4 



The Persian Travels Book 1. 



Fifh with the long Noie : It is lpeckl'd like a Trout ; but of a better taft, and 

 more efteem'd. folia, or Polis, is a City feated at the foot of lèverai Mountains, 

 the Inhabitants whereof are for the rood part Greeks. Thefe Mountains are very 

 high, and extend themfelves along the Road for two days journey. They are full 

 of lèverai forts of Trees , which are ftreight and tall like Firr-trees -, and divided 

 by lb many Torrents, which it would be hard to pals over, were it not for the Bridges 

 that the Grand Vifier Knprigli caus'd to be built. In regard the foil of thele Moun- 

 tains is very fat, there would be no drawing for the Horiès after great Rains or the 

 melting of the Snow , had not the fame Vifier caus'd all the Ways to be Pav'd and 

 Pitch'd , even as far as Confiant inouïe. A Work of great Charge, in regard there is 

 not a Flint in any part of the Mountain, and for that the Stone is to be fetch'd a 

 great way off. There are abundance of Pigeons as big as Hens, and of an excellent 

 taft, which not only pleas'd our Appetites, but afforded us very good Paftime to 

 Iboot thern. Between the City and the Mountain , there is a Plain about two 

 Leagues in length-, near to which, there glides a River that waters it, and very 

 much contributes to its fertility. It is an excellent Soil , and produces all things 

 necefiary for Humane Life. Upon each fide of the way I counted above twenty 

 Churchyards. For it is the cuftom of the Turks to bury near the Highway, be- 

 lieving that the Travellers pray for the Souls of the deceas'd. Upon every Tomb, 

 there is to be feen a Marble Pillar , half fix'd in the Earth : of which Pillars there 

 are lb great a number, of various Colours, that it is from thence conje&ur'd, that 

 there were a very great number of Chriftian Churches in Folia, and the parts there- 

 abouts. They aflur'd me likewife , that there were a vaft quantity of thefe Pillars 

 in the Villages up and down in the Mountains, which the Turks every day pull down 

 to fet upon their Tombs. 



"Bendourlour is a Village in the Mountains, where there is one Inn. 



(jerraâar is beyond the Mountains, where there are two Inns. 



Cargefiay has two Inns , and lyes in a good Country. 



Caragalar, is a Town where there are two Inns. 



Cofizar is a Village with one Inn. 



Tocia is a great City fituated upon rifing Hills, that joyn to very high Moun- 

 tains. Upon the Winter Weft, there appears a fair Champain Country, water'd by 

 a Stream that falls into a River of a greater bignefs , call'd Cjufelarmac. Upon the 

 higheft of the lmaller Hills toward the Eaft , there is a Fortrefs , where a Hajha 

 refides ; and in the Town is one of the faireft Inns upon the Road. The greatefl: 

 part of the Inhabitants are Chriftian Greeks, who have the advantage to drink ex- 

 cellent Wine , with which the Country furnifhes them in abundance. 



<s4gifenfalou ftands upon a River, and there is an Inn and a fair Mofquee 

 in it. 



Ozeman is a little City , feated at the foot of a Hill upon which there ftands a 

 ftrong Caftle , and below two very commodious Inns. The River Gufelarmac, 

 broad and deep , wafhes the South»-fide of the City, which you crofs , over one of 

 the faireft Bridges that ever was feen. It confifts of fifteen Arches, all of Free- 

 ftone , and is a Work that (hews the Grandeur of the Undertaker. Somewhat at 

 a diftance from the Bridge (land fix Corn-Mills all together , with little wooden 

 Bridges to go from one to another. This River falls into the Euxin Sea, about eight 

 days journey from Oz,eman. 



Az.ilar is a great Town , where there are two Inns. 



% T)elekiras is a great Village , with one Inn. 



Thefe Four Days Journeys are very dangerous , by reafon that the Ways are 

 narrow, and commodious for Robbers. They are very numerous in this Country j 

 and therefore underftanding that we were way-laid , we fent and defir'd a Convoy 

 of the Hafina , who lent us fifty Horfemen. 



Amafia is a great City, built upon an aicent in the hollow of a Mountain. It has 

 no prolpeft , but only from the South over a fair Plain. The River that runs by it 

 comes from T ocat , and throws it felf into the Ulack^Sea, four days journey from 

 Amafia. You crofs it over a wooden Bridge , fo narrow that not above three perlons 

 can go a-breft. To bring frefh Water to the City, they have cut a League into 

 Rocks as hard as Marble , which was a prodigious Labour. On the Weft-fide , upon 

 a high Mountain \ ftands a Fortrefs, where they can come by no other Water than 



what 



