Chap. VIII. of Mônfieur Tàvernxer. 



Turks fhould remain peaceable Matters of the City, where they have a Bajba for 

 Governour. But this Treaty endur'd not long ^ for in the middle of the City there 

 is a Cittadel, call'd Aujhel Bafia, or the ,Bajha's Court , which the Turks built \ fo 

 that the Garrifbn being Turks and the Inhabitants Arabians , who could not endure 

 tobecurb'd , they oft-times quarrell'd with the Turks and came to blows. There- 

 upon the Arabians of the Defert came to the relief of the Citizens and befieg'd the 

 Bafra in the Fortrefs. At length becaufe there could be no luch agreement made „ 

 but that one party or other took an occafion prefently to break it , there was one 

 Bajba whofe name wasv&W, who after many contefts and revolts which had almoft 

 tyr'd him , refolv'd to rid himfelf of the trouble , and fold his Government for forty 

 thoufand Piafters to a rich Lord in the Country , who prefently rais'd a lufficient 

 number of Souldiers to keep the people in awe. This great man took upon him the 

 name of Efrafias Bafha , being the Grandfather of Huffen Baflia , who was Gover- 

 nour at the time when I pafs'd through before. This Efrafiat threw off the Turkic 

 yoak , and took upon him the title of Prince of Balfara. As for the Bajha that fold 

 his Government, he no iboner arriv'd 2XConfiantmople , but he was drangl'd. But 

 after Amurath had taken Bagdat , the Prince of Balfara was glad to feed him conti- 

 nually with Prefents that chiefly confided in Horfes , which are very beautiful in that 

 Country. The Great Sha-Abas having taken Ornms , fent a powerful Army under 

 the Command of Iman-Kouli-Kan Governour o(Shiras,to take in Balfara. Whereupon 

 the Prince finding himfelf too weak to refift fo great a Pow'r, made an agreement with 

 the Defert Arabians to break down the Dam that ftops the Sea. Which being per- 

 form'd , in came the Sea tumbling fifteen Leagues to Balfara ; and four Leagues be- 

 yond it , which conftrain'd the Terfians , furrounded with Water , and hearing at 

 the fame time ofthe death ofSka-Abas,to raife their Siege.Since that inundation,feveral 

 Lands and Gardens have been utterly barren , or have born very little , by reafon of 

 the Salt which the Sea has left behind. 



The Prince of Balfara has enter'd into Leagues with feveral ftrange Nations , fo 

 that whencefoever you come , you may be welcom. There is fo much liberty and fo 

 good order in the City, that you may walk all night long in the Streets without mo- 

 leftation. The Hollanders bring Spices thither every year. The £ nglifb carry Pepper 

 and fome few Cloves , but the 'Portugais have no Trade at all thither. The Indians 

 bring Calicuts, Indigo, and all forts of Merchandize. In Ihort, there are Mer. 

 chants of all Country's, from Confiantinople , Smyrna, Aleppo, Damafctts, Cairo , 

 and other parts of Turkie , to buy fuch Merchandizes as come from the Indies, with 

 which they lade the young Camels which they buy in that place \ for thither the 

 Arabians bring them to put them tofale. They that come from Diarbequir , Mon- 

 fful, Bagdat , Mefoptamia , and dffyria, fend their Merchandizes up the Tigris 

 by Water , but with great trouble and expence. In regard the Boats are to be tow'd 

 by men , that cannot go above two Leagues and a half in a day , and againft the 

 Wind they cannot ftir , which makes them oft-times between Halfara and Bagdat 

 to be above fixty days , nay there have been fome that have been three months upon 

 the Water. 



The Cuftoms of Balfara amount to five in the hundred , but generally you have 

 fome favour (hew'd you , either by the Cuftomer or the Prince himfelf, that the 

 Merchant does not really pay above four in the hundred. The Prince of Balfara is 

 fo good a Husband , that he lays up three millions of Lijieri in a year,- His chiefeft 

 Revenue is in four things , Money , Horfes , Camels , and Date-trees } but in thé 

 laft confifts his chiefeft wealth. For all the Country from the meeting of the two 

 Rivers to the Sea,for the fpace of thirty Leagues together ,is all cover'd with thefeTrees; 

 nor does any one dare to touch a Date , 'till he has paid for every Tree three fourths 

 of a Larin , or nine Sons French. The profit which the Prince make's upon money , 

 proceeds from this , that the Merchants that come from abroad are oblig'd to carry 

 their Reals to his Mint , where they are Coyn'd and converted into Larini , which' 

 is worth to him eight in the hundred. As for his Horfes , there is no place in the 

 world , where there are more fit for travel , or handfomer fhap'd % for there are 

 fome that will travel thirty hours together and never draw bit , efpecially the 

 Mares. But to return to the Palm-trees it is worth obfervation , that there is more 

 Art to bring up thole Trees than any other. The Natives dig a hole in the ground, 

 wherein they heap a great quantity of Date-nuts in , a Pyramidical form , the top 



M whereof 



