Chap. VII I. of Monfieur TaveJinier. 87 



is no likelihood that this fhould be the Remains of the ancient Tower of *Z?^ 

 bel. 



The Plane of the City of Bagdat, which is to be compafs'd, as well 

 by Land as by Water , in two Hours. 



A. The ground-Plot. 



B. The Fortref. 



C; The Gate calCd Maazan-capi. 



D. The New Bulwark. 



E. The Port where the Grand Signor eretled his firft Batt y ry, Anno 1638. 



F. The Old Bulwark. 



G. The Gate in the Wall. 



H. The Old Bulwark. 



I. The Place where Amurat raps' d his fécond Batfry, when he made the Breach , and 



tookjhe City. 



K. The Gate in the Wall. 



L. The Old Bulwark. 



M. The Old Bulwark. 



N. Caracapi , or the Black Gate. 



O. The Old Bulwarks 



P. Sou-capi , or the Water-Gate. 



CHAP. VIII. 



*** ' • 



A Continuation of the %oaà from Bagdat to Balfara; and of the 



%eligim of the Chriftians of St. John. 



■ ^ H E fifteenth of March we hir'd a Bark from Bagdat to Balfara. . And 

 ; we obferv'd , that a little beyond Bagdat the River Tigris divides it felf 

 into two Arms -, the one which runs through the ancient Chaldea y the 

 JBL. other keeps its courl'e toward the Point of Mefopotamia - thefe two 

 Arms making a large Hand , crofs'd by feveral f'mall Channels. 



When we came to the place where Tigris divides it felf, we beheld as it were 

 the compafs of a City that might have formerly been a large League in circuit. There 

 are fome of the Walls yet {landing , upon which fix Coaches may go a-breft. They 

 are made of burnt Brick , every Brick being ten Foot fquare, and three thick. The 

 Chronicles of the Country fay, that thefe were the Ruines of the ancient Ba- 

 bylon. 



We follow'd that Arm of Tigris that runs along the Coaft of Chaldea ; for fear 

 of falling into the hands of the Arabs , who were then at War with the Baflia of 

 Babylon , denying to pay the ordinary Tribute to the Grand Signor. We were ten 

 days upon the Water in our paflfage from Bagdat to Balfara , and lay every night 

 upon the Water , dreffing our Viftuals in the Bark. For when we came to any 

 Villages , we fent our Servants a-ftioar to buy Provifions , which we had very cheap. 

 Now the Towns we met with upon the Shoar were thefe. Amurat , where there 

 ftood a Fort of Brick bak'd in the Sun ; Manfoury, a great Town -, Magar, Gaz.er, 

 and Gorno. At this laft place Euphrates and Tigris meet together : where are alfo 

 three Caftles to be feen; one upon the Point where the two Rivers meet, which is 

 the ftrongelt, and where ihe Son of the Prince of Balfara then commanded-, the 

 fécond upon Chaldea fide -, and the third upon Arabia fide. Though the Cuftoms be 

 there exactly demanded , and paid , yet they never fearch any perlbn. The Tides 

 come up to that place : fo that having but fifteen Leagues to Balfara , we got thither 

 in lev'n hours , having both Wind and Tide. 



All the Country between Bagdat and Balfara is inter-cut and parted by IDikes,' 

 like the Low Countries 5 the two Cities lying a hundred and fisty Leagues one from 



thé 



