Chap. VIH. of Monfieur Tavehnier. 87 



, 



is no likelihood that this fliould be the Remains of the ancient Tower of 'Ba- 

 bel. 



The Plane of the City of Bagdat, which is to be compafs'd, as well 

 by Land as by Water , in two Hours. 



A. The ground-Plot. 



B. The Fortref. 



C. The Gate called Maazan-capi. 



D. The New Bulwark. 



E. The Port where the Grand Signor ercBed his firft Batfry y Anno 1638. 



F. The Old Bulwark. 



G. The Gate in the Wall. 

 H. The Old Bulwark. 



I. The Place where Amurat raised his fecotid Batfry, when he made the Breach , and 



toohjhe City. 



K. The Gate in the Wall. 



L. The Old Bulwark^ 



M. The Old Bulwark, 



N. Caracapi, or the Black Gate. 



0. The Old Bulwark, 



P. Sou-capi , or the Water-Gate. 



CHAP. VIII. 



A Continuation of the ^oad from Bagdat to Balfara ; and of the 

 tf{ellgidn of the Cbrijlians of St. John. 



TH E fifteenth of March we hir'd a Bark from Bagdat to Balfara. And 

 we obferv'd , that a little beyond Bagdat the River Tigris divides it felf 

 into two Arms*, the one which runs through the ancient Chaldea y the 

 other keeps its courie toward the Point of Mesopotamia y thefe two 

 Arms making a large Hand y crofs'd by feveral i mall Channels. 



When we came to the place where Tigris divides it felf, we beheld as it were 

 the compafs of a City that might have formerly been a large League in circuit. There 

 are fome of the Walls yet {landing , upon which fix Coaches may go a-brcft. They 

 are made of burnt Brick , every Brick being ten Foot fqiiare, and three thick. The 

 Chronicles of the Country fay , that thefc were the Ruirics of the ancient Ba- 

 bylon. 



We follow'd that Arm of Tigris that runs along the Coaft of Chaldea ; for fear 

 of foiling into the hands of the Arabs , who were then at War with the Baflia of 

 Babylon , denying tctpay the ordinary Tribute to the Grand Signor. We were ten 

 clays upon the Water in our paflugc from Bagdat to Balfara , and lay every night 

 upon the Water , drcfling our Victuals in the Bark. For when we came to any 

 Villages, we fent our Servants a-(hoar to buy Provifions , which we had very cheap. 

 Now the Towns we met with upon the Shoar were thefe. Amurat , where there 

 *ftood a Fort of Brick bak'd in the Sun ; Aianfo'ury, a great Town ^ Magar, Gazer, 

 and Gomo. At this laft place Euphrates and Thru meet together : where are alfo 

 three Caftles to be feen; one upon the Point where the two Rivers meet, which is 

 the ftrongeft, and where the Son of the Prince of Balfara then commanded} the 

 fecond upon Chaldea fide •, and the third upon Arabia fide. Though the Cuftoms be 

 there cxaftly demanded , and paid , yet they never fearch any perfon. The Tides 

 come up to that place : fo that having but fifteen Leagues to Balfara , we got thither 

 in fev'n hours , having both Wind and Tide. 



All the Country between Bagdat and Balfara is inter-cut and parted by Dikes, 

 like the Low Countries ; the two Cities lying a hundred and fixty Leagues one from 



the 



