50 
Travels into tbe\.iL\ AST. Part \l: 
CHAP. XI. 
0/Moful. 
MoJuL "\X7" ^ entered Moful by Bagdad Cafijl that looks to the South, and at 
VV that Gate I payed a Viaftre to the JamJJanes. 
I went and lodged with the Capucins^who were lately arrived there,to fettle 
a million, by orders of the Congregation, de propaganda fide, and therefore, as 
yet they were but very ill accommodated ; but a houfe was a preparing for 
them, which a Syrian Prieft had let them at a pretty dear rare There were 
bur two Capucms there, to wit, the Reverend Father ifohn, and brother Geer^e, 
who charitably adminiftred Phyfick to all the People without diftinftion of 
Religion ; This, with the knowledge he had of all Dileafes, dew To many 
fick People to their houfe, that it was always as full as an Hofpital : They 
came to him even ten days Journey off, and the moft powerful! fent and 
prayed him to come to them from all parts of Mefopotamia. 
Aafour. The City of Moful, anciently called Aafour ftands upon the fide of the 
Tip-is which runs to the Eaft of it ; it is encompaflèd with Walls of rough 
ftone plaftered over, with little pointed Battlements on the top, two fingers 
breadth thick, and four or five broad, much like to wooden Pales. I think 
that one may walk round this Town in an hours time, there is a Caftle in 
the water, which is narrow, but reaches out in length from North to South, 
and is almoft of an oval figure : towards the River it is all built of Free ftone, 
and the Walls are about three fathom high, on the land-fide it is fèparated 
from the Town by a ditch, five or fix fathom broad and very deep, being fil- 
led with the River-Water ; and in this place it is about four fathom deep ; 
but is not faced with Free-ftone above one fathom high, from the foundation, 
and therell: is only rough Stone. The entry into it is on the fide of the Town, 
and the Gate is in the middle of a great fquare Tower built upon a ftrong and 
large Arch, under which runs the Water of the ditch ; and there is a little 
Draw-Bridge to be paft before one comes to the Gate, which heretofore was 
flrongly defended by Artillery ; for before it on the outfide there are fix 
large Guns ftill to beieen, but one of them is broken, and but one mounted ; 
there are aboutas many field-pieces, and onely two of them mounted ; I was 
told that this Caftle was built by the Chriftians, and that there is a fair Church 
within it. 
The Tigris feemsto be fomewhat broader than the River oïSei7ie, but is 
very deep and rapid ; neverthelefs it has a Bridge of Boars over it, a little be- 
low the Caftle, and oppofite to one of the Gates of the City calkd Dgejir 
Capiji, that's to fay the Bridge-Gate ; It confifts of about thirty Boats, on 
which they pafs to an Ifle, the other end reaches not the Land, unlefs it be 
by a Stone-Caufey, which is as long as the Bridge it felf where it ends. In 
Winter that bridge is removed, becaufethe River ( then overflowing,) becomes 
as broad again as it is in Summer : A few paces from the River-fide, there 
are large Ditches which it fills with water, that is drawn out from thence for 
watering their grounds ; and that ( I think) by a very filly invention. They 
have great Buckets of Leather that hold more than a Barrel ; and at the bot- 
tom of the Bucket there is a large Pipe of Leather, about three foot long ; 
fi-ich as I have in former times leen at Pans faftened to Casks full of water, 
which ferved to water the Cours de la Reine. This Bucket is faftened to a 
Rope, put over a wheel, that turns upon an Axletree whofe ends enter into 
the Penthoules that are on each fide of the Well ; and there is another Cord 
faftened to the Mouth of the Bucket, that holds it upright to keep the water 
from fpilling, and this laft Cord goes under the wheel ; thefe two Ccrds are 
faftened together to a great Rope: and tecaufe it requires lèverai men to 
draw 
