The Persian Travels Book I. 



fall out by the way. There is no honeft man that covets the employment-, for the 

 Caravan-Bajhi , being to difcharge feveral fmall duties upon the Road , however he 

 behave himfelf, is ftill fufpe&ed for his fidelity. When the Th^ are moft nume- 

 rous , they make choice of a Turks, when the Armenian Merchants are moft, they 

 choofe an Armenian. 



There are two forts of Caravans. There are Caravans which confift of Caraols, 

 which are the moft ufual -, in regard that Camels are cheap ,and for that fome Camels 

 will carry as much as three Horfes , others as much as four or five. But among 

 the Caravans of Camels, there are feveral Horfes and Mules , which the Merchants 

 themfelves ride upon -, it being very tedious to ride upon a Camel when he only goes 

 a foot-pace, but very pleafant when he goes upon his large trot. There are other 

 Caravans that confift only of Horfes -, and among thefe, if the Merchant have none 

 of his own , he may hire one. The Servants ride upon thofe Horfes that are leaft 

 laden:, but at Smyrna you may meet with feveral good Horfes very cheap, from 

 thirty to fixty Crowns. As for thofe perfons that are either unwilling or unable to 

 be at any expence, they make ufe of AfTes, of which there are enow to be had. 

 Above all things , you muft take care to provide Pack-Horfes to carry your Wine j 

 for the Camel-Mafters being Mahometans , will not permit you to lade their Camels 

 with any fuch Liquor :, that Beaft being particularly confecrated to Mahomet , who 

 fo ftrictly forbad the ufe of Wine. You put your Wine in Bottles made of wild 

 Goats Skins, with the hairy fide turn'd innermoft, and well pitch'd within. There 

 are fome of thefe Bottles from which they take off the Hair :, but they are not fo 

 good , as being feldom without holes. 



Thefe Camel-Mafters are an infolent fort of people , which you (hall never know 

 how to deal with, unlefsyou can bring them to puniftiment. There was one that 

 play'd me fome of his jades tricks in the Road from Smyrna to TaUris ; but when I 

 came to Efcrivan, I complain'd to the Kan, who prefently caus'd a hundred Baftnado's 

 to be giv'n him upon the fpot. Nor is there any other way to bring thofe Scoundrels to 

 reafon, efpecially at Smyrna and fuch other places, where the Merchants have their Con- 

 fais, who upon the leaft complaint to the CWy have Juftice done them immediately. 

 The examples of fome of thefe Camel-drivers that have been paid off, keep the reft 

 in good decorum ; and they will be very tradable for a good while after. 



The Journies of the Caravans are not equal •, fometimes not above fix hours travel, 

 fometimes ten , and fometimes twelve it being the convenience of Water , which 

 is not every where to be met with , that is the Rule of Lodging the Caravan. At 

 all times the Caravan travels more by night than by day -, in Summer to avoid the heat, 

 and at other times , that you may be lure to have day enough to fet up your Tents. 

 For if the Caravan fhould come to pitch in the night , it would be impoffible for 

 them to find where to fet up their Tents , to drefs and look after their Beafts , make 

 ready their Kitchins , and provide things necefTary for fo large a Company. True 

 it is, that in the depth of Winter and in the great Snows, they leldom fet out till two 

 or three hours after midnight*, and that fometimes they flay till day-break. But 

 in Summer , according to the Journey which they intend , they fet out either at 

 midnight , or an hour after Sun-fet. The laft time I went from Smyrna the Caravan 

 confifted of fix hundred Camels , and almoft the fame number of Horfc. Sometimes 

 their number is greater , fo that the Camels going but by one and one after another, 

 a Caravan feems,to be an Army, and whether it be in travelling or lodging, they 

 take up a world of Ground. Now by reafon they travel all night in Afia , it happens 

 that the Air is indifferent wholfom -, and that the Travellers , that lye for the moft 

 part upon a Carpet fpread upon the Ground , find themfelves very little inconve- 

 nienc'd by it. 



The Camels that go into Terfia through the Northern Provinces of Turkje, 

 travel like Horfes in a Cart, byfeven and feven-, they are ty'd together by a Cord 

 about thebignefs of a Man's little Finger, and a Fathom long-, faften'd to the Pack- 

 faddle of the Camel that goes before, and to the Head-harnefs of the Camel that 

 follows. Thofe little Cords are made no ftronger , to the end that if the Camel 

 before mould chance to fall into any hole, the Camel behind fhould either keep him 

 up , or elfe not be pull'd in after the other. And to the end that the Camel-driver 

 who leads the foremoft, may know whether the other fix follow him or no, the 

 laft Camel has a Bell about his Neck, which if it ceafe to ring , 'tis a fign that 



fome 



