Travels into the -L e v a n t. Part II. 
little Ponds, where the water-carriers may have it at all times, and mort of the 
meaner fort of people doing their needs and walhing their Cloaths in that Canal, 
the water muft needs be very impure and unwholefome. 
Though there be plenty of Grapes about Bajfora^ yet ihey make no Wine not 
wine prohi- Brandy there, both being forbidden, under fevere penalties. The Bajha hath fuf- 
bited at Baf- ç^^^^ jj^g Carmelites now and then to make fome, but they paid a round fum of mo- 
ny for the permiffionj and that was the reafon why they made no more, but have 
it brought from 5c^/w for faying of Mafs, and entertaining the FM«J^that Lodge 
with them when they pafs that way. Heretofore the Bajha had a defign to build 
the Town within the Precinâ of the Caftle, which is upon the River at the end of 
the Canal i but he was taken off that, for fear the Englilh and Dutch might batter 
it down with great Guns upon the jeaft difpleafure they met with j it would cer- 
tainly have flood better in that place, not only for profpeét, and the benefit of the 
Pviver-water > but alfo becaufe the Ships Anchor clofe by. 
Bumps and There is a Diftemper at Bajfora, very common in the months of July, Auguft, and 
Tumours, a September^ and that is a breaking out of certain hard Bumps, or Tumours in the 
hrT ^ Groin, Thighs, Neck, and many other parts of the Body ■■, which being cured in 
one part, break out many times in another, for my part, confidering the way how 
(I was told J that Difeafe feizes people, I thought it might be a kind of Plague i 
however they allured me that commonly no body died of it, and yet mort have it, 
which (they fay) is only caufed by the abundance of Dates they eat in this Town, 
efpecially the poor. A month before 1 came to Bajfora a Gree\ Captain died at the 
Carmelites o( a Botch or Bump, which after it was cured in his Thigh, (where firft 
it broke out,) broke out again in his Throat, where it grew fo big inwards that at 
length it choaked him. 
The Air dan- When the great heats are over, (which is commonly about the end o( September i) 
gerous when one murt Cloath himfclf very warm i for the Air then is dangerous, and many are 
over'^*^*^* ^^'^ ^° ^^^^ ^^^^^ Mouth all awry, occafioned by fleeping abroad in the Air 
during that time : from the end of O^iober until January, it is very cold in the 
Nights and Mornings, but lafts no longer than till the Sun be two or three hours 
high. 
Weights of j The weights of Bajfora , are the Patman , which contains twelve Mans ^f 
Pafml' 'kauris i the Aatari, which is the third part of the Patman, or four Mans of 
Aatari' Tauris i and the Kelle otherwife called Mek^s, which contains eight and forty 
or Mii^- Oques. 
k"' The moft efteemed mony at Bajfora, is the Venetian Chequin, which is worth 
Mony of ^Baf- f^ygn AbaJJis and a half, but it is rare, and is brought up at that rate by thofe who 
^"^"^ would Travel into the Indies, or fend mony thither j they are alfo defirous of the 
Piafires or Ryals, both old and new i the old are worth three Abafjis and a half \ 
\ and the new three Abafjis. The Ptafire Aboquelle is alfo fcarce, and is worth fifteen 
Schais of Bajfora : the moft current mony is the Perfian piece of five Schais, which 
is worth five Schais and a half of Bajfora mony : thefc Schais are little pieces of 
Silver very thin, which arc coined by the Bajha of Bajfora i who Coins alfo pieces 
MangoHTs.- of ivio Schais, and half Schais, all of Silvery he likewife Coins Mangours, which 
are Copper-pieces, of which thirty make a Schai^ and fix of i\\dQ' Mangours make 
zPara, five of whichgoestoa^e^^ii they have alfo Copper-pieces that are worth 
three Mangours. 
Bacilli of Baf. Having treated of xhz C\\.^ oï Bajfora, I muft fay fomewhat of its B<î/&j, who is 
fof'^' not changed every three years, (as the reft of 7urky are,) but is in a manner Heredi- 
tary s each Bajha in his own life-time eafily procuring the FLCverfion for his Son by 
means of good Prefents. He at prefent is the fourth of his Family ; and four 
years agoe the Grand Signior fent him by a Capgi the Reverlion for his Son; He 
pays yearly about a thoufand Piafires of Tribute to the Port » and a great deal be- 
tides, which is laid out in Prefents for the Sultanas and chief Eunuchs, and other 
great Men of the Serraglio, where he is obliged to keep a clofe Correfpondence, be- 
caufe it is only by means of Prefents that he fits fure. Neverthelefs feeing he 
obeys the Gtntnd Signior no farther than he thinks fit, Orders are many times fent 
from the Port, to the Ba(ha of Bagdad, to joyn with other Bajhas^ and turn him out. 
When that happens, being fenfible of his own inability to make War againft them 
he buys his Peace. That which makes this Bajha, diftruft his own Force, is be- 
caufe his Soldiers are all either Tiwr^/ or Fugitives from Alefpa ^nd Bagdad^ who 
only 
