Part II. Travels into the L e v a n 
Leagues in length : it is Fruitful and well Inhabited, and firctchesfrom Eajl to 
Wefl. 
The Land about Gomron or Bender-Abajjt^ is no better than that of Ormm^ for The Land S- 
it is all Sand -, the water they drink there is brought from a Ciikrn without the 
Town : they drink alfo of another which is efteemed better water, and that out g^^î 
of a Well, three Parafanges diftant from the Town, in a place called T/j/?, both are for nothing, 
very dear, becaufe of the trouble in bringing thennfo far : neverthelefs, the water 
is very unwholefome, becaufe of little Worms that are in it, which (if they be 
drank down with the water,) Hide betwixt the Flclh and the Skin, and fall down Worms be- 
into the Legs, where they grow to the full length of the Leg, and are never big- ^^^f 
ger than a Lute- firing, as I have been told, for I never faw any of them, this li^J],^"'^ 
caufcs a great deal of pain ; they make a little hole in the Skin, through which 
they (hew their Head, and for a Cure, they muft be drawn by little and little out of 
that hole, drawing only a little every day, and twifting it about a fiick, according 
as they draw it out, until it be wholely out > but this requires a great deal of pati- 
ence, for if they draw too much out at one time, or draw too hard, it breaks, and 
what remains in the Leg caufes racking pains, for which there is no other remedy 
but to lay open the Leg, and make the Incifion as long as that which remains to 
be taken out. This water has another bad quality, ifi that it fwells the Telii- 
cles. The meat is alfo very unwholefome at Bender-Abajji^ and they fcarcely eat 
any but Kids Flefli, which is the beft of the bad, and Pulkts. In hne, the belt 
way to prelervc ones Health at Bender- Abafjî^ is to keep a very regular Diet, eat- Remedies for 
ing fo moderately that one hath always an Appetite : to quench a red hot keeping ones 
Iron in the water, to firain it afterwards through a Linnen Cloath, and to be al- ^f^^'^h ac Bm- 
ways chearrul. 
There is no Pafture-Ground in all that Territory, and therefore the Cows, 
Hogs, and other Beafts,. live hardly upon any thing elfe but Firti-Heads, Shell- 
Fifti, ftones of Dates, and a little Hay which is brought fome Parafanges off : and 
indeed, the Milk tails altogether Fiûiy, for I fpeak by experience h their Horfes 
they feed with Hay and Barley. After all, there cannot be a more dangerous Air 
than that of Comoron, efpeciallyin Summer, when it is fo exceirively hot, that the Cruel and 
Inhabitants arc forced to leave it, and remove three or four Parafanges off,' where dangerous 
moft of them live in Tents i nay the very Garifon of the Fort removes, leaving ^^^^^^ 
only a few men who are weary of their lives. . ' - . 
Neverthelefs, that place fo abandoned, is in no danger of being furprifed, be- 
caufe that time is the Winter of the Indies^ wherein there is fuch terrible Rain, Great Tiiun- 
Wind and Thunder, that it would feem the World were to be reduced to its fl^fi°gsatSf«- 
firft Chaos: fo that during that Seafon no Ship can keep the Sea, where Ship- 
wrack is inevitable. And indeied, there is but one Seafon for croffing over to 
the Indies^ which the Portuguefe have named Moufon^ and which they have cer- Moufon, 
rainly borrowed from the Arabick^ word Moufon, which figoifies Seafon \ but 
in ftiort, that word is ufed in all Languages to ligniHe the time of Sailing, 
which laib one half of the Year, to wit, from the end of October to the end 
of AfriU 
Bender has a pretty fafe Road, for to the North it hath the main Land of Perfas the Road of 
ÎO the South the Ifle of Ormus^ and to the South-We{}^ Lareca^ which is to the Bender-AbaJH^.' 
IVe^voardoi Ormuj, from which it is but a League diftant : Veffels come to an 
Anchor in it near to the Ifle of Ormus, on the IVeJl fide, and ro go to the Indies^ 
they Sail betwixt the Ifle ot Ormus^ (which is to the South of Bender- Abaffi,) and the 
Coaft of Arabia fœîix. 
A Parafange to the Ea(i of Comoroh^ there is one of thofe Trees, called the Ba- 
nians Trees, becaufe the Banians make commonly Pagods under them: the Por- Baniaxs Tr&çs, 
tugueje call it the Tree of Roots, becaufe Roots come out of every Branch, that 
fallen in the Ground, and grow as other Trees do s in fo much that one of theCe 
Trees may make a whole Foreft. I fhall not defcribe it, becaufe I never faw it, 
fince there was no going thither, by reafon of the exceflive heat ■■, and therefore I The Author 
refer the Reader to Linfcbot and Jonjion^ who have given a defcription of it. Un- ^^y^ 
der. this there is a Pagod or Temple of the Banians. []J'^ iTdfel 
I flayed buta v/eçkitBender-AbaJJî^ and then was obliged to turn back again, where he has 
there being no probability that I could embark there for the Indies, feeing! muft givenadefcri- 
have run too great a danger if I had itayed longer for a favourable occafion. P'i°" of 
T There 
