Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/31

what they preserve in Cisterns when it rains. In the middle of the Mountain is a fair Spring, and round about it are several Chambers cut out of the Rock, where the Dervichs make their abode. There are but two Inns, and those very bad ones, in Amasia. But the Soil is good, and bears the best Wine and Fruits in all Natolia.

Ainabachar, is the name of an Inn, distant a quarter of a League from a great Town where they fetch their Provisions.

Turcall is a great Town near to a Mountain, upon which there stands a Castle. The River that comes from Tocatt washes the Houses, and we caught excellent Fish in it. In that place is another of the fairest Inns upon the Road.

From Turcall you may travel in one day to Tocatt, where the Road from Smyrna to Ispahan meets.

Tocat is a good fair City built at the foot of a very high Mountain, spreading it self round about a great Rock that stands almost in the midst of the Town, upon the top whereof a high Castle commands the neighbouring parts, with a good Garrison in it. It is very ancient, and the remainder of three others that stood there in former times. The City is very well inhabited with Turks, who are the Lord Controllers, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews. The Streets are very narrow, but the Houses are indifferent well built, and among several Mosquees, there is one very magnificent, which seems to be newly rear'd. There was also a very fair Inn going up, which when I last travell'd that way, was not quite finish'd. There is one thing more particular and more commodious at Tocat, which is not to be found in any Inns upon the Road, That round about all the Caravansera's in the Town, there are Lodgings which they let out to Merchants, that desire to be by themselves out of the noise and hurry of the Caravans, whiles they stay at Tocat. Besides that, in those private Lodgings you have your liberty to drink Wine, and provide for the rest of your Journey; which is not so easily done in the publick Inns, where the Turks will have an eye upon the Merchants, to draw Money out of their pockets. The Christians have twelve Churches at Tocat, and there resides an Archbishop, that has under him seven Suffragans. There are also two Monasteries for Men, and two for Women and for fourteen or fifteen Leagues round Tocat, the Country is all inhabited by Armenian Christians, but very few Greeks being intermix'd among them. The greatest part of these Christians are Tradesmen, and for the most part Smiths. A fair River runs about half a quarter of a League from the City, which rises near to Erzerom, and is cross'd at Tocat over a very beautiful stone Bridge. Upon the North-side of the City, it waters a Plain three or four days Journey in extent, and two or three Leagues broad. It is very fertil, and replenish'd with fair Villages very well peopl'd. A man may live very cheap at Tocat: the Wine is most excellent, and all sort of rare Fruit very plentiful. It is the only place in all Asia where plenty of Saffron grows, which is the best Commodity you can carry to the Indies, where a Pound, as the Years fall out, is worth thirteen or fourteen ^[1]Franks, though the Wax that preserves it, be as much in weight as the Saffron. This City, with the Lands belonging to it, usually is the Dowager Sultanesses Joynture. There is only an Aga and a Cady, that command there in the behalf of the Grand Signor: for the Basha, from whom they receive their Orders, lives at Sivas, which is the ancient Sebastia, and a very great City, some three days journey from Tocat. In short, Tocat is one of the most remarkable Thoroughfares in the East, where are continually lodg'd the Caravans from Persia, Diarbequer, Bagdat, Constantinople, Smyrna, Synopus, and other places; and here the Caravans turn off, as they are variously bound. They that are for Constantinople, take to the Winter West upon the right hand; they that are for Smyrna, incline to the Summer West, upon the left hand. When you set out either way out of Tocat, there is a Toll-gatherer, that counts all the Camels and Horses that pass by, and exacts for every Camel a quarter of a Rixdollar, and for every Horse half as much. As for the Horses or Camels that carry the Passengers or their Provisions, they pay nothing. This continual concourse of the Caravans trolls the Money about at Tocat, and makes it one of the most considerable Cities of Turkie.

Setting out of Tocat to go to Erzerom, you discover a little Village so situated under a Hill, as if the Mountain lay a top of it; and between that Mountain and the River, the Road is very narrow where the Caravan is to pass. In this Road it

was,