Châp.VII. of Monfîeur Tavernier. 



day we faw none but Arabs and Curds marching along the Banks of the River, the 

 Curds upon Mesopotamia fide , and the Arabs upon AJfyria fide. They were at War, 

 and both fides march'd in very good order. The Young men went formoft with Bows 

 and Arrows , and fome Muskets , but feveral Half-Pikes. Next to them their 

 Wives, Virgins , and Children, with their Cattel, Herds, and Camels -, after which 

 march'd the Old men in the rear. As well the Curds as the Arabians fent outHorfc- 

 men to fcout upon the high Grounds } for as loon as théy find any advantage , they 

 prefently fwim their Horfes over the River and fall on. Now becaufe we would 

 not truft thofe fort of People , we row'd nineteen hours to avoid 'em. 



The twentieth we were eleven hours upon the Tigris , and came to lye at a Town 

 call'd Tegrit , upon Mesopotamia fide. T here belongs to the Town a Caftle half 

 ruin'd , and yet there are ftill fome handfom Chambers to be feen. Upon the North 

 and Eaft, the River ferves for a Moat-, but upon the Weft and South it has a deep 

 Artificial one pav'd with Free-ftone. The Arabians fay that formerly it was the 

 ftrongeft place in all Mesopotamia, though it be commanded by two Hills not far from 

 it. The Chriftians dwelt half a League from the City , where the Ruines of a 

 Church and part of a Steeple are ftill to be feen , whereby it appears to have been 

 a confiderable Pile of Building. 



The twenty-firft , after we had row'd three hours , we met with a Town upon 

 AJJyria fide , which was call'd Amet-el-tour , from the name of a peribn that lyes 

 inter'd in a Monaftery, whom the people account to be a Saint. Therefore is it à 

 place of great Devotion among them , lb that great numbers of Votaries go thither 

 in private. That day we were twelve hours upon the W T ater, and lay upon the 

 Banks of the River. 



The twenty -fécond, having been upon the Water two hours, we met with a great 

 Channel cut out of Tigris to water the Lands , which runs up as far as juft over- 

 againft Bagdat , and there falls into the Tigris again. Coming thither , we landed 

 upon Cbaldea fide , by reafon that there were certain Turks with us , who would 

 of neceflity perform their Devotions at a place call'd Sumatra. In the fame there 

 is a Mofqaee not above half a League from the River :, to which many Mahometans 

 pay their Devoirs , efpecially Indians and Tartars , who believe forty of their Pro- 

 phets to be buried there. When they knew us to be Chriftians , they would not 

 permit us, no not for Money, to let our Feet in it. About five hundred Paces 

 from the Mofquee ftands a Tower very ingenioufly built. There are two Stair-cafes 

 without, that belong to it, made twirling like a Penwinkle-fhell : one of which Stair- 

 cafes was built deeper into the Tower than the other. I would have taken better 

 notice of it, could I have been permitted to have come nearer it. Only I obferv'd 

 that it was made of Brick , and that it feems to be very ancient. Half a League 

 from thence appear three great Portals , that look as if they had been the Gates of 

 fome great Palace. And indeed it is not improbable but that there was fome great 

 City thereabouts } for, for three Leagues all along the River there is nothing to be 

 feen but Ruines. We were twelve hours that day upon the Water , and lay upon 

 the Banks of Tigris, according to cuftom. 



The twenty-third, we were twenty hours upon the Water, and all the day long 

 we faw nothing upon either fide of the River but pitiful Hutts made of the Branches 

 of Palm-trees , where live certain poor people that turn the Wheels , by means 

 whereof they water the neighbouring Grounds. Wé alio met that day with a River 

 call'd Odoine , that falls into Tigris upon the fide of the ancient Cbaldea. 



The twenty-fourth, we were twenty-two hours upon the Water together, never 

 ftirring off from the Kilet. The reafon is , becaufe the Merchants having tak'n out 

 of the Kilet all their Money and the beft part of their Merchandizes, give them 

 to the Country-people , who carry them very faithfully to Bagdat , whither they 

 go to fell their own Commodities : which the Merchants do, to avoid the payment 

 of Five in the Hundred, in the City. I trufted them alio With feveral things of 

 which they gave me a very good account, as they did to others, being contented 

 with a fmall matter for their pains. 



The twenty-fifth, about four of the Clock in the Morning we arriv'd at Bagdat, 

 which is as ufually call'd Babylon. They open the Gates by fix , arid then the 

 Cuftomers come to take an account of the Merchandize , and to fearch the Merchants 

 themfelves. If they find nothing about 'em, they let the Merchants go: but if 



L 2 they 



