The Persian Travels 



Book I. 



winds and turns the moft of any River in the World. And indeed we are the 

 more to leek , in regard the Turks change the ancient Names according to their own 

 cuitom and pleafure , and give no other Names to Rivers than that of the principal 

 City through which they pafs ; or elle deriving their Names from the Colour of 

 their Sands. There is to be feen in that City an ancient Caftle of Free-ftone upon 

 the Point of a high Rock , feparated from the Mountains that are next it toward 

 the South, which make a Semicircle. All the Armenian Chriftians, Subjects to the 

 King of Per/ia , paffing thorough Aphiom-Carajfar muft there pay Car age ^ from which 

 they are not exempted , though they have paid it before at Erz.ercm or elfewhere. 

 The Caravan does not flop at Aphiom-Carajfar, as well for that there are no Inns but 

 what are ruin'd , as for that about a League farther there is a place where you have 

 excellent Fifh, and very cheap, and they of the City bring Barley, Straw, and 

 other things which the Caravan wants. The Caravan therefore that day lodges upon 

 the Banks of Maander, which is to be crofs'd over a Bridge not far diftant from a 

 fmall Village. In this River are great flore of Crawfifli and Carp's , and the Fiftier- 

 men will be fure to attend upon the Caravan. I have feen fome Carps there above 

 three Foot long. 



The fifteenth our Caravan began to part it felf, fome for Tecat, fome for the Road 

 to Aleppo • the one part taking the right-hand Road toward the Winter-Eaft , for 

 Syria • the other the left-hand Road North-Eaft , for Armenia. 



After we were parted , we travel'd two or three hours in fight of one another. 

 They that go to Aleppo , fall into Tarfpu , where St. Paul was born , and from Tarfm 

 to Alexandretta. But we continu'd our Road to Tecat , and after we had crofs'd 

 a great Plain, having travel'd fix hours, we lodg'd in a Merfhy place near a fmall 

 Village. There is one thing remarkable in this Road as in many others , which 

 manifefts the Charity of the Turk*. For in moft of the high Roads , that are far 

 from Rivers, they have fet up Citterns , whither when the Rains fail, the neigh- 

 bouring Villages bring Water for the Travellers , who would elfe be very much 

 diftrefs'd. 



The fixteenth we travel'd eight hours through a very even Country, but ill ma- 

 nur'd*, where we faw a little City call'd T>oulavandi. There are fome Mofquees, 

 which the Turks have built out of the Ruines of the ancient (jreek^ Churches, from 

 which they have taken Pillars of Marble, and other pieces of Architecture , to adorn 

 their Sepulchers without any order at all , which you meet with very often upon the 

 high Roads } the number is the greater , becaufe they never lay two Bodies in one 

 Grave. There is alfo in this City an Inn , cover'd with Lead , which is all the 

 Beauty of it ; nor do Travellers make any ufe of it but only in foul weather. We 

 lodg'd a League and a half from the City, and ftaid there all the next day. 



The feventeenth we travel'd eleven hours through a mix'd and uneven Country, 

 and came to lodge in a Village where there are not above three or four Houfes, 

 though there be excellent Pafturage about it. There is no Water , but what is 

 drawn out of three deep Wells -, for which reafon the place is call'd Mucbe-derin-giu. 



The eighteenth we travel'd not above five hours through defert Countries , and 

 took up our Stage in a kind of a Bog , near a pitiful Village. 



The nineteenth, after we had travel'd eight hours through fpacious defert Plàjns, 

 we pafs'd through a large Village , the Inhabitants whereof were gone with their 

 Cattel into the Mountains , for the cool Air, during the Summer time , according 

 to cuitom. There is an indifferent handfom Mofauee of Free-ftone and indeed the 

 Village, the Name whereof the People told me was Tftaciclou , has been much bigger 

 than now it is , as may appear by the Ruines. In two hours after we came to lodge 

 beyond it in a Meadow, near a Rivulet. 



The twentieth we crofs'd over defert Plains , but which feem'd to have been for- 

 merly well manur'd -, and after ten hours travel , we ftop'd in a Bottom near a bad 

 Water. 



The twenty-firft , for ten hours the Country was all barren and defert , and we 

 came to lodge at the end of a long Plain , near two Wells , the Water whereof was 

 good for nothing. 



The twenty-fecond we travel'd through the fore-mention'd Plain, and met with 

 little Valleys where there was very good Pafturage. The Caravan ftop'd near to a 

 pitiful Village, and a nafty Well. 



The 



