Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/144
About a days journey beyond the Mountain you meet with a little City, whose situation, the Streams that water it, the good Fruits that grow there, and particularly the excellent Wine which it affords, render a most pleasant Mansion. The Persians believe that Alexander when he returned from Babylon dy'd in this place, what-ever others have writt'n that he dy'd at Babylon. All the rest of the Country from this City to Bagdat is a Country of Dates, where the people live in little Hutts, made of the Branches of Palm-trees.
From Bagdat to Anna you ride in four days, through a desert Country, though it lye between two Rivers.
Anna is a City of an indifferent bigness, that belongs to an Arabian Emir. For about half a League round about the Town, the Lands are very well manur'd, being full of Gardens and Country-houses. The City for its situation resembles Paris; for it is built upon both sides of the River Euphrates; and in the midst of the River is an Island, where stands a fair Mosquee.
From Anna to Mached-raba is five days riding, and from Mached-raba to Taïba, five days more.
Mached-raba is a kind of a Fortress upon the point of a Hill, at the Foot whereof springs a Fountain like a large Vase, which is very rare in the Deserts. The place is encompass'd with high Walls, defended by certain Towers, and in which are little Hutts where the Inhabitants keep their Cattel, of which there is great store, but more Mares and Horses than Cows.
Taïba is also a fortifi'd place in a level Country, or a high Bank of Earth and Brick bak'd in the Sun. Near to the Gate a Fountain springs out of the Earth, and makes a kind of a Pond. This Road is most frequented by those that travel through the Desert from Aleppo or Damas to Babylon, or from Damas to Diarbequir, by reason of this Fountain.
From Taïba to Aleppo is but three days journey; but these three days are the most dangerous of all the Road for Robbers, in regard that all the Country is inhabited only by the Bedouïns, or Arabian Shepherds, who make it their business only to plunder and steal.
Now to take the same Road from Aleppo to Ispahan, it lyes thus:
From Aleppo to Taïba, days 3
From Taïba to Mached-raba, days 5
From Mached raba to Anna, days 5
From Anna to Bagdat, days 4
From Bagdat to Bourous, days 1
From Bourous to Charaban, days 1
From Charaban to Casered, days 1
From Casered to Conaguy, days, 1
From Conaguy to Cassiscerin, days 1
From Cassiscerin to another Conaguy, days 1
From Conaguy to Erounabad, days 1
From Erounabad to Maidacht, days 1
From Maidacht to Sahana, days 1
From Sahana to Kengavar, days 1
From Kengavar to Nahoüand, days 1
From Nahoüand to Oranguie, days 1
From Oranguie to Comba, days 1
From Comba to Consar, days 1
From Consar to Ispahan, days 1
So that whether you travel from Aleppo to Ispahan, or from Ispahan to Aleppo, you may easily ride it in thirty days.
From whence I make this Observation, That a man making it but two days more from Alexandretta, and finding a Ship ready there to set Sail for Marseilles, with a fair Wind he may travel from Ispahan to Paris in two months.
Another time, having an occasion to go from Aleppo to Kengavar, and so to Bagdat; and from thence, so through the Desert; at Bagdat I met with a Spaniard that was travelling the same way, with whom I luckily met to bear half the Charges of the Guide; which as soon as we had hir'd for sixty Crowns, we set forward fromBagdat