The Persian Travels 



Book I 



defcent for two or three hours, till we came to a great Village neatly fituated, 

 where there grows excellent Fruit. There we repos'd for an hour or tjvo -, and 

 from thence we came to a great Stone-Bridge on a River where there is no Water 

 but when the Rains fall. It falls into the Lake Roumi ; but the Water of the River 

 is fo fowr and ill-tafted, efpecially when it is low , that it is not to be drunk. About 

 a quarter of a League from the Bridge are three long Stones let in the Ground like 

 Pillars : the Natives lay that they were plac'd there for a Monument, in the fame 

 place where Darius the Son of Hyfiafpes was elected King by the cunning of the 

 Gentleman of his Horie : from whence to Tauris is but half a League. The Moun- 

 tains of the Mcdes which we crofs'd in this Road, and thofe which run along toward 

 the ancient Parthians , are the mod fertil in all Perfia. They bear Corn and Fruit 

 in abundance-, for upon the high Mountains there are fair Plains fow'd with Wheat, 

 which are extraordinary fertil. The Springs which rife there, and Rains which 

 fall give a frefher beauty and a higher taft to what grows there , more than in any 

 other part of Perfia that wants Water -, and the products of thofe Fields are of a higher 

 price. 



Now for the great Road. The Caravan having crofs'd the Stream where we left 

 it, lodges the next Night upon the Banks of Aras, over which it ferries the next Mor- 

 ning. It does not go thorough Zulfa, though it be fo near it} becaufe that on 

 the other fide of the City there are three Leagues of Way very bad and unfre- 

 quented. For which reafon you muft leave Zulfa on the right hand , which is not 

 much out of the way. After two hours travel you go by a Bridge which is call'd 

 Sugiac; after which you come upon Heaths encompal's'd with high Rocks. All this 

 days journey you meet with no Water, but only one little Fountain, and the Water 

 is lb bad that the Beafts will hardly drink it. 



The day following you travel through an even Country, but very barren : where 

 you meet with nothing but a forlorn Inn ; though it be a place where Coft has been 

 beftow'd , and built all of Free-ftone, that was fetclvd a great way off. The next 

 Stage is Mar ante, famous for the Burying-place of Noah\ Wife. The Town is not very 

 big refembling rather a Thicket than a City : but the fituation is very pleafant, in 

 the middle of a fertil Plain adorn'd with feveral well peopl'd Villages. This Plain 

 does not extend above a League round about Marante , the Country beyond it 

 being all barren. However it is not altogether unprofitable : for being a continual 

 Heath , it affords feeding for the Camels , which are there bred for the Caravans. 

 Which is the reafon that there are fo many Camel-Mafters at Sugiac and Mar ante, 

 who furnifh great part of the Road. At Marante you muft pay thirteen Abaft s, or 

 four Crowns for every Camel's Load, for the fecurity of the Road. 



Leaving Marante, you lodge the next night a League from Sophiana in a bufhy 

 Plain, where the Water is worth nothing -, after you have travell'd a mix'd Country, 

 barren enough , where you meet with but one Inn in a Valley : but it is a very 

 fair one. Sophiana is an indifferent large City, which you cannot fee till you come 

 within it , by reafon of the great number of Trees planted in the Streets and round 

 about it , which makes it look rather like a Foreft than a City. 



The next day, which is ufually the tenth days journey from Erivan , the Caravan, 

 having crofs'd fair, large and fertil Plains, arrives at Tamis. Thofe Plains are water'd 

 with feveral Streams that fall from the Median Mountains -, but the Water is not 

 all of the fame goodnefs, for there is fome which cannot be drunk. 



In the mid-way between Sophiana and Tauris, lyes a Hill, from whence you have 

 a profpeft over thofe Plains , upon which the Army of Suit an Amurath Encamp'd, 

 when he befieg'd Tauris. The news coming to Sha-Sefi King of Perfia, that he 

 had burnt it , and was marching further into the Country with a hundred thoufand 

 Men , Let hint come , laid he , without any difiurbance , I know how to make the Turks 

 pay for their lnvafion without any great trouble. They were then not above fifteen 

 days march from IJpahan , when Sha-Sefi turn'd the courfe of atl the Streams both 

 before and behind , which only run from certain Springs , and are brought in Cutts 

 or Chanels into the Inland-parts of Perfia , where there are no Rivers : By which 

 means the whole Army of the Turks perifh'd for want of Water in thofe vaft un- 

 water'd Countries where they had engag'd therafclves too far. 



Tauris lyes in 83 Degrees, 30 Minutes of Longitude-, and 40 Degrees, 15 Mi- 

 nutes of Latitude , in an open place where there is not a Tree to be feen -, and 



environ'd 



