Chap.IV. of Monfieur Tavernier. 



9 



Camel's Load , ..-which is eight hundred Pounds. For in the mountainous Coun- 

 tries a Camel's Load is no more-, butin the plain and even Countries they make 'era 

 carry above ten hundred weight. A Load of Indian Calicutts pays a hundred 

 Crowns -, but the Loads of Linnen are much heavier than thofe of Silk. As for 

 other Commodities , they pay Six per Cent, according to their value. 



From this Stage the Caravan fets forward to a Fortrels call'd Haffan Kala, where 

 you muft pay half a Piafter for every Camel's or Horfes Load going from Erz.erem 

 to Erivan , but returning you pay but half as much. 



Leaving this Fortrels, you muft go and lodge at a Bridge near to a Village which 

 is call'd Choban-Cupri. Over this Bridge, which is the faireft in the whole Journey, 

 you crofs two Rivers which there meet, one is the Kars, and the other is a Stream 

 that falls from a Mountain call'd 'Binguiel , both which disburthen themfelves into 

 the Aras. The Caravan ufually ftays a day or two at this Bridge ; becaufe the Cara- 

 van divides it felf at this place, fome continuing on the High-road , others taking 

 the Road of Kars , as well to avoid fording the Aras feveral times, as the paying 

 a great Duty upon the great Road , where they exact four Piafters upon every 

 Camel's Load , and two upon every Horfe-Load , whereas at Kars you are dif- 

 mifs'd for half fo much. 



I went Kars Road twice ; but it is longer , and more troublefom than the other. 

 As loon as you leave the Bridge, for the firft four days you travel over woody 

 Mountains, and very defert Countries, where you meet but with one Village-, but 

 coming near Kars the Country is more pleafant , and well manur'd l , bearing all forts 

 of Grain. 



Kars is in 78 Deg. 40 Min. of Longitude, and 42 Deg. 40 Min. of Latitude - ? 

 in a very good Soil. The City is very large, but thinly peopl'd , though Provifion 

 be very plentiful and very cheap. But the Grand Signer always choofing that place 

 to rendezvouz his Army , whenever he intended to recruit it , and to lodge his 

 People there which he fent to build Villages-, the King of Perfia has ruin'd all the 

 Country, as he did at Sulfa , and in many other Frontier places, for nine or ten 

 days journey together. 



From Kars to Erivan the Caravan makes it nine days journey, and lyes where it 

 can find moft convenience , there being no certain Stages. The firft days journey 

 ends at aMonaftery and a Village, the one no lefs deferred than the other. The 

 next day you come to the Ruines of a great City, call'd Anikag*c , in the Armenian 

 Language the City of Ani , which was the name of an Armenian King that was the 

 Founder of it. By the Wall , on the Eaft-fide , runs a rapid Stream that falls from 

 the Mountains of Mingrelia , and empties it felf into the River of Kars. This 

 City was very ftrongly fituated -, being plac'd in a Merfh , where are to be feen the 

 Remains of two Caufeys that only led to the Town. There are the Ruines of 

 feveral Monafteries -, among the reft two that are entire , fuppos'd t© be Royal 

 Foundations. From thence to Erivan for two days journey , you meet with only 

 two Villages ; near the laft of which you ride by the fide of a Hill , whither when 

 the Car avan paffes by , the People bring Horfes from feveral Parts to be fold. The 

 Great Road from the Bridge, where the Caravan parts, lyes thus : 



Two Leagues from the Bridge , on the right hand toward the South , lyes a great 

 Mountain which the People of the Country call Mingol. In this Mountain there 

 are abundance of Springs, and from one fide of it falls Euphrates, from the other fide 

 the River of Kars , which empties it lèlf into the Aras fourteen or fifteen Leagues 

 on this fide Erivan. The Aras, which the Ancients call'd Araxes, falls from other 

 Mountains Eaftward of Mingal , which after many windings through the Upper 

 Armenia, where it receives many other Rivers that fwell its Streams ; it difcharges 

 it felf into the Cajpian Sea , two days journey from Sbamaki , upon the Frontiers 

 of the ancient Medes. 



The whole Country is inter-cut by the Rivers Aras and Kars , and feveral other 

 Streams that fall into them , inhabited by very few, but what are Chriftians -, thofc 

 few Mahumetans that live among them being fo fuperftitious , that they will not drink 

 the Water of any of thofe Rivers , nor wafh in them ; believing them impure and 

 defil'd by the ufe which the Chriftians make of them. They have their particular 

 Wells and Cifterns by themfelves , which they will not fuffer a Chrrftian to come 

 near. 



B Coma- 



