Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/105
the Goods, as those upon which the Men ride; so soon as the Herds-men thereabout see a Caravan coming, they flock to the River-side. Those people that wear nothing but a course piece of Linnen or a Goat-skin to cover their nakedness, take off their Cloaths and wind them about their Heads, like a Turbant. Then every one tyes a Goat-skin blow'd up under his Stomach; and then two or three of the most expert mounting the same number of the best Horses, which are bridl'd, put themselves first into the Water, while others follow them swimming, and drive the Horses before them; holding the Beast by the Tayl with one Hand, and switching him with the other. If they find any Horse or Ass that is too weak, they tye a Goat-skin under his Belly to help him. Considering which difficulties, it cannot take up less time than I have mentioned to get over a Caravan of five or six hundred Horses.
The Caravan being thus got over, for two or three days has but a very bad Road. The first days journey, the Horses were continually in the Water up to the mid-leg and the second, and part of the third we travel'd through a very desert Country, where we met with very little food for our Horses, and only a few Brakes to boyl our Rice. Having got over this bad way, we came to a River call'd the great Zarbe, over which we pass'd upon a Stone-Bridge of nine Arches. They report that this Bridge was built by Alexander the Great, in his March against Darius. A quarter of a League to the South-East, two Rivers meet, which empty themselves into Tigris. Leaving the Bridge, we came to a Town call'd Sherazoul, built upon a rising Ground, upon three Redoubts. There resides a Basha, who must be brib'd with a small Present to let the Caravan pass; we lay by the Banks of a River, and staid there two days. From thence we travel'd one days journey over dry Mountains, not finding any Water. But the next day we came into a pleasant Plain, stor'd with Fruit-trees. This was the Plain of Arbele, where Alexander defeated Darius; containing about fifteen Leagues in all. It is water'd with several Rivulets, and in the middle of the Mountain rises a little Hill about half a League in circuit. It is all over cover'd with the fairest Oaks that ever were seen; and on the top are the Ruines of a Castle, that seems to have been a sumptuous Structure. The Country-people say that Darius staid there while his Captains gave Battel to Alexander. Three Leagues from thence, near a great Mountain toward the North, are to be seen the Ruines of another Castle and several Houses, where they add, that Darius secur'd some of his Wives when he lost the Battel. This Castle is seated in a most lovely Prospect. At the foot of the Mountain rises a Spring, which a quarter of a League off swells into a River that bears good big Boats. It runs winding about the Mountains to the Southward; so that two days journey from the Hill, you cross it near a Town call'd Sherazoul, over a fair Stone-Bridge of nine Arches, whereof the Great Sha-Abas caus'd three to be brok'n down, after he had tak'n Bagdat.
This City of Sherazoul is built after another manner than any other of the Cities in those parts, being all cut out of a steep Rock for a quarter of a League together; so that you must go up to the Houses by Stairs of fifteen, or twenty steps, sometimes more, sometimes less, according to the situation of the place. The people have no other Doors to their Houses than only a thin round Stone, like a Mill-stone, which they will roll away when they go in or out, the sides of the Wall being so cut as to receive the Stone like a Case, being level with the Rock.
The tops of their Houses are like Niches in the Mountain, where the Inhabitants have contriv'd Caves to keep their Cattel in: So that we judg'd it to be built for a place of safety to secure the Inhabitants from the Incursions of the Arabians and Bedouins of Mesopotamia.
We came to Sherazoul upon Easter-Eve, and staid there three days to refresh our selves, after a Lent which we had kept very sparingly. Here I found certain Springs that rose up in large Bubbles, which after I had mix'd with two Glasses of Wine and drank up, I found to have a Purgative quality, having a kind of Mineral tast. These Springs boyl up near the side of a River call'd Altun-sou, or, The River of Gold, that falls into the River Tigris, three days journey on this side Bagdat.
The next day we lay at a pitiful Town, upon the Frontiers of Turkie and Persia.
The next day, being the fifth after we set out from Niniveh, we pass'd overseveral