Chap. II. of Monfieur Tavernier. 



foon as the Caravan is lodg'd , the Servants go and cut the Grafs from off" the Hil- 

 locks , where it is much better then upon the Plains. But while the Beafts feed 

 only upon Grafs they are much weaker , and cannot travel fo far as at other 



times. 



From the Mountain where the Armenians were fet upon , you ceme to Almoin > 

 a. little Village upon a River, which you crofs,over a Bridge of Wood. 



Going out of Almoin, you crofs a large Plain, at the end whereof you lodge upon 

 the Bank of a fair River , call'd Tonfanlon-fon , which falls into the River of 

 Tocat. 



Having pafs'd this River, you afcend a high Mountain, which the People of the 

 Country call Kara-bchir-begniendren, or, the Mountain that flops the Grand Signors ; 

 for it is very rugged, and you muft of neceffity alight, to afcend it. In that bad 

 Way two Horfcs that carry'd each of them two Bales of Bnglijh Cloth burft under 

 their Burthen , which prov'd excellent Food for feveral Tartars that were before us, 

 and were pitch'd in the place where we intended to have lodg'd our felves •, fo that 

 we were fore'd to go a quarter of a League farther. Theic Tartars when they 

 heard of our two dead Horfes, made immediately to the Mountain fifteen or fixteen 

 of them with all joy imaginable, to devour it. They flea'd the Horfes , and when 

 they came back (for I ftay'd to fee them) they brought every one a great piece 

 of Flefh between the Saddle and their Horfes backs. For by that means the Flefb 

 mortifies , and bakes as it were , through the motion and heat of the Horfe , and 

 io they eat it without any more a-do. I law one of them that took a piece of thofc 

 Horfes Flefh, and after he had beaten it foundly between two nafty Linnen 

 Clothes , with a piece of a Stick , fet his Teeth in it , and devoufd it with a very- 

 greedy appetite. 



Upon the top of the Mountain which 1 have mention'd, there is a Plain, and in 

 the mid'ft of the Plain a Fountain call'd Chefmc'-bcler, or, A Fountain of Cryfial ; near 

 to which, on the South-fide, there ftands a Village. 



From the place where we lodg'd , we came to a little Town called Adras, the In- 

 habitants whereof are all Armenians. 



Ajbidar is but two Leagues from Adra*, and is but a Village. 

 Isbeder is another Village in the Mountains, where the Caravan generally ftays one 

 or two days} as well to pay the Cuftom, which is the fourth part of a Rixdollar upon 

 every Camel , and half as much for every Horfe 3 as for the excellency and cheap- 

 nefs of the Wine , where every Man provides for himielf. 



Twice we pafs'd by and paid nothing, in regard that the Caravan was too ftrong 

 for the Toll-gatherers \ and were it not that they ftay for the Wine , they might go 

 directly forward without paying any thing. 



Leaving Isbeder , we came to another great Town in the Mountains •, all the 

 Houfes are hewn out of the Rock upon which it is feated , as are alfo all the Stair- 

 Cafes. From this Village , having pafs'd a River, over a wooden Bridge , at the 

 end whereof there ftands an Inn , you come to Zacapa , another Village, from 

 whence through very narrow paflages, where you are fore'd to unload the Camels, 

 and carry your Goods upon Mens (boulders for thirty Paces together, you come 

 to encamp 'in a little Plain. It lyes at the foot of a high Mountain , which they 

 call Dikmcbcll, beyond which lies the Town Konrd-Aga , after which you crofs three 

 Rivers ; one fordable , the other over two Bridges , and then you come to a Village 

 call'd Cjarmeru. 



From Garmeruy ou go to Seukmen, another Village •, from Seukmen to Louri \ from 

 Louri to Chaouejueu , which are two very handfom Towns. 



I law an Old Man at Chaowjueu who was above a Hundred and Thirty Years old, 

 who when Sultan Amurath beficged Bagdat , gave his whole Army as much Oat* as 

 ferv'd them one whole day. In recompence whereof, the Sultan exempted hkn and 

 his Children from all Taxes and Tolls for their Lives. 



Leaving Chaouqueu , you come to a high craggy Mountain which is call'd Aaggi- 

 dogii , or , The Bitter Mountain. The Ways being narrow , the Caravan is fore'd 

 to travel finglc, and then it is that they count all the Horfes, and all the Camels , 

 every Horfe and every Camel paying to the Caravan-Mzfter a certain Duty, which 

 amounts to a good Sum if the Caravan be numerous. One part of that Money is to 

 pay feven or event Armenia*?*, that guard the Caravan all the way; another part 



defrays 



