598 The VOYAGES and TRJFELS Book I. 
hath Faith , as the Grain of Muflard-feed [hall he able to 
remove Mountains. He fummoned all the Chriftians , Ne* 
jioriansj and Jacobites y and propounded to them in ten 
Days to remove a certain Mountain, or turn Mohammedans ? 
or be ftain, as not having one Man amongft them which 
had the lead Faith. They therefore continued eight Days in 
Prayer ; after which a certain Shoemaker, in confequence 
of a Revelation made to a certain Bifhop, was fixed upon 
to perform it. This Shoemaker once tempted to Luft by 
Sight of a young Woman, in putting on her Shoe, zea- 
loufly had fulfilled that of the Gofpel, and literally had put 
out his right Eye. He now on the Day appointed with 
other Chriftians followed the Crofs, and lifting his Hands 
to Heaven prayed to God to have Merdy on his People, 
and then with a loud Voice commanded the Mountain in 
the Name of the Holy Trinity to remove, which prefently, 
with great Terror to theKhaliff and all his People, was ef- 
fected, and that Day is fince kept holy by failing alfo on 
the Evening before it. 
8. Tauris is a great City in the Province of Hir canid , 
and is. a moil populous Place. The Inhabitants live by the 
Exercife of Arts and Merchandize, they make Stuffs of 
Gold and Silk ; foreign Merchants refid ing there make very 
great Gain, but the Inhabitants are generally poor. They 
are a mixed People of Nefiorians , Armenians , Jacobites , 
Georgians , Perfians , and Mohammedans : Thefe laft are 
perfidious and treacherous, thinking all well gotten which 
they fteal from Men of other Religions ; and this Wicked- 
nefs of the Saracens had converted many Tartars thereto. 
If the Chriftians kill them in their Robbery, they are re- 
puted Martyrs. From Tauris into Perfia are twelve Days 
Journey. In the Confines is the Monaftery of Saint Ba~ 
rafam., the Monks whereof are like Carmelites j they make 
Girdles which they lay on the Altar, and give to their 
Friends, who devoutly efteem them. Perfia contained! 
eight Kingdoms, whereof' the firft is called Crfi :n. the 
fecond Curdiftan , the third Lory the fourth Snfifitan , the 
fifth Spahan, the fixth Shir as , the feventh Soncara , the 
eighth Timochaim , which is near Arborefieceo towards the 
North. They have fine Hones here, whence they are fold 
into India *, there are alfo very excellent Affes fold dearer 
than the Horfes, becaufe they eat little, carry much, and 
travel far. They have Camels, but not fo fwift. Thefe 
are necefiary in thofe Countries, which fometimes for along 
way yield no Grafs d . 
The People in thofe Countries are very wicked, covet- 
ous, Thieves and Murderers, profeffing the Faith of Mo- 
hammed. Merchants are every where (lain by thofe Thieves, 
unlefs they travel in Caravans. There are excellent Arti- 
ficers in the Cities, who make wonderful things in Gold, 
Silk, and Embroidery. The Countries abound with Silk- 
worms, Wheat, Barley, Millet, and other kinds of Corn, 
and Plenty of Wine and Fruits i and though their Law 
forbid Wine, yet they have a Glols to corrett or corrupt 
the Text, that if they boil it, then it changeth the Tafte, 
and therefore the Name alfo of Wine, and may be drank. 
lafdi is a great City in the Confines of Perfia , where there 
is great Trade •, it hath alfo many Manufactures in Silk. 
Chiaman is a Kingdom in the Confines of Perfia , to the 
Baft, fubjed to the Tartars . In Veins of the Mountains 
Stones ate found commonly called Turquoifes and other 
Jewels. There alfo are made all forts of Arms and Am- 
munition tor W 7 ar, and by the Women excellent Needle- 
works in Silks, with all forts of Creatures very admirably 
wrought therein. There are the belt Falcons in the World, 
very fwift of Flight, red breafted, and under the Train lefs 
than thofe of other Countries. Proceeding further, you go 
through a great Plain, and having ended eight Days Jour- 
ney, you come to a certain Defcent. In the Plain are many 
Cattles and Towns, but in that fteep Defcent are many 
Trees, and thofe fruitful, but no Habitation, except a few 
Shepherds. This Country in Winter Time is intolerable 
cold. After this you come into a large open Plain, where 
a certain City is feated which is called Camandu , heretofore 
large and populous, but now deftroyed by the Tartars , and 
the Country is called Reobarle. There grow Pomegranates, 
Quinces, Peaches, and other Fruits, which grow not in 
our Cold Countries. It hath alfo very great Oxen, and all 
white, thin haired, with thick, ftiort, blunt Horns, with 
a CameFs Bunch on the Back, accuftomed to bear great 
Burthens, and when the Pack-Saddles are fet upon the 
Bunch, they bow the Knee like Camels, and having re- 
ceived the Burthen, rife again, being fo taught. The Sheep 
of that Country are as big as Affes, having fo long and 
broad Tales, that they weigh thirty Pounds Weight. They 
are very fair, and fat, and good Meat. 
Moreover, in the Plain of this Country are many Cities 
and Towns, with high Walls of Earth to defend them from 
the Caraons , that is, Meftizos , that is, a mixed fort of 
People between Indian Women and Tartars , Ten thou- 
fand of which are commanded by one Nugodar the Nephew 
of Zagathai y who formerly ruled in Turkefian. This Nu - 
godaTj hearing of the Malabars iufcject to Seldom Afiden , 
without his Uncle’s Knowledge, went and tQoffZV/y with 
other Cities, and erected a new Seigniory, and mixing with 
the Indian Women, raifed thefe Caraons , which go up and 
down to rob and fpoil in Roobarky and other Countries. 
The Plain whereof I now fpeak is five Days Journey, ex- 
tended towards the South but at the End thereof the 
Way beginneth by little arid little to defeend for twenty 
Miles together, and the Road itfelf is very bad, and not 
without Danger, by reafon of Thieves. ~At length you 
come to very good Plains, which extend themfelves two 
Days journey in Length, and the Place itfelf is called 
Ormus . 
That Country abounds with Rivers and Palm-Trees ; 
there is alfo Plenty of divers Fowls, efpecially Poppin- 
jays, which are not like ours. From hence you come 
unto the Ocean, wherein an Iftand is feated called OrmiiSy to 
which mafiy Merchants refort, bringing Spices, Pearls, pre- 
cious Stones, Cloth of Gold and Silver, Elephants Teeth, 
and all other precious Things from India. That City is a 
great Mart, having Cities and Cattles tinder it, and is 
Head of the Kingdom of Chermain. The King is called 
Ruchined Ben Achomachy who yields Obedience to the King 
of Chermain. He makes himfelf Heir, if any Merchant 
dies there. In Summer, by the reafon of the Heat, they 
betake themfelves to their Summer-Houfes, built in the 
Waters •, and from Nine till Noon, there blows a Wind 
with fuch extream Heat from the Sands, that it fvvallowa 
a Man’s Breath, and ftifleth him, which makes them lie 
in the Water. The King of Chermain fent an Army of 
fixteen hundred Horfe, and five thoufand Foot, againft 
the Lord of Ormus , for not paying his Tribute, which; 
were all furprized, and ftified with that Wind. The In- 
habitants of the Place eat no Bread made of Com, or 
Flefh, but feed upon Dates, fait Fifti and Onions. They 
have not very ftout Ships, for they do not fatten them 
with iron Nails, by reafon the Wood is brittle, and would 
cleave ; but with wooden Pins, with certain Shells made 
of the Threads of Indian Nuts. Thele Shells are dreffed : 
after the Manner of Leather, out of which Threads are 
cut, of Much Threads exceeding ftrong Cords are made, 
which are able to endure the Force and Violence of the j 
Waters, and are not eafily corrupted thereby. Thofe 
Ships have one Maft, one Sail, one Beam, and are co- • 
vered but with one Deck. They are not calked with t 
Pitch, but with the Oil and Fat of Fifties, and when they f 
crofs the Sea to India , carrying Horfes and other Freight & 
with them, they lofe many Ships, becaufe that Sea is ve- J 
ry tempeftuous, and the Ships are not ftrengthened with . 
Iron 6 . The Inhabitants of that Country are black, and f 
have embraced the Law o f Mohammed. It is the Cuftom 
of this Country, when any Matter of a Family dies, that j . 
the Wife left behind him, fhould mourn for him four:. 
Years, once a Day. They have Women which proftfs . 
the Practice of Mourning, and are therefore hired to 1 
mourn daily for their Dead. Returning from Ormus tori 
d In the feveral Copies of this Work, there are great Variations in the Names of thefe eight Parts, into which the Kingdom of Perfia is divided > 
ljut as it is very apparent that they are Corruptions only of the Cities, and Provinces of that Kingdom, it is not necelfary to trouble the Reader with : 
along Explanation of them. , 
e it is evident from this Account, that cmr Author extends the Name of Ormus to the Coaft oppefite to the I .hand fo called, ar.d as to tne other: 
Country he fpeaks oh it is plainly the Province of Kherman , 
f'hevsn/J'it! A 
