handing Puddles that gather 

 in the Winter about the City, they would not be ib frequently molefted with the 

 Plague as they.arc. It is moft rife in May , June , and July, but the malignant 

 Fevers that fucceed it in September and October are more to be fear'd , more People 

 dying of them than of the Peftilence. In all my Travels I never was in Smyrna at 

 rhefe unfortunate Sealbns. There is no Bajlm in that City *, it being govern'd only 

 by a Cody , who is not ib ievere to the Chriftians as in other places : For (hould he 

 abuie his Office , Conjluntinople is at hand , where you may complain to the Mufti, 

 and have relief*, who for fome good Preient may be eafily periwaded to depoic the 

 Cody . as being glad of the opportunity to dilplace him , and to put another in 

 his room. 



The Cuftoms of Smyrna yield a great Revenue to the Grand Signor , being paid 

 there very exactly. But were there a certain Rate put upon Commoditics,theMerchants, 

 who would otherwiie be lofers , would not ftudy ib many ways as they do to deceive 

 the Cuftomers : For thole Cuftomers lay what Price they pleafe upon Commodities, 

 valuing that at a thouiand Crowns , which perhaps is not worth three hundred, 

 being abiblute Matters of the Rate. In my laft Voyage to Smyrna, four "Dutch 

 Women that went thither in our Ship from their own Country, carry'd a-fhoar under 

 their Coats whatever I had of rich Merchandize: for the Turks have fuch a refpect 

 for that Sex , that they will not fo much as ofFer to fcarch them. If a man be tak'a 

 in dealing Cuftoms , there is no other punifhment than to pay double. 



The Trade of Smyrna is very great, and the principal Merchandizes which the 

 Franks tranfport from thence , are raw Silk , which the Armenians bring out of 

 Perfia-, Chamlet-yarn , and Chamlet or Goats-hair, which come from a little City 

 call'd Amouri , fifteen or fixteen days journey from Smyrna ; Cotton twiftcd •, Skins 

 and Cordovans of feveral colours*, Calicuts, white and blew*, great quantities of 

 Wool for MattrefTes, Tap'ftries, quilted Coverlets, Soap, Rhubarb, Galls, Va- 

 lanede, Scammony, and Opium*, which four laft Commodities are to be had in 

 the Countries near 10 Smyrna , but not in great quantities. The Caravans come 

 generally to this Town in the Months of February , June, and Otiober ; and depart 

 again to the Countries from whence they came the fame Months. 



Ephefus not being above a day and a halfs journey from Smyrna , on Horfe-back 

 I took an opportunity to go thither. There were twelve of us that joyn'd together, 

 Franks and Hollanders , who took three Janizaries along with us, and three Horfes 

 to carry our Provifion. 



We travel'd this little Journey in the Summer , and letting out of Smyrna about 

 three of the Clock in the Afternoon, we rode through a Country part Plains, and 

 part Hills , till we came to a great Village, where we iiip'd. 



After we had {laid there three hours, we took Horfe and travel'd till Midnight, 

 to avoid the Heats : By the way we met with nine or ten Arches , very narrow \ 

 which we could not conjecture to be any thing elfe than the Ruines of fome Aque- 

 duct. From thence to Ephefa the way is very pleafant, through little Thickets 

 watred with Rivulets. 



A quarter of a League from Ephefus you meet with another Mefquee , which was 

 formerly a Chriftian Church, built out of the Ruines of the Temple of Ephefiu. 

 This Mofquce Rands enclos'd with Walls, and you muft afcend up to it by two Afcents 

 of twelve Steps a-piece, which bring you to a large PafTage. From thence you enter into 

 a large Cloyfter , the Arches whereof are fuftain'd with Marble Pillars of feveral co- 

 lours, delicately wrought r, and the lower part of the Gallery, which runs along three 

 of the fides , that confifts of great Squares of Stone. The Mofquee takes up the 

 fourth fide upon the left hand , the Gate being in the middle. The Mofquee it 

 fclf is a wide Arch , fupported by five Columns, all of moft exquifite Work. There 

 are four of Marble, and every one of a different Colour*, but the fifth is a moft 

 rare piece , being of Porphyry, and the bignefs of it makes it fo much the more t<« 

 be admir'd. 



Ephefus does not look like a City, being fo abfolutely ruin'd , that there is not 

 a Houfe Handing. It was built upon the defcent of a Hill , in a fituation not much 



unlike 



