\ 
l'y 6 Trayels into the Levant. Part IL 
l^alfc News of told me how much they were troubled at the News they had of twenty French 
Sferby^îhe ^^^^^ir? being at Sea, which very much terrified all the Merchants. This report 
Diiicb. raifed by the Vutch^ who purpofely broached it, that all the Merchants might 
■ put their mony on board of Dutch Ships, and not in Mahometan : and this News 
was the more eafily believed, that it waslînown everywhere row, that the Fre/jc^ 
were coming to fettle a Trade in the Indies and they were perfuaded that all our 
French Cor- Veflels were Pirats, becaufe three Years before, two French Corfairs came to Moca, 
jufl about the time that the Veffels put out from the Port of Moca^ carrying no- 
thing but mony**o Surrjt, from whence they bring Goods, which is at the end 
of Auguji. The Vrtnch took all thefe Veffels, and went off. If they had had a 
little more skill in thofe Seas, they might have done mores for they might have 
come into the Gulf of Ferfia about the end of O^ober^ and there waited for the 
Ships of Bajfora^ at which time they carry a great deal of mony for Trafficking in the 
Indies i and they might eafily have made themfelves Mafters of them, and therein 
of feveral millions in ready mony, there being none but Indians on Board of all 
thefe Veffels,who make no refinance i and that being donejthey might as eafily have 
got awayi but they did not do it : in ftiort, they left fuch a terrible confternation 
Fear cf the on all thefe Seas > that to name but the French to them is enough to make them all 
f"-^^- (hake for fear. 
CHAR X 
Of Baffora. 
The fituation 'Ty^ffon the Capital Town of the Kingdom or Bafhafhi^ of that name, lies at 
ot Bapra. J_j the farther end of Jrabia the Defart, which is to the Tf^eji of it, and near 
Arabia the Happy that lies to the Souths two days Journy below the place, where 
the two Rivers Euphrates and "ïygris joyn, upon the Banks of Schat-El-Jarab, 
which is no other than Euphrates and 'îygris joyned into one i it is eighteen Leagues 
The latitude from the Sea, and in the thirtieth or one and thirtieth Degree ten Minutes North 
Th^ variation Latitude. The Needle declines there about thirteen Degrees and a half, from North 
of the Lead- ^^^(i » and from thence to the Indies it always declines about eleven Degrees and 
flone. a third, fome fay a half, from North to Wefi. It is two days Journy by Land 
The diftance fro^ Bagdad, and by water they come from Bagdad to Baffora in great Barks, in 
from^j/f/ ^^^^^^ or (îxtèen days time, and moll: commonly in eighteen-, but the Barks that 
go from Bajjora to Bagdad, are commonly tifty, fixty, and fometimes fourfcore 
The Circule of days in the Voyage, becaufe they are only drawn by men. This is a great Town, 
Bajjo^a. encompaffed with Walls of Earth, that are about fix hours march in Circuit, but 
they contain a great many void fpaces, where there are neither HouHs nor Gardens. 
B.jffor/.^^^ ^^^'"^ Gates, the one called the Eafl Gate, and the other the Wefi, and the 
Gate of Bagdad, becaufe by it they go out of the Town when they are bound for 
of^%IiïT'7d This Town, (in my Opinion, j isfoadvantageoufly feated, that it might 
vantageous ^ ' made one of the richeft and molt lovely Cities in the World i It would certainly 
be very pleafant, li it were a little better built, and Gardens made all along the 
fides of the Canal, that comes from Schat-El- Aarab, and runs through the whole 
Town. For the Land about, if they would Manure it and Plant Trees therein, 
I believe it would bear any thing -, for the Climate is hot, and the Soil of a greyifh 
colour, which feems to me to be very fertile, being twice a day moiftened by the 
River-water which the Tide carries up four days journy and a half (tomBaJfora i 
the water rifing at the Town a Fathom and a half, but yet not falf, fome have told 
me that the Ground is too fait to bear any thing but Palm-Trees, which thrive 
Abundance of much in fait Ground, and grow in greater numbers in the Country about Bajfora, 
Pahn- Trees. ^^^^ j,^ ^^^^^ Country in the World ■■> and to (hew that it is really fait, they fay, 
that if one dig two Fathom deep in the Earth, they will find fait- water: but pet- 
haps, it is not fo in all places. However it be, it u certain that from November 
forwards^ 
