Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/143
had been two Leagues in Circuit. There were abundance of Towers all of burnt Brick, and Pieces of the Wall standing. There were also several Letters in the Stones which were cemented into the Walls; but neither Turks, Persians, nor Arabians could understand them. The City is round seated upon a high Hill, at the top whereof stood the Ruines of a Castle, which the Natives say was the Residence of the Kings of Persia.
CHAP. V.
The Road from Aleppo to Ispahan through the small Desert, and through Kengavar.
I will describe this Road as if I were to return from Ispahan to Aleppo. This Road lies through Kengavar, Bagdat, and Anna, where you enter into the Desert, which I call The little Desert, because you get over it in far less time than the great Desert that extends Southwards to Arabia the Happy, and where you may often find Water, all the whole Journey being not far distant from the River Euphrates. A man that is well mounted may ride this way from Ispahan to Aleppo in three and thirty days, as I have done, and perhaps in less, if the Arabian, whom you take for your guide at Bagdat, knows the shortest cut through the Wilderness.
The Horse Caravans travelling from Ispahan to Kengavar are fourteen or fifteen days upon the Road; but being well mounted ten or twelve in a Company, you may Ride it in five or six days. The Country through which you travel, is very fertile in Corn and Rice, it produces also excellent Fruits and good Wine, especially about Kengavar, which is a large Town and well peopl'd.
From Kengavar to Bagdat I was ten days upon the Road. The Country is not so fertile but very stony in some parts. And it consists in Plains and small Hills, there being not a Mountain in all the Road.
Now for a man that travels quick, the Road lies thus:
From Ispahan to Consar.
From Consar to Comba.
From Comba to Oranguié.
From Oranguié to Nahoüand.
From Nahoüand to Kengavar.
From Kengavar to Sahana.
From Sahana to Polisha, or the Bridge-Royal, being a great Stone Bridge.
From Polisha to Maidacht.
From Maidacht to Erounabad.
From Erounabad to Conaguy.
From Conaguy to Caslisciren.
From Caslisciren to Iengui-Conaguy.
From Iengui-Conaguy to Casered.
From Casered to Charaban.
From Charaban to Bourous.
From Bourous to Bagdat.
There are some, who instead of passing through Kengavar, take Amadan, one of the most considerable Cities of Persia in their way, and so from thence to Toucheré; but the way is longer; and according to the Road which I have let down, you are to leave Amadan to the North upon the right hand.
Between Sahana and Polisha you leave the only high Mountain in all the Road to the North. It is as steep and as straight as a Wall, and as high as you can see; you may observe the Figures of men clad like Priests, with Surplices and Censors in their hands, and yet neither can the Natives tell you, nor any person imagin the meaning of those Sculptures. At the foot of the Rock runs a River, over which there is a Bridge of Stone.
About