Chap.V. of Monfieur Tavernier. 



75 



the Goods, as thole upon which the Men ride } fo loon as the Herdf-men thereabout 

 lee a Caravan coming, they flock to the River-fide. Thole people that wear nothing 

 but a courfe piece of Linnen or a Goat-skin to cover their nakednefs , take off their 

 Cloaths and wind them about their Heads, like a Turbant. Then every one tyes 

 a Goat-skin blow'd up under his Stomach*, and then two or three of the molt expert 

 mounting the fame number of the beft Horfes, which are bridl'd, put themfelves 

 firft into the Water , while others foHow them fwimming , and drive the Horfes 

 before them-, holding the Beaft by the TayJ with one Hand, and 1'witching him 

 with the other. If they find any Horfe or Afs that is too weak , they tye a Goat- 

 skin under his Belly to help him. Confidering which difficulties, it cannot take 

 up Iefs time than I have mention'd to get over a Caravan of five or fix hundred 

 Horfes. , 



The Caravan being thus got over , for two or three days has but a very bad Road. 

 The firft days journey, the Horfes were continually in the Water up to the mid-leg ; 

 and the fécond, and part of the third we travel'd through a very defert Country, 

 where we met with very little food for our Horfes j and only a few Brakes to boyl 

 our Rice. Having got over this bad way , we came to a River call'd the great Zarbe? 

 over which we pals'd upon a Stone-Bridge of nine Arches. They report that this 

 Bridge was built by Alexander the Great,i«n his March againft Darim. A quarter of a 

 League to the South-Eaft, two Rivers meet, which empty themfelves into Tigris. Lea-? 

 ving the Bridge, we came to a Town call'd Sherazonl, built upon a rifing Ground, upon 

 three Redoubts. There refides a Bajba, whomuft be brib'd with a imall Prefent to 

 let the Caravan pafsr, we lay by the Banks of a River, ,and (laid there two days. 

 From thence we travel'd one days journey over dry Mountains, not finding any 

 Water. But the next day we came into a pleafant Plain , ftor'd with Fruit-trees. 

 This was the Plain of Arbele , where Alexander defeated Darim ; containing about 

 fifteen Leagues in all. It is water'd with feveral Rivulets , and in the middle of 

 the Mountain rifes a little Hill about half a League in circuit. It is all over cover'd 

 with the faireft Oaks that ever were feen -, and on the top are the Ruines of a Caftle, 

 that feems to have been a fumptuous Structure. The Country-people fay that 

 Darim ftaid there while his Captains gave Battel to Alexander. Three Leagues 

 from thence, near a great Mountain toward the North, are to. be feen the Ruines 

 of another Caftle and feveral Houfes , where they add , that Darim fecur'd fome 

 of his Wives when he loft the Battel. This Caftle is feated in a moft lovely Profpeft. 

 At the foot of the Mountain rifes a Spring, which a quarter of a League off fwells 

 into a River that bears good big Boats. It runs winding about the Mountains to 

 the Southward y fo that two days journey from the Hill , you crofs it near a Town 

 call'd Sheramouly over a fair Stone-Bridge of nine Arches , whereof the Great Sha- 

 Abai caus'd three to be brok'n down , after he had tak'n Bagdat. . . . 



This City of Sh.eraz.oul is built after another manner than ally other of the Cities 

 in thofe parts , being all cut out of a fteep Rock for a quarter of a League together -, 

 lb that you mull go up to the Houfes by Stairs of fifteen , or twenty fteps , fome- 

 times more , fometimes lefs , according to the fituation of the place. The people 

 have no other Doors to their Houfes than only a thin round Stone, like a Mill-ftone, 

 which they will roll away when they go in or out , the fides of the Wall being lb cut 

 as to receive the Stone like a Cafe , being level with the Rock. 



The tops of their Houfes are like Niches in the Mountain , where the Inhabi- 

 tants have contriv'd Caves to keep their Cattel in : So that we judg'd it to be built 

 for a place of fafety to fecure the Inhabitants from the Incurfions of the Arabians 

 and Bedouins of Adefoyotamia. , 



We came to Sheraz,od upon Eafter-Eve , and ftaid there three days to refrelh our 

 felves, after a Lent which we had kept very fparingly» Here I found certain 

 Springs that rofe up in large Bubbles ,; which after I had mix'd with two Glafles of 

 Wine and drank up, I found to have a Purgative quality j having a kind of Mineral 

 taft. Thefe Springs boyl up near the fide of a River call'd <sAltnn-fou , or, The. 

 River of Cjold, that falls into the River Tigris, three days journey on this fide 

 Bagdat. 



The next day we lay at a pitiful Town , upon the Frontiers of Tttrkie and 

 Ter fia. , , 



The next day, being the fifth after we fet out from Nimveh, we pafs'd over, 



È, feveral 



