154- Tray els into ^fe L e v a n t. Part II. 
Barks are flat bottomed, about a Fathom high, one and a half broad, and about 
five Fathom long. The Stern is very low, but the Head is as high again, and 
Eaiks on the draws into a (harp point as the Gondolas of Venice. Thefe Barks are not Caulked, / 
River of Ca- ^^^^^ Pitched over on the outfide, ' which they do in the manner following. 
When they are to Pitch a Vaneg (for fo they call that fort of Bark in Arahkh^ i ) ten 
or twelve paces from the Danegs they make a Furnace of Earth, the upper part 
whereof is made like a Cauldron i into that they put the Pitch, and the rire un- 
derneath, and when the Pitch is almofi: melted, but not altogether liquid, a man 
comes with a little wet Shovel in his Hand ^ and another lays fome of this Pitch 
The Pitching upon it, and then puts water upon the Pitch, which the firft carrying to the Pil- 
ot aDaneg. ftirring the Pitch with a piece of Wood to which it does nocfticki he 
that is working at the Vaneg^ takes the Pitch in his Hand, and dawbs it as one 
would do Plaftcr upon the Vaneg^ and then with a Rowler (which is not alto- 
gether round,) he fpreads it upon the Vcflel, and in that manner Pitches it all 
over on the outfide. Thefe Barks are made very ftrong, the fides being about a 
Foot thick, and all the Planks are Nailed with great Nails, fuch as are driven 
into Gates in Franca they have likewife a Mart of -an indifferent bignefs: 
Indeed thefe Baiks make but heavy way, efpecially in the mid de of the wa- 
ter, where they cannot ufe a Sail, if they have not the Wind in Poopi and ne- 
vcrthelefs they load them fo deep , that they are not above half a Foot above 
water. 
We embarked in one of thefe Boats about half an hour after three in the After- 
noon i it was full of a kind of very long green Rufhes that have a great point at 
the end, whereof they make very rine mats. Our Crew confilkd of two Sea- 
men and a Mafter » the two men Towed us on Land till half an hour after fix, that 
we came before a Village to the Left Hand i there we caft Anchor, our Men un- 
loaded all the Rufhes, and going afterwards to the Village, we we faw no more of 
them till next day. This is a great Village, and has a fquare Gaftle with eight 
Towers s to wit one at each corner, and one in the middle of each fide i but they 
are all of Earth, and fo thin that a double Musket could batter them all down. 
I^oiitmiin. This place is called (that istofayCaftle Mian.^) and they make many 
Damgs there. The Country of Gheban reaches from thence to the mouth of the 
River of Caron'-, and in all that fpace, the Land on both fides the River is 
called Gheban : it is very good Soil , and if Cultivated, would produce any 
thing-, but is is negleéted through the Lazinefs of the Inhabitants, who con- 
tent themfelves with their Dates, there being in that Country vaft Woods of 
Palm-Trees. 
We parted from Koumian Thurfday the fifteenth of Oâober^ half an hour 
after eight in the Morning i and at firft put over to the other fide of the River, 
where our Men went a Ihoar to Towe us, our courfe being due North-J^Fefl. At 
that place the River grows pretty broad, and I think is as broad as the River of 
Seine at Paris i and yet is very deep, and makes many Iflands. About Eleven a 
Clock we ftopt at a Village to the Left Hand on the water fide, from whence we 
parted at one of the Clock. About half an hour after nine at night, we faw to 
Dorghsftan. Our Right Hand the end of the, 'lie Vorgheftan, which from thence reaches to thé 
l^oHtfcbemal. Sea. We (topped before a Caftle called Kotttfchemal^ which ftands on the main 
Land, near the end of that ïfland, and on the fame Hand. This is a very large 
Caftle, and the Bajha of Bajfora has a Palace in it, which (as I was told,) is very 
beautiful, and (as fome fay, ) he keeps his Treafure there. Over againft this Calile, 
(but a little higher, on the other fide of the water.) there is another fquare Caftle, 
with a Tower at each Angle. 
We parted from that place Friday the fixteenth of October at fix of the Clock, 
and having the Wind at Souths we made Sail and ffood away North- fVeJi. A quar- 
Jiout-MuitheL ter after eleven, we pafTed by a fquare Caftle, (called Kont- Mnethel,) which was 
on our Left Hand, and is flanked with eight Towers, one at every corner, and one 
in the middle of each fide ; and near to it there is a little Canal. A little farther 
we faw a Straw-Houfe, where Officers of the Cuftoms live, who did not vifit us, 
but only ordered our Mafter to carry us to the Cuftom Houfe of Bajfora. Leaving 
ffaffar. then the River of Caron we entered into a Canal called Haffar, which was to 
our Left Hand, or to the South Weji of usi at that place it is not two Fathom 
over, in other places it is lefs, but towards the middle is very broad : it hath been 
made 
