no 



The Persian Travels Book 111. 



About a days journey beyond the Mountain you meet with a little City, whofe 

 fituation , the Streams that water it , the good Fruits that grow there , and parti- 

 cularly the excellent Wine which it affords, render a moft pleafant Manfion. The 

 Perfiam believe that Alexander when he return'd from Babylon dy'd in this place, 

 what-ever others have writt'n that he dy'd at Babylon. All the reft of the Country 

 from this City to Bagdat is a Country of Dates, where the people live in little Hutts, 

 made of the Branches of Palm-trees. 



From Bagdat to Anna you ride in four days , through a defert Country, though 

 it lye between two Rivers. 



Anna is a City of an indifferent bignefs , that belongs to an Arabian Emir. For 

 about half a League round about the Town, the Lands are very well manur'd, being 

 full of Gardens and Country-houfes. The City for its fituation refembles Paris ; 

 for it is built upon both fides of the River Euphrates ; and in the midft of the River 

 is an Wand, where ftands a fair Mofquee. 



From Anna to Mached-raba is five days riding , and from Mached-raba, to Taiba f 

 five days more. 



Mached-raba is a kind of a Fortrefs upon the point of a Hill , at the Foot whereof 

 fprings a Fountain like a large Vafe , which is very rare in the Deferts. The place 

 is encompafs'd with high Walls, defended by certain Towers, and in which are 

 iittle Hutts where the inhabitants keep their Cattel , of which there is great ftore, 

 but more Mares and Horfes than Cows. 



Taiba is alfo a fortifi'd place in a level Country , or a high Bank of Earth and 

 Brick bak'd in the Sun. Near to the Gate a Fountain fprings out of the Earth , and 

 makes a kind of a Pond. This Road is moft frequented by thofe that travel through 

 the Defert from Aleppo or Damas to Babylon , or from Damas to Diarbequir, by 

 reafon of this Fountain. 



From Taiba to Aleppo is but three days journey j but thefe three days are the 

 moft dangerous of all the Road for Robbers , in regard that all the Country is inha- 

 bited only by the Bedouins , or Arabian Shepherds, who make it their bufinefs only 

 to plunder and fteal. 



Now to take the fame Road from Aleppo to JJpahan , it lyes thus : 



From Aleppo to Taiba , days 3 



From Taiba to Mached-raba , days 5 



From Mached raba to Anna , days 5 



From Anna to Bagdat , days 4 



From Bagdat to Bourous, days 1 



From Bopirous to Charaban , days I 



From Charaban to Cafered, days 1 



From Capered to Conaguy , days I 



From Conaguy to Cajfifcerin , days I 



From Cajfifcerin to another Conaguy , days 1 



From Conaguy to Erounabad , days 1 



From Erounabad to Maidacht , days I 



From Maidacht to Sahana , days 1 



From Sahana to Kengavar, days 1 



From Kengavar to Nahoiiand, days 1 



From Nahouand to Oranguie , days 1 



From Oranguie to Comba , days I 



From Comba to Confar , days r 



From Confar to Ifpahan , days 1 



So that whether you travel from Aleppo to JJpahan , or from JJpahan to Aleppo^ 

 you may eafily ride it in thirty days. 



From whence I make this Obfervation , That a man making it but two days 

 more from Alexandretta , and finding a Ship ready there to fet Sail for Marfeittes, 

 with a fair Wind*he may travel from IJpahan to Paris in two months. 



Another time , having an occafion to go from Aleppo to Kengavar , and fo to 

 Bagdat • and from thence, fo through the Defert -, at Bagdat I met with a Spaniard 

 that was travelling the fame way , with whom I luckily met to bear half the Charges 

 of the Guide, which as foon as we had h ir'd for fixty Crowns, we fet forward from 



Bagdat 



