Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/100

three or four hundred paces distant from the City toward the North. When the Inn is full, the rest retire into the Grotto's which are near at hand, and are very good quarters. Here the Toll-gatherer presently comes and counts the Bales without op'ning them. They that carry any Sacks must pay for half a Load; if not, he op'ns the Sack to see if there be any Merchandise therein, for then the Merchant must pay the whole duty.

Ourfa is the Capital City of Mesopotamia, built as they say, in the same place where Abraham liv'd, and where stood the ancient Edessa, where the people of the Country report, that King Abagarus generally kept his Court. There are still to be seen the ruines of a Castle; from whence they add, that the same King sent to Christ for his Picture, and offer'd him his Kingdom and his people to defend him against the Jews, whom he understood to be his Enemies. The Chronicles of the Armenians report, that Abagarus was their Country-man, and that in his Reign they began to be Christians, and to be Baptiz'd by the hands of an Apostle, whom Christ sent to that Prince after his Resurrection. Neither is this Castle yet so far ruin'd, but that there is still to be seen a spacious Hall, and three or four handsom Rooms with some relicks of Mosaick work. I was curious to see what ever was remarkable in this City. And first they led me to a large Fountain which resembles a Fish-pond, the Spring whereof is under the Foundations of the principal Mosquèe, which was built in the honour of Abraham. The Christians of the Country say, that it was in that place where he pray'd, before he went about to Sacrifice his Son Isaac, and that two Springs of Water arose from the two places where he rested his knees, which now feed the large Fountain I have made mention of. It is pav'd with Free-stone, and so full of fish, that if you throw them in a little Bread, they will follow you from place to place as you walk by the side of the Pond. There is no medling with them; for the Turks have a great veneration for those Fish which they call Abraham's Fish. Besides that, the place about the Fountain where the water wid'ns it self to water all the City, is cover'd with very fair Carpets, for about twenty paces in bredth. This Fountain at length falls into a little River that runs by the Walls. As for the Grotto where the two Springs rise, there is no going into it before you have pull'd off your Shooes, and it is a great favour for a Christian to see it; such a favour as cost me six Piasters. I also saw the Church, under the portal whereof, they say, St. Alexis liv'd seventeen years a private life. It stands in the middle of a Church-yard, in the highest part of the Town, in the possession of the Armenians. But their principal Church is about a quarter of an hours walking from the City, built by St. Ephren, who is there buried. The Monastery stands yet entire, enclos'd with fair Walls. In the Church I saw a large Bible in Armenian Characters. The Sepulchre of St. Ephren is in a Cave at the foot of the Mountain, to which there also belongs a Chappel, where they keep three or four Lamps continually burning. There are other Grotto's up and down the Mountain, where are to be seen very ancient Sepulchers of the Christians. The City of Ourfa is seated in a good soil, very well manur'd, which extends it self out of sight toward the East. There are several pleasant Gardens near the walls, water'd by little Channels brought thither by Art. The soil produces good Wine, so that a man may live as well at Ourfa, as in any part of Turkie. While I stay'd there, I kill'd abundance of Feldfares in those Gardens; and indeed there is great store of wild Fowl all the Country over. The Walls of the City are of Freestone, with Battlements and Towers; but within, the houses are small, ill built, and ruinous: And there are several void spaces in the City, which makes Ourfa to look rather like a Desert than a Metropolis. The City is Govern'd by a Basha, who has under him a hundred and fifty Janizaries, and six hundred Spahi's, standing more in need of Cavalry than Infantry, by reason of the Incursions of the Arabians, especially in Harvest time. In short, Ourfa is the place were they dress such great quantities of Cordovan Skins, by reason of the waters particular to the Country, which give them that peculiar beauty. The Yellow Skins are drest at Ourfa, the Blew at Tocat, and the red Rat Diarbequir.

The twentieth of March, we set out of Ourfa, and after a Journey of six hours, we lay at a pittiful Village where the Inn was fal'n all to decay. There is a Fountain of excellent water by it, which is all the convenience of the place, for there is no Provision to be had.

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