g6 The Persian Travels Book II. 



carry 'd along with me , one that was well vers'd in that fort of Commodity. There 

 was a Norman Gentleman nam'd de ReviHe then at Smyrna , who would needs accom- 

 pany my Factor , ib that they went both together in a Vetfel that carry'd the French 

 AmbafTador and his Lady to Confl 'antinople. This Gentleman had two or three thou- 

 land Ducats in his Purfe , wanting neither wit nor courage , bcfides a good prefence *, 

 but perhaps he was more hafty in his proceedings than the referv'dnefs of that Coun- 

 try requir'd. He had left the Service of the Mufcovites , thinking to find an employ- 

 ment in the Service of the Venetians at Candy ; but failing in his expectations , he re- 

 folv'd to travel into Perfia. While he was at Confl antinople , the Jews , who lay hold 

 upon all opportunities of gain , foon found out my Factor j and befides the Pearls 

 which he defir'd to fee, they (hew'd him feveral other rich Stones to try whether 

 they could draw him in j for he had refus'd the Pearls becaufe they held them at too 

 high a Rate. The Norman Gentleman fell into their acquaintance j and picking out 

 the richeft, told him, that being reiblv'd for the Indies, he had a mind to lay 

 out four thoufand Ducats in Pearls. He added alio , that he would pay him half in 

 Money , half in Goods , and at the fame tirnefhew'd the Jew two thoufand Ducats t 

 which the Jew had already devour'd with his eyes. Some four days after , the Jew 

 brought the Gentleman four fair Pearles with fome Emraulds', and you may be iure 

 they eafily agreed upon the price, in regard the Gentleman had a defign to put a 

 trick upon the Jew. Thereupon he (hews his Ducats a fecond time , which the Jcw t 

 who thought he had a Cully , prefently told out as his own. After that the Jew 

 defiring to fee the Goods, which made up the other part of the payment, the Gen- 

 tleman without any more ado told him., that all the Merchandize which he had to 

 pay him, was a good ftrong Quartan Ague which had held him along time, and 

 jndeed fuch a one, that he could not poffibly meet with a better, but that he would not' 

 over-rate it , in regard he ask'd but two thoufand Ducats for it. The Jew who 

 was rich and in great credit at Court , was lb incens'd at his raillery , that he had 

 like to have made a wicked ftir about it. For as he had heard him fay, that the 

 Gentleman was going into the Indies and Perfia , he might have eafily caus'd him to 

 have been apprehended for a Spy. But in regard the Jews can do nothing in point 

 of Trade without the afliftance of the French Merchants, he adviz'd with fcrmtroi" 

 them, who perfwaded him that it was an Act of folly , which it better became him 

 toexcufe, and defir'd him to take his Goods again , and put up the bufmefs •, which 

 with much ado they perfwaded him to condefcend to. The Gentleman fearing leaft 

 the Jews underhand fhoukl do him a private mifchief , ftole away with what lpeed he 

 could , and return'd to Smyrna. 



De ReviUe being thus return'd to Smyrna , put himfelf into an Almadier, which is a 

 fmall VefTel of War , that generally touches at Chio and Rhodes , being bound for 

 Cyprus , from whence there is always fome convenience or other to get to ^lexan- 

 dretta. From thence he went to Aleppo, and while he ftay'd there he met with two 

 French men, the one whofe name was Neret , the other Hauttn , who was an Ac- 

 comptant. They had four wooden Chefts full of falfe Stones ready fet, by which 

 they flatter'd themfelves to be great gainers in Perfia. They went from Marseilles to 

 Seyde , komScyde to Dzmat , hearing that there was an opportunity to Travel to 

 Bagdat with the Topigi-Baflu. This Topigi-Bajhi or chief of the Engineers , was 

 he that aflifted Amwath in the taking of Bagdat \ in recompence whereof the Grand 

 Signer gave him a Timar , or Lordfhip in Damas worth four thoufand Crowns a 

 year. Now it was his cuftom every year to vifit Bagdat , and to ftay there during the 

 Seafon, that there was any probability of the King of Perfi^s befieging it} which 

 Seafon not lafting above three or four Months , when that was over, he return'd to 

 Damas. He ufually had about thirty Horfe with him, with which he never made 

 it above eighteen or twenty days, taking the fhorteft cut directly through the 

 Defert , where the Arabs are commanded to bring him Victuals upon the Road. 

 And he is willing at any time when he has this opportunity, to conduct the Franks 

 that defire it that way , in regard they are never ungrateful to him for it. Thefe 

 two Franks therefore having defir'd that they might be taken into his Company, 

 the Topigi-Bajhi readily confented ^ provided they could ftay 'till he went , which 

 would not be 'till two or three Months , with which anfwer they were well fatisfi'd. 

 But the two Franks had not ftay'd at Damas above feven or eight days but they fell 

 acquainted with a Spabi , a Rmgado of M^rfei/les , who proffer'd to carry them 



through 



