Chap.III. o/Monfieur TaverniU. 65 



Matter and not (hew him the Watch entire. It wat at their Houfe that I then lay; 

 and therefore not knowing what to do with it , they defir'd me to fhew my skill : 

 Thereupon I put on a new ftring. But the AmbafTador when he underftood to 

 whom he was beholding , though it were but a trifle , profer'd me all the fervice 

 and kindnefs imaginable. Thereupon the Carmelites and Auguftm Fryars defir'd 

 me to requeft of the AmbafTador in their behalf, that he would obtain the Great 

 Turks protection for them , in cafe he took Balfara , that their Houfes and 

 Churches might be preferv'd ; which I did, and obtained by his means full pro : 

 tcclion from the Grand Vificr. But they had no need of it, for the Tnrks did not 

 make any attempt upon Balfara j hearing that the Perfians were advancing ; befides 

 that the rainy feafon was at hand , which will not permit an Army to keep 

 the Field : vSo that had Bagdat held out eight days longer , the Grand Signer 

 would" have been conftrain'd to have rais'd the Siege. 



Having fpoken of the Arahian Horfes , I muft needs fay , that there are fome 

 that are valu'd at a very high rate. The Mogul's AmbafTador gave for fome three > 

 four, and fix thouiand Crowns, and for another he ofFer'd eight thoufand Crowns i 

 but the Horfe would not be fold under ten, and lb he left it. When he was got 

 home into the Indies, and had prefented the Mogul thoi'c Horfes which he had carry 'd 

 along with him, being very lovely Creatures ; he told his Mailer how he had ofFer'd 

 eight thouiand Crowns for a Horfe more beautiful than any of them ; but becaufe 

 the Owner would not let him go under ten, he left him. The King incens'd that 

 his AmbafTador had flood for fo fmall a Sum , when it was for one of the greateft 

 Monarchs in the World , upbraided the poornefs of his Spirit , and banifiYd Him 

 for ever from his prefence, into'a Province far diftant from the Court. Thereupon 

 the King wrote to the EftfUJh to buy him the Horfe, who accordingly did io, and 

 brought him to Sforki , where the Governour re-paid them their Money, fcut the 

 Horfe dy'd at "Brampour. 



Nor muft I forget, that while I was at Balfara , twice there flew by fuch a pro- 

 digious number of Locufts, that a-far-off they appear'd like a Cloud, and darkn'd 

 the Air. They pafs by Balfara four or five times in the year, the Wind carrying 

 them into theDefert, where they alight, and moft certainly dye. Should they not 

 be thus wind-driv'n, there could nothing live upon the Earth in fome parts of 

 Chaldea. They fwarm all along the Perfian Gulf, and when the VefTels come to 

 Ormvu at the time of the year, there are little Shops where people fell Locufts fry'd 

 in Butter to thole that love that fort of Diet. Once I had the curiofity to open 

 the Belly of a Locuft fix Inches long , and found therein feventcen little ones that 

 ftirr'd -, whence it is eafie to guefs how thofe Infects come to be fo numerous , efpe- 

 cially in hot Countries. 



There are feveral Barks that go from Ormits to furnifh both fides of the Perfian 

 Gulf, where the people eat neither Bread nor Rice. I agreed with the Mafter of 

 one of thefe Barks , and made my agreement that the Bark fhould not be above 

 half laden; for generally they lade them too deep, and in foul weather they are 

 fore'd to throw half the Freight over-board, to fave the reft. 



From Balfara to the mouth of the River Euphrates , it is rcck'nd to be twenty 

 Leagues of Frcfh-water. We ftaid feven whole days for a Wind , which proving 

 favourable, we came to 'Brandcr-ric, in forty-eight hours. This is the place where 

 you muft land, if you intend for Pcrfia , unlefs you are bound for Ormits. Urander- 

 ric confifts only of five or fix little Fifhers Hutts ; which Hutts are only Hurdles let 

 one againft another, and covet'd over, where they and their Families live. To the 

 fame place come AfTes lad'n with Dates , which I was fore'd to hire for want of 

 Horfes. 



We were fix days upon the Road from thence to Cazcrom. This is a Mountainous 

 Country, where there is Wood enough; but you muft lodge in the Fields, for 

 there are no Inns upon the Road. The way is pleafant in fome places, along the 

 Banks of feveral Rivulets, and through verdant Groves ftor'd with great quantities 

 of Turtles. We kill'd a good many; which we eat, part with Pilaw, inftead of 

 Henns; fome we rotted; making Sticks to fcrve for Spits. 



Cazerom is a little City ill built, where there is but one Inn , and that none of the 

 mod inviting to Strangers neither. • . , ■ - . . • ,• 



From Cazcrom to Schiras it is five days journey. The Road lyes over very craggy 



t Mountains,. 



