54 
Tra7jels into ^//^ L e v a n t. 
Part II. 
Samiel. But having fpoken fo much of the Samiel, it is but reafonable I fliould re- 
late what I have been told of it ; Sam in Arahkk, fignifies poyfon, and kl in 
Turkijh, w'mà; fb that that compound word fignifies Poj/o^-iy/W, and it may 
be the 'ventus urens^ or Eaft Wind, of which Job fpeaks in the one and twen- 
tieth Chapter of his Book. Having with much curiofity informed my felf of 
that Wind, all told me the fame thing, that it is a very hot Wind that reigns 
in Summer from Moful to Surrat but onely by Land, and not upon the Wa- 
ter ; and that they who have breathed that Wind, fall inftantly dead upon 
the place, though (bmetimes they have the time to fay that they burn with- 
in. No fooner does a man dye by this Wind, but he becomes as black as a 
coal, and if one take him by the Leg, Arm or any other place; his fiefh 
comes from the bone, and is plucked off by the hand that would lift him 
up. They fay that in this Wind there are ftreaks of fire as fmall as a hair, 
which have been feen by fome, and that they who breath in thofe rays of 
fire dye of them, the refl receiving no prejudice; if it be fo, it maybe 
thought that thefe fires volant proceed from fulphurous exhalations that rife 
out of the Earth, which being tolTed by the Wind, . kindle, ( for they are 
infiameable ) and being with the Air fucked in by refpiration, confiime the 
entrais in a moment. Orotherwile, if it be no more but a bare Wind, that 
Wind muft be fo hot, that in an inilant it corrupts the whole body it enters 
into ; and if it kill no body upon the Water, the reafon mull: be, that thefe 
enflamed Vapours are diffipated or extinguifhed by the exhalations that con- 
tinually rife out of the water, which are grofs and humid ; or becaufe there 
is always a cool breez upon the water. However leaving the difculFion of this 
point to the learned,what I have related of the effedls of the Samiel is certainly 
true, for I have informed my felf thereof by many, moft of whom have 
feen and handled thofe that have died of it, which is very common in Sum- 
mer : If that Wind reign from Mojul to Surrat ( as fbme lay,) it muft be a- 
long the Water-fide ; for over land there are many places where it reigns 
not at all. 
Having been fo well informed then of that Wind, I refblved not to 
run the hazard of fuffering by it ; but becaufe many were gone with the 
l{ekc\s. Haz^na^ they Could hardly relblve at Moful to make Kekcks, which is a kind 
of boat, wherein there is neither peg, nail, nor indeed, any bit of Iron ; 
though it be made up of at leaft of as many pieces as our boats are. It hath 
neither Maft nor Sail, and neverthelefs if it wanted Wind, it would prefently 
fink to the bottom : And quite contrary to our boats, out of which they 
are obliged to pump the water often, into this water muft be thrown. For 
making of thefc boats then, they make fait and tye together with ropes a 
great many Borrachios or leathern Jugs, in a fquare figure but longer than 
broad : Ours confifted of twenty Borrachios in length, and thirteen in breadth, 
which in all made an hundred and threefcore. Upon thefe Borrachios they 
faflen a train, or hurdle of poles tyed together with withies, and upon that 
bed of poles they place four benches, which are nothing elfe but bundles of 
poles, about half a foot thick, they are fet at about two foot and a half dif^ 
ranee one from another, and are made as high ; fo that there remains all 
round without,a border or fide-way two or three foot broad. Afterwards they 
lay poles crois iDver from one bench to another, and upon them they load 
the goods and placç their pafi^engers every one fhifting for themfelvesalwellas 
they can upon the things they carry along with them. So thefe boats are 
about fo«r fathom long, and three broad below; and above, (when they arc 
loadedj kbout three fathom long and two broad ; and they are loading and 
all, about fïve-er fix foot high. Thefe Borrachios, mufl be wet every half 
quarter of an hour, for fear they fhould fquat for want of Wind ; which 
tne boa^men do with a leathern pouch tied to the end of a pole. There is 
neither rudder nor fail, as I faid, and the whole crue conflits of three Wa- 
termen, two of which row the boat with Oars, which are towards one of 
the ends, on each fide one ; and thefe Oars are no more but Poles, having 
fins about two foot and a half long fattened to the end of them, they are 
made of feveral pieces of Cane, fix or feven Inches long, and the third Wa- 
terman wets the Borrachios. They have neither flemnorfîçrn, and goe any 
way, 
