Chap. V. of Monfieur Tavernier. 75 



the Goods, as thofe upon which the Men ride } fo loon as the Hcrdf-men thereabout 

 fee a Caravan coming, they flock to the River-fide. Thofe people that wear nothing 

 but a courfe piece of Linncn or a Goat-skin to cover their nakednefs , take off their 

 Cloaths and wind them about their Heads, like a Turbant. Then every one tyes 

 a Goat-skin blow'd up under his Stomach •, and then two or three of the moft expert, 

 mounting the fame number of the beftHorfes, which are bridl'd , put themfelves 

 fall into 5 the Water, while others follow them fwiraming, and drive the Horfes 

 before them', holding the Beaft by the Tayl with one Hand, and fwitching him 

 with the other. If they find any Horfe or Afs that is too weak , they tye a Goat- 

 skin under his Belly to help him. Confidering which difficulties, it cannot take 

 up lefs time than I have mention'd to get over a Caravan of five or fix hundred 



Horfes. 



The Caravan being thus got over, for two or three days has but a very bad Road. 

 The firft days journey, the Horfes were continually in the Water up to the mid-leg j 

 and the fecond, and part of the third we travePd through a very defert Country, 

 where we met with very little food for our Horfes, and only a few Brakes to boyl 

 our Rice. Having got over this bad way , we came to a River call'd the great Zarbe> 

 over which we pais'd upon a Stone-Bridge of nine Arches. They report that this 

 Bridge was built by Alexander the Great,in his March againft Darius. A quarter of a 

 League to the South-Eaft, two Rivers meet, which empty themfelves into Tigris, Lea- 

 ving the Bridge, we came to a Town call'd Shera^onl, built upon a rifing Ground, upon 

 three Redoubts. There refides a Bajha, whomuft be brib'd with a imall Prefcnt to 

 let the Caravan pafs ^ we lay by the Banks of a River, and Maid there two days. 

 From thence we travel'd one days journey over dry Mountains, not finding any 

 Water. But the next day we came into a pkafant Plain, ftor'd with Fruit-trees. 

 This was the Plain of Arbele , where Alexandtr defeated Darius^ containing about 

 fifteen Leagues in all. It is water'd with feveral Rivulets , and in the middle of 

 the Mountain rifes a little Hill about half a League in circuit. It is all over cover'd 

 with the faireft Oaks that ever were fecn ^ and on the top are the Ruines of a Caftle, 

 that feems to have been a fumptuous Structure. The Country-people fay that 

 Darius ftaid there while his Captains gave Battel to Alexander. Three Leagues 

 from thence, near a great Mountain toward the North, are to be feen the Ruines 

 of another Caftle and feveral Houfes , where they add , that Daruu fecur'd fome 

 of his Wives when he loft the Battel. This Caftle is feated in a moft lovely Profpecl. 

 At the foot of the Mountain rifes a Spring , which a quarter of a League off fwells 

 into a River that bears good big Boats. It runs winding about the Mountains to 

 the Southward } fo that two days journey from the Hill , you crofs it near a Town 

 call'd Sherazoul, over a fair Stone-Bridge of nine Arches, whereof the Great $ha- 

 Abas caus'd three to be brok'n down , after he had tak'n Bagdat. 



This City of Sheraz.oul is built after another manner than any other of the Cities 

 in thofe parts , being all cut out of a fteep Rock for a quarter ot a League together^ 

 fo that you muft go up to the Houfes by Stairs of fifteen , or twenty fteps , fome- 

 times more , fometimes lefs , according to the fituation of the place. The people 

 have no other Doors to their Houfes than only a thin round Stone, like a Mill-ftone, 

 which they will roll away when they go in or out , the fides of the Wall being fo cut 

 as to receive the Stone like a Cafe , being level with the Rock. 



The tops of their Houfes are like Niches in the Mountain , where the Inhabi- 

 tants have contriv'd Caves to keep their Cattel in : So that we judg'd it to be built 

 for a place of fafety to fecurc the Inhabitants from the Incurfions of the Arabians 

 and Bedouins of Mesopotamia. 



We came to Sherazoul upon Eafter-Eve , and ftaid there three days to refrcfh our 

 felvcs , after a Lent which we had kept very fparingly. Here 1 found certain 

 Springs that role up in large Bubbles , which after I had mix'd with two GlafTes of 

 Wine and drank up, I found to have a Purgative quality, having a kind of Mineral 

 taft. Thefe Springs boyl up near the fide of a River call'd zAltun-fou, or, The 

 River of Cjold, that falls into the River Tigris , three days journey on this fide 

 Bagdat. 



The next day we lay at a pitiful Town , upon tlie Frontiers of Turkte and 

 Terfia. 



The next day, being the fifth after we fet out from Ninivcb^ we pafs'd over 



K ieveraj 



