Chap.III. of Monfîeur Tavêrnieh. 



free thrmigh the Territories of his Government, which he freely and courteoufly 



granted me : Come , faid he , and dine with me to morrow , and you jhall have it. 



The twenty-fixth of September we departed from Envan, and the ninth of Novem- 

 ber we came to 7* mru , taking the ordinary Road. 



At Srivanmo of my Servants, the one a Watch-maker, the other a Gold-fmith, 

 dy'd-, I left them fick there, hut caus'd them to be buried in the Church-yard 

 belonging to the Armenians. One of them dy'd in fifteen days , of a Gangrene, 

 which eât out his Mouth and Throat being the Difeafe of the Country. Though 

 had the Armenians known that one of them had been a Protefhnt , they would never 

 have allow'd him to have been bury'd in their Church-yard. 



Here obferve the exacT: juftice , wherewith the Perftans preferve the Goods of 

 Strangers. For the Civil Judge hearing of the death of the Watch-maker , caus'd 

 his Chamber to be feal'd up , to the end the Goods might be prelerv'd for the 

 kindred of the deceas'd , if they came to demand them. 1 returned to TawrU a 

 twelve-month after, and found the Chamber dole feal'd up. 



We (laid twelve days at Tawris : during which time I refolv'd to attend the Kan 

 of Shantaqtii , a frontier Town of Perjia toward the Cajpian Sea-, but I found him 

 not there , in regard it was Harveft feaibn , at what time he goes to gather the 

 King's and his own Duties. 



Two days journey on this fide Shamaqhi you pafs the Aras , and for two days 

 journey you travel through a Country all planted with white Mulberry-Trees-, the 

 Inhabitants being all Silk- Weavers. Before you come to the City, you muft crofs 

 over feveral Hills : But I think I (hould rather have call'd it a great Town, where 

 there was nothing remarkable but a fair Caftle which the Kan built himfelf} I fpeak 

 of the time paft : Foras I return'd from this prefent Voyage of which I now write, 

 when I came toTauris I underftood , that there had happen'd fuch a terrible Earth- 

 quake in the Town as had laid all the Houfes in a heap} none efcaping that difmal 

 fubverfion, but only one Watch-maker of Geneva , and one more who was a Camel- 

 driver. I had lèverai times defign'd to return into France through Mufcovy-, but 

 I durft never adventure , being certainly inform'd that the Muscovite never permitted 

 any perfon to go out of Mufcovy into Perfia , nor to come out of Perfia into Muf- 

 covy. So that it was by particular connivence that that favour was granted to the 

 Duke of Holfteinh Ambafladors. This laft time I was refolv'd to have try'd whe- 

 ther I could have openM a PafTage from Perfia through Mufcovy into France , but the 

 Ruine of Shamaqui deterr'd me. 



We departed from Taur'u the twenty-fecond of November , from whence to Caftan 

 we met with nothing conflderable , but only one of the Mufcavite AmbafTadors 

 upon his return into his own Country, with a fmall Retinue of fmy, his Companion 

 dying at Jfpahan. % 



Upon Sunday the fourteenth of December taking Horfe by three of the Clock in 

 the morning, the Ice bearing very well, we came to Ijpahan about noon : but in 

 regard it was flippery before day, and very plafhy after the Sun was up , the Journey 

 was both tedious and troublefom. 



CHAP. III. 



T\n %oad from Aleppo to Tauris, through Diarbequir and Van. 



T 



^Here are two Roads more remaining to be defcrib'd -, one through the 

 North part of T urkie , the other through the South. The firft through 

 Diarbequir and Van , and fo to TaHris • the fécond through Anna , and 

 the fmall Defert leading to Bagdat. 

 I wiU defcribe the firft^of thefe Roads , and make a skip at the firft leap to Bir y 

 whither I have already led you in the Road from Akppo. 



From Bir or Beri , you travel all along the River Euphrates to Cacheme. 

 From dachemé you come to Milefara , where you pay the Cuftoms ef Ourfa, 



when 



