Part IL Trayels into the 'Le v a nr. 157 
forwards, that Country produces a great many Herbs, as Succory, Spinage, and Herbs and 
other Pot-Htrrbs i and in (everal Gardens, there are very good Apricots, which lall F"""'" at B^f 
all June and July : and in July and Auguft^ alfo nnany Grapes i as. in Odoher^^"^^' 
Melons, water- Melons, Pomegranats and Limons i the truth is, none of thefe Fruits 
will keep, becaufe of the South-Eajl Wind that reigns during that time, and is hot 
and moitt. 
There are pretty enough publick places in Bafjofa-, and amongft others, the 
Meidan, which is before the Bajhas Palace, and is very large ; there are in it twelve The Midm 
pieces of Cannon or Culverines mounted on their Carriages near that Palace ; and saffora.. 
there are alio feveral very fair Bazars in the Town. 
! faid that this might be made one of the richeft Cities in the World, becaufe 
of the Commerce that might be fettled there, with all parts almoft of the Habi- The Port of 
table World. Its Port is good and very fafc, being twelve Leagues from the Sea ^''£j'ious°for 
in the frefti water of Schat-El-Aarab, and it is Co broad and deep, that the great- gU Countries.' 
eft Veffels may come to it without danger : all the Goods Europe might be brought 
thither by theMediieranean i becaufe being once come to Aleppo, it would not be 
difficult to Tranfport them to Bir which is but four days Journy from Aleppo i and 
there they might be embarked on the Euphrates, on which they might in ten days 
time come to Rousvania, from whence there is but a days Journy to Bagdad, where 
they might embark them on the lygris^ and in tifteen or fixtecn days time, they 
would come to Bajfora, nay and with a very little pains and induftry the River Eu- 
phrates might be made Navigable for great Veffels, only by clearing the Channel 
infome places, where it is choakedup with great ftones v and that is the reafon they 
come no higher than Kousvania, which is a Village at a little diftance from Eu- 
phrates, where the Goods are put a Ihoar, and carried upon Camels to B^^^/ij J, and 
there embarked on the Tygris : but fraall Barks can come from Bir to Bajjora down 
the River of Euphrates, 
The Commodities of Ferfia, may come by the Ports of Comron and Congo, 
The Indian Commodities may eafily come by the Gulf of Verfia ■•, as alfo thofe of 
the Red Sea and Arabia Fœlix, embarking them at the Port of Calif which is but 
only eight days Journy ïrom Bajjora: and in that manner an exchange might be 
made ot all Commodities from one Country to another, which would bring infi- 
nite Riches to that place -, and though it be not foatprefent, yet many Veffels re- Great reforc 
pair thither, efpecially fincc the deftruâiion of Ormus, where heretofore all the '° Baffora. 
Traffickof thtfe Seas was managed. Since that time many Veffels come to Bajfora 
loaded with JWw« Commodities i and the time, oxMoufon, (as they call it,) when iv/o«/o». 
thele Ships come, is in the month of July -i and there they flay till the end of OBo- 
ber i when that is paft they cannot get out of the River, becaufe of contrary Winds i 
and exadly at that time the Mo?</o« for going to the Indies begins, which lafts till 
the beginning of May. 
When I came to Baffura there were fifteen great Veffels there, belonging partly 
to the D«tcfc,and partly to Mahometans^whidn took ia no Goods but Dates, and of What is load- 
that Commodity they load fo much, that they furnifh all the Indies, and make ed at Ba/ara. 
great profit of them, they carry off alfo fome Horfes i and which is more a vaft 
deal of ready mOny for the Indies. During the four months of the Moufon, Buf- 
fora is full of ftrangers, not only thofe that come by Sea from the Indies, but 
alfo fuch as come from about Bagdad to buy Indian Commodities ; and there- 
fore during that time the Houfes are dearer, than all the other eight months of 
ihe Year, during which there are none there but the people of the Country. 
For three months of the year, to wit, July, Augu(i, and September, the heat is 
almolt infupportable in that Town, efpecially when the S outh-Eafi Wind blows i 
and this Year one thoufand fix hundred fixty and five in the month of July, there 
died in Bajjora of that Windcalled Samiel, (which I have mentioned elfe where,) Samîd ac Sif^ 
four thoufand people, in three weeks time. During thefe heats, all lye upon their f"''''^- 
Terraffes, without any apprehenfion of the malignity of the Air, that is only bad 
then, by the excefs of heat, which is fo uneafie, that they muft have water every 
minute at their Mouths, though that water be unwholefome too i fof though it be 
the fame water of Schat-El-Aarab, yet running in that narrow Canal through the 
Town, it is very thick and full of Dirt ■■, and btfides at low watcr,there is none to be 
had, nothing remaining but a nafty Brook of Puddle i fo that there being a 
necelîïty of cafting up Banks of Earth in feveral places to keep in the water in 
little 
