Chap.VIL of Monfieur Tavernier. 55 



Unlike that of Smyrna, at the foot whereof runs a Rivulet, after it has made a 

 thouland Meanders in the Meadows. The City feems to have been very large, for 

 you may dilcern upon the top of the Gates the compafs of the Walls, with lèverai 

 fquare Towers , fome of which are Mill ftanding : and there is one very remarkable, 

 having two Chambers in it j one of which is a very fair one , the Walls and Pave- 

 ment whereof are Marble. 



The famous Temple of 'Diana flood at the bottom of the Hill , near one of the 

 Gates of the City. There remains nothing of it at prefentbut the great Portal, which 

 is entire. The Vaults of the Arches under ground ftand to this day, and are very large, 

 but all full of naftinels. We went in with Lanthorns:, and though you mud creep to 

 get in> by reafon that the Wind has almoft ftopt up the Hole, by gathering the 

 Duft about it, yet when you are in, you may go upright-, for the Arches are 

 high and fair , and little the worfe. Near the Gate lye four or five Columns upon 

 the Ground , and near to that a Fountain , ten Foot in Diameter , and two deep. 

 The People of the Country report , that it was the Fountain wherein St. John 

 Baptiz'd the Chriftians. For my part, as I have feen in the Indies feveral Paaods and 

 Edifices much more beautiful than ever the Temple of Ephefw could be -, I believe 

 it rather to have been a Bafin wherein the People put their Offerings, of which 

 there are feveral fuch that belong to the Indian Vagods. The Greeks and Arme* 

 menions , but above all the Franks , when they go to Ephefus always endeavour to 

 break off fome piece of that Bafin , to carry it away with 'em as a Relick : but the 

 Stone is fo hard , that they can break off but very little at a time. 



Not far from the Temple appears another Gate of the City, over which there 

 lyes a great Stone feven or eight Foot fquare, with an embofs'd Figure of Q^Curtius 

 that Famous Roman, who threw. himfelî, Horfe and Arms into the gaping Earth, 

 for the good of his Country. Many Merchants have offer'd Money for liberty to 

 carry it away, but cannot obtain leave. About five hundred Paces from Ephtfm 

 is the Grotto which they call the Seven Sleepers, at the bottom of the fame Hill where 

 the City was built. 



From Epheftts we went to Scalanova , which is not above two Leagues off. By 

 that time you come half the way, the little River that runs by Ephefus falls into the 

 Sea } in the mouth whereof there are always a great number of Gteek Barks fifhing 

 for Sturgeon. Of the Spawn of this Fifh they make Caveare , and drive a great 

 Trade in it in thofe Parts : then they take themoft delicate and fmalleft Entrails of 

 that Fifh, which they fill with the fame Spawn , of which they make a kind of a flat 

 Pudding , as long as a Bisket, which they call Botargo. This they dry in the Smoak, 

 and cut it afterwards in dices to eat. Upon this and the Cuttle-fifh the Greeks 

 generally feed during their Lent , which is very auftere. 



Scalanova. is a Port of which I have already fpoken , and thither we came by 

 feven a Clock in the Evening -, where the Governour of the Place , more civil than 

 ufually the Turks are accuftom'd to be , made us very welcom. 



In the Evening one of our Janizaries had quarrel'd with one of our Servants, 

 who thereupon had beaten him-, and therefore he complain'd to the Fellow's Ma- 

 fter , who not giving him that fatisfaction which he defir'd , thereupon the Turk, 

 ftudy'd to be reveng'd upon the whole Company. For this reafon, upon fome pre- 

 tence or other , he went before , the better to bring about his defign. We ftaid 

 till the Morning , and then departed early from Scalanova , and by Noon we came 

 with good Stomachs to the Mefquee near Ephefus, where we had been the day before : 

 And fome of the Company thought it a very convenient place to dine in , i'the 

 ftiade *, thereupon we fent for our Provifions , with a Boracho of Wine , and ano- 

 ther of Water , and fell to eating in the Paffage into the Mofquee , not dreaming 

 any harm. We had not been long at it, when we perceiv'd two or three Turks 

 about two hundred Paces off, who came from a Village very near to the Mofquee. 

 I knowing the cuftom of the Country better than they, told them , that they were 

 certainly coming to pick a quarrel with us , and therefore caus'd them to hide the 

 Bottle of Wine immediately -, for it was then the T urhs Ramezan , or Lent -, during 

 which time Wine is ftriftly forbidden. Thefe two ill-contriv'd and ill-clad Fellows 

 were the Janizaries of the place , whom the Cadi had fent , upon the information 

 of our Janizary (who knowing we had eaten in the fame place before, as indeed 

 we had done , made no queftion but we would do fo again) thinking to furprize us 



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