Jj£ The V ersian Travels Book V 



The Trjth I travell'd from four in the morning till ten in die forenoon,, through 

 a plain fbw'd with ftorc of grain, and lodg'd in an Ina call'd Maksonh- 



gui. 



The 28th I departed two hours after midnight , and after eight hours travel 

 through a barren plain , I arriv'd at Tefdecas, a little City built upon a rock in the 

 midft of a great Valley, and lodg'd in an Inn at the foot of the Rock. The fame 

 day in the morning I pafs'd on to a neat home with fine Gardens, call'd Amnebad- 

 built by Imar,-Kouli-Kan,Goven\or ofSekiras. 



The firft of March I departed an hour after midnight, and a little after I crofs'd 

 a fhort mountain, but ib rugged and fo craggie, that they have given it the name 

 of Kotel-Innel-tebekeni, that is, the Mountain that breaks the Hurfes Jhucs. The 

 next day we pafs'd by a fcurvy Caftle call'd Gmbeffid*\ ttien travelling through a 

 flat Country, I came by ten in the morning to Dehigherdou, or the Village of 

 Wall-nuts. I endur'd very (harp weather all the morning, for all that Country 

 and that which I travell'd the next day, is very cold at iome times of the 

 year. 



The fecond day I travell'd from midnight till ten a clock in the mornin&through 

 the Snow over a barren Plain to come to CtadyfJ^r, where there is a new Inn well 

 built. 



The third I was a horfeback from five in the morning till noon , firft over the 

 fame Plain by a Lake fide in a very bad way cover'd with (how that hid the holes; 

 then parting a tedious long and rugged mountain, 1 defcended to a Village call'd 

 u4Jepas } where there is to be feen an old ruin'd Caftle upon the .point of a Hill.The 

 Inhabitants were all Georgians by defcent, but now turn'd all Mahumetans. I met 

 with wine and fifh, in regard of the many Rivolets, but the Caravanfra is old, and 

 111 provided. 



The fourth, fetting out by day-break, I rode over a Plain, which Sha Abbas the 

 firft gave the Georgians to till, and in eleven hours 1 came to Ondgiom, a large Vil- 

 lage upon a River, over which there is a fair ftone bridge. 



durty. I pafs'd through a Village call'd Iman Shade, from the name of one of 

 their Prophets that lyes buried there, and gave the Mountain its name , being 

 all cover'd with bitter Almond-trees. 1 travell'd fometime between rude and 

 craggy rocks , after which I met with a final] River, which runs to Mayn a little 

 City where I lodg'd in a fair Inn. 



The fixth, I departed three hours after midnight, and travell'd through a large 

 Plain encompafs'd with high and rugged Mountains j upon one of which that is 

 divided from the other, ftood a Caftle which they fay was ruin'd by Alexander the 

 Great, of which at prefent there doe's not remain the leaft fign or footftep. I 

 crofs'd the river of Mayne over two ftone Bridges, and then came to Abgherme ; 

 a place that ftands in a Plain where there is an Inn half built j fb call'd by reafon of 

 a Spring of hot waters that rifes not far from it. In the morning I pafs'd over a 

 fair and long Caufey, call'd PouUgor, being above yoo paces long, and 15- broad, 

 divided alfo by certain Bridges, to give the water free pafiage, by reafon the 

 Country % is very full of merfhes. At the end of this Caufey ftands an Inn very well 

 built, but the gnats that haunt it will not fuffer it to be frequented. I pafs'd along 

 by the foot of a Mountain, and after three hours travel, I ftopp'd a while at an 

 Inn that ftands at the foot of another fteep and craggie mountain. 



I arriv'd at Schtras about fix a clock at night. But here give me leave before I 

 enter the City, to make two obfervations, the one touching the Road from fjbsr 

 han to Schiras } xhe other concerning the ruins ofTche-e/minar. 



As to the Road from Jfpahan to Schiras, obferve that in winter time when the 

 Snow is fallen, when you come to Tefdecas, you muft of necefTity leave the direft 

 road, becaufe it is impoflible to pafs the itreights of thofe Mountains,which I have 

 mention'd. Therefore yon muft keep the left hand road eaftward, through the 

 Plains,taking a guide along with you. 



This way, which is the longer by two days journey, was formerly unknown, 

 becaufe of a River, that in one place beats upon a fteep rock, and clofes up the 

 pajfage. But Iman-KouU-K an with a vaft expence of time and money , caus'd a 



way 



