Chap. ill. of Monfieur Tavernier. 61 



to keep Horfes : others can only keep or hire AflTes , which ftand ready in the 

 pubiick Streets at all times. 



The next day we diflodg'd by day-break , and by noon we came to a place where 

 there were five Wells , about five hundred Paces diftant one from the other. The 

 Water was excellent , and caus'd us to replenifh our Bor who's : and about four a 

 Clock in the Afternoon , we lay at a place where there was no Water. 



The next day near noon we met with two Wells, but the Water was not good, 

 and only the Camels drank of if, there we alio lodg'd that night. 



Having now travei'd two days in the Deiert, I will deicribe it in a few words. 

 You begin to enter upon it two or three Leagues from aAkppo , where by 

 degrees you meet with nothing but Tents inftead of Houfes. It ftretches out to 

 the Winter-Eaft, all along the Euphrates to Balfara , and the Shoar of the Gulf of 

 Perfta, and upon the South to the Chain of Mountains that divides it from Arabia 

 Petr&a and Arabia the Happy. Thefe Delerts are almoft quite thorough nothing 

 but Plains of Sand, which in l'ome places lye looier than in others*, and are hardly 

 pafTable 'till the Rains arc but newly ial'n , and have knit the Sands together. 'Tis 

 a rare thing Jto meet with a Hill or a Valley in thefe Delerts •, if you do , there 

 is as furely Water , and as many Bufhes as will ferve to boyl a little Rice. For 

 throughout the whole Deiert there is no W T ood to be found :, and all the Bavins 

 and Charcoal that you can load upon Camels at Aleppo , will not laft above eight or 

 ten days. Therefore you muft take notice, that of fix hundred Camels that pais 

 through the Defert , there are fcarce fifty laden with Merchandize, which is gene- 

 rally courfe Cloth , fome little Iron Ware , but chiefly black and blew Calicuts, 

 which the Arabians make ufe of without ever whitening them. All the other 

 Camels are only laden with Provifion, and all little enough-, fomany People being 

 to travel for fo many days through io long a Traft of Ground where there is nothing 

 in the World to fuftain Life and Soul together. 



Forthefirft fifteen days travel we met with Water but once in two days, and 

 fometimes not above once in three days. The twentieth day after we fet out from 

 Aleppo, the Caravan lay at a place where there were two Wells , and the Water very 

 good. Every one was glad of the convenience of wafhing his Linnen, and the 

 Caravan-Bajhi made account to have ftaid there two or three days. But the News 

 that we receiv'd , caus'd us to alter our Rcfolutions. For we had no fooner giv'n 

 order to drefs our Suppers , when we law a Courier with three Arabs , all mounted 

 upon Dromedaries, who were fent to carry the news of the Taking of Babylon 

 to Aleppo and other Cities of the Empire. They ftop'd at the Wells to let their 

 Bcails drink ^ and immediately the Caravan-Baflu , and the principal peribns of the 

 Caravan made them a fmall Prcfent of dry'd Fruits and Granates. Who thereupon 

 werefo kind as to tell us, that the Camels which carn/'d the Baggage belonging to 

 the Grand Signor and his Train being tyr'd , his Officers would be fure to feize 

 upon ours , if they fhould chance to meet with us : they advis'd us moreover not to 

 come near Anna, left the Emir ihould ftop us. 



Upon this news, we departed three hours after midnight •, and keeping directly 

 to the South, we put our felves into the midft of the Defert. 



Eight days after we came to lye at a place where were three Wells , and three 

 or four Houfes. We ftaid there two days to take frefh Water, and we were juft 

 letting forward again , when thirty Horfemen well mounted came from one of the 

 Emirs , to tell the Caravan-Baflu that he muft ftop his Caravan. We ftaid im- 

 patiently for him three days ', and at length he came , and was presented by the 

 Caravan-Bajhi with a piece of Satin, half a piece of Scarlet Cloth, and two large 

 Copper Cauldrons. Now although thofe Cauldrons could not but be very acceptable 

 to an Arabian Prince, who moft certainly had none fuch in his Kitchin , yet he did 

 notfeem contented with his Prefent, and demanded above four hundred Crowns. We 

 rontefted ['even or eight davs to have kept our Money in our Pockets, but in vain , 

 ib that we were fore'd to rate one another , and to raife him his Sum , which being 

 paid , he treated the chief of the Caravan with Pilaw, Honey, and Dates , and when 

 he went away, gave them five or fix Sheep ready boyl'd. 



Three days after we had left this Arabian Prince , we met with two Wells near 

 certain old decay'd Brick Buildings. The Water of thofe Wells was fo bitter, 

 that the Camels would not drink it: however we filPd our Boracho\$ , thinking 



it 



