Chap.l V. of Monfieur Tavernier. 67 



fome Ambufcade, rode thither before to view the place , bnt finding it empty and 

 free, we refted there that night, and the next night came to lye a&Mezara, which 

 is only a fmall Village without an Inn : Neither was there any thing remarkable upon 

 that Road. Only that near the Cave , in the Mountain , there is very good Water : 

 And formerly upon the Mountain ftood a Caftle , of which fome ruines are ftill re- 

 maining. From the top of the Mountain there is a fair Profpeft as far as you can lee , 

 over very fair Plains on every fide , and in feveral places very good Land , water'd 

 by divers Channels which are brought from the River Euphrates. All the Rivolets 

 alfo that you crofs from Aleppo to Bir come from the fame River. 



The fourth day after we parted from Aleppo , being the ninth of March , we 

 came to the banks of Euphrates. Bir is on the other fide of the River *, and be- 

 caufe that fometimes the Goods cannot be unladen all in a day ; there is a fair and 

 large Inn , to defend the Merchants from the Bedouins , which would elle difturb 

 and rob them , were not they and their Goods in that manner fecur'd. 



You crofs the Euphrates in large Ferry Boats , and as loon as you are got over the 

 other fide of the River, the Cuftomer and his Officers comes and tells the Bales, 

 and writes down the names of the Merchants to whom they belong. The Caravan 

 does not lye in the Town , which is built like an Amphitheatre upon the brow of a 

 very craggy Mountain, but partes forward over a fcurvy Road to an Inn upon the 

 top of the Mountain. Near the Inn there are feveral Chambers cut out of the Rock, 

 where they that cannot get room in the Inn are fore'd to lye. That Evening the 

 Cuftom-Officer comes to receive his duties , being two Viagers upon every load of 

 Goods , whether upon Horfe or Mule , though the Mules carry more than the 

 Horfes -, and half a Piafler for every Beaft that carries Provifions. But for Saddle 

 Horfes or Mules there is nothing demanded. 



The Bir , or Berygeon , as the Natives call it , is a large City for an Eaftern City , 

 fcituated upon the brow of a Hill. Below upon the Riverftandsa Caftle that de- 

 clares its Antiquity, it is half as long as the City, but narrow, and without any 

 other Fortification , laving only a Tower that fcours the River, in which there are 

 eight or nine pitiful Culverins. In the higheft part of the Town ftands another Caftle 

 where theGovernour refides, who is an Agfa whom fome call a Bafia, having un- 

 der him two hundred Janizaries, and four hundred SpahPs. The City is ill built, 

 as are the moft part of the Cities of Turkie : But there are an extraordinary plenty 

 of all things , excellent Bread , good Wine , and great ftore of the bell fort of 

 Fifli. 



The tenth day after we had travel'd elev'n hours in the firft Lands of Mesopo- 

 tamia, that lyes between the two Rivers Euphrates and Tigre , which at prefent they 

 call Diarbek^, we came in the evening to Sharmely. This is a very good Town , 

 with a fair Inn , and Baths round about it. About twice Mufquet-Shot from 

 thence , ftands a Mountain alone by it felf , like Montmartre near Taris : 

 Round about it are Plains , and at the top of it ftands a Fortrefs , with a Garrifon 

 of two hundred Spahfs , by reafon that the Arabs fometimes crofs Euphrates , 

 and make incurfions upon that fide. In the year 1 63 1 , the Grand Vizier retur- 

 ning from Bagdat , where he had loft the greateft part of the Grand Signons Army , 

 not being able to take the City fearing the lofs of his head if he return'd to Con- 

 stantinople , and knowing himfelf to be in great efteem among the Souldiers, re- 

 folv'd to quarter himfelf upon this Mountain , and to erect a Fortrefs to fecure 

 himfelf from the tempeft that threaten'd him. No doubt but if he could have 

 brought about his defign , he might have made himfelf Maftar of all Mesopotamia , . 

 and would have put the Grand Signor to a great deal of trouble. For if you in- 

 tend for Aleppo , whither it be from Tauris, Mofful, or Bagdat, unlefs you travel tho- 

 rough theDefert, you muft pafs through Sharmely., under the command of this 

 Fortrefs, for Provifion and Waters fake. The work was gone fo far forward , 

 that there was a good defence rais'd , and the Vizier had already enclos'd all the 

 Mountain together with the Inn , with a Wall almoft twenty foot thick, and three 

 fathom high, when he was ftrangl'd by thole in whom he moft confided , the Grand 

 Signor having gain'd them either by threats or by rewards. 



The eleventh , after a Journey of ten hours we came to Ourfa , where the Cara- 

 van ufually ftays eight or ten days - , for here it is that they live that hire the Horfes 

 and the Mules, who have always fome bufinefs in this place. We lay at an Inn 



I 2 three 



