Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/91

I must confess, that in the year 1638 I saw a great part of the Grand Signor's Army, and several Boats full of Warlike Provisions fall down the Stream, when he went to besiege it: but then they were forc'd to take away all the Mills that are upon the River; which was not done without a vast trouble and expence. As for Tigris, it is not navigable 'till beyond Babylon down to Balsara, where you may take Water, and be at Balsara in nine days. But the Voyage is very inconvenient, for at every Town which the Arabs have upon the River, you must be hal'd, and be forc'd to leave some Money behind you. Sometimes indeed the Merchants of Moussul and Bagdat, and others that come out of Chaldea to Trade at Balsara, carry their Goods by Water from Bagdat; but in regard the Boats are only to be tow'd by Men, it takes them up a Voyage of seventy days. By this you may judge of the time and expence of carrying Goods by Water up the River Euphrates to Bir, where they are to be unlad'n for Aleppo.

In short, if the convenience of Morat-sou (for so the Turks call Euphrates) were to be had, and that Goods might be transported by that River, the Merchants would never take that way: for the Arabian Princes, with their People and their Cattel, lying all the Summer long upon the Banks of the River, for the sake of the Water and the Grass, would make the Merchants pay what Toll they pleas'd themselves.

I saw an Example of this, coming one time from Babylon to Aleppo. In all which Road we met but with one of those Arabian Princes, who lay at Anna: yet he made us pay for every Camel's Load forty Piasters. And which was worse, he detain'd us above five Weeks, to the end his Subjects might get more of our Money by selling us their Provisions. The last time I pass'd the Desert, I met another of these Arabian Princes together with his Brother, both young Men: He would not let us go a step farther, unless we would exchange two hundred Piasters in specie for Larins, the Money of the Country, and he forc'd us to take them, what-ever we could urge to make it appear how much we should lose by them. And indeed we said as much as we could, for the dispute lasted two and twenty days to no purpose; might overcoming right. By this you may guess what the other Arabians would do, who are not a jot more civil; and whether the Merchants would get by taking the Road of Euphrates.

The City is govern'd by a Basha, who commands all the Country from Alexandretta to Euphrates. His Guard usually consists of three hundred Men, and some years ago he was made a Vizier. There is also an Aga or Captain of the Cavalry, as well within the City as without, who commands four hundred Men. There is another Aga who has under him seven hundred Janizaries, who has the charge of the Gates of the City, to whom the Keys are carry'd every Evening, neither has he any dependance upon the Basha. The Castle is also under another Commander, sent immediately from Constantinople, who has under him two hundred Musketeers, and likewise the charge of the Cannon; of which there are about thirty Pieces; eight great Guns, the rest of a small size. There is also another Aga or Captain of the City, who commands three hundred Harquebuzes; beside a Sou-Bashi, who is a kind of Provost of the Merchants, or Captain of the Watch, going the round every Night with his Officers through the City and Suburbs. He also puts in Execution the Sentences of the Basha, upon Criminal Offenders.

In Civils there is a Cadi, who sits sole Judge, without any Assistants, of all Causes as well Civil as Criminal; and when he has condemn'd any Man to Death, he sends him to the Basha, together with his Accusation, with whom the Basha does as he pleases. This Cady makes and dissolves all Contracts of Marriage; all Acts of Sale and Purchase pass in his presence. He also creates the sworn Matters of every Trade, who make their inspection that there may be no deceit in the Work. The Grand Signor's Duties are receiv'd by a Tefterdar, or Treasurer-General, who has under him several Receivers in divers places.

In matters of Religion, the Mufti is the Chief, and the Interpreter of the Law, as well in relation to the Ceremonies, as in all Ecclesiastical differences. Among these Interpreters of the Law there is a Chieke or Doctor, appointed to instruct those that are newly converted to Mahumetanism, and to teach them the Maxims and Customs of their Religion.

Three days after I arriv'd at Aleppo, Sultan Amurat made his Entry, going tohis