Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/93
to keep Horses: others can only keep or hire Asses, which stand ready in the publick Streets at all times.
The next day we dislodg'd by day-break, and by noon we came to a place where there were five Wells, about five hundred Paces distant one from the other. The Water was excellent, and caus'd us to replenish our Boracho's: and about four a Clock in the Afternoon, we lay at a place where there was no Water.
The next day near noon we met with two Wells, but the Water was not good, and only the Camels drank of it; there we also lodg'd that night.
Having now travel'd two days in the Desert, I will describe it in a few words. You begin to enter upon it two or three Leagues from Aleppo, where by degrees you meet with nothing but Tents instead of Houses. It stretches out to the Winter-East, all along the Euphrates to Balsara, and the Shoar of the Gulf of Persia; and upon the South to the Chain of Mountains that divides it from Arabia Petræa and Arabia the Happy. These Deserts are almost quite thorough nothing but Plains of Sand, which in some places lye looser than in others; and are hardly passable 'till the Rains are but newly fal'n, and have knit the Sands together. 'Tis a rare thing to meet with a Hill or a Valley in these Deserts; if you do, there is as surely Water, and as many Bushes as will serve to boyl a little Rice. For throughout the whole Desert there is no Wood to be found; and all the Bavins and Charcoal that you can load upon Camels at Aleppo, will not last above eight or ten days. Therefore you must take notice, that of six hundred Camels that pass through the Desert, there are scarce fifty laden with Merchandize, which is generally course Cloth, some little Iron Ware, but chiefly black and blew Calicuts, which the Arabians make use of without ever whitening them. All the other Camels are only laden with Provision, and all little enough; so many People being to travel for so many days through so long a Tract of Ground where there is nothing in the World to sustain Life and Soul together.
For the first fifteen days travel we met with Water but once in two days, and sometimes not above once in three days. The twentieth day after we set out from Aleppo, the Caravan lay at a place where there were two Wells, and the Water very good. Every one was glad of the convenience of washing his Linnen, and the Caravan-Bashi made account to have staid there two or three days. But the News that we receiv'd, caus'd us to alter our Resolutions. For we had no sooner giv'n order to dress our Suppers, when we saw a Courier with three Arabs, all mounted upon Dromedaries, who were sent to carry the news of the Taking of Babylon to Aleppo and other Cities of the Empire. They stop'd at the Wells to let their Beasts drink; and immediately the Caravan-Bashi, and the principal persons of the Caravan made them a small Present of dry'd Fruits and Granates. Who thereupon were so kind as to tell us, that the Camels which carry'd the Baggage belonging to the Grand Signor and his Train being tyr'd, his Officers would be sure to seize upon ours, if they should chance to meet with us: they advis'd us moreover not to come near Anna, lest the Emir should stop us.
Upon this news, we departed three hours after midnight; and keeping directly to the South, we put our selves into the midst of the Desert.
Eight days after we came to lye at a place where were three Wells, and three or four Houses. We staid there two days to take fresh Water, and we were just setting forward again, when thirty Horsemen well mounted came from one of the Emirs, to tell the Caravan-Bashi that he must stop his Caravan. We staid impatiently for him three days; and at length he came, and was presented by the Caravan-Bashi with a piece of Satin, half a piece of Scarlet Cloth, and two large Copper Cauldrons. Now although those Cauldrons could not but be very acceptable to an Arabian Prince, who most certainly had none such in his Kitchin, yet he did not seem contented with his Present, and demanded above four hundred Crowns. We contested seven or eight days to have kept our Money in our Pockets, but in vain; so that we were forc'd to rate one another, and to raise him his Sum; which being paid, he treated the chief of the Caravan with Pilaw, Honey, and Dates, and when he went away, gave them five or six Sheep ready boyl'd.
Three days after we had left this Arabian Prince, we met with two Wells near certain old decay'd Brick Buildings. The Water of those Wells was so bitter, that the Camels would not drink it: however we fill'd our Boracho's, thinkingit