66 The Persian Travels Book IL 



Mountains , which had been impâffâble , but for the Liberality of Ali-Cinfekm, 

 Goverriour of Schirai. He made Ways where there wôre none before , and joyn'd 

 Mountains together by Bridges , in Countries which otherwife had been inacce ffible. 

 In the midft of the Mountains is a wide gap or difcontinuance , from whehte a 

 Plain extends it felf of about twenty Leagues in circuit. It is inhabited by Jttos 

 only, who are .Silk-Weavers. In thefe Mountains you meet with Tents, where the 

 Chaldeans fojourn, that come for cool Air and Pafturage in the Summer. 



Coming to Scmras , I took Horfe there for Ijpahan, where I arriv'd in nine days. 

 The Country over which you travel, between thefe two Cities , is part Plaihs , part 

 Mountains', part wild, and part manur'd. Three days journey from Schirai you 

 pafs the Mountain of Moyen , a little City where there is nothing worthy obi'er- 

 vation. Two days journey from thence you enter upon the Plains of the Province 

 of Cufcuz.ar , where the King of Perfia keeps his Race-Horles. The next day I 

 arriv'd at Yefdecas , where the bed Bread in Perfia is made. This is a little City 

 upon a Rock , wherein there is a very fair Inn : at the foot whereof runs a little 

 River that glides into the Valley, wherein grows that excellent Corn which is utter'd 

 in Bread from that City. 



In three days I Went from Yefdecas to Ijpahan. This was the fir& Road from 

 Aleppo tO IJpahan. 



CHAP. IV. 



Of the <î(oad from Aleppo to Ifpahan , through Mefopotamia 

 and Aflyria, 'ïbhich I treeveïd in my third Voyage tô thè In* 

 dies. 



I Departed from Paris in my third Voyage to the Indies upon the fixth of 

 December 164.3, and went to Ligorn , where I found the Dutch Fleet ready 

 to fet Sail for the Levant. The Veffel wherein I embark'd feeming rather a 

 Man-of-War than a Merchant-Man. We pafs'd through the Channel of 

 Mejftna , and lay there at an Anchor four days before the City. From thence paf- 

 fing by the Morea , we enter'd into the Archipelago , where the Fleet parted , ac- 

 cording as every Ship was bound. Our Ship fayl'd dire&ly for the Port of Alexafi- 

 dretta , but though the Wind were favourable , we were ftop'd for fome time by 

 a Pirate that met with us on the Eaftern Point of Candy. We fcndeavour'd to have 

 got clear of him ; but the Pirate gaining upon us, we made ready. Thereupon the 

 Pirate gave us three Broad-fides , that went over the Ship without doing us ahy 

 harm : which we anfwer'd by as many from our Ship , the firft whereof brought his 

 Fore-maft by the Board -, and the third Shot went through the Fore-caftle and kilPd 

 him fome Men , as far as we could difcern. At that veiy inftant one of our Mari- 

 ners cry'd out from the Top-maft-head , <lA Sail from the South. Thereupon thè 

 Pirate left us, and made Sail after her : and we, glad of fuch an efcape , purfu'd our 

 Voyage to Ale xandretta , where we happily arriv'd j from whence I took Horfe for 

 Aleppo, as I have already defcrib'd. 



The fixth of March I departed from Aleppo in the company of two Capuchin 

 Friars, Father Raphael and Father Yves, and a Venetian whofe name was Dominiez 

 de Sanctis. 



From Aleppo to Sir, where you crofs the Euphrates, it is four days journey for the 

 Horfe-Caravan. The Country is well wooded, and well manur'd. 



The feventh of March the great Rains that fell hinder'd us from getting to the 

 ufual Stage , fo that we could not gain Telbechàr, another Town, where there is no 

 Inn : which conftrain'd us to ftop a League on this fide , and to go to a Cave that 

 was able to contain three hundred Horfe. This is a Cave where the Bedouins or 

 Feeders of Cattel thereabouts oft retire, who live after the manner of the Arabs, 

 either in Rocks or in poor Hutts. The Cave has been hollow'd from time to time, 

 there being fevéral Niches in it like little Chambers. Our Caravàn-Bafhi fearing 



fome 



