Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/102
in a large Volume, in the same Language, writt'n in Vellum, all the Capital Letters being in Gold and Azure. They seem'd to be very old; and one of their Priests told me, that it is 937 years ago since one of them was writt'n; the other not above 374 since. When Service is done, they put them in a Chest, and hide them under Ground. I would have giv'n 200 Piasters for the oldest, but they durst not sell it, in regard it belong'd to the Church, and was not at their disposal.
The twenty-seventh, after we had travel'd nine hours, we arriv'd at Karasara, which had been formerly a great Town, and no doubt inhabited by Christians; as appears by seven or eight Churches half ruin'd, though the Steeples are little the worse. They stand at a good distance one from the other; and upon the North-side of one of those Churches there is a Gallery, at the end whereof, through a little Door you descend about a hundred Steps, every Step being ten Inches thick. When you come under the Church, you meet with a larger and bigger Vault, supported with Pillars. The Building is so contriv'd, that there is more light below than in that above, but of late years the Earth has stop'd up several Windows. The great Altar is in the Rock; on the right side whereof is a Room, which receives the light from several Windows contriv'd in the Rock. Over the Gate of the Church was a great Free-stone, wherein were certain Letters that I could not read. On the North-side of the same Church under Ground are to be seen two great Cisterns, each four hundred and fifty Paces long; with two great Arches, sustain'd with several Pillars. Every year they fill them with the Water that falls from the next Mountain, and makes a kind of a River. A quarter of a League from the Church, you descend the Mountain for above a hundred Paces together among the Rocks, on each side whereof are Rooms cut out of the Rock. Upon every Door there is a Cross; and in every Room as it were a Bench, and a Table, with a little place about the length of a Man, like a Bedsted, all cut out of the Rock. At the bottom of the Rock is a Hall, round about the Wall whereof is a Bench to sit on. The Roof is all plain, without any Arch; in the middle whereof there is a Hole to the top of the Mountain: but in regard it gives no light, 'tis very probable 'twas only made to let out the Smoak when they drest their Meat; or else to let in the fresh Air, as I have seen in many Villages upon the Persian Gulf. Upon the highest of those Mountains stands a paltry Village, where they buy their Victuals. But before the Caravan arrives, certain Merchants ride before to inform themselves from the Herdsmen, whether they know of any Thieves in the Grotto's, that often hide themselves there in expectation of Prey.
In the year 1638, Sultan Amurat going to besiege Babylon, march'd this very way, as well to see these Ruines, as to give order for the demolishing a Fort that stood not above two Leagues off of Karasera, which the Thieves of the Country made their place of retreat. He also at the same time caus'd the Road to be clear'd for four days journey, by ord'ring the Stones to be pickt up and laid in heaps, all along the Road. He also built a Bridge over the River. And indeed, that March of the Grand Signor was very advantageous to all Travellers that pass this way.
The twenty-eighth we travel'd eight hours, and came to Nesbin, anciently Nisibis. Two or three hours travel on this side, near the Road, is a kind of Hermitage, being a small Room enclos'd with Walls, the Door whereof is so low, that a Man must creep upon his Belly to get in. Three or four Jews went and perform'd their Devotions at this Hermitage, believing it to be the place where the Prophet Elisha was buried.
The Country from Cousasar to Nesbin is a large Plain, where for the first days journey you shall see no other green Herb upon the Ground but only Pimpernel; the Roots whereof are so large, that there are some a Foot and a half in diameter. The next day, the Fields are cover'd with a large thick Leaf, the Root whereof is bulbous, and as big as an Egg. There are also great store of yellow, red, and violet Flowers, Tulips of several colours, Emonies, and single Daffadillies. But in general Mesopotamia is a very barren Country, and there are very few places that can be better'd by Art or Industry.
Nesbin is only the Shadow of the ancient Nisibis, being now only a large Village; the Inhabitants whereof are Christians, both Armenians and Nestorians. Our Caravan lodg'd a little beyond, in a Church-yard adjoyning to one of the Armenian Churches. The next day, hearing people sing, I went to the Church with the twoCapuchins,