Chap. V. of Monfieur Tavernier. 109 



had been two Leagues in Circuit. There were abundance of Towers all of burnt 

 Brick and Pieces of the Wall Handing. There were alio leveral Letters in the 

 Stones which were cemented into the Walls; but neither Turks , -Per fans , nor Ara- 

 bians could underftandthem. The City is round fcated upon a high Hill , at the top 

 whereof ftood the Ruincs of a Caftle , which the Natives lily was the Rcfidence of the 

 Kings of Perfia. 



CHAP. V. 



The tf^oad from Aleppo to Ifpahan through the fmallVefert , and 

 throuzh Ken^avar. 



Will defcribe this Road as if I were to return from Ifpahan to Aleppo. This 

 Road lies through Kcngavar , c Bagdzt , 2xi&jtom% where you enter into the 

 Dcfert, whichlcall The little Dcfrrt, becaufe you get over it in far leis time 

 ji than the great Dcfert that extends Southwards to Arabia the Happy, and where 

 you may often find Water , all the whole Journey being not far diftant from the River 

 Euphrates. A man that is well mounted may ride this way .from Ifpahan to Aleppo in 

 three and thirty days, as I have done, and perhaps in Ids, if the Arabian, whom 

 you take -for your guide at 'Bagdxt , knows the fhorteft cut through the Wilder- 



nefs. 



The Horfe Caravans travelling from Ifpahan to Kcngavar are fourteen or fifteen 

 days upon the Road ; but being*" well mounted ten or twelve in a Company , you may 

 Ride it in five or fix days. The Country through which you travel , is very 

 fertile in Corn and Rice, it produces alio excellent Fruits and good Wine, efpeci- 

 ally about Kcngavar, which is a large Town and well peopl'd. ^ 



From Kcngavar to B.igdat I was ten days upon the Road. The Country is not \W 

 fertire but very ftony in Tome parts. And itconfifts in Plains and fmall Hills, there 

 being not a Mountain in all the Road. 



Now for a man that travels quick , the Road lies thus: 



From Ifpahan to Confar. 



From Confar to Comb a. 



From Comb a to Oranguie. 



From Oranguie to Naho'uand. 



From Nahouand to Kengavar. 



Fron Kengavar to Sahapa. 



From Sahana to Polijha y or the Bridge-Royal, being a great Stone Bridge. 



From Polifoa to Maidacht. 



FrOm Maidacht to Eromabad. 



From Erounabad to Conaguy. 



From Conaouy to Cafiifcircn. 



From Cafiifcircn to Iengiti-Conaguy. 



From Iengui-Conaguy to Cafercd. 



From Cafercd to Charaban. 



From Charaban to Bourous. 



From Bourous to Baodat. 



There arc tome , who inftead of parting through Kengavar, take Amadan , 

 one of the moft eonfidcrable Cities of I erf a in their way, and lb from thence to 

 Toucher J; but the way is longer ', and according to the Road which I have let doWn , 

 you arc to leave Amadm to the North upon the right hand. 



Between Sahana and Poliflut you leave the only high Mountain in all the Road 

 to the North. It is as ftccp and as {traight as a Wall , dnd as high as yon can lee j 

 vou may obiervc the Figures of men clad like Priefts, with Surplices and Cenforsm 

 their hands , and yet neither can the Natives tell you , nor any perion imagin the 

 meaning of thofc Sculptures. At the foot of the Rock runs a River , over which 



there is a Bridge of Stone. 



b About 



