Chap.l V. of Monfieur Tavernier. 6j 



fome Ambufcadc, roclc thither before to view the place , bnt finding it empty and 

 free we refted there that night , and the next night came to lye at Mezara , which 

 is only a (mall Village without an Inn : Neither was there any thing remarkable upon 

 that Road. Only that near the Cave , in the Mountain , there is very good Water : 

 And formerly upon the Mountain ftood a Caftle , of which fbrae ruines are ftill re- 

 maining. From the top of the Mountain there is a fair Proipeft as far as you can fee , 

 over very fair Plains on every fide , and in fcveral places very good Land , water'd 

 by divers Channels which are brought from the River Euphrates. All the Rivolets 

 alio that you crofs from Aleppo to Bir come from the fame River. 



The fourth day after we parted from Aleppo , being the ninth of March , we 

 came to the banks of Euphrates. Bir is on the other fide of the River •, and be- 

 caufe that fometimes the Goods cannot be unladen all in a day ; there is a fair and 

 large Inn, to defend the Merchants from the Bedouin*, which would clfedifturb 

 and rob them , were not they and their Goods in that manner fecur'd. 



You crofs the Euphrates in large Ferry Boats , and as foon as you are got over the 

 other fide of the River, the Cuftomer and his Orficers comes and tells the Bales, 

 and writes down the names of the Merchants to whom they belong. The Caravan 

 does not lye in the Town , which is built like an Amphitheatre upon the brow of a 

 very craggy Mountain, but 'paries fonvard over a fcurvy Road to an Inn upon the 

 top of the Mountain. Near the Inn there are feveral Chambers cut out of the Rock, 

 where they that cannot get room in the Inn are fore'd to lye. That Evening the 

 Cuftom-Officer comes to receive his duties, being two Piafters upon every load of 

 Goods , whether upon Horfe or Mule , though the Mules carry more than the 

 Horfes *, and half a Piafler for every Beaft that carries Provifions. But for Saddle 

 Horfes or Mules there is nothing demanded. 



The Bir , or Berygeon , as the Natives call it , is a large City for an Eaftern City , 

 fcituated upon the brow of a Hill. Below upon the River (lands a Caftle that de- 

 clares its Antiquity, it is half as long as the City , but narrow, and without any 

 other Fortification , laving only a Tower that fcours the River , in which there are 

 eight or nine pitiful Culverins. In the higheft part of the Town (lands another Caftle 

 where theGovernour refides, who is an ^, whom fome call a Bajha, having un- 

 der him two hundred Janizaries, and four hundred Spahi's. The City is ill built , 

 as are the mod part of the Cities of Turkie : But there are an extraordinary plenty 

 of all things , excellent Bread , good Wine , and great (lore of the bed (brt of 

 Fifh. 



The tenth day after we had travel'd elev'n hours in the firft Lands of Mcfopo- 

 tamia, that lyes between the two Rivers Euphrates and Tigre , which at prefent they 

 call Diarbck,, we came in the evening to Sharmely. This is a very good Town , 

 with a fair Inn , and Baths round about it. About twice Mufquet Shot from 

 thence , (lands a Mountain alone by it felf , like Montvnartre near Part's • 

 Round about it are Plains, and at the top of it (lands a Fortrefs , with a Garnion 

 of two hundred Spahfs , by rcaton that the Arabs fometimes crofs Euphrates , . 

 and make incurfions upon thaj: fide. In the year 163 1 , the Grand Vizier retur- 

 ning from Bagdat , where he had loft the grcatcft part of the Grand Signer's Army , 

 not being able to take the City •, fearing thelofsof his head if he return'd to Con- 

 stantinople, and knowing himfelf to be in great efteem among the Souldiers, re- 

 i'olv'd to quarter himfelf upon this Mountain , and to erect a Fortrefs to fecurc 

 himfelf from the temped that threaten'd him. No doubt but if he could have 

 brought about his defign, he might have made himfelf Maftor of all Mesopotamia , 

 and would have put the Grand Signor to a great deal of trouble. For if you in- 

 tend for Aleppo , whither it be from Trffcra, Motful, or Bagdat, unlefsyou travel tho- 

 rough theDefert, you mud pais through Sharmely, under the command of this 

 Fortrefs, for Provifion and Waters fake. The work was gone fo far forward , 

 that there was a good defence rais'd , and the Vizier had already cnclos'd all the 

 Mountain together with the Inn, with a Wall almoft twenty foot thick, and three 

 fathom high ° when be was (IrangPd by thofe in whom he mod confided , the Grand 

 Siqnor having gain'd them either by threats or by rewards. 



'The eleventh , after a Journey of ten hours we came to Onrfa , where the Cara- 

 van ufually days eight or ten days', for here it is that they live that hire the Horfes 

 and the Mules, who have always fome bufinefs in this place. We lay at an Inn 



I 2 three 



