The Persian Travels Book II 



in a large Volume, in the fame Language, writt'n in Vellum, all the Capital Letters 

 being in Gold and Azure. They feem'd to be ivery old ; and one of their Priefts 

 told me j that it is 937 years ago fince one of them was writt'n ; ' the other not 

 above 374fince. When Service is done, they put them in a Ch e ft,and hide them under 

 Ground. I would have giv'n 200 Piafters for the oldeft, but they durft not fell it, 

 in regard it belong'd to the Church , and was not at their difpofal. 



The twenty-feventh , after we had travePd nine hours, we arriv'd at Karafara, 

 which had been formerly a great Town , and no doubt inhabited by Chriftians -, as 

 appears by feven or eight Churches half ruin'd , though the Steeples are little the 

 worfe. They ftand at a good diftance one from the other-, and upon the North-fide 

 of one of thole Churches there is a Gallery, at the end whereof, through a little 

 Door you defcend about a hundred Step*, every Step being ten Inches thick. When 

 you come under the Church , you meet with a larger and bigger Vault , fupported 

 with Pillars. The Building is fo contriv'd , that there is more light below than in 

 that above -, but of late years the Earth has ftop'd up lèverai Windows. The great 

 Altar is in the Rock \ on the right fide whereof is a Room, which receives the light 

 from lèverai Windows contriv'd in the Rock. Over the Gate of the Church was 

 a great Frec-ftone , wherein were certain Letters that I could not read. On the 

 North-fide of the fame Church under Ground are to be feen two great Citterns, each 

 four hundred and fifty Paces long -, with two great Arches, fuftain'd with lèverai 

 Pillars. Every year they fill them with the Water that falls from the next Mountain, 

 and makes a kind of a River. A quarter of a League from the Church, you defcend the 

 Mountain for above a hundred Paces together among the Rocks, on each fide 

 whereof are Rooms cut out of the Rock. Upon every Door there is a Crofs -, and 

 in every Room as it were a Bench , and a Table , with a little place about the length 

 of a Man , like a Bedfted, all cut out of the Rock. At the bottom of the Rock is 

 a Hall , round about the Wall whereof is a Bench to fit on. The Roof is all plain, 

 withoutjany Arch -, in the middle whereof there is a Hole to the top of the Moun- 

 tain : but in regard it gives no light, 'tis very probable 'twas only made to let out 

 the Smoak when they dreft their Meat -, or elfe to let in the frefh Air , as I have 

 feen in many Villages upon the Per/ian Gulf. Upon the higheft of thofe Mountains 

 ftands a paltry Village , where they buy their Victuals. But before the Caravan 

 arrives , certain Merchants ride before to inform themfelves from the Herdfmen, 

 whether they know of any Thieves in the Grotto's , that often hide themfelves there 

 in expectation of Prey. 



In the year 1 638, Sultan Amur at going to befiege Babylon , march'd this very way, 

 as well to fee thefe Ruines , as to give order for the demolishing a Fort that Mood 

 not above two Leagues off of Karafera , which the Thieves of the Country made 

 their place of retreat. He alfo at the fame time caus'd the Road to be clear'd for 

 four days journey, by ord'ring the Stones to be pickt up and laid in heaps, all along 

 the Road. He alfo built a Bridge over the River. And indeed , that March of 

 the Grand Signor was very advantageous to all Travellers that pafs this way. 



The twenty-eighth we travel'd eight hours , and came to Nefbin , anciently Ni- 

 fibif. Two or three hours travel on this fide, near the Road, is a kind of Hermitage, 

 being a fmall Room enclos'd with Walls , the Door whereof is fo low, that a Man 

 muft creep upon his Belly to get in. Three or four Jews went and perform'd their 

 Devotions at this Hermitage , believing it to be the place where the Prophet Elijha 

 was buried. 



The Country from Coujafar to Nejbin is a large Plain , where for the firft days 

 journey you fhall fee no other green Herb upon the Ground but only Pimpernel - 7 

 the Roots whereof are fo large, that there are fome a Foot and a half in diameter. 

 The next day, the Fields are cover'd with a large thick Leaf, the Root whereof is 

 bulbous , and as big as an Egg. . There are alfo great ftore of yellow , red , and 

 violet Flowers, Tulips of lèverai colours, Emonies, and fingle Daffadillies. But 

 in general Mesopotamia is a very barren Country, and there are very few places that 

 can be better'd by Art or Induftry. 



Nejbin is only the Shadow of the ancient Nifibù, being now only a large Village ; 

 the Inhabitants whereof are Chriftians , both Armenians and Nefiorians. Our Ca- 

 ravan lodg'd a little beyond , in a Church-yard adjoyning to one of the Armenian 

 Churches, The next day, hearing people fing , I went to the Church with the two 



Capuchins f 



