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them, yet they have abundance of bucks and goats skins blown up, hung or fixed underneath the bottom, without doubt, by reason that they may load the more upon them, and also because the river is rapid, that they may have the lefs fear or danger. On these floats they carry feveral forts of merchandizes, but chiefly fruit, viz. Figs, Almonds, Cibebs, Nuts, Corn, Wine, Soap, &c. a great part whereof goeth farther into the Indies.

The laft day of December we travell'd on, and came through well till'd fields about night into the town Harpel, which is pretty large, but very pitifully built, and miferably furrounded with walls, fo that it might eafily be taken without any great ftrength or lofs; there we refted again the next day being the Sabbath, and on the fame day fell New-Years-Day. In the mean time I understood that the Turkish Sangiack did a few days ago condemn and put to execution eight great malefactors, which made it their bufinefs to rob and to commit murder up and down on the high-way, for there are a great many of these rogues in this province, chiefly on the borders of Armenia, which are very mountainous, and maketh travelling very dangerous. The relations and friends of thefe murderers and robbers did take this very ill, that the Sangiack fhould execute them, and were refolved to be revenged of him one way or other. In order thereunto they combined and agreed all together, and had every thing ready, and only ftaid for the word to fall upon him, which I would have been done accordingly, if he had not had good intelligence of this their intention, wherefore he went away incognito for Conftantinople, to complain to the Turkish Emperor of this their unjuft proceedings, and what they muft expect for this, they will know in a fhort time. This Sangiack, when he found neceffity of making his efcape, and found that he wanted money, which is very feldom, he took up from an Armenian Merchant, that was very rich, and was arrived there to buy feveral merchandizes, chiefly Gauls, whereof grow many in these parts, 300 ducats, which put the Merchant into great danger; for when thefe rebellious "people came to understond it, they took it very ill of him, and threaten'd him very much, fo that he was forced

forced to ftay fome days longer for more company, that fo he might go the fafer.

After we had joined him, we went from thence on the fifth of January in a very handfome number, for the Merchant alone had about fifty camels and affes, which were only loaden with Gauls, with him, to carry to Carahemit, where he lived, and to fend from thence to Aleppo, where they are bought by our Merchants, to be fent into our country. So we travell'd all day long and alfo half the night, without eating or drinking, very faft, and began to reft about midnight. After we had for the remaining part of the night hardly refreshed our beafts and ourfelves with eating and drinking a little, we broke up again before day-light, to go on in our way. When we were gone a good way through fruitful and pleasant vallies, we came betimes to another river by Ptolomy call'd Caprus, which although it is not very broad, yet it is very deep, fo that we had much to do to get through, which I found not without a great detriment to my plants, which I carry'd on horse-back before me.

Soon after noon a great way off before us, appear'd a great market-town, Carcufchey, where we arrived by night, and fix'd our camp without and pretty near to it. This is quite inhabited by Armenians, which we could presently find by the alteration of the language and their habit. They received us very willingly, and let us want for nothing. After we had faid with them till night, and refresh'd ourselves and our beafts, we broke up again immediately and travell'd all night, which was fo dark, that we heard feveral caravans that met us, but could not fee them, much lefs know how ftrong they were, or from whence they came. At break of day we came to another much larger river, by the inhabitants call'd Kling, if I do not mistake, and by Ptolomy, Licus, which hindred us very much in our day's journey; for the river being very broad, at least a long mile, it was. very hard to hit exactly the right ford, and not without great danger, which the Curters knew very well, fo that we were alfo in great fear of them. But after fome were found in our company that had often forded that river formerly, we ventured it, went in, and got over, thanks

be to God, very fafe, only one afs which went over below us, where the ftream went ftronger, was drown'd, so that we arriv'd very early on the feventh of January, to the Tygris again, and went into the famous city Moffel, that lieth on this fide of the river, over a bridge made of boats. This is fituated in the country of the Curters, and fo we were forced ftill to keep our interpreter. It belongeth to the Turkish Emperor, as do all the rest hereabouts. There are fome very good buildings and streets in it, and it is pretty large; but very ill provided with walls and ditches, as I did obferve from the top of cur camp which extended to it. Besides this, I also saw juft without the town a little hill, that was almoft quite dug through, and inhabited by poor people, where I faw them feveral times creep in and out as pifmires in ant-hills. In this place and thereabouts ftood formerly the potent town of Nineveh, built by Afhur, which was the metropolis of Affyria, under the Monarch of the first monarchy, to the time of Sennacherib and his fons, and was about three days journey in length. So we read that the Prophet Jonas, when at the command of God, he preach'd repentance to them, did go into it one day's journey, which the people did hearken willingly unto, and did amend their lives, but they did not long remain penitent, but turn'd to their former iniquity again, wherefore their deftruction and ruin was prognofticated to them by the Prophets Nahum and Zephania, and also by the pious Tobias, that did live there again, which did alfo not long after follow. Yet was it re-built again afterwards, and did fuffer very much upon changes of governments, until at length Tamerlane came and took it by ftorm, burnt it, and reduced it to that degree, that afterwards in the fame place grew Beans and Colocafia, &c. So that at this time there is nothing of any antiquities to be seen as in old Babylon, fave only the fort that lieth upon the hill, and fome few villages, which as the inhabitants fay, did alfo belong to it in former days. This town lieth on the confines of Armenia, in a large plain, where they fow the greateft part of their corn, on the other fide of the river; for on this fide in Mefopotamia it is fo fandy and dry, that you would think you were in the middle of the defarts of Arabia. Yet there

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is a very large depofition of merchandizes, because of the river; wherefore feveral goods and fruits are brought thither from the adjacent countries, both by land and water, to fhip them for Bagdat. Among the rest I saw abundance of fmall and great Turpentine-nuts, by the inhabitants call'd, as above-faid, Bont-quiber and Sougier; and also another fort of Manna as big as a double fist, which is very common here, and is brought from Armenia, as they told me. It is of a brown colour, a great deal bigger and firmer, and not so sweet as that of Calabria, yet very good and pleasant to eat. Within it are feveral red grains, fo fmall that one taketh no notice of them when one eats it. It looseneth the body very well, but not fo much as ours, wherefore the inhabitants eat great pieces thereof in the morning, as the country-men on the mountains of Algaw eat cheese. But whether the Arabians make mention thereof, if it be not the Manna Alhagiezi, whereof Avicenna in his fecond book, the second treatise, and the 758th chapter maketh mention, I know not neither what it is to be reputed. The town Moffel, is as abovesaid, for the greatest part inhabited by Neftorians, which pretend to be Chriftians, but in reality they are worse than any other nations whatfoever, for they do almoft nothing elfe, but rob on the high-ways, and fall upon travellers and kill them therefore being that the roads chiefly to Zibin (to which we had five days journey, and for the most part through fandy wilderneffes) are very dangerous, we ftaid fome days longer, expecting more company that we might go the furer.

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Which way we went through Mefopotamia by the way of Zibin and Orpha, to Bir, not without a a great deal of danger; and afterwards bow we paled the great river Euphrates, and came at laft into Syria by Nilib, to the famous town of Aleppo.

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FTER our journey had been deferr'd for four days, we broke up on the eleventh of January feveral hundred ftrong, and went on for the whole day without eating, with all speed until the fun-fet at night, when we encamp'd on an afcent near a fmall village, to keep our beasts and goods fafe, and to refresh ourselves and them. We watch'd all night long, and went continually three and three together, round about our camp by turns.

The next day we proceeded on again in our journey with all speed, rather for a good fountain or spring's fake, as they do in thefe countries in the vaft defarts, than to reach a good inn, where we arrived late at night, and encamp'd near it, to ftay all night to reft. A little after when we were at fupper, fome of the Curters came to us into our camp, fpoke to us kindly, and ask'd us whether we did want any thing that they could help us to, but we foon perceived them to be fpies, that were fent by their companions, to fee what ftrength we were of. But when they perceived that we were not pleased with them, they did not ftay but went away, and we compofed ourselves to reft, but kept a good guard as we had dond the night before. About midnight when we were in our first fleep, our watch-men perceived a great number of the Curters to approach, wherefore they awak'd us with a great fhouting to alarm us the fooner,

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