Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/138
when you do not pass through the City, which amounts to four Piasters for every Horse-load.
From Milesara you come to the River Arzlan-chaye, or, the Lion River, by reason of the rapidity of the Stream which falls into Euphrates.
From Arzlan-chaye you go to Seuerak. This is a City, water'd by a River, that also falls into Euphrates. It is environ'd with a great Plain to the North, the West, and South. The way which the Horses, Mules, and Camels keep is cut through the Rock like a Channel, two Foot deep, where you must also pay half a Piaster for every Horse-load.
From Seuerak you come to Bogazi, where there are two Wells, but not a House near; and where the Caravan usually lodges.
From Bogazi you come to Deguirman-Bogazi, and from Deguirman-Bogazi to Mirzatapa, where there is only an Inn.
From Mirzatapa you come to Diarbequir, which the Turks call Car-emu.
Diarbequir is a City situated upon a rising ground, on the right side of Tigris, which in that place forms a Half-moon; the descent from the Walls to the River being very steep. It is encompass'd with a double Wall; the outward Wall being strengthned with sixty-two Towers, which they report were built in Honour of the sixty two Disciples of Jesus Christ. The City has but three Gates, over one of which there is an Inscription in Greek and Latin, that makes mention of one Constantine. There are in it two or three fair Piazza's, and a magnificent Mosquee, which was formerly a Christian Church. It is surrounded with very decent Charnel-houses, near to which the Moullah's, Dervi's, Book-sellers and Stationers do live, together with all those other people that concern the Law. About a League from the City there is a Channel cut out of Tigris, that brings the Water to the City: And in this Water are all the red Marroquins wash'd that are made at Diarbequir, surpassing in colour all others in the East: which Manufacture employs a fourth part of the Inhabitants of the City. The Soil is very good, and yields according to expectation; there is excellent Bread and very good Wine, nor is there any better Provision to be had in any part of Persia: more especially, there is a sort of Pigeons which in goodness excel all the several kinds that we have in Europe. The City is very well peopl'd, and it is thought there are in it above twenty thousand Christians. The two thirds are Armenians, the rest Nestorians, with some few Jacobites. There are also some few Capuchins, that have no House of their own, but are forc'd to lodge in an Inn.
The Basha of Diarbequir is one of the Viziers of the Empire. He has but an inconsiderable Infantry, which is not much requisite in that Country, the Curds and Arabs which infest that Country being all Horse-men. But he is strong in Cavalry, being able to bring above twenty thousand Horse into the Field. A quarter of an hours riding on this side Diarbequir there is a great Town with a large Inn, where the Caravans that go and come from Persia rather choose to lye than at Diarbequir; in regard that in the City-Inns, they pay three or four Piasters for every Chamber, but in the Country-Inns there is nothing demanded.
At Diarbequir, you cross the Tigris, which is always fordable unless when the Snow and Rains have swell'd it; for then you must go a quarter of a League higher, and cross it over a great Stone-Bridge. Half a League on the other side of Tigris stands a Village, with an Inn, which is the Rendevous of the whole Caravan, and where they that first come have time enough to provide themselves for a Journey of nine or ten days, as far as Betlis. For though you may find Towns and Inns thick enough upon the Road, yet there is no good Bread to be met with.
When the Caravan proceeds, the first days journey is fourteen hours on Horse-back, and you come to lye at Shaye-batman, where you must pay a Piaster for every Horse-load.
From Chaye-batman you come to Chikaran.
From Chikaran to Azou, which you leave half a League from the great Road, where the Toll-gatherers take their Toll, which is four Piasters upon every Horse-load.
From Azou you come to Ziarat; from Ziarat to Zerque, where you pay a Duty of two Piasters for every Horse-load.
From Zerche to Cochakan.From