Chap. VII. of Monfieur Tavernier, 83 



day we faw none but Arabs and Curds marching along the Banks of the River, the 

 Curds upon Mesopotamia fide , and the Arabs upon AJJyria fide. They were at War 

 and both fides march'd in very good order. The Young men went formoft with Bows 

 and Arrows , and fome Muskets , but feyeral Half-Pikes. Next to them their 

 Wives, Virgins, and Children, with their Cattel , Herds, and Camels j after which 

 march'd the Old men in the rear. As well the Curds as the Arabians lent out Horie- 

 men to fcout upon the high Grounds •, for as foon as they find any advantage , they 

 prefently fwim their Hories over the River and fall on. Now becaufe we would 

 not truft thofe fort of People , we row'd nineteen hours to avoid 'em. 



The twentieth we were eleven hours upon the Tigris , and came to lye at a Town 

 calPd Tegrit , upon Mesopotamia fide. There belongs to the Town a Caftle half 

 ruin'd , and yet there are (till lbme handfom Chambers to be leen. Upon the North 

 and Eaft , the River fcrves for a Moat •, but upon the Weft and South it has a deep 

 Artificial one pav'd with Free-ftone. The Arabians fay that formerly it was the 

 ftrongeft place in all Mefcpotamt*, though it be commanded by two Hills not far from 

 it. The Chriftians dwelt half a League from the City , where the Ruines of a 

 Church and part of a Steeple are ft ill to be leen , whereby it appears to have been 

 a confiderable Pile of Building, , 



The twenty -firft , after we had row'd three hours , we met with a Town upon 

 Ajjyria fide, which was call'd Amei d-tour , from the name of a perfon that lyes 

 inter'd in a Monaftery, whom the people account to be a Saint. Therefore is it a 

 place of great Devotion among them, io that great numbers of Votaries go thither 

 in private. That day we were. twelve hours upon the Water, and lay upon the 

 Banks of the River. 



The twenty-fecond, having been upon the W r ater two hours , we met with a great 

 Channel cut out of Tigris to water the Lands , which runs up as far as juft over- 

 againft Bagdat , and there falls into the Tigris again. Coming thither, we landed 

 upon Chaldea fide, by reafon that there were certain Turks with us, who would 

 of neceflity perform their Devotions at a place call'd Samatra. In the fame there 

 is a Mofquee not above half a League from the River-, to which many Mahometans 

 pay their Devoirs, efpecially Indians and Tartars , who believe forty of their Pro- 

 phets to be buried there. When they knew us to be Chriftians , they would not 

 permit us, no not for Money, to let our Feet in it. About five hundred Paces 

 from the Mofquee ftands a Tower very ingenioufly built. There are two Stair-cafes 

 without, that belong to it, made twirling like a Periwinkle-fhell : one of which Stair- 

 cafes was built deeper into the Tower than the other. I, would have taken better 

 notice of it, could I have been permitted to have come nearer it. Only I obferv'd 

 that it was. made of Brick , and that it feems to be very ancient. Haifa League 

 from thence appear three great Portals * that look as if they had been the Gates of 

 fome great Palace. And indeed it is not improbable but that there was fome great 

 City thereabouts ^ for, for three Leagues all along the River there is nothing to be 

 feen but Ruines. We were twelve hours that day upon the Water, and lay upon 

 the Banks of Tigris, according to cuftom. 



The twenty -tnird,wc were twenty hours upon the Water , and all the day long 

 we faw nothing upon either fide of the River but pitiful Hutts made of the Branches 

 of Palm-trees , where live certain poor people that turn the Wheels, by means 

 whereof they water the neighbouring Grounds. We alio met that day with a River 

 call'd Odoine , that falls into Tigris upon the fide of the ancient Ctoalded. 



The twenty-fourth, we were twenty-two hours upon the Water together, never 

 ftirring off from the Kilet. The reafon is, becaufe the Merchants having tak'n out 

 of the Kilet all their Money and the heft part of 'their Merchandizes, give them 

 to the Country-people , who carry them very faithfully to Bagdat t whither they 

 go to fell their own Commodities : which the Merchants do, to avoid the payment 

 of Five in the Hundred , in the City. I trufted them alio with feveral things of 

 which they gave me a very good account, as they did toothers, being contented 

 with a fmall matter for their pains. 



The twenty-fifth, about four of the Clock in the Morning we arriv'd at Bagdat, 

 which is as ufually call'd Babylon. They open the Gates by fix , and then the 

 Cuftomers come to take an account of the Merchandize, and to fearch the Merchants 

 themfelves. If they find nothing about 'em, they let the Meichanti go: but if 



L 2 they 



