The Vublijher unto the Reader. 



H E enfuing Narration was put into my hands Five or Six 

 Years ago, by a very Intelligent Worthy Perfon, who long 

 rellded in the fame Family with our Author,and did allure 

 me, that the Difcourfe here published , was written with 

 his own hand, and prefented unto that Honourable Perfon 

 who redeemed him out of Captivity. The Gentleman 

 who bellowed thefe Papers upon mc, will nt)t "be refpon- 

 lible for the Truth of all therein contained ; but I having 

 compared his Account of feveral Countries with that of 

 Olearius and other more Ancient and Modern Writers, have found them very Con- 

 fonant unto each other, and therefore do charitably believe him no lefs Faithful in 

 his Defcription of thofe Countries and People concerning whom little hath been 

 faid by any befides. By reafon of his long abfence from his Native Country, and 

 dif-u(e of his Mother-Tongue, his ftyle was fo rough, odd, and unplcafant, that I .was 

 forced to make therein great Alterations both as t* Method and Expreifion, yet 

 keeping llrictly unto his (enfe : Ljiave alfo much abbreviated his Difcourfe, many 

 things being often repeated, and ne having fluffed it with divers impertinencies, 

 which would have been void of all Inilruction and Delight. He would never own 

 his true Name or Pedigree, forReafons mentioned in his Paper, which I thought al- 

 together unnecefTary to be rehearfed ; that of Ajbacan, wherewith he concludes his 

 N A KRAI I VE, being fictitious, and I fuppofe alTumed, becaufe of his long 

 Refidencc in a City of that name, from which he made moil of his Excurlions : 

 And which with the Adjacent Country he hath above all others moll particularly de- 

 fcribed, giving us the names of feveral Neighbouring Places and Rivers mentioned 

 by no other VVriter. I was highly plealed'with die Account he gives us of Czarofs- 

 gorod, which he alfo ibmctimes cal.'s Scraichan and Seraicbena; the former of which is 

 the Mufcavitijh , the latter the Tartarian Appellation, and interpreted,both fignirie the 

 Habitation of the Emperour or Cbamjt being formed ythc Metropolis of a great Empire. 

 As alfo with his mention cf a place on the Weit-iide of the Volga, where he fayes 

 Ajiruran was formerly lituated. Concerning both which Cities, I fhall declare di- 

 vers things I have Collected out of feveral European and Arabian Writers, which ei- 

 ther are not commonly known, or little regarded. But I mult neccnarily premife 

 lomewhat concerning the Anticnt Inhabitants of the Country wherein thefe Cities 

 are lituated. 



The firil Nation Cofwhom I find any mention) who made any fix'd habitation 

 in thefe Quarters were the CbaZari , fo named by the Latines and Greekf, but by the 

 Mabunntans, Alcbozar, and Gorjani. This Nation during the Reign of the Emperour 

 Juft'me, like a Torrent Overflowed all that Vail: Continent which lies between China 

 and the Borijlbcncs, Conquered part of India, All Bafiria, Sogdiana, and made the 

 Yerfians Tributary, by whom they are always called Turks, and their Princefibacan, a 

 Title formerly common unto all great Turktfh Emperours. This Mighty Monarch 

 having conquered the Igors or Jugurs, Avarcs, Cbuni or Huns, Abtelites or White 

 Huns, and all other Tribes of Turfy and Tartars, together with the Alani (whofc Do- 

 minion then extended, as appears by Marccllinur, from the Borifibenes far beyond the 

 moll North-Eaft part of the Cafrian Sea) entred into a League with jF#/r///e,and ftyles 

 himfelf in his Letters, Lord of the Seven Climates of tbe World. His Acts may be read 

 at large in TbeopbilaVw Simocatta \ Excerpm de Legationibus : and divers others of the 

 Bitantinc Hiftorians. This Nation Affilled the Emperour Heradiui in his Wats 



( O 2 ) againlt 



