38 The Persian Travels Book 1. 



winds and turns the mod of any River in the World. And indeed we arc the 

 more to leek , in regard the Turkl change the ancient Names according to their own 

 cuilora and pleafure , and give no other Names to Rivers than that of the principal 

 City through which they pais-, or elic deriving their Names from the Colour of 

 their Sands. There is to be feen in that City an ancient Caftle of Frcc-ftonc upon 

 the Point of a high Rock , fcparated from the Mountains that are next it toward 

 the South, which make a Semicircle. All the Armenian ChriftimSj Subjects to the 

 King of Perjia , parting thorough Ayhiom-Caraffar muft there pay Carage, from which 

 they are not exempted , though they have paid it before at Erz.erom or ellewhcrc. 

 The Caravan does not flop at Aphiom-Caraffar, as well for that there arc no Inns but 

 what are ruin'd , as for that about a League farther there is a place where you have 

 excellent Fifli , 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 Meander, which is to be crofs'd over a Bridge not far diftant from a 

 {mail Village. In this River are great ftore of Crawfifh and Carps 5 and the Fiflier- 

 men will be fure to attend upon the Caravan. I have feen Ibmc Carps there above 

 three Foot long. 



The fifteenth our Caravan began to part it felf, fomc for Tecat, fome for the Road 

 to Aleppo-, the one part taking the right-hand Road toward the Winter-Eaft, for 

 Syria; the other the left-hand Road North-Eaft , for Armenia. 



After we were parted , we travcl'd two or three hours in fight of one another. 

 They that go to Aleppo , fall into Tarfns , where St. Smims born , and from Tdrfia 

 ~ : to Alexandretta. But we continu'd our Road to Tocat , and after we had crofs'd 

 a great Plain, having travel'd fix hours, we lodg'd in a Merfhy place near a i'mall 

 Village. There is one thing remarkable in this Road as in many others , which 

 mamtefts the Chanty of the Turk*. For in moft of the high Roads , that arc far 

 from Rivers, they have fet up Cnlerns , whither when the Rains fail, the neigh- 

 bouring Villages bring Water for the Travellers, who would die be very much 

 diftrefs'd. ; 



The fifteenth we travel'd eight hours through a very even Country, but ill ma- 

 nur'd v where we faw a little City call'd Bonlavandi. There arc fome Movers, 

 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 Scpulchers without asy order at all , which you meet with very often upon the 

 high Roads i the number is the greater , becaufe they never lay two Bodies in one 

 Grave. There is alfo in this City an Inn , cover'd with Lead, which is all the 

 Beauty of it 5 nor do Travellers make any ufe of it but only in foul weather. We 

 lodg'd a League and a half from the City, and ftaid there all the next day. 



The feventcenth we travcl'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 HoufeL 

 though there be excellent Pafturage about it. There is no Water , but what is 

 drawn out of three deep Wells; for which reaibn the place is call'd EHchc-dcrtn-w. 



The eighteenth we travel'd not above five hours through defert Countries'! and 

 took up our Stage in a kind of a Bog , near a pitiful Village 



The nineteenth after we had travel'd eight hours through fpacious defert Plain*, 

 we pafsd through a large Village , the Inhabitants whereof were gone with their 

 Cartel into the Mountains, for the cool Air, during the Summer time , according 

 to cuftom. There is an indifferent hznMom Mofyuee of Free-ftone:, and indeed th? 

 Village, the Name whereof the People told me was TJIiaciclo* , has been much bigger 

 than now it is, as may appear by the Ruines. In two hours after we came to lodge 

 beyond it in a Meadow, near a Rivulet. 



n^^T^^ £;'* € f d £* r '*#* PIains > but *&* feem'd to have been for- 

 Water ^ ! ? * ^ ' WC ft ° P ' d in * Bottom near a bad 



™S* ^ nty " fir ?' f< V C ? h ,° UrS the Countr y was a11 barren ™ d d c<ert i and we 

 ca ™t°lodgcattheend ° fal ° ng PIain ' neartwo Wells > the Water whereof was 

 good tor nothing. 



litt&^! eC ° nd » We traVe '' d thr0l jg hthe forcmention'd Plain, and met with 



wvfcSsgsxr good Pafturage - The c — ^ ■* » * 



The 



