Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/142

From Aleppo to Bir or Beri, where you must cross Euphrates, days 4

From Bir to Ourfa, days 2

From Ourfa to Diarbequir, days 6

From Diarbequir to Geziré, days 4

Geziré is a little City of Mesopotamia, built upon an Island in the River Tigris; which is there to be cross'd over a fair Bridge of Boats. Here the Merchants meet to buy Gall-nuts and Tobacco. The City is under the Jurisdiction of a Bey.

Having past the Tigris, all the Country between that and Tauris is almost equally divided between Hills and Plains; the Hills are cover'd with Oaks that bear Galls, and some Acorns withal. The Plains are planted with Tobacco, which is transported into Turkie, for which they have a very great Trade. One would think the Country were poor, seeing nothing but Galls and Tobacco; but there is no Country in the World where there is more Gold or Silver laid out, and where they are more nice in taking Money that is in the least defective either in weight or goodness of Metal. For Galls being a general Commodity for Dying, and no where to be found so good as there, bring a vast Trade to the Country; wherein there are no Villages, yet it is over-spread with Houses a Musquet-shot one from another; and every Inhabitant has his quarter of his Vineyard by himself, where they dry their Grapes: for they make no Wine.

From Geziré to Amadié, days 2

Amadié is a good City, to which the Natives of a great part of Assyria bring their Tobacco, and Gall-nuts. It is seated upon a high Mountain, to the top whereof you cannot get in less than an hour. Toward the middle of the Rock three or four large Springs fall down from the Cliffs, where the Inhabitants are forc'd to water their Cattel and fill their Borachio's every morning, there being no Water in the City. It is of an indifferent bigness, and in the middle is a large Piazza, where all sorts of Merchants keep their Shops. It is under the Command of a Bey that is able to raise eight or ten thousand Horse, and more Foot than any other of the Beys, by reason his Country is so populous.

From Amadié to Giousmark, days 4

From Giousmark to Alback, days 3

From Alback to Salmastre, days 3

Salmastre is a pleasant City upon the Frontiers of the Assyrians and Medes, and the first on that side in the Territories of the Persian King. The Caravan never lyes there, because it would be above a League out of the way: but when the Caravan is lodg'd, two or three of the principal Merchants with the Caravan-Bashi according to custom go to wait upon the Kan. The Kan is so glad that the Caravan takes that Road, that he presents the Caravan-Bashi and those that go with him, with the Garment of Honour, or the Calaat, the Bonnet, and Girdle; which is the greatest Honour that the King or his Governour can do to Strangers.

From Salamastre to Tauris, days 4

In all thirty-two days journey this way from Aleppo to Tauris. But though this be the shortest cut, and where they pay least Customs, yet the Merchants dare hardly venture for fear of being ill us'd by the Beys.

Teren, whose Capital City the Persians call Cherijar, is a Province between Mazandran and the ancient Region of the Persians known at this day by the name of Hierac, to the South-East of Ispahan. 'Tis one of the most temperate Countries, that has nothing in it of the contagious Air of Guilan, where the King goes for the purity of the Air, and for his sport of Hunting; besides, that it produceth excellent Fruits in many places. The Capital City whereof, which some call by the name of the Province, is of a moderate compass, but there is nothing worthy observation in it: only a League from it are to be seen the Ruines of a great City, whichhad