Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/49
From this Bridge to Zulfa is but one days journey; which Town being altogether ruin'd, shews the reason wherefore the Caravan lodges upon the Bank of the River five hundred Paces on this side.
Zulfa, the ancient Habitation of the Armenians which Sha-Abas carried into Persia, is a Town squeez'd between two Mountains, through which the Aras runs, leaving but little Land on either side. It carries no Boats till about two Leagues below, (for upward it will hardly bear a piece of Timber) and in regard the Country grows low and extends it self into Plains, there is no fear of Rocks, the course of the Stream being very quiet. There was a fair Stone-Bridge, which Sha-Abas caus'd to be broken down; when he wholly destroy'd the Town, that it might be no harbour for the Turks. Neither by the Ruines, nor by its Situation, doth it appear to have been a City of any ancient Beauty; the Stones were clapt unskilfully together without Morter, so that the Houses were more like Caves than Houses. The North-West side was most inhabited, there being nothing on the other side worth taking notice of. The Lands about Zulfa being very fertil, there are certain Armenian Families return'd, who live very quietly. Cogia Nazar, one of the chief Armenians that went out of Zulfa, growing rich by Trade, and being in great reputation with Sha-Abas, and Sha-Sefi his Successor, who made him Kelonter, or Chief Judge of the Armenian Nation, built two great Inns, for the Honour of his Country, in Zulfa, upon each side of the River one. He spent above an hundred thousand Crowns, but dying left two remarkable Pieces of Work unfinish'd.
Half a League on this side Zulfa, before you cross a Torrent that falls into Aras, you may take your choice of two ways to go to Tauris. The one upon the right hand, leading to the South-East, which is the ordinary Road; the other upon the left hand, toward the North-East, which we took eight or ten in company together on horseback, the last time I went to Ispahan. We left the Caravan, that takes the great Road, and never goes the other way, because it is full of Rocks and Stones that spoil the hoofs of the Camels. However I was willing to see a new Country, which I shall describe before I come to the great Road.
From the Torrent where we left the Caravan, we went forward, and lay at a Village not above a League and a half off.
The next day, after we had kept along by the Banks of the Aras for five or six Hours, we came to Astabat, which lyes a League from the River, where we staid above two Days to divert our selves. This is but a little City, but a very neat one where there are four Inns, and every House has its Fountain. The great plenty of Water makes the City very fruitful in all things; more especially in good Wine. This is the only Country in the World that produces the Ronas, for which there is a vast utterance all over Persia and India. The Ronas is a Root that grows in the Earth like Liquorice, and is not much bigger. The use of it is to dye Red, and this is that Red which gives that beautiful tincture to all the Calicuts that come out of the Mogul's Country. Though the Roots which are pull'd out of the Earth are very long, yet they cut them into pieces not above as long as a Man's Hand, for the better accommodation of Carriage. It is a wonderful thing to behold at Ormus whole Caravans laden with this Ronas, which they Ship off from thence to the Indies.
The Root is full of Juyce, and yields a very high Tincture; for I remember that an Indian Vessel that was laden with it, being cast away in the Road of Ormus, where the Bags of Ronas floated, the Sea look'd of a red colour for several days.
Departing from Astabat, it behov'd us to provide our selves with Straw and Barley for our Horses, understanding that we should meet with none all that days journey. From thence we travell'd upon a descent for an hour together to the River Aras, which we cross'd in a Boat, and all the rest of the day we travel'd through Mountains, over Torrents and Stones. That Evening we lay upon the Bank of a small Stream.
The day following, after we had travel'd through a spacious Valley for two or three hours, we ascended a high Mountain, at the top whereof we met with two or three pitiful Houses, where we stopt that day.
The next, which was the fifth after, we left the Caravan, we travel'd upon adescent