Chapter V: Front Matter (5)

Wherein is treated of his Journey from _Aleppo_ thro’ the Famous Town of _Babylonia_, to _Bagdet_; what he saw by the way, and what did befal him in going and coming by Water and by Land. With a brief Account of the high Mount of _Libanus_, of the strange Plants and Inhabitants thereof.

PART. II.

CHAP. I.

_How I departed from ~Aleppo~ to the famous city of ~Bir~, and how I sailed from thence on the ~Euphrates~ to old ~Babylon~._

After I had staid a good while in _Aleppo_, and had seen and understood the trade and merchandizes of the inhabitants, together with that of all the other nations, _viz._ _Grecians_, _Armenians_, _Georgians_, _Arabians_, _Persians_, and _Indians_, which come and go daily with their caravans, and very well observed and understood their manners and customs, and had also collected a fine parcel of foreign and undescribed plants; I resolved to go farther eastward into _Mesopotamia_, _Assyria_, _Babylonia_, &c. as the ancientest and most fruitful countries that ever were, where the ancientest people, and the most potent monarchs did inhabit. But these countries lying far off, and the way that leadeth thither, passing through vast desarts and wildernesses, and therefore the voyage being so much the more difficult and dangerous to attempt and accomplish; I first look’d out for a trusty companion, to take as my assistant, and met presently with an experienced _Dutchman_ that had lived a great while in _Aleppo_, who granted my request (being as desirous to go this voyage as myself) to go along with me. We agreed presently, and began to consider which was our best way to take. But that we being strangers, might not be taken to be vagabonds or spies (they being very suspicious) from whence they might presently take occasion (as the _Turks_ use to do) to lay great _Avarias_, or unjust taxes, upon us, which the Christians that deal to these parts have often to their great loss and damage experienced; we did consider, and found, that the trading here was very great, so that they did not only deal from hence into _Armenia_, _Egypt_ and _Constantinople_, (for from thence come the caravans thro’ _Natolia_ in about a months time) but also very much into _Persia_ and _India_: Wherefore we thought best to profess ourselves Merchants, that so we might travel the more safely with other Merchants in order thereto, to buy some merchandizes that would sell in those places, and to carry them along with us. That we might put this in execution, my formerly mentioned friend _Hans Ulrich Raft_, from _Ulm_, took great pains to furnish me at my desire and request, with several fit commodities for those places upon account of my patron Mr _Melchior Manlich_, which I got pack’d up immediately to go with them to the famous city _Bagdet_, situated upon the _Tygris_, where is a great staple and deposition of merchandizes that are to go farther for _Persia_ and _India_. But seeing that seldom any Merchants go from _Aleppo_ farther into these countries, so that our habits are very rarely seen there; we cloathed ourselves as is usual, in the common _Turkish_ habit (that every body might not presently look upon us as strangers); first, we had long blue _Cabans_, which are button’d before quite down, and cut out about the neck, not unlike to those of the _Armenians_; and white _Drawers_ made of cotton that hung down to our ankles, and were drawn in and tied about our bodies, and also shirts after the same fashion and without collars. We also fitted ourselves with white turbants with a blue brim, such as _Christians_ usually wear, and put on yellow shoes which were painted, before guarded with nails, and with horse-shoes behind. Besides this we put on a kind of a frock, made of a certain course stuff called _Meska_ in their language, which is common among the _Moors_. They are generally made of goats and asses hair, pretty narrow, without sleeves and short, reaching only to our knees. But these stuffs being not all alike, the finest thereof (chiefly that which is striped white and black) is taken for cloaths; and the coarser for tents and portmantles, wherein they carry their provision through the desarts, and also keep their camels and mules meat, hanging it about their necks. This puts me in mind of the plain cloathing which the ancient inhabitants of these countries, chiefly the _Israelites_, when they mourned for their deceased relations, or when they repented of their committed iniquities, and turned from them, and prayed God to forgive them their accumulated transgressions, used to put on, as we read in the 37th chapter of _Genesis_, where _Jacob_ lamented the death of his son _Joseph_; and in the book of the Prophet _Jonas_ of the _Ninevites_, who believing the Prophet’s words, denouncing their destruction within forty days, and repenting of their sins, put on sackcloth and prayed to God for forgiveness. The like we read of the King and Prophet _David_, after he had numbred his people. _Item_, in the 10th chapter of St _Luk_ and other places, that they put on sackcloth and did repent in ashes. It is therefore very probable that those were very like unto them that are still in use.

When we had thus accoutred ourselves for the voyage, and provided us with all necessaries, _viz._ cloths, merchandizes, provision of biskets and drink, and did stay only for some fellow-travellers, we were still doubtful whether it were more convenient for us to go by land with _caravans_, which go from hence and _Damascus_ very strong to _Bagdet_, through great sands and desarts in fifty days, more or less, according as the weather proveth: Or, whether we should go by water, either upon the _Tygris_ or the _Euphrates_, there being good opportunity to go in company with others. But it happening that we met with some _Armenian_ Merchants servants that did live at _Aleppo_, who were also provided with goods, and had a mind to go into the same countries, we did readily embrace this opportunity, partly because they understood the _Turkish_ and _Arabian_ languages, which two are chiefly spoken in _Syria_, and partly because some of them had been four times already in the _Indies_; wherefore we put our goods to theirs, and loaded a great many camels together, to deliver them to us at _Bir_, to ship them there upon the _Euphrates_. And that we might pass every where in the _Turkish_ dominions, we took a pass from the _Bashaw_ and _Cadi_, and so we began our travels to _Bir_, distant three days journey, the 13th of _August_, _Anno 1574_. By the way we were so strange to one another, that in our new fashioned cloaths we did hardly know one another among them all. After we had the first day a rough road, and travelled through many desarts and uninhabited places, we reached at night a little village, where we encamped and pitched our tents. We put all our packs in a circle round about us, and without them our beasts (as it is usual in great _caravans_) to defend us from the assaults of the _Moors_ in the night. A little after midnight we heard a great _caravan_ of many camels and asses to go by, very near to us, which after it was passed, we broke also up and followed them; when the day-light appeared, we saw several plow’d fields more than the day before, and also here and there in some pleasant places many tents of the _Arabians_, which were fixed together as it were in a camp; ranged very orderly in streets. After we had that morning travelled very hard, so that our beasts under their heavy loads began to be tired in the great heat, we rested behind a little chappel to refresh ourselves and to feed our camels; in the mean time some poor women came down from the high-lands to us to gather the dung of our camels to burn it instead of wood, whereof they were in great want. When the great heat was over, and we had staid there for two hours, we went on again, and came before it was night to a little village lying in a valley, near which upon the height, the _Arabians_ had formed a great camp; we went up to them, and pitched our tents in the plain by them, and kept as abovesaid a good watch. They came quickly to us, spoke kindly to us, and their wives brought us water and good milk; but after we saw that they were very naked and hungry, and in their shape like to our _Gypsies_, we did not trust them at all, but kept a very good watch all that night. These are vagabond people, that are used to idleness from their infancy, and will rather endure hunger, heat and cold, than get any thing by their handy-work, or till the fields, or plant garden-herbs for their maintenance, although they might do it in several fruitful places in their own possession. So you find here a great number of them by the sides of these sandy desarts, that have no where any habitation, but live in their tents like as the beasts do in caves, and go like unto the _Gypsies_ from place to place, until they light on one, where they may live a great while with their cattle, and when all is eat up, want driveth them from thence to look out for another.

On the 15th early before break of day, we were up in the cool of the day, with an intention to reach to _Bir_ that night, but our camels were grown so faint by reason of the excessive heat and the great burthens, that they fell down several times, wherefore we looked out for a convenient place where we might stay all night, and found at last a village near which we pitched our tents, eat some gourds and biskets, and so went to rest.

Two hours before break of the day, we began our journey again, and came early in the morning to the great river called _Euphrates_, we went over with our goods and chattel, and fixed our tents before the town near the river on the other side, to stay for a barge that was to come from _Armenia_, to go from thence to _Babylon_, which is now called _Felugo_. By the way I saw no herbs of any worth, except the _Galega_, in our language called goats-rue, which grew plentifully on the dry heaths; and near to the road, the first sort of _Apocynum_, by us called dogs-bane, very like unto the great Celandine in it’s leaves and pods: I also saw whole acres of _Turkish_ corn called _Sesamo_, and others sown all with cotton, and also a kind of _Esula_, very full of milk, wherewith the fallow grounds were so filled up, that at a distance, you would have taken it for good corn. Seeing that the _Scammony_ that uses to be brought to _Aleppo_, is wont sometime to be very sharp, therefore it may very well be, that they adulterate it with this _Esula_. Near the town grew abundance of _Acacia_, called _Schack_ and _Schamuck_, as is above-mentioned, which are here in stem and fruit, greater and larger than ever I saw any where. The town _Bir_ is situated on the other side of the great river _Euphrates_ in _Mesopotamia_, near the high hill _Taurus_, just like _Tripolis_ near the _Libanus_, or our _Losanna_ on our _Alps_: It is neither big nor strong, but pretty well defended by a castle that lyeth on a high rock above the river, not easily to be taken. There is a very pleasant country round about it, and very fruitful, which (chiefly on this side the river where it is plain) is very well tilled and sown with corn, which they did just thrash out when we came, with little waggons drawn by oxen, and here and there are very good villages. But beyond the river it is more hilly, which kind of ground extends it self a great way towards the east, and divideth _Armenia_ from _Mesopotamia_. It is at the top very rough and bare; nothing but bushes and herbs to be seen there; wherefore abundance of beasts, chiefly lambs and goats, are daily brought down, which are carried over the _Euphrates_, and so driven to _Aleppo_ and other adjacent places. This river where it runs by the town is about a mile broad, and so deep that it is not easy to make a bridge over it: Yet because it hath not a swift current in that place, it is not very dangerous to sail on it, except where it enlargeth it self, as it doth in great desarts, or else where it divideth it self into several branches, so that the water-men do not know which is the best way for them to take; wherefore the Merchants that have a mind to come quicker and with less pains to _Bagdet_ with their merchandizes, carry them by land to _Orpha_, to the famous town of _Carahmet_, which lyeth six days farther towards the east, on the borders of _Assyria_ and _Media_, upon the rapid river _Tygris_, where is a great deposition of merchandizes, that are sent from thence to _Ormutz_ and the _Indies_. The _Euphrates_ is continually muddy, and therefore almost not fit to be drunk except you let it stand two or three hours, until the sand and mud is sunk down to the bottom, which sometimes is of the thickness of an inch: So that in every house where they have no wells, all along the river in towns and villages, they have several great pots which they fill out of the river, and let them stand until it be settled, but if they have occasion to drink of it before, they drink through their towels.

During the time of our staying there they brought us several sorts of fishes they had caught in the river to sell, and among the rest one sort called _Geirigi_, which in their shape and scales were very like unto _Carps_, only they were not so thick in the belly, but a great deal longer and bigger, so that sometimes one of them did weigh three _Rotula_’s of their weight, which is about seventeen or eighteen of our pounds. They are very delicate and good to eat, and so cheap, that we could buy one for one _Medin_, in our money worth about three-pence. To catch these, our ship’s crew flung out oftentimes some pellets made up with _Cocculus Indic._; which fruit is named by them _Doam Samec_ and presently after some of the fish flung themselves up at the top of the water, whereupon they jumped out of the ship to catch them, and to carry them a-shoar. I saw also a peculiar sort of vultures, which were so tame that they did not only sit very thick upon the houses, but they sat down in the street before all the people without any fear; they are more of an ashen colour than ours, but for bigness, height and the rest, exactly like unto them. Besides these there was another sort of them, that were something bigger, and of a lighter colour than the former, and had some black at the ends of their wings like unto our _Storks_. They eat also carrion, and meat, and are somewhat wilder, wherefore they may be affirmed to be the very same that _Rhasis_ called _Gyuni_, and _Avicenna_, _Rachame_. During the time that we staid there, a _Bashaw_ was sent hither by the _Turkish Sultan_, with some hundred _Spahi_’s, pretty well armed, for his master did intend to make war with the _Trusci_ that so he might defend the confines of _Syria_, _Mesopotamia_, and _Armenia_, &c. from being assaulted by them, and to keep every thing secure. The _Trusci_ live on the mountain of _Libanus_, and pretend to be the off-spring of those people, that under _Godfrey de Bouillon_ did possess themselves again of the land of promise. They are since so much encreased, that they are able to bring into the field sixty thousand, most of which are very good gunners, which if occasion be, they can bring together in a short time. The _Grand Signor_, seeing that they encreased daily, so that he did fear they would be in time too great for him, to prevent this, as then the common discourse went, and to subdue them, and bring them under his yoke, did summon some _Bashaws_ and _Sangiacks_, chiefly him of _Damascus_ to bring together a great army, to fall upon them. But which way he did beat them, and how he encroached upon them, I shall (because I did for this time, during my travels, hear no more of it) relate more largely after my return. The _Spahi_’s which came with the _Bashaw_, took, because they would not be idle, their diversion in running, shooting with arrows, and in fencing, or cudgel-playing, and sometimes the country people came in with them, and played with them, but not in so many sorts of arms as the fencing-masters do in our country, _viz._ with daggers, swords or halbarts, for these are not in fashion in those countries. They take instead thereof only cudgels, with them they approach towards one another three times, yet not with such flourishes and neatness as our fencers do before they begin, for their long cloaths hinder them. In their left hand they have a buckler which is about a foot diameter round, covered with leather, and stuffed out with hair; in their right hand they have a cudgel, wherewith they strike strait at one another in the first bout, as the boys do in our country, but in the second and third bout, they strike cross-ways, chiefly in the third which is the last, which they take off cleaverly with their bucklers; and sometime they strike at one another legs, but never to hurt one another; when this is done, they turn back and march off. This manner of fencing is very common in these countries.

At length after we had staid a great while, several ships did arrive from above, and ours, for which we did stay, among them. So our patron began to load, and to fit himself for our departure: And so did two more that had a mind to go in company with us. One among them belonging to a _Turk_ which was laden only with corn, to carry during the scarcity, which was occasioned by the great heat, and for want of rain to _Bagdet_. We also bought several sorts of fruits, _viz._ _Cibebs_, _Anguria_’s, Garlick and Onions, _&c._ and took also along with us some ground corn, as is usual to do in such voyages, which with Rice flower is fit to make puddings, or to bake bread of; honey and other things to serve as provision for our ship; for we were to travel a great way through many desarts and places not inhabited where nothing was to be had. For there are no inns upon this river, as upon the _Rhine_ or _Danube_, where they dress victuals for travellers against they come. And that we might have sometimes something hot to eat, we provided ourselves with several cooking vessels, as is usual in these cases, to dress our meat in. But the master of our ship still wanting both men and merchandices to load his ship withal, we were forced to stay somewhat longer, for other Merchants which came in a little time from _Aleppo_ whereof some were _Armenians_, some _Persians_, others from _Bagdet_ and _Balsora_, to us; with these also came into the ship four souldiers that were listed by the _Turks_ to go to _Bagdet_, to reinforce the confines of _Persia_: Our master also took in some of their _Jews_, which are worse than ours, and so we were warned to have a care of them. Besides all these we were forced to take in some of their religious men, which had long before begged thereabout, for they commonly live by begging, and desire you to give them something _Alla hitsi_, that is, for God’s sake, and yet if they find an opportunity they will fall upon you and rob you. They are very ill-favoured, idle and yet very hardy men, that run about all countries and often do a great deal of hurt; wherefore one must have a special care of them, chiefly upon the road. Yet for all this they have in these countries very great privileges; they pretend to great holiness and devotion, and pray often, and perswade the vulgar sort of people, that God doth hear their prayers before any others, and grants their desires, but people do not believe them so readily now, as their ancestors have done formerly wherefore they do not remain long in one place, that their roguery may not so much appear.

CHAP. II.

_Which way we went into the ship, and sailed to ~Racka~; and how the son of the King of ~Arabia~ with his retinue came to our ship to demand his customs. What else we saw by the way, and what we did suffer from the ~Arabians~ and their mendicants._

After our ship as well as the others was sufficiently loaden, and with all necessaries provided, we went aboard, and began our voyage in the name of God, the 30th day of _August_, _Anno 1574_ (having stay’d there and lost seventeen days), in the evening, with an intention to go that night three leagues farther. But two of our ships got into a branch of the river, whereof there are several in the very beginning: Our watermen took great pains to bring them into the right way again and stayed for them; which retarded us so long, that we were forced to stay all night at a market town called _Caffra_, which lieth a good league below, on the top of a hill, where we landed.

The next morning at break of day, we got in again and in the beginning we went on very fortunately, and began to leave by degrees on our left hand the mountain _Taurus_, which extendeth its self eastward, and went more to the right, through the great desarts and sandy places of _Arabia_, where that river divideth it self into several broad branches, that the skippers knew hardly how to steer the right way. When we went on so, thinking of no danger, for the _Turkish_ ship was got already very safe through one of them, the second, which we follow’d, stuck upon the sand, by the neglect of their pilot towards the right, so that it did not only stick there but took away the stream from us, which turned their ship cross very violently, after such a manner, that we were forced, because we were too nigh, and our ship was in her full running, so that we could turn no way, to fall foul upon it. So ours drove with the stream upon theirs with that force, that we broke the two uppermost boards of their side; so the water ran in, and the ship sank deeper. Our ship, although it hath received no hurt, yet did it not go on, but stuck by the other. Whereupon we began to labour hard, remov’d the sand below, and made a way to get clear; after we had half drawn it before the other into the stream, the stream drove it so hard against the other, that also a row and an half of our side-board were broken, and if it had broken the second row quite, we had incurr’d the same mischief and damage as they. When we were in this condition, and could not otherwise think but that we must perish all together, yet our merciful God and Lord did order it so, that we did not only secure the breach, but came into the right river free and quit before the other ship, where we did land immediately. After we had recover’d ourselves a little, we did not delay to assist the other, but unloaded our ship to load theirs into it, and so to land them, which we did with all speed; in the mean time appear’d behind the trees and tamarisks at each side a good many _Arabians_, both on horse-back and foot, and came so near, that they were not afraid to attack our guards we had left with our goods, and to attempt to rob us. But when they found resistance, and heard several guns discharged on our side, they were frighted to that degree (for guns were unknown to them) that they turned their backs and run away as hard as they could drive. At last we attempted to draw out the ship together with some small goods, that were still left in it, which succeeded very well, for when we hoisted our sails and drew them on, and wrought with all our might and strength, it yielded by degrees, so that at length we got it quite off, and brought it a-shore. The loss of their marchandizes, altho’ it was but small in quantity, yet it was very great in their Silk, Stuffs of _Damasco_, Soap, Sugar, roots of _Zarneb Melchi_, which is good for the pain in the back, as is here before mention’d, Figs and Corn, which suffer’d very much; wherefore they begg’d of us, that we would be pleased to stay with them, until they had dry’d their goods and mended their ship, so that they might go along with us more safely through these desarts, which we granted them readily. During this our stay, when we were helping them, it fell out that I and one of my comrades were falsly accused by some Jews, before some of their religious men, that we were often fudling with the master of the ship, which the Jews did on purpose to make us outlandish men hated among them, for they do according to their law not easily admit of drinking of wine, and to disparage us; and this his intention did succeed so well, that when their Clergymen did understand it, they became very angry with us, took our vessel of wine, flung it into the river, and drew in upon the land, where they let it run out, which did not well please the Soldiers and others, wherefore they took our part, and did give the Jews for it a very severe reprimand. But as no good deed remaineth unrewarded, and no ill one unpunish’d, so it happened here; for the chief of them, which was a _Moor_ and of the order of the _Dervis_, was the next day punish’d severely for a frivolous cause, whereof I unadvisedly was the occasion. While our goods were yet on shore, I got towards night upon the balls to stand centinel, it being my turn; so when I saw one with a mug full of water, I desired him to give me some to drink, which he was willing to do, and reached me the mug, I going to take it, trod by chance upon a fiddle of one of the _Turks_ and broke it: Although he had great occasion to be angry with me for this, yet (understanding that I had glue enough to mend it) he was presently quieted, and well contented. The next morning we sat together and mended the fiddle as well as we could; when the _Dervis_ saw us busy about the fiddle, he was very angry that we did not help to spread out the merchandizes, which we had done already before we began; so he took the fiddle, broke it and flung it into the river; then he came back, and pretended to bang us, thinking to have the same success with this as he had with the wine. But the _Turk_ seeing this, took up a good cudgel that was thrown up by the river, and struck him several times over his head and limbs, that the blood ran down his ears and face, and at length he grew so angry that he went to draw his scymeter, but before he could, we stept in between them, got them asunder, mitigated the business, and appeased them. So this saint of theirs looked very dismal in his long and lank black hair, and had besides on his body here and there several scars, _viz._ on his head and breast, and above all upon his arms, which he had cut or burnt himself, which is usual to that order, and other _Turks_ to do; which set often on their flesh burning and red glowing spangs, or instead of them linen rags, about an inch thick twisted very hard together, broad below, and pointed on the top, tapering just like unto a pyramid, which they set on fire, and let it burn out with a great deal of patience upon their bare skin, so long until it is quite consumed and brought to ashes, then they tie it up with cotton; they also do the same sometimes in rheums of the head and eyes, _&c._ to dry them up, or to turn them, and so draw them into another place. So I have seen several which have had at least twenty scars about them, but chiefly on their arms, whereof some were of the bigness of a shilling, besides wounds and scratches they had. But from whence they received this inhumane way (to wound and torment themselves) I do not know, except they had it anciently from the priests of _Baal_, who used to wound themselves with knives and lances (as we read in the 18th chapter of the 3d of the _Kings_) until the blood followed. These holy scars and tokens of their zeal, I could soon see and observe on this _Moor_, for according to his order, which is a very great one, he was to wear no clothes upon his body neither winter nor summer, only a little scarf to cover his privy members withal: Instead of them they put sheep skins about them, whereon they lie also at night, and so they serve them for clothes, bed, and cover; and so they pretend by their exteriour apparel and behaviour, to great vertue and patience, as if they were dead to the world; and to a peculiar holiness, in praying, fasting, watching, _&c._ whereas they are full of roguery and knavery, so that you shall hardly find any like them. With this came also several other religious men of several orders, which were all in several distinct habits, as they are in our country; among them was a very strong well set young man, of the order of the _Geomaliers_ as they call it, which are rather secular than clergymen, they are generally _Tschelebys_, that is gentlemen and rich persons, which take great delight in travelling in their young days, under pretence of holiness, like pilgrims, at other peoples costs, through several countries and kingdoms, to see and learn, and to get experience. This had only a blue coat on that covered his body, tied about with a sash, and shoes of sheep skins, such as the _Arabians_ in the desarts use to wear. There went along with us two more; whereof one had a great ring in each ear, about the thickness of a finger, and so heavy that it stretched down his ear-laps to his very shoulders. These are of the order called the _Calendriers_, which lead a sober, and abstemious life before people, wherefore they separate themselves from the people, and walk about like hermits into desarts where-ever they can, to pray there ardently, and to cry out the hours, whereof they have five every day, as the priests do from the steeples, wherefore this man did separate himself, as often as he had an opportunity, far from us, that the beasts could rather see and hear him, than we that were in the ship. When he had done this, he came to us again, and looked so devoutly as if he had been in a rapture or extasy. The other was a _Dervis_, whereof I have made mention before, which also kept to a very strict order, for he prayed devoutly and ardently, chiefly at night after sun-set, at which time two or three more used to come to him, and among them sometimes some of our Merchants; they did stand together in a circle, and so began to pray, as I heard often, first very lowly, then by degrees louder, but when they came to the _Leila, Hillala_, &c. they were so loud, that you might hear them afar of, and then they repeated only these words very often; and every time they repeated them, they turned their head from one side to the other, as if they looked upon one another by turns, to shew their great love one to another, so they repeat these words very often, and every time quicker and quicker, until they abbreviate them at last, and say only, _Lahu Huhu_. By this pratling or jabbering and moving of their heads, they became at length so giddy and weary, that the cold sweat ran down them. But this their saint did not pronounce the words of their prayers with the rest, but struck on his breast with his fist upon his heart which gave instead thereof so strange a tune, as if he had been hallow within, much like unto the noise that a turky-cock uses to make when he is very angry, so that it would have frighted any man, chiefly if he had been alone with him; and he would, with his terrible face, rather have taken him to be an apparition than a man. These above-mentioned words he repeateth so often, and so long, until he fainteth away and falls down, and there he lieth as if he were dead. Then the others cover him, let him lie and go their ways. After he hath lain thus a good while as if he had been ravish’d in his prayers, or had seen a peculiar vision, he cometh to himself, riseth and appeareth again. All these saints, although they practice their religion after a peculiar manner, which according to their opinion, is quite surpassing that which is prescribed in their law, to move the people the sooner (regarding their severity in living, their great patience and frequent extasies) to believe them, that they under pretence of piety, may go on in their hoggishness, uncleanness and robberies, as they do, without any controuling: Yet because their idle hypocrisy, and great rogueries do daily appear more plainly, not without great damage to the country, therefore they are no more in so great esteem, nor have so much given them as formerly. Concerning their strange way of praying, chiefly that of the _Moors_, their own people have often told me, that because such a devotee changed his natural voice given him by God, into an unnatural one, therefore he ought rather to be accounted a beast than a man, and consequently much less ought to be esteemed a divine. Thus much I thought convenient to relate here of their Mendicants that travelled with us, and now I come to my former purpose again.

After we had spent four days in drying our merchandizes, and in mending our ships, we did load them again, and so set out the next Friday, being the third of _September_ about noon. All that day we saw nothing but bushes on both sides of the river, wherein were several wild beasts, but above all wild boars, till night, when we came in sight of a little village about two or three miles distant upon the ascent on our left hand, where we landed and staid all night. In that place I found nothing but a bastard camel’s hay, which was like unto the true one, but without any virtue in it.

The next day our navigation proceeded very well, and at noon we came to a strong cittadel call’d _Galantza_, which is situated at this side of the river, on a hill belonging to the king of _Arabia_, with whom the _Turkish_ emperor, as I was informed, and could understand, that did not know their language well, had long and heavy wars; and could have done him, because he could not follow him through the desarts for want of water and provisions, no great hurt, if the King’s eldest son had not put himself into this castle, believing that he might be secure there from any assault from without, wherein he was mightily mistaken. For after the _Sultan_ did understand that he was there, he was resolved to take it notwithstanding all difficulties. And therefore he summoned all his forces together in the year 1570, and did assault it in three places at the same time, so long and so often, until at length he took it by storm, and so he made the King’s son his prisoner, and carried him to _Constantinople_, where he had, as they say, his head cut off the following year. This castle, being surrounded with strong walls, and having within a very high and large tower, is still, according to my apprehension, very strong, but yet it lieth in ruins, and the three open places remain unrepaired. At night we landed in a small island, which was not inhabited, and in the middle of the river we did not question but we were there very well secured from the _Arabians_, and yet notwithstanding, as soon as we had supp’d, and began to go rest, some of them came creeping along to us about midnight, rather to visit our goods than us. But because they durst not venture to go to our ships, without great danger of being discovered by our watch, they did visit them that rested on shoar, and had taken something considerable from them, if they had not been discovered immediately by them, and had retaken from them again that which they could not so readily carry over the river.

The fifth day of _September_, some _Arabians_ appeared on shoar early in the morning; by and by we saw more at a great distance upon the height, and some squadrons of horse of forty or fifty strong, ride about; from whence we concluded that the King’s camp was not far off, which proved to be true. For about noon after we landed, the King’s youngest son came riding to us on a high black horse, with a retinue of about one hundred men, most of which had bows and long pikes made of reed. He was but young, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, of a brownish colour, and had a white turbant on his head made of cotton, one end whereof hung down behind about a span long, according to their usual custom. He had on a long gown made of ordinary sheeps skins with the wooll on them, which hung down to his ankles, and so had all his courtiers, which were in their common dress so like unto one another, that one could not have discerned them, if his had not been edged with some gold lists, as we use to edge childrens coats in our country, about the neck and sleeves, and had not had long sleeves, whereon were some escutcheons to be seen. Because custom is due to the King of _Arabia_, by reason of the _Euphrates_, therefore this young prince came to demand and take it; so he went into the river, and rode first to the _Turkish_ ship, to see what goods they carried, but finding nothing but corn therein he did not stay long there, but came to ours, his servants that were on purpose ordered for that, helped him soon up into it, and placed him in the middle of it on a bale, but they themselves went about from one Merchant to another, to visit their goods, and did open now and then a chest or a bale, and took some out of them more or less, according as they liked them, so that it was a great while before they came about from Merchant to Merchant. In the mean while, they brought also into the ship a young Prince, perhaps two years old, which one carried before him on horse back after his father. He had nothing on but only a cotton shirt, and rings about his neck, wrists and legs, made of fine _Arabian_ gold. At length his servants came to me and my comrades into the poop of the ship; but before we began to shew them any of our goods, they saw my gun that was inlaid with ivory, which they took immediately, to shew it to their master, with a great deal of admiration, being such a one as they had never seen their life before. The King took it presently into his hands, and was mighty well pleased with it, and said that it was outlandish-work made by the _Franks_, (by which name they call outlandish men, _French_, _German_, _Italian_, &c. because they know no divisions or distinctions of our country,) so we went both to him, and acquainted him that we were lately come from those countries, with an intention to go into the _Indies_. After the King understood this, he spoke very kindly to us, and bid his man to leave off and to search no more our goods, and enquired after several other things, and at length he told my comrade that he thought he had seen him before; which was very true, for when my comrade lived at _Aleppo_, where he had drove the Goldsmiths trade for a great while, he and others were sent to the King, who was then at a little distance from _Aleppo_, by the Consul of _Venice_, to present him in his name, with several presents, whereof some were costly and rich wrought clothes, when they came to him, and presented them to him, he took them with a great deal of kindness, and treated them very honourably, and shewed them several sorts of sport, as jumping, running, _&c._ that they might see that he had a great many brave and handy soldiers; and did dispatch them very generously again, and promised them, as my friend told me, all kindnesses, chiefly to their masters, saying, that if they should have occasion to make use of him against the _Turks_, he would faithfully assist them, and that he did not doubt at all, if they should agree together, but they might go a great way with him in these countries; nay, advance farther upon the _Turk_ in a short time, even to _Constantinople_ itself. After the before-mentioned discourse, the King went to his tents that were pitched on a plain by a hill, within two miles of us, and took some of our company along with him to discourse his father about our concerns. I would willingly have presented the King with my gun, altho’ we had to travel through many deserts, and perhaps he would have been pleased with it, but durst not do it before the _Turkish_ Soldiers, Mendicants and Jews, for I feared, that they would betray it, and accuse me before the _Bashaw_ and _Cadi_’s, which soon would have made me punishable, altho’ innocent, as they use to do to strangers; nay, sometimes those of their own nation; and besides, I did remember, that when the King was encamped near _Aleppo_, and some of his men did daily come into the town to buy provision, cloaths and other things, that then it was strictly forbidden to sell them any arms, bows or pikes to take along with them into the desarts. After we had staid for our friends a great while, they came so late to us, that we were hindred from going any farther that day, for it began to be late, and so we staid there all night. They told us, that the King, after they had told him that we came from _Aleppo_, would not believe them, but thought rather we came from _Saphet_, which town is within a day’s journey of _Sidon_, which the _Sultan_ had taken from him a little while before, that he might have a pretence to arrest us and our goods; and that he did so obstinately persist in this opinion, that they did really fear he would have sent some of his men with one of us to _Aleppo_, to know the certainty thereof, until they plainly demonstrated to him by their letters from whence they came; whereupon he gave them liberty to go on in their journey. But I understood afterwards, that it was only to press something more out of them, as he really did, for they were forced to give him some knives tip’d with silver that came from _Damascus_, and also some damasks.

On the sixth of _September_ we were up early, and passed between great wildernesses, wherein were abundance of wild boars, that appeared sometimes in great herds: These wildernesses continued so long, that we saw nothing else the whole day but woods, ’till in the evening we came to _Cala_, a village and castle on this side of the river, which is no more but two-days journey from _Aleppo_, situated in a plain; from whence you may conjecture how crooked the river is hitherto. This castle belongeth to a great Bashaw, called _John Rolandt_, and also the fine house at _Aleppo_, as is before-mentioned. He hath very great revenues and sixty sons: Six or seven of them are Sangiacks, whereof some live at the Sultan’s court. Beyond this castle on the other side of the river, we lodged all night in the wilderness, which continued so far, that we saw nothing all the next day long, but only here and there a little cottage of the _Moors_, which generally are built upon four sticks, and covered with bushes: Within them there are so many children, that I have often admired at the number of them. They run in their first infancy to the river, and learn to swim so well, that they undertake without any fear to swim over the broad river. When we went by, the _Moors_ saluted us very often, if the distance did not hinder them, and that chiefly to learn of us where about their King was in the country. For they have so great a respect for their King, altho’ they are an idle and vagabond people, and unanimously shew him such obedience, as no other nation doth to their superiors; which also you may guess by this, that if any outlandish man hath a mind to get safely through the wilderness, or to see their King, let him but cloath himself in their habit, and take a _Moor_ along with him to shew him the way, and to be his interpreter, they will readily tell him the way to go to him; or when they see that he hath one of their own nation with him, they let him pass without any molestation or examination. So that those that are slaves on the confines of _Arabia_, might easily free themselves without any trouble or danger. Their wives did also often come to us, and brought us milk in great flat dishes, which they shewed us at a distance to sell; wherefore we did land sometimes and received it, and gave them biskets for it, for they have great want of corn, so that this interchanging pleased us both. We used to break biskets into this milk, and so to eat it for dinner or supper, and sometimes if it was too thick, or rather too little of it, that it might go the farther, we used to temper or mix it with water. They have also sometimes put it into oblong linen sacks, which it did hardly penetrate, and let it hang in the ship for two or three days, until it did curdle and came to be in curds, and so it used to serve us with biskets and onions for breakfast or for supper. When we did land and had time to spare, I used to look about me for some strange plants, and among the rest, I found a peculiar _Schœnanthum_, which was very like in figure unto the true one, but had not it’s virtues, and the first kind of _Rhannus_ of _Carolus Clusius_, with fat leaves like unto housleek. I found also goats rue, and a strange sort of willows, which still are called by the inhabitants by their old name _Garb_. There also were abundance of tamarisks; they were as big and high as our cherry or plum trees, wherefore these trees are discerned soon at a distance by their height; they have very tender leaves, and long purple coloured tops, as you see in the second kind of our tamarisks, so that between them and ours, there is no great matter of difference, but only in bigness and fruit, whereof I found none at that time. The _Moors_ feed their cattle for the most part, with those bushes that grow at the river side; for in the wilderness and desarts, where the ground is very sandy, lean and barren, there is but little grass or tilled ground, which occasioneth the great scarcity of bread among them, so that often they see none in a great while, and are forced to eat their other food, as fish, flesh, cheese and milk, which they take from goats, sheep, camels, _&c._ without bread; so that these poor people make a shift with a mean diet; and yet they are strong and in good health, and live to a good age. At night before it was dark, I saw another fortification at the other side in _Mesopotamia_, on a high hill called _Jabar_, belonging to the King of _Arabia_, which is very large, and hath several towers in the wall, so that as far as I could see, it was very like to that of _Aleppo_. We staid all night on this side of it, in an island where we had been robb’d again, if we had not kept a good watch so as to perceive the thieves, and to let off several guns; yet this we did not to hurt, but only to frighten them; for if we should have kill’d or wounded any of them, they would have fetch’d immediately some, according as they are in strength, it may be a thousand together to revenge their friend to fall upon us, to beat us and to plunder us, whereof they are very eager, and to take all we had. The same happened to us the next day in another uninhabited island of the river, where we would dress no victuals that night, that they might not spy us by our fire, to find us out and to fall upon us. For when we expected to keep ourselves thus quiet, and to rest in good tranquillity, they did not miss us, but came to us in a greater body than before, and that so near, that we could not only hear them, but they began to talk with us. But when we saw that they were in earnest, we rouzed up ourselves, and got into order, and spoke big to them, and bid them to offer no violence to us, for if they did, they would find greater resistance than they expected. But when we saw that this our exhortation would do no good, we were forced again to have recourse to our guns, whereof we had but three, which we let go off, which frightened them in such a manner, for they are not used to them, that they ran away and left us in quietness. But it is no wonder that the _Arabians_ are so restless, for they are full of want and nakedness, have not to fill their belly, nor to cover their body withal; besides, they have nothing else to do, and are used to idleness from their very infancy, and then because they hate to work, they are forced to wander like vagabonds from one place to another. And (if they will maintain themselves and theirs) to seek their livelihood from those that travel through their country. So several times there came two, three, or four together, swimming through the river, were it never so broad or deep, to our ship, whereof some were black and some brown, which came as naked into our ship as ever they were born into the world, to beg a piece of bread; to each of them we gave as much as would content them, so they went sometimes for a whole league along with us; and when they had eaten the bread and thanked us, they jumped into the river again and swam away. Besides these we saw daily as we went along, many more swim over the river, which commonly had some bucks-skins blown up, whereon they tried to get over the easier, for the river is so broad, that it is not easy to make a bridge over it, neither did I find any. They take their shirts (for besides them they wear no other cloaths) tie them with their leathern girdles about their heads, and therein stick their daggers (which are pretty broad and bended like unto a scythe) which hang down by their temples.