Grace in Paris it is cover'd within and without with black Marble the middle being of Brick Under this Cupola is an empty Tomb for the Begum is inter'd under the Arch of the lowest Platform The same change of Ceremonies which is observ'd under ground is observ'd above For they change the Tapestries Candles and other Ornaments at several times and there are always Mollah's attending to pray I saw the beginning and compleating of this great work that colt two and twenty years labour and twenty thousand men always at work so that you cannot conceive but that the Expence must be excessive Cha-jehan had begun to raise his own Monument on the other side of the River but the Wars with his Son broke off that design nor did Aurengzeb now reigning ever take any care to finish it There is an Eunuch who commands two thousand men that is entrusted to guard not only the Sepulcher of the Begum but also the Tasimacan On another side of the City appears the Sepulcher of King Akabar And as for the Sepulchers of the Eunuchs they have only one Platform with four little Chambers at the four Corners When you come to Agra from Dehly you meet a great Bazar near to which there is a Garden where King Jehan-guire Father of Cha-jehan lies interr'd Over the Garden Gate you see the Tomb it self beset with Portraitures cover'd with a black Hearse-Cloath or Pall with Torches of white Wax and two Jesuits attending at each end There are some who wonder that Cha-jehan against the practice of the Mahumetans who abhor Images did permit of carving but the reason conjectur'd at is that it is done upon the consideration that his Father and himself learnt from the Jesuites certain principles of Mathematicks and Astrology Though he had not the same kindness for them at another time for going one day to visit an Armenian that lay sick whose name was Corgia whom he lov'd very well and had honour'd with several Employments at what time the Jesuites who liv'd next to the Armenians house rang their Bell the sound thereof so displeas'd the King as being a disturbance to the sick person that in a great fury he commanded the Bell to be taken away and hung about his Elephants neck Some few days after the King seeing his Elephant with that great Bell about his neck fearing so great a weight might injure his Elephant caus'd the Bell to be carried to the Couteval which is a kind of a rail'd place where a Provost sits as a Judg and decides differences among the people of that Quarter where it has hung ever since This Armenian had been brought up with Cha-jehan and in regard he was an excellent Wit and an excellent Poet he was very much in the Kings favour who had confer'd upon him many fair Commands though he could never either by threats or promises win him to turn Mahometan CHAP. VIII The Road from Agra to Patna and Daca Cities in the Province of Bengala and of the Quarrel which the Author had with Cha-Est-Kan the King's Unckle I Departed from Agra toward Bengala the 25 th of November 1665 and that day I reach'd no farther than a very bad Inn distant from Agra costes 3 The 26 th I came to Beruzabad costes 9 This is a little City where at my return I received eight thousand Roupies being the remainder of the Money which Giafer-Kan ow'd me for Wares that he had bought at Janabat The 27 th to Serael Morlides costes 9 The 28 th to Serail Estanja costes 14 The 29 th to Serail Haii-mal costes 12 The 30 th to Serail Sekandera costes 13 The 1 st of December to Sanqual costes 14 I met that day 110 Waggons every Waggon drawn by sixOxen in every Waggon 50000 Roupies This is the Revenue of the Province of Bengala with all charges defraid and the Governor's Purse well-fill'd comes to 5500000 Roupies A league beyond Sanqual you must pass a River call'd Saingour which runs into Gemine not above half a league distant from it You pass over this River of Saingour upon a Stone-bridg and when you come from toward Bengala to go to Seronge or Surat if you have a mind to shorten your journey ten days you must leave Agra-Road and come to this Bridg and so Ferry over Gemine in a Boat But generally Agra-Road is taken because the other way you must travel five or six days together upon the stones and also for that you are to pass through the Territories of certain Raja's where you are in danger of being robb'd The second day I came to an Inn call'd Cherourabad costes 12 When you are got about half the way you pass through Gianabad a little City near to which about a quarter of a League on this side crossing a Field of Millet I saw a Rhinoceros feeding upon Millet-Canes which a little Boy of nine or ten years old gave him to eat When I came near the Boy he gave me some Millet to give the Rhinoceros who immediately came to me opening his chops three or four times I put the Millet into his mouth and when he had swallow'd it he still open'd his mouth for more The 3 d I came to Serrail Chajeada costes 10 The 4 th to Serrail Atakan costes 13 The 5 th to Aureng-Abad costes 9 Formerly this Village had another name but being the place where Aureng-zeb gave Battel to his Brother Sultan Sujah who was Governor of all the Province of Bengala Aureng-zeb in Memory of the Victory he had won gave it his own name and built there a very fair House with a Garden and a little Mosquee The 6 th to Alinchan costes 9 Two leagues on this side Alinchan you meet the River Ganges Monsieur Bernier the King's Physitian and another person whose name was Rachepot with whom I travell'd were amaz'd to see that a River that had made such a noise in the World was no broader than the River Seine before the Lovre believing before that it had been as wide as the Danaw above Belgrade There is also so little water in it from March to June or July when the rains fall that it will not bear a small Boat When we came to Ganges we drank every one of us a Glass of Wine mixing some of the River-water with it which caus'd a griping in our bellies But our Servants that drank it alone were worse tormented than we The Hollanders who have an House upon the Bank of Ganges never drink the water of this River until they have boil'd it But for the natural Inhabitants of the Countrey they are so accustom'd to it from their youth that the King and the Court drink no other You shall see a vast number of Camels every day whose business only it is to fetch water from the Ganges The 7 th I came to Halabas costes 8 Halabas is a great City built upon a point of Land where Ganges and Gemine meet There is a fair Castle of hew'n Stone
a River call'd Altun-sou or The River of Gold that falls into the River Tigris three days journey on this side Bagdat The next day we lay at a pitiful Town upon the Frontiers of Turkie and Persia. The next day being the fifth after we set out from Niniveh we pass'd over several Fenns and hot Waters that part the two Empires Entring thus into Persia we met with a high Mountain cover'd with fair Oaks which bear the Gall-Nuts so high that the Caravan was some hours ere it could get to the top As we ascended but especially when we were up we heard several Muskets go off At first we thought the people had been hunting the wild Boars or Stags of which the Mountains are full but the report of the Guns being too loud and too thick for Hunters we stood upon our guard and I believe we should have mended our paces had we known what was intended us Besides I remember'd that the Country-people would not sell any thing but for Powder and Bullet which the Caravan-Bashi advis'd me not to let them have for fear they should make use of it against our selves From the Mountain we descended into a fertil Plain water'd with several Rivers and night approaching we set up our Tents not fearing any thing because we were in the Dominions of the King of Persia where there is so much security in travelling After that we sent our Servants to the Tents of the Country-men but they brought us nothing but Bread made of Acorns than which the poor people thereabouts eat no other This Acorn is about the bigness of our Nuts and once I met with a Branch that had thirty Acorns and twenty-three Gall-Nuts all at one time growing upon it The Province which we travel'd through then compos'd the greatest part of the ancient Assyria But now to come to the Story of Dominico de Santis the Venetian He had Letters of Credence from the Pope the Emperour the King of Poland and the Republick of Venice to the King of Persia and he went in the Caravan through the Grand Signor's Territories never discovering himself who he was but coming into Persia he took upon him without fear the Title of Ambassador from the Commonwealth of Venice From the Plain where we lodg'd it is two days journey to a good big Town to which belongs a Fortress where the Governour of the Province has a Lieutenant with about two thousand Horse under his Command The Fortress is upon the right hand toward the South after three hours riding upon the High-way To this Lieutenant the Caravan-Bashi was according to duty bound to give notice of the Arrival of the Caravan and an account of the Persons and their Merchandize This Venetian was a person ill fitted for the quality of an Ambassador being a person of no Parts which made me wonder that such great Princes and so wise a Commonwealth should send such a person upon a Concern of that importance For the Grand Signor then assailing Candy he was sent to excite the King of Persia to engage him in a War against the Turk thereby to keep off the Storm that threaten'd Christendom Thereupon I told the Ambassador that it was necessary for him to give the Commander of the Fort first notice of his coming to the end he might give advice thereof to Solyman-Kan Governour of the Province whose duty it was to advertise the King Thereupon he requested me to send my Interpreter which I did Upon whose intelligence the Lieutenant of the Fort came to Compliment the Ambassador on the behalf of the chief Commander and to conduct him to the Castle Thereupon the Ambassador my self and my Interpreter together with some Armenian Merchants went with him travelling for three hours over the Mountains By that time we came half the way as we pass'd through a Wood we heard as it were some person give a Whistle at which when the Lieutenant perceiv'd us to be somewhat startl'd he carry'd us to the place from whence the Whistle came where we saw a Serpent about as big as a Man's Thigh and about twelve Foot long whose head was squeez'd between two Trees that put him to pain From that Mountain we descended into a pleasant Plain where the Commander of the Fortress staid for us under his Tent. He had set it up by the side of a River under the shade of several great Walnut-trees So soon as he saw us he rose from his great Silk Tapestry Coverlet and saluted us in a most civil manner telling us that assuredly Sha-Abas his Master would be very glad to hear that the Monarchs of Christendom had sent him an Ambassador and that he would write to Solyman-Kan whose duty it was to advertise the Emperour Thereupon he wrote and dispatch'd away a Messenger giving him order to tell the Deroga or Judge of the Town through which we were to pass that he should make Provision for us and our Horses 'till we came to the Governour After he had ask'd us several Questions concerning the War between the Grand Signor and the Venetians how many thousand men he had as well by Sea as Land and what number of Galleys and Ships wherein we satisfy'd him according to the best of our knowledge After he had civilly treated us he sent his Lieutenant back with us again to the Caravan About ten a Clock the next night we dislodg'd and the Lieutenant and six Souldiers attended upon us who told us he had order not to leave us 'till he had brought us to Solyman Kan The next night we lodg'd between two Hills among several Tents of Herdsmen Here it was that the Commander had order'd that we should be treated by the Deroga A Deroga as I have said is the Judge of a Village But this Deroga was chief of many Families some of which were of Mesopotamia others of Arabia These are all Herdsmen that never live in Houses but retire with their Cattle to the holes in the Rocks where partly Nature partly Art have contributed to make them convenient Habitations So soon as we were alighted four ancient men came and led the Ambassador and my self to the Deroga's Tent. It seem'd to consist of many Rooms with a Hall in the middle spread with fair Persian Carpets He caus'd us to sit down upon Cushions and then presented us with a Pipe of Tobacco and Water to wash our Feet After he had nobly treated us and that we were upon taking our leaves the Deroga was very much troubl'd that we had made a small Present to his Son telling us that it was a crime for him to take any thing of the King's Guests especially from Strangers that had come so long a Journey The next day we lodg'd in a place where there was such a prodigious quantity of Lillies that the Ground was almost cover'd with them There were none that were white being for the most part of a fair Violet colour with a streak of Red in the middle of
devotion of the Feast Now in regard all Ages and Sexes go there is no time in all the year so favourable for the Women to meet their Gallants In the year 1667. the third of July I saw the Festival by the favour of the Nagar who appointed me a place just against the Déla where the King sate This Déla is a Room built with a jetting upon that side of the Meidan next the Palace Gate one story high Several Pillars sustain the flat bottom or floor of the Déla enrich'd with a Grotesco work of Gold and Azure in the mid'st whereof there was a Fountain that was fill'd with Water by the contrivance of a Pipe The Stage or Déla was op'n upon three sides the longest side jetting out upon the Piazza Upon the Wall of the opposite side which was close were to be seen several English and Hollanders both men and women pictur'd with Bottles and Glasses in their hands as if they were drinking to one another Sha-Abas the second caus'd this Painting to be drawn by a Hollander About sev'n a Clock in the Morning Sha-Sephi the second who since has chang'd his name to Sha-Soliman the second came and seated himself upon his Throne set up in the mid'st of the Déla all his Nobility standing about him So soon as he was sate down the Great Provost appear'd at the end of the Piazza mounted upon a fair Horse attended by certain young Lords who caus'd the people consisting of the Companies of the two quarters of the City which are twelve in all to advance to the places which were design'd them For formerly the Companies would strive for the way and therefore the King to prevent disorder order'd there should be a Provost or Master of the Ceremonies to place them without disturbance As he was about his duty a Horse-man entred the Piazza arm'd with a Bow a Quiver and a Scimitar follow'd by seven Men that carry'd every one a Pike upright in their hands with every one a Man's Head at the top Those were the Heads of certain Usbeck-Tartars the neighbouring and mortal Enemies of the Persians which those men had cut off from the shoulders of their conquer'd Foes The King caus'd five Tomans a piece to be giv'n to them that carry'd the Heads and ten Tomans to their Leader After them enter'd three hundred Turks which were fled from the Borders of Turkie from whence the Country-people were tak'n by force and sent to the Warrs of Candy They complain'd that whereas they were wont to be sent to their Winter-Quarters about the middle of October the Turk kept them to the same hard service in Winter as in Summer All these were order'd to advance into the middle of the Piazza where they made their obeysance to him three times and then humbly besought him that they might dwell in his Kingdom with their Wives their Children and their Cattel The King order'd Money to be distributed among them and that they should have Lands assign'd them to manure Then the Provost caus'd the Companies to advance every Company having the Thill of a Wagon carry'd before him upon every of which Thills was a Bier three or four Foot high the Wood of the Thill being painted with a Grotesco of Gold and Silver and the Bier cover'd with Sattin When the first Company had order to march three Horses were led before richly harness'd when they were come about a hundred Paces forward into the Piazza in view of the King they that led the Horses caus'd them to gallop and then all the Company fell a running and dancing about with the Bier Besides that every one flung up his short Cassock his Girdle and Bonnet put their fingers in their mouths to whistle as loud as they could While the naked people with their Flint-stones in their hands ran knocking their Stones together crying out Hussein Hocen Hocen Hussein 'till they foam at the mouth again not omitting to wryth their Bodies and to make all the scurvy Faces as before describ'd The three Companies succeeding one another in the same Formalities by and by came two Companies more with a little Bier upon their Thills and in each Bier a little Child that lay as if dead They that accompany'd these two Biers wept and sigh'd most sadly These two Infants represented the Children of Hussein who when the Prophet was slain were tak'n by Yerid Caliph of Bagdat and put to death Upon this occasion you shall see a great number of Curtisans that come to the Ceremony fall a weeping who thereby believe their Sins are forgiv'n When all the people were come into the Piazza notwithstanding all the care and good order that was tak'n there were several that went to Sharps accounting it a great honour to fight smartly in the King's presence and farther believing that if any one be kill'd upon that occasion he shall be Sainted as indeed every one gives something toward his Interrment The Grand Provost seeing the Quarrel grow hot and fearing more mischief sent for five Elephants which ceas'd the Combat by drawing the Eyes of the Spectators upon them The Elephants march'd one before another according to their Pay that was allow'd them and their skill in War Not that the King of Persia makes any use of them in the Field but only for State keeps such as the Indian Princes present him withal Those five Elephants were cover'd with Houses of Cloth of Gold with a Fringe of the same round about And upon the first which was the highest and the biggest sate two Men the one upon the neck who guides the Elephant the other upon the crupper carrying the King's Arm 's in a Standard fix'd to a Half-Pike Upon the other four sate only one Man a-piece who were the Governours When they came before the place where the King sate they were all rank'd five a-brest at what time the biggest which was in the middle stretch'd out his two fore-legs forward and his two hinder-legs backward 'till his belly almost touch'd the ground after which manner the Elephant makes his obeysance The other four did the same Then laying their Trunks upon the ground and raising them again over their heads three times more they were made to stand with their heads where their tayls stood and their Houses were turn'd up to the end the King might see in what condition they were and whether well look'd after or no which being done they were led away again Upon one side of the Room where the King stood a little Scaffold was set up cover'd with Tap'stry some five Foot lower than the Kings In the middle of the Scaffold stood a great Elbow-Chair cover'd with black Velvet where sate a Moullah with six other Moullah's round about him The Moullah made a Discourse upon the Death of Hussein and Hocen of about half an hour long which being ended the King caus'd a Calaat or Habit of Honour to be giv'n him as also to the others though not so rich When they had
Dominions full Eye-brows which meet together were highly esteem'd whereas the Women of France pull them up by the Roots But which said the King dost thou like best the black or the fair Sir continu'd I were I to buy Women as I purchase Diamonds Pearls and Bread I would always choose the whitest With that the King fell a laughing and orderd me a brimmer in his own Cup which was a great Honour indeed From hence we fell into a more serious discourse concerning the present State of Europe speaking very low and the rest of the Company retiring all the while out of hearing Only I observ'd that there was one Lord middle ag'd and clad after the Georgian mode who stood within five or six paces behind the King and that many times as the King drank he only wet his Lips and gave the rest to that Lord to drink which when he had done he retir'd again to his place Upon inquiry I found he was the Kings Uncle by the Mother's side While we were talking of serious things the Curtisans were bid to retire out of the Hall which they did into a Gallery that look'd upon a Garden where they sate where immediately a Sofra was laid before them cover'd with Fruits and Sweet-meats and one of their Society continually powr'd out the Wine which they drank round without intermission One would have thought they should have been fuddl'd yet when they came in again no man could perceive they had been drinking After they had Danc'd a while they were order'd to retire again and the King sent for his Musick which was both Vocal and Instrumental his Instrumental Musick consisted of a kind of a Lute a Guittar a Spinet and two or three Base Flutes He had also in the Gallery where the Curtisans were a large Ebony Cabinet eight foot high adorn'd with several Silver figures which prov'd to be an Organ that went alone It was part of the present which the Muscovite Ambassadors made the King which he order'd to be set a going that we might hear it as we sate No sooner had the Organ stop'd but the Curtesans were call'd in again and the King caus'd the Gold Ladle to go round commanding that no man should leave a drop When every man had done the King was pleas'd to ask me which of the Curtisan's I thought to be handsomest Thereupon I rose up and taking a Wax-Candle in my hand I went and view'd them all The King laugh'd and being very glad to see my face among theirs Bring hither said he her to whom thou hast most a fancy In obedience to which I pick'd out the eldest as I thought and led her to his Majesty who caus'd us to sit down by him Then the King pointing to another And why said he did you not chose yonder Girl which is younger and handsomer commanding them both to kiss me one after another that I might understand the difference between the Caresses of one and the other But I reply'd that were I to choose again I would make the same choice believing prudence to accompany age However I besought his Majesty to consider that it was not for me to look upon elder or younger and that though he had giv'n me the liberty to send the elder home to my Lodging yet it was not in my pow'r to accept of his favour in regard I had a Wife to whom I never had been unfaithful We had thus droll'd together 'till eleven a Clock at night when the King started another Question Whether any one present knew how to Sing It happen'd that there was one Monsieur Daulier there that Play'd upon the Virginals and pretended to Sing who immediately began a Court-Air But his Voice being a high-pitch'd Voice and for that the Persians are altogether for Bases the King did not like him When I perceiv'd that being in a merry vein though I knew not a Note yet having a good deep voice and clear I sung an old Air that came into my head which begins Fill all the Bowls then fill'em high Fill all the Glasses there for why Should every Creature drink but I The King was so pleas'd that he cry'd out Baricala Baricala as much as to say Oh the works of God! an expression of admiration usual among the Persians By this time it was very late and the King growing sleepy gave us leave to depart which we did very willingly having had hard labour for seventeen hours together The next night the King fell a drinking again and there was in his presence an Agi or Pilgrim newly return'd from Mecca and consequently oblig'd never to drink Wine after that While this Agi staid there was one of the Persian Lords got so impertinently suddl'd that he twice struck the Agi's Turbant from his head refus'd to drink when the King commanded him play'd the fool with the Curtisans when they were dancing and committed so many other acts of folly that the King incens'd at such a continuation of Buffonry in a great fury This Rascal said he has lost all his respect and thinks he is no more my Slave drag him out by the feet and throw him to the Dogs to eat Immediately four or five of the King's Officers came and drag'd him out of the Hall by the feet and every body wonder'd he was not thrown to the Dogs according to the King's Command but 't is thought that some of the King's Women beg'd for him so that his punishment was chang'd There was one of the Curtisans that gave one of her Companions a box on the ear not in the King's presence but in the Gallery where they were drinking together However she did not strike so softly but that the King heard the noise of the blow Whereupon he commanded her that had giv'n the blow to be had before the Deroga or Judge of the Town whom he order'd to expunge her out of the number of Curtisans and to put another in her place that she should have a hundred Tomans giv'n her and that the Deroga should cause her to be marry'd The next day I waited on the King and receiv'd those Models which he had bespoke me to send into France They were the Patterns of certain Drinking-Cups and Trenchers with the Model of a Dagger drawn with his own hand for he had learnt to draw of a couple of Dutch-men that were in his Service The Dagger was to be Goldsmith work enamel'd When I had receiv'd his Instructions I took my leave of his Majesty and then going to wait upon the Nazar at his Country-house I took leave of him also who assur'd me of his affection upon all occasions and did me several kindnesses at my departure The End of the Fourth BOOK THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE PERSIAN TRAVELS OF MONSIEUR TAVERNIER BEING A Politick and Historical Description of PERSIA With the ROADS FROM ISPAHAN to ORMUS CHAP. I. The Genealogy of the Kings of Persia of the last Race AFter that Tamerlane had extended his
soft wax and sets in order upon a Table he will cast up an accompt very exactly Several other good qualities I admir'd in him and it griev'd me to see a man reduc'd to that miserable Condition only because he was of the blood Royal of Persia Though the Employments of the Kingdom generally fall from Father to Son yet the King if he pleases may bequeath the Governments of Provinces or any other dignities to any of his Goulams which are his Slaves if he find them capable and thinks they may be fit for his service The Father to leave the Employment to his Family labours by degrees to introduce his Son and to obtain the Survivorship for him But if the Father dye and leaves the Survivorship to an Infant there is generally a person of Age and Experience sent along with him Some there are also that obtain employments by presenting the Favourites at Court The State of Persia is distinguish'd like most of the European States into three Bodies The first is that of the Sword which answers to the Nobility and comprehends the Kings houshold the Kans and all the Souldiery The second is that of the Quill comprehending all those that belong to the Law and the Courts of Justice The third is compos'd of Merchants Handicrafts-men and Labourers CHAP. X. Of the first of the three Orders or States of Persia which comprehends the Kings Houshold the Kans or Governours of Provinces and the Souldiery THE Primier Minister of the Kingdom is call'd Athemadoulet or the support of Riches His office is the same with the Grand Vizir's in Turkie and may be compar'd to the ancient Mayors of the Palace in France In regard all the affairs of the Kingdom pass through his hands he ought to be rather a Gowoman then a Souldier and herein he only differs from the Grand Vizier who is always to be at the head of the Army and for every slight fault or distaste is subject to be strangl'd by the Grand Signior Whereas in Persia where the Government is milder the Prime Ministrers generally dye in their beds or if they are Depos'd they are only exil'd to some frontier City where they live as private men When the King is young the Prime Minister has a hard game to play for then the Favourite Eunuchs and the Sultanesles disannul and cancel in the night whatever orders he makes in the day time The Nazar or Seer has the charge of all the Kings goods of his breeds of horses of his moveables of his Cloaths and Plate much like the grand Master of the Kings House in France The Mehter who is always a white Eunuch is the first Gentleman of the Kings Chamber and follows the King with a kind of bag hanging by his side full of handkerchiefs And as he is always at the Kings elbow if he have the Kings ear it is easie for him to befriend or do unkindnesses as his inclination leads him During the minority of the King some of these Mehters have been known to govern the Kingdom The Mir-Akhor-Bashi or Grand Esquire has the Charge of the Kings Stables which as well as the Gate of Ali-Capri are a place of Refuge and whoever saves himself therein let it be for Murther or Debt is safe All the Horses in the Kings Stable are mark'd with a hot iron upon the left hip and those that belong to private persons upon the right Those that the King gives to them that serve in his Armies have the Kings mark and are not to be sold but they may be chaffer'd away If any of those Horses happens to dye in a Horse-mans hands he must flea off the Kings mark and carry it to the under Officers of the General of the Cavalry to have another otherwise he would be forc'd to buy another at his own expences Those people by laying the skin in the water know though by what art I cannot tell whither the Horse dy'd of age or sickness or whither he were malitiously kill'd For in times of Peace there are some Horsemen that will kill their Horses to save the Charges of keeping any more than themselves then at the next Muster they bring the skin of their Horse with the mark on to the Officers and get another unless they be found out Nor are their Horses only mark'd but their Scimitars Musquets Bows and Quivers all which they must shew to the Commissioners every Muster Sha-Abbas the second being at Casbin in the year 1654 took a general view of his Cavalry which lasted for ten or twelve days For the King sitting in the Portal of one of his Gardens with his Officers standing about him every day caus'd so many troopers to ride by him which were all stout active men and well mounted Every Souldier gallop'd singly by him and coming just under the King he shot an Arrow against a Butt of Turf that was thrown up upon his left hand and when the Muster was over the King advanc'd the Pay of every Horse-man who according to the sentence of the Judges had shot nearest the mark I was then at Casbin and I remember one Souldier who quite contrary to what the other Horse-men did walk'd his Horse along by the King and never shot but only lay'd his hand upon his brest and then upon his forehead which is the Ceremony of Salutation us'd by the King He was a very homely fellow with a flat tawny countenance so that his behaviour and his presence offending the King in a chafe he commanded that black rascal to be cashier'd out of his service Immediately they took away his Horse and his Arms and were going about to have drubb'd him but that the General of the Cavalry made them a sign to let him alone Immediately the General gave the King to understand that he was one of the best Souldiers in the Army as he had signally made it appear at the Sieges of Erivan and Candahar Upon that the King caus'd his Horse and Arms to be restor'd him again and commanded him to ride by him as the rest of the Souldiers had done When he came against the Butt instead of obeying the Kings command he turn'd his Horse to the right and left without saying a word The General fearing he would offend the King again bid him shoot What shall I shoot at Sir said he Against the place where all the rest have shot answer'd the General Then the Souldier shaking his head and smiling 'T is not my way said he to spend my Arrows against a wall for I know how to make use of 'em better against the body or head of the Enemies of my King I would then shoot thrice before another could shoot once At the same time he draws out two Arrows out of his Quiver one of which he held in his mouth and put the other to his bow and then setting spurs to his Horse he out-rid the Butt for the nonce to shoot backward which he did and hit the very middle
left-hand way is a dangerous passage and a kind of a continu'd Labyrinth among Rocks and Precipices The right-hand way which is the best is all upon the sand to Bander-Abassi and is usually a days journey You meet with two Inns by the way the last of which is call'd Bend-Ali built by the Sea-side From Ben-Ali to Bander-Abassi is but a little more then two leagues through a Countrey abounding in Palm-trees CHAP. XXIII Of the Island of Ormus and of Bander-Abassi ORmus is an Island in 92. d. 42. m. of Longitude and in 25. d. 30. m. of Latitude It lies at the mouth of the Persian Gulph two good Leagues from the firm Land There is neither tree nor herb that grows in it for it is all over cover'd with Salt which is very good and as white as snow And as for the black shining Sand-dust of Ormus it is very much us'd for standishes Before the Portugueses came to Ormus there was a City where the Kings of Ormus who were also Kings of Larr resided When the Portugals took it there were in it two young Princes Sons of the deceased King whom they carri'd into Spain Where in regard they were handsomely proportion'd though somewhat swarthy the King entertain'd them very kindly and gave them an honourable allowance One day that he had shew'd them the Escurial and all the chief pieces of Architecture in Madrid the King ask'd them what they thought of living in Spain To whom they answer'd that they had seen nothing but what was worthy admiration but then fetching a deep sigh and perceiving the King desirous to know the meaning of it they gave him to understand that it was for grief that they must never more sit under their own Tree For near to the City of Ormus was a Bannians tree being the only tree that grew in the Island The Portugals being masters of the Island from an ill-built City rear'd it to that hight of Magnificence which that Nation admires so that the very barrs of their doors and windows were all guilt The Fortress was a noble thing and in good repair and they had also a stately Church dedicated to the Virgin where they were also wont to walk For other place of promenading they had none Since the Persians took it the Castle indeed stands in good repair with a Garrison in it but the City is gone to ruine for the Dutch carried most of the stones away to build Battavia Between the Island of Ormus and the Continent the Sea is not very deep for the great ships that sail in and out of the Gulf pass by the other side of the Island As for the Fortress which stands upon a poynt of the Island it is almost encompass'd with the Sea and lyes right over against Persia. Bander Abassi so call'd because the great Sha-Abbas the first brought it into reputation is at present a City reasonably well built and stor'd with large warehouses over which are the lodgings of the Merchants While the Portugueses kept Ormus though they liv'd in the City all the trade was at Bandar-Abassi as being the most secure Landing-place upon all the Coast. About 15 years ago it was an op'n town but because it was an easie thing then to get into the Town and rob the Custome-house in the night it has bin since enclos'd with walls To this place come all the ships that bring Commodities from India for Persia Turkie or any part of Asia or Europe And indeed it would be much more frequented by the Merchants from all Regions and Countries But the Air of Bander is so unwholesome and so hot that no strangers can live there in probability of health unless it be in the months of December January February and March though the Natives of the Country may perhaps stay without prejudice to the end of April After that they retire to the cooler Mountains two or three days journey off for five or six months where they eat what they gain'd before They that venture to stay at Gomron during the hot weather get a malignant Fever which if they scape death is hardly ever cur'd However it bequeaths the yellow Jaundies during life to the party March being pass'd the wind changes and blowing at west south west in a short time it grows so hot and so stifling that it almost takes away a mans breath This wind is by the Arabians call'd El-Samiel or the poysonous wind by the Persians Bade-Sambour because it suffocates and kills presently The flesh of them that are thus stifl'd feels like a glewie fat and as if they had been dead a month before In the year 1632. riding from Ispahan to Bagdat I and four more Persian Merchants had bin stifl'd but for some Arabians that were in our Company For when they perceiv'd the wind they caus'd us to light lye down upon our bellies and cover our selves with our Cloaks We lay so for half an hour and then rising we saw our horses were in such a sweat that they were hardly able to carry us This happen'd to us two days journey from Bagdat But this is observable that if a man be in a Boat upon the water when the same wind blows it does no harm though he were naked at the same time Sometimes the wind is so hot that it burns like Lightning And as the Air of Gomron is so bad and dangerous the soil is worth nothing For it is nothing but Sand nor is the water in the Cisterns very good They that will be at the charge fetch their water from a fountain three leagues from Bander call'd the water of Issin Formerly there was not an herb to be seen but by often watering the ground Lettice Radish and Onions have begun to grow The People are swarthy and wear nothing about them but only a single shirt Their usual dyet is dates and fish Which is almost the dyet of their Cattel for when they come home from browsing the barren bushes they give them the heads and guts of their fish boyl'd with the kernels of the Dates which they eat The Sea of Bander produces good Soles good Smelts and Pilchards They that will have oysters must have 'em caught on purpose for the people eat none Upon Land they want neither for wine of Schiras nor Yesd nor for Mutton Pigeons and Partridge which are their ordinary dyet There are two Fortresses one upon the East the other toward the West The Town increases in trade and building and fills with inhabitants who build their houses with the remaining ruins of Ormus The reason why the Trade is settl'd rather at Bander Abassi then at Bander Congo where the Air is good and the Water excellent is because that between Ormus and Congo lie several Islands which make the passage for ships dangerous besides that the often change and veering of the wind is requir'd neither indeed is there water enough for a Vessel of 20 or 25 guns Then the way from Congo to Lar is very
gave him fifteen days Thereupon the King did go to the Treasury next morning according to Mahomet's desire and found all things in good order having heard before what became of the Scimitar From thence he went to Mahomet's House who made the King a mean Present For it is the custom that he whom the King honours with a Visit must make a Present to his Majesty After the King had receiv'd it he walk'd up and down and view'd the Chambers Halls Parlours and Rooms of State and wonder'd to see them so ill set out with plain Felts and course Carpets whereas in other Lords Houses a man could not set his Foot upon any thing but Cloth of Gold and Silk For the King as they had set the Nazar out expected to have found other things which made him admire at so great a Moderation in so high a degree of Honour Now at the end of a Gallery there was a Door lockt with three great Padlocks Of this the King took no notice whereupon the Meter who is the White Eunuch and chief of his Chamber as he came back shew'd the King the Door that was so strongly Padlock'd which made the King curious to have it open'd withal asking Mahomet what he had got there lock'd up with so much care Oh Sir said he it behoves me to keep that lockt for there is all the Estate I have in the World All that your Majesty has seen in this House is yours but all that is in that Chamber is mine and I dare assure my self your Majesty will be so gracious as never to take it from me Those words inflam'd the King's curiosity so that he commanded the Door to be open'd But he was strangely surpriz'd when he saw nothing more within than Mahomet's Sheep-hook that lay upon two Nails his Scrip wherein he us'd to put his Victuals his Bottle for his Water his Pipe and his Shepherd's Weeds all hanging against the Wall The Nazar beholding the King's astonishment at such a Sight Sir said he when the King Sha-Abas found me in the Mountain keeping Goats then that was all I had and he took nothing from me I beseech your Majesty that you would not deprive me of these things neither but rather if you please let me resume them again and fall to my old Calling The King touch'd at so high a piece of Virtuo caus'd himself to be disapparel'd and gave his Habit to the Nazar which is the greatest Honour that the King of Persia can bestow upon a Subject Thus Mahomet continu'd and dy'd honourably in his Employment This brave Person was the Protector of all the Franks in Persia and if any one had done them wrong upon complaint he did them Justice immediately One day as I was shooting Ducks upon the River of Ispahan near the Nazar's Gardens with two Servants some of the Nazar's people that did not know me set upon me and would have taken away my Gun which I would not let go till I had broke the Stock about the Shoulders of the one and flung the Barrel at the other 's Head Thereupon I took some of the Franks along with me and complain'd to the Nazar He testifi'd his sorrow for what had happen'd and gave us evident Proofs thereof by the blows which he caus'd to be laid upon those that had done me the injury Another time Sha-Sefi being upon his return from Guilan his Tents were set up near Zulfa in Armenia where the King staid to hunt two or three days Now among the rest of the Courtizans that follow'd the Court to divertise the King with Dancing and Mummery there was one who was perfectly handsom to whom the King had already sent Presents which could not be unknown to any Lord i' the Court. But the Nazar's Son for all that being in the heat of Youth got this Courtizan to his Tent and there lay with her which came to his Father's Ears next day The Nazar whether out of his zeal to the Ring or whether it were an effect of his prudence to prevent the King's anger which would have certainly been the death of his Son caus'd him to be drub'd after the manner of the Country and bastinado'd all over till the Nails of his Toes dropt off and that his Body was almost a perfect Gelly Which when the King understood together with the Young Man's Crime he said no more but that the Nazar had done wisely by punishing his Son himself to prevent his Justice But to return to the Road from Kerman to Ispahan The first day that I set out from Kerman at my Stage in the Evening I met with a rich Moullah who seeing I had Wine civilly offer'd me some of his Ice to cool it In retaliation I gave him some of my Bottle He invited me to his House which was well built with a handsom Garden with Water in it He entertain'd me with Spoon-meat according to the mode of the Country and when I took my leave he fill'd my Boracho with very good Wine The following days I saw nothing worthy observation the Country being as I have already describ'd it Yezd lyes in the Road almost in the mid-way between Kerman and Ispahan in 93 Deg. 15 Min. of Longitude and 13 Deg. 45 Min. of Latitude It is a great Town in the middle of the Sands that extend themselves for two Leagues round it so that when you leave Yezd you must take a Guide for upon the least Wind the Sand covers the Highway whereby a man may be apt to fall into Holes which seem to have been either old Cisterns or the Ruines of ancient Buildings Between the Town and the Sands there is a little good Soil which produces excellent Fruits but above all Melons of several sorts the Pulp of some is green of others yellow and vermilion and some there are the meat whereof is as hard as a Renneting There are also very good Grapes and good Wine but the Governour will not permit the Inhabitants to make Wine Some therefore they dry and of the rest they make a kind of Confection to cat with Bread There are also abundance of Figs which are large and well tasted They distil vast quantities of Rose-water and another sort of Water with which they dye their Hands and Nails red which they squeeze out of a certain Root call'd Hina There are three Inns i' th' City and several Bazars or Market-places cover'd and vaulted which are full of Merchants and Workmens Ware-houses They also make at Yezd several Stuffs of Silk intermix'd with Gold and Silver which they call Zerbaste and another sort of Stuff of all pure Silk call'd Daraï like our smooth strip'd Taffata's Other Stuffs they make half Silk half Cotton others all of Cotton like our Fustians They make also Serges of a particular Wool which is so fine and delicate that it looks handsomer and is much better than Silk Though I had nothing to do I staid in Yezd three days because I met with
every leaf they are like our Lilly's but much bigger And to drink the infusion of the Roots of these Lilly's especially those whose Leaves are blackest for fifteen days together is a most Soveraign remedy against the Pox. Not long after came a Person of a goodly Aspect who seem'd to be an Arabian but he spoke the Persian Language whom Solyman Kan had sent to Compliment the Ambassador He carry'd us to the Tent which the Governour had caus'd to be set up in a Garden near the Town where he also Lodg'd the Capuchins The Ambassador also sent to Compliment the Kan by my interpreter and when the hour was come that we were to set forward he gave order to six of the Captains of his Cavalry to accompany the Ambassador The House where the Governour liv'd in was one of the most beautiful in Persia. And as for the Governour himself we found him in a Gallery that look'd upon the Garden the Floor being all spread over with a Tapestry of Gold and Silk with large Cushions of Cloth of Gold all along the Wall After some Questions and discourse concerning the Affairs of Europe they serv'd in Supper which consisted of several Dishes but no Wine was to be had our drink being only Sherbet and the juice of Granates with Sugar for those that desir'd it We were a long time at Supper for 't is the custom of Persia that when one man rises another takes his place and falls too in so much that the Master of the Feast must have the Patience to stay 'till several have tak'n their turns and when every one has done the Cloth is tak'n away without any more to do Here the Ambassador committed an absurdity for there are no Silver or Gold Spoons in Persia but only long Wooden Ladles that reach a great way Now the Ambassador reaching his Ladle to a Purslane-Dish full of Pottage that was scalding hot clap'd it presently into his mouth but finding it so hot that he could not endure it after several scurvy faces he threw it out of his mouth again into his hand in the presence of all the Company After we had stay'd five days at Sneirne the Caravan-Bashi signifi'd his desire to pursue his Journey Thereupon the Ambassador took his leave of the Governour presenting him with a Watch and a pair of Pistols who in retaliation presented the Ambassador with a stately Horse and a Colt of two years old The next day we dislodg'd and pursu'd our Road to Amadan which is not above three days Journey from Sneirne Amadan is one of the largest and most considerable Cities of Persia seated at the foot of a Mountain where do arise an infinite company of Springs that water all the Country The Land about it abounds in Corn and Rice wherewith it furnishes the greatest part of the neighbouring Provinces Which is the reason that some of the Persian States-men hold it very inconvenient for the King of Persia to keep Bagdat as well by reason of the vastness of the Charge as also for that it draws from Amadan that which should supply other Provinces On the other side it is easie for the Grand Signor to hold it by reason of the neighbourhood of Mesopotamia Assyria and the Arabs Enemies to the Persians by which means Provisions are very cheap which the people would not know where to put off if the King of Persia were Lord of Bagdat We staid at Amadan about ten days by reason of the Rains during which time the Caravans cannot travel While we tarry'd there we were visited by several Babylonian Christians who were glad to see that we had escap'd the Clutches of the Basha of Bagdat who had giv'n order to the Basha of Karkou and the Bey of Sharassou that commands the Frontiers of Turkie to seize us and carry us back to Bagdat For which we might have thank'd the Ambassador and a malicious Rabbi that came along with us in the Caravan from Aleppo who finding the Feast of the Tabernacles to be at hand and that we had a great way to Ispahan left us at Niniveh to keep the Festival with the Jews of Babylon Where that he might insinuate himself into the Basha's favour he inform'd him that there was a Fringuiz in the Caravan whom he look'd upon as a Spy and that he was an Envoy into Persia from the Commonwealth of Venice for he carry'd no Merchandize but had three Chests full of rich Habits and several other things which he took for Presens to the Persian King For out of vanity or folly the Venetian had several times open'd his Chest and expos'd his Gallantry to view And yet he was so clutch-fisted and niggardly in every thing that when there was any occasion to reward the Kan's Servant or any of the Country-men that brought us the Dainties of the place it came all out of my Pocket So that I left him to my Interpreter and the two Capuchins and with three Servants and a Guide after I had staid at Amadan three days I took Horse for Ispahan When I came there the Nazar or Master of the King's Houshold hearing I had left an Ambassador behind me with the Caravan enquir'd of me what manner of Person he was but I pretended I had had little converse with him unwilling to discover his mean Spirit The Evening before his Arrival the Nazar sent to give the Fringuiz notice in the King's Name that they should be ready to go meet the Ambassador the next day which we did and brought him into the City and through Ali's Gate that joyns to the King's Palace Now 't is the custom for all Ambassadors to salute that Gate by reason of a white Marble Stone made like an Asses back and which serves for a Step being as they report brought anciently out of Arabia where Ali liv'd So soon as you have strid over that Stone without touching it which were a great crime you enter into a kind of a Gallery where there are Rooms on each side which serves for a Sanctuary for Criminals which the King himself cannot fetch out of that place That day that the new King receives his Ensigns of Royalty he goes to stride over that Stone and if by negligence he should chance to touch it there are four Guards at the Gate that would make a shew of thrusting him back again But now the Master of the Ceremonies being ready to conduct the Ambassador to the Apartment alotted him as an Ambassador that came from three great Monarchs and a potent Commonwealth he desir'd to lodge at the House of one Pietro Pentalet descended from Venetian Parents whereupon the Master of the Ceremonies conducted him thither and caus'd his Dinner to be brought him While we were eating I counted thirteen Languages spoken at the Table Latin French High-Dutch English Low-Dutch Italian Portuguez Persian Turkish Arabic Indian Syriac and Malaye which is the Language of the Learned that is spoken from the River Indus to China and
shall have it The twenty-sixth of September we departed from Erivan and the ninth of November we came to Tauris taking the ordinary Road. At Erivan two of my Servants the one a Watch-maker the other a Gold-smith dy'd I left them sick there but caus'd them to be buried in the Church-yard belonging to the Armenians One of them dy'd in fifteen days of a Gangrene which eat out his Mouth and Throat being the Disease of the Country Though had the Armenians known that one of them had been a Protestant they would never have allow'd him to have been bury'd in their Church-yard Here observe the exact justice wherewith the Persians preserve the Goods of Strangers For the Civil Judge hearing of the death of the Watch-maker caus'd his Chamber to be seal'd up to the end the Goods might be preserv'd for the kindred of the deceas'd if they came to demand them I return'd to Tauris a twelve-month after and found the Chamber close seal'd up We staid twelve days at Tauris during which time I resolv'd to attend the Kan of Shamaqui a frontler Town of Persia toward the Caspian Sea but I found him not there in regard it was Harvest season at what time he goes to gather the King's and his own Duties Two days journey on this side Shamaqui you pass the Aras and for two days journey you travel through a Country all planted with white Mulberry-Trees the Inhabitants being all Silk-Weavers Before you come to the City you must cross over several Hills But I think I should rather have call'd it a great Town where there was nothing remarkable but a fair Castle which the Kan built himself I speak of the time past For as I return'd from this present Voyage of which I now write when I came to Tauris I understood that there had happen'd such a terrible Earthquake in the Town as had laid all the Houses in a heap none escaping that dismal subversion but only one Watch-maker of Geneva and one more who was a Camel-driver I had several times design'd to return into France through Muscovy but I durst never adventure being certainly inform'd that the Muscovite never permitted any person to go out of Muscovy into Persia nor to come out of Persia into Muscovy So that it was by particular connivence that that favour was granted to the Duke of Holstein's Ambassadors This last time I was resolv'd to have try'd whether I could have open'd a Passage from Persia through Muscovy into France but the Ruine of Shamaqui deterr'd me We departed from Tauris the twenty-second of November from whence to Cashan we met with nothing considerable but only one of the Muscovite Ambassadors upon his return into his own Country with a small Retinue of sixty his Companion dying at Ispahan Upon Sunday the fourteenth of December taking Horse by three of the Clock in the morning the Ice bearing very well we came to Ispahan about noon but in regard it was slippery before day and very plashy after the Sun was up the Journey was both tedious and troublesom CHAP. III. The Road from Aleppo to Tauris through Diarbequir and Van. THere are two Roads more remaining to be describ'd one through the North part of Turkie the other through the South The first through Diarbequir and Van and so to Tauris the second through Anna and the small Desert leading to Bagdat I will describe the first of these Roads and make a skip at the first leap to Bi r whither I have already led you in the Road from Aleppo From Bi r or Beri you travel all along the River Euphrates to Cachemé From Cachemé you come to Milesara where you pay the Customs of Oursa when you do not pass through the City which amounts to four Piasters for every Horse-load From Milesara you come to the River Arzlan-chaye or the Lion River by reason of the rapidity of the Stream which falls into Euphrates From Arzlan-chaye you go to Seuerak This is a City water'd by a River that also falls into Euphrates It is environ'd with a great Plain to the North the West and South The way which the Horses Mules and Camels keep is cut through the Rock like a Channel two Foot deep where you must also pay half a Piaster for every Horse-load From Seuerak you come to Bogazi where there are two Wells but not a House near and where the Caravan usually lodges From Bogazi you come to Deguirman-Bogazi and from Deguirman-Bogazi to Mirzatapa where there is only an Inn. From Mirzatapa you come to Diarbequir which the Turks call Car-emu Diarbequir is a City situated upon a rising ground on the right side of Tigris which in that place forms a Half-moon the descent from the Walls to the River being very steep It is encompass'd with a double Wall the outward Wall being strengthned with sixty-two Towers which they report were built in Honour of the sixty two Disciples of JESUS CHRIST The City has but three Gates over one of which there is an Inscription in Greek and Latin that makes mention of one Constantine There are in it two or three fair Piazza's and a magnificent Mosquee which was formerly a Christian Church It is surrounded with very decent Charnel-houses near to which the Moullah's Dervi's Book-sellers and Stationers do live together with all those other people that concern the Law About a League from the City there is a Channel cut out of Tigris that brings the Water to the City And in this Water are all the red Marroquins wash'd that are made at Diarbequir surpassing in colour'all others in the East which Manufacture employs a fourth part of the Inhabitants of the City The Soil is very good and yields according to expectation there is excellent Bread and very good Wine nor is there any better Provision to be had in any part of Persia more especially there is a sort of Pigeons which in goodness excel all the several kinds that we have in Europe The City is very well peopl'd and it is thought there are in it above twenty thousand Christians The two thirds are Armenians the rest Nestorians with some few Jacobites There are also some few Capuchins that have no House of their own but are forc'd to lodg◠in an Inn. The Basha of Diarbequir is one of the Viziers of the Empire He has but an inconsiderable Infantry which is not much requisite in that Country the Curds and Arabs which infest that Country being all Horse-men But he is strong in Cavalry being able to bring above twenty thousand Horse into the Field A quarter of an hours riding on this side Diarbequir there is a great Town with a large Inn where the Caravans that go and come from Persia rather choose to lye than at Diarbequir in regard that in the City-Inns they pay three or four Piasters for every Chamber but in the Country-Inns there is nothing demanded At Diarbequir you cross the Tigris which is always fordable unless when the Snow
arriv'd upon Easter-eve and as we enter'd into the City the great Guns went off round the City in honour of the Resurrection At Rome we all separated according as our Business led us CHAP. VI. Another Road from Constantinople to Ispahan by the Euxin or Black Sea with some Remarks upon the principal Cities thereabouts THere are three Roads yet remaining leading out of Europe into Persia or the Indies That of Constantinople all along the Coasts of the Black Sea that of Warsovia crossing the same Sea at Trebisond and that of Mosco down the Volga which has been amply describ'd by Olearius Secretary to the Embassy of the Duke of Holstein In this and the next Chapter I shall describe the Way from Constantinople all along the Black Sea and that from Warsovia not knowing any person that has hitherto mention'd any thing upon this subject And first of all I will give a short Description of the principal Places that lye upon that Sea as well upon the side of Europe as of Asia with the just distances of one Place from another The principal Cities upon the Black Sea on the Coast of Europe From Constantinople to Varna they count it two hundred Miles four of which make an Alman League miles 200 From Varna to Balshinké miles 36 From Belshinké to Bengali miles 70 From Bengali to Constance miles 60 From Constance to Queli miles 25 Near to this City of Queli the great Arm of Danow throws it self into the Black Sea Here is the grand Fishery for Sturgeon From Queli to Aquerman miles 50 The City of Aquerman belongs to a Kan of the lesser Tartary but it is not the place of his residence for he keeps his Court at Basha-Serrail twenty-five miles up in the Land From Aquerman to Kefet or Kaffa miles 350 This is a great City and a place of great Trade wherein there are above a thousand Families of the Armenians and about five hundred Greeks They have every one their Bishop and several Churches St. Peter's is the biggest very large and very beautiful but it falls to decay because the Christians have not Wealth enough to repair it Every Christian aboue fifteen years of age pays a Piaster and a half tribute to the Grand Signor who is Lord of the City and he sends a Bashae that lives in the ancient City call'd Frink-Hessar However the Kan of the Lesser Tartary extends his Jurisdiction as far as the Gates of Kaffa From Kaffa to Assaque miles 70 Assaque is the last City in Europe belonging also to the Grand Signor By it runs a great River of the same name the other side being in the Territories of the Duke of Muscovy Down this River come the Cossacks that do so much mischief to the Turks For sometimes they come with threescore or fourscore Gelia's which are a kind of Brigantines the bigger sort of which carry a hundred and fifty men the less a hundred Sometimes they divide themselves into two parts one of which makes Havock toward Constantinople the other Ravages the Coast of Asia as far as Trebizond The Coast of Europe bord'ring upon the Black Sea is 861 miles in length The chief Cities upon the Black Sea on the Coast of Asia which is 1170 miles in length From Constantinople to Neapoli miles 250 In this City are made the greatest part of the Galleys and Vessels that belong to the Grand Signor From Neapoli to Sinabe miles 250 From Sinabe to Ouma miles 240 From Ouma to Kerason miles 150 From Kerason to Trebisond miles 80 From Trebisond to Rise miles 100 From Rise to Guni miles 100 The City of Guni belongs half to the Grand Signor and half to the King of Mengrelia with whom he keeps a good Correspondence because the greatest part of the Steel and Iron that is spent in Turkie comes out of Mengrelia through the Black Sea The only good Ports upon the Black Sea from Constantinople to Mengrelia are Quitros Sinabe or Sinope Onnye Samsom Trebisond Gommé The Haven of Quitros is very deep and the Vessels lie shelter'd from the winds but the entrance into it is very bad which only the Pilots of the place or they who have often accustom'd themselves to that Trade can only find out It seems that anciently there had been most stately Buildings round about the Port and several noble Pillars are to be seen all along the shore not to speak of those which have been Transported to Constantinople Near the City toward the South stands a high Mountain whence there flows good store of excellent Water which at the bottom gathers into one Fountain To go from Constantinople for Persia by Sea you must embark at Constantinople for Trebisond and many times for Rise or Guni which are more to the North. They that Land at Trebisond go directly to Erzerom which is not above five days Journey off and from Erzerom to Erivan or Tunis But there are few that will venture upon this Sea where there is no good Anchorage besides that it is subject to prodigious Tempests from which there are very few good Ports to defend them which is the reason it is call'd Cara-denguis or the Black Sea The Eastern people giving to all things mischievous and dangerous the Epithet of Black They that are Bound for Rise or Guni go to Testis the Capital City of Giorgia and thence to Erivan for though the way be bad yet it is far better and smoother than the Road to Tauris The principal places from Teflis to Erivan are these together with their respective distances From Teflis to Soganlouk leagues 3 From Soganlouk to Senouk-kupri leagues 7 From Senouk-kupri to Guilkac leagues 7 From Guilkac to Daksou leagues 6 From Dakson to Achikent leagues 6 From Achikent to Dillou leagues 6 From Dillou to Yazegi leagues 6 From Yazegi to Bicheni leagues 4 From Bicheni to Erivan leagues 2 From Erivan you keep the ordinary Road to Tauris CHAP. VII The Road from Warsow to Ispahan over the Black Sea and from Ispahan to Mosco with the Names of the principal Cities and Islands of Turky according to the vulgar pronunciation and as they are call'd in the Language of the Turks FRom Warsow upon the left hand of the Vistula the ordinary residence of the Kings of Poland to Lublin days 6 From Lublin to Iluove days 5 There all the Bales are open'd and the Customers take Five in the Hundred for their Merchandize From Iluove to Jaslovieer days 12 This is the last City of Poland toward Moldavia where if you sell any quantity of Goods you must pay Five per Cent. From Jaslovieer to Yashé days 8 This is the Capital City of Moldavia and is the Residence of the Vaywood which the Grand Signor sends to govern in the Country There they open all the Bales and there is a Roll of what every Merchant ought to pay which may amounts to Five per Cent. From Yashé to Ourshaye days 3 This is the last City of Moldavia
yields very good Turpentine Of the ISLAND of NAXIS THere is not one Port belongs to this Island the Vessels that are Bound thither for Trade being forc'd to stay in the Haven of the Isle of Paros call'd Derion six miles from Naxis which is one of the best Havens in the Archipelago able to contain a thousand Ships There are the ruines of a Wall still to be seen that made a Mole where four or five Galleys might ride There are also the ruines of several Houses of the ancient Dukes the Stables standing almost whole all Arch'd and built of Marble These Dukes were also Lords of twelve other Islands As for the Island it self it is well stor'd with Villages and has three good Cities Barequa Qüsa and Falet Near this Island within a stones throw there is a curious piece of Antiquity still to be seen It is a flat Rock as big about in compass as the ancient Court of the Louvre In the middle of this Rock it was that the Temple of Bacchus was built all of Marble of which there is nothing but the Foundations that remain The Gate is still standing made of three Stones whereof two make the sides and the third lies across From the Isle to this Rock there is a fair Stone Bridge of Free-stone upon each side whereof are to be seen the Pipes that convey'd the Wine into the Temple that was drank at the Feast of Bacchus Naxis also is the Island that produces the best Emeril As to the Inhabitants themselves if the Husband or Wife happens to dye the Survivor never stirs out of the House in six Months after upon any business how urgent soever no not to hear Mass. There are both Latins and Greeks in the Island but the latter are the most numerous There is a Latin Arch-bishop and Canons belonging to the Metropolitan Church with two Religious Houses one of Capuchins and the other of Jesuites The Greeks also have their Arch-bishop The Island of Naxis is sixscore miles in compass being one of the fairest and pleasantest Islands in the Archipelago The ancient Dukes made it their residence whence they command the greatest part of the Cyclades There is great plenty of White Salt made in Naxis and it produces excellent Wine both White and Claret which caus'd the Inhabitants to build a Temple to Bacchus who according to their ancient Tradition chose that Island for his Habitation The Island produces excellent Fruits feeds great store of Cattle and abounds in several other things necessary for human support There are also in it large Woods full of small Deer and frequented by a great number of Eagles and Vultures Here follow the names of the Cyclades as the people of the Country pronounce them 1. Deloa or Sdilis 2. Giaroa 3. Andros 4. Paros 5. Nicaria 6. Samoa 7. Pathmoa 8. Olearoa 9. Sitino 10. Rhena 11. Miconoa 12. Tenoa or Tino 13. Sciroa or Sira 14. Subiuma 15. Syphnus or Sifante 16. Nixcia 17. Chios or Scio. 18. Astypalea 19. Amorgus or Amorgo Of the Islands of Zea of Milo of Paros and other Islands of the Archipelago ZEA is an Island wherein there is nothing remarkable and from whence there is nothing to be Exported but Valanede to dye Leather withall Neither are there any Goods Imported into it but what the Pirates bring in which are very few in regard the Islanders are careful to provide themselves otherwhere Milo affords nothing but Millstones to grind Wheat which are carry'd to Constantinople Paros where there is no Trade neither has nothing remarkable in it but one Greek Church very well built all of Marble call'd Our Lady's Church As for the Islands of Sifante and Miconoa in regard there is nothing of Trade in either but only with the Pirates who sometimes touch there if there be any Consuls that live there it is only to buy their stol'n Goods Of the City of Athens Corinth Patras Coron and Modon THE City of Athens is about four miles distant from the Sea and contains two and twenty thousand Inhabitants twenty five thousand Greeks five or six thousand Latins and a thousand Turks Among all the Antiquities that yet remain those in the Castle are the best preserv'd The Castle stands upon a Hill upon the North descent whereof some part of the City stands It encloses a very fair and spacious Temple built all of white Marble from the top to the bottom supported by stately Pillars of black Marble and Porphiry In the front are great Figures of Armed Knights ready to encounter one another Round about the Temple except upon the Roof which is all of flat Marble Stones well order'd are to be seen all the famous Acts of the Greeks in small carving every Figure being about two foot and a half high Round about the Temple runs a fair Gallery where four persons may walk a-brest It is supported by sixteen Pillars of white Marble upon each of the sides and by six at each end being also pav'd and cover'd with the same Stone Close to the Temple stands a fair Palace of white Marble which now falls to decay Below the Castle and at the point of the City toward the East stand seventeen Pillars the remainder of three hundred where anciently they say stood the Palace of Theseus first King of the Athenians These Pillars are of a prodigious bigness every one eighteen foot about They are proportionable in height but not all of a piece being thwarted most of them by Stones of white Marble one end whereof rests upon one Pillar and the other upon that which follows it which was the support of the whole building Upon the Gate which is yet entire are to be seen these words upon the front without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The City of Athens was assuredly the City of Theseus Within-side of the same City these other words are Engrav'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The City of Athens is the City of Adrian and not of Theseus There are in Athens several other pieces of Antiquity which are well worthy to be seen Corinth which formerly made such a noise in the world is now a Village of some five or six and twenty houses but all of them the Habitations of rich Greeks The Town lies at the foot of the Castle which is seated upon an inaccessible Rock guarded by the Greeks commanded by an Aga. Corinth Exports great quantities of Currants Patras does the same which is all the Trade of those two places Coron and Modon drive a Trade in Sallet-Oyl which is so good and so plentiful that several English Dutch and other Ships are load'n away with it from thence every year There are Consuls in Athens Patras Coron Modon and Napoli of Romania The Athenian Merchants buy up Tissues Velvets Satins and Cloth with which they serve other Countries adjoyning The Commodities which Foreigners export from thence are Silks Wool Sponges Wax Cordivan-Leather and Cheese Which is all that can be said in few words of the Trade
Villages as Doors and Windows fitted to be hung up Window-frames Locks and other things of that nature Upon that day also they sell Mules Horses Camels and Asses which brings a great confluence of people from all parts Upon the West side where stands the Gate of the Palace and Ali's Gate between the Canal and the Portico's are rang'd some seventy Pieces of Cannon upon their Carriages These Guns together with the Sun-Dial were brought from Ormus by the Great Sha-Abas of which the English ought to have had their share for without their assistance he never could have tak'n the Town From the corner of that Front which touches upon the Eastern Front of the Mosquee in the middle are all Sadlers Shops and from that Mosquee to another corner that touches upon the Western Front live the Book-sellers Book-binders and Trunk-makers In the middle of the Southern Front stands a Portal with a Tower upon each side which leads to a Mosquee the Gate whereof is cover'd all over with Plates of Silver and is certainly the neatest Portal and fairest Entrance into any Mosquee of Persia. At the other end of the same Front where it joyns to that upon the West there is a great Portal that leads to a false Gate of the King's Palace near to which as soon as you are enter'd you meet with the Apartment of the Great Treasurer who is a white Eunuch and having the Keys of the Chamber where the Money lyes takes care to pay what-ever the King orders him Through that false Gate all the King's Provisions are carry'd into the Palace This way also enter they that are entertain'd for the Manufactury of the King's Tissues Silks Sattins Coverlets and the like In the same Enclosure also the Franks who are under the King's Wages and live at Zulpha come every day to work as also all the most particular and eminent Artists that the King hires The Western Front which makes one of the two lengths of the Meydan is thus appointed from the Southern angle that touches the Trunk-maker's quarter live all your Pedlers that sell all the small Commodities of Norimberg and Venice As for the King's Palace I cannot make any handsom description of it in regard there is nothing of Beauty either in the Building or in the Gardens I think I have been as far in the House as a man could go every time I was sent for by His Majesty but excepting only four Rooms which they call Divans I saw nothing but pitiful low Galleries and so narrow that hardly two men could pass a-brest in ' em In one of those Galleries I had audience of the King in the Garment of Honour which he had bestow'd upon me But in regard I have spok'n of two of them in another place and that the other two are much alike both Building and Furniture I shall say no more of them here From the King's Palace Gate to Haly's Gate live the Goldsmiths Lapidaries and Gravers of Stones for Seals Haly's Gate is a plain Gate naked of Work of which I have already spok'n Between Haly's Gate and the other angle of the same Western Front stands a great Gate which leads into a Bazar where all the Armenians that live at Zulfa keep their Shops and sell all sorts of Cloth that comes out of Europe and other the choicest Wares of Persia. At the end of that Bazar stands a fair Inn two Stories high which the Mother of Sha-Abas the second caus'd to be built In the middle stands a great Fountain with four great Gates which lead into four other Inns. Here by the way let me give a Traveller and a Trader in Persia this advice that if his Goods be not very heavy he never hire a low Chamber as being three times dearer than those above For the Chambers which the Sun lies upon most in the Summer are the Chambers which cost least Not but all the Chambers in the Inn are Tax'd at the same rate by the King but the Host for his profit will find some pretence or other to raise his price pretending those Chambers be hir'd already which you desire especially if they be corner Chambers which are the largest and most commodious And indeed without this collusion Chambers would be very cheap The best convenience of those Inns is that a man is more secure in one of them then in a private House For there if it happ'n that a piece of Goods be stol'n or that your Chapman prove insolvent for Goods bought the Inn-keeper is to make all good being by the Law to receive so many blows a day 'till he pays the sum demanded The Merchant also gives two in the hundred for every thing that he sells and when the Market is done they presently go to the Host who sets down in his Book the quality of his Goods and the names both of buyer and seller If he knows not the buyer he is bound to go and enquire after him and if he be not solvent the Merchant takes his Goods again Sometimes the Merchant to save the two in the hundred combines with the Purchaser to carry away some of his Goods without the knowledge of the Host which is done by greasing his Deputies fist who will presently shut his Eyes But then if the Purchaser proves insolvent the Merchant dares not complain because his Goods are not Register'd in the King's Book whom he has defrauded of his Custom No less secure are the Bazars or Market-places where the Merchants shut up their Shops very slightly the Bazars being strongly guarded both within and without all night long As for the petty Stalls in the Meydan every one puts up his Ware in a Box Padlock'd up and then lay them down at one end of the place one by another As for the course sort of Ware as Tents Cords Ropes and such other things they only heap them under a large Coverlet fasten'd at the four corners by four sticks for the Meydan also is as strongly guarded as the Bazar Between Haly's Gate and that which leads to the Bazar where the Armenians keep their Shops live all those that deal in Russia Leather making Borachio's to tye under the Horses Bellies little Buckets and Furniture for Horse-men as also Bowyers Fletchers and Forbishers From the last Gate to the end of the Gallery live all the Druggists and Apotheearies At the Angle upon the two fronts upon the East and North there is a Gate that leads to the Great Bazar next to that live only your Sails-men that sell whole Habits for men as Shirts Sheets Hose and the like There be also those that sell Leather Shooes for men and women which Shooes are always worn by persons of quality Out of this Bazar you go into another full of men that work in Copper such as make Pots Plates and other Utensils for the Kitchin Here also live those that make Files and the blades of Sythes The rest of the Bazar is possess'd by Dyers of Calicut and
Jesus Christ for which he was going to dye Another time an Armenian Merchant coming from the Indies to Grand Cairo went to the Coffee-house according to custom being a rendesvous of all the Merchants in the Town There falling into discourse by reason of the heat of the weather he took off his Bonnet made after the Armenian fashion of divers Colours and laid it behind him keeping his black Cap only upon his head When the Moullah came about to hasten the people to go away according to the custom which I have already declar'd the Armenian hastily rising up a Turk concealing the Merchant's Bonnet clap'd his own Bonnet upon his head Upon that all the Turkish Merchants that were there came and congratulated the Armenian Merchant telling him how glad they were to see that he had embrac'd the good Law At which words the Armenian surpriz'd takes off the Turbant throws it to the Ground before all the Company and stamp'd it under foot This action of contempt so enrag'd the Turks that they carry'd him before the Basha before whom it was in vain to justifie himself or to affirm that the Turbant was malitiously put upon his head for the Turks swore the contrary and that he took it of his own accord and therefore he must either turn Turk or dye for it Upon his refusal they put him in Prison and in a few days the sentence was brought him from the Mufti and Cadi that he must either turn or be burnt alive The severity of the sentence overpower'd him at first to embrace the Mahumetan Law But four or five years after returning from the Indies to Cairo he came where the Basha was sitting in Council with the Grandees of the Country and getting as near the Mufti as he could and throwing his Turbant in his face There Dog said he Thou wert the cause that I have worn it so long of which I have repented and do repent from the bottom of my heart for I know that neither thou nor thy Law are worth a Straw At the same time the croud laid hold of him and drag'd him to the Piazza where he dy'd in the midst of the flames with an admirable constancy A rich Merchant of Zulpha call'd Cotgia Soultenon was so well belov'd by Sha-Sefi that he often went to Dine at his house But one day it fell out that the King having eat and drank to excess upon his return home fell crop-sick upon which the report ran that the Armenian had poyson'd him Which report coming to his ears fearing least the King should dye and himself be put to cruel Torments he took a dose of Poyson and dy'd Which when the King who was well again the next day understood he was very much troubl'd for his death The same Cotgia Soultenon had a Cafer sent him from Melinda for a Slave who being young and very apprehensive soon learnt the Persian and Turkish Languages and was instructed in the Christian Religion and Christen'd by the name of Huzod or Joseph After his Master's death he turn'd Mahumetan and so continu'd twenty years At the end whereof returning to Zulpha he beg'd pardon of the Church and all the rest of his days so crucify'd himself with Fasting that every one pitty'd him and when the Armenian Bishops told him he had done well he made no other answer but that he was not worthy to live upon the Earth who had deny'd his Saviour only he hop'd that he would have mercy upon him and so continu'd his austere penance 'till he dy'd CHAP. XV. Of the Author's reception at the Court of Persia in his sixth and last Voyage and what he did there during his stay at Ispahan IArriv'd at Ispahan the 20 th of December 1664. So soon as the Nazar was inform'd of my arrival he sent the Kelonter or chief of the Armenians with seven or eight more to congratulate my arrival and to assure me of all the kind Offices he could do me The next day he sent the same Armenians with four Horses and to tell me that the King had a desire to see what I had brought for which purpose the Kelonter had order to furnish me with men Thereupon I took Horse accompany'd by all the Franks that were at Zulpha When I came to Court I was brought into the place where all the great Ambassadors had audience where I found attending the Nazar and Father Raphael superior of the order of the Capuchins ready to deliver me my Box of Jewels which I had left with him in the Covent for more security After I had expos'd my Goods upon a fair Table cover'd with a Carpet of Gold and Silver and that the Nazar had dispos'd every thing in order with his own hand the King enter'd attended only by three Eunuchs for his Guard and two old men whose office it was to pull off his Shooes when he goes into any Room spread with Gold and Silk Carpets and to put them on again when he goes forth The King had nothing on but a single pair of Drawers of Taffata chequer'd red and white which came half way the Leg his feet being bare a short Cassock that came but half way his body with a large Cloak of Cloth of Gold with hanging-sleeves down to the Ground furr'd with Sable Martin The first thing I shew'd was a large Candlestick of Chrystal of the Rock the richest piece of that nature that ever was seen The next was a suit of Tapestry hangings held up by several men as I had appointed The Nazar then caus'd me to advance and do my obeysance to the King who presently knowing my Face again Oh said he to the Nazar This is the Fringui Aga who sold me so many Rarities about six years ago when Mahomet Beg was Athemadoulet After that the Nazar shew'd him all my Rarities as they lay in order Among the rest I besought His Majesty by Frier Raphaël to accept of a great Steel Mirror which when he look'd in he wonder'd to see his Face so big But when Frier Raphael had told him the nature of it he caus'd it to be held to one of his Eunuchs which had a monstrous Hawk Nose the sight whereof held him in laughter and divertisement for above a quarter of an hour After that the King retir'd leaving me alone with the Nazar and Friar Raphel As for my Jewels I put them up my self and had a place assign'd me to Lock them up and keep the Key but for my large pieces of Goldsmiths work the Nazar committed them to the trust of one of the principal Officers of the House The next day early in the morning the Nazar sent for me and Father Raphael and made his Secretary write down the price of every thing according to his demands He had also his own Artists to prize them but that I did not value in regard I knew the price much better then they After he had shew'd the Jewels price and all to the King we were
several times before we could agree but at length he told me that the King would give me Twenty-five in the Hundred profit for all the Stones leaving me the Pearls which he thought I might put off at a better price in the Indies which was an offer I could not refuse and therefore I sign'd the Agreement according to the Nazar's desire Which when his Majesty had seen he bid the Nazar tell me I should be his Jeweller in Ordinary and that for my sake all the Franks should be the better us'd within his Territories and that I should have any favour of him that I desir'd I besought his Majesty to give me his Patent with his Seal affix'd whereby I might be priviledg'd to Trade in his Dominions without paying Custom for such and such Merchandize and in in such manner as I should think fitting I also besought him graciously to grant his Protection to a Nephew of mine whom I had left at Tauris to learn the Language that he might be serviceable to his Majesty when I was dead and gone Thereupon he caus'd my Nephew to be enrol'd presently as one of his Domestick Servants and order'd the Nazar to take particular care of him The next day after my agreement with the Nazar the King gave audience in the great Hall of the Palace to the Ambassador of the Vsbeck-Tartars All the Lords and Officers of the Crown stood in the Court where the Ambassador was to pass there were also nine stately Horses whose Furniture was very rich and all different Two Harnesses were cover'd with Diamonds two with Rubies two with Emralds two with Turquoises and one embroider'd with fair Pearls Had he been an Ambassador from a Monarch for whom the King of Persia had had a greater esteem than he had for the Cham of Tartary there had been thirty Horses for according to the value which the King puts upon the Prince that sends to him he either augments or abates of the number of his Horses of State Every Horse is ty'd by the Reins to a Nail of Gold fasten'd in the Ground with a Hammer of Gold lying by There was another Nail of Gold behind with a Cord ty'd to it that held their hinder legs They set also before every Horse a Caldron of Gold out of which they draw up Water into a great Manger though all this be only for State for they never water their Horses in that place Out of the first Court the Ambassador enter'd into a large Gallery between a long File of Musqueteers on each side Thence he enter'd into a Garden through an Alley about eight Fathom broad all pav'd with great Marble Stones in the middle of which runs a Channel of Water four Foot wide with several Water-works that spurted out of the Channel at equal distances On each side of the Walk to the Hall where the King sat there is a Pond almost as long as the Walk and in the middle of the Pond another sort of Water-works Several Officers of the Army were rang'd all along the Alley and at the end of one of the Ponds were four Lions ty'd and at the end of the other three Tigers couchant upon Carpets of Silk having Men to guard them with Half-pikes in their hands The Hall took up more ground in length then in bredth being op'n every way the Cieling was sustain'd by sixteen wooden Pillars of eight pannels every one and of a prodigious thickness and height As well the Cieling as the Pillars were all painted with Foliage-work in Gold and Azure with certain other Colours mix'd therewith In the middle of the Hall was a Vase of excellent Marble with a Fountain throwing out Water after several manners The Floor was spread with Gold and Silk Carpets made on purpose for the place and near to the Vase was a low Scaffold one Foot high twelve Foot long and eight wide cover'd with a magnificent Carpet Upon this Scaffold sate the King upon a four-square Cushion of Cloth of Gold with another Cushion behind him cover'd with the same set up against a great Tap'stry-Hanging wrought with Persian Characters containing the Mysteries of the Law On each side of the King stood several Eunuchs with Musquets in their hands The King commanded the Athemadoulet and four others to sit down by him and the Athemadoulet made me a sign to sit down but the King knowing how little the Franks care for sitting cross-leg'd order'd me to be told that I might stand upright if I thought good The King was clad in a Silk streak'd with Gold His Cloak was a Gold-ground with Flowers of Silk and Silver Furr'd with a Martin Sable the blackest and most glist'ring that ever was seen His Girdle was very rich and upon his Bonnet he wore a plume of Herons Feathers fasten'd with a transparent Jewel in the middle of the Jewel was a Pear-fashion'd Pearl set with great Topaze's and Rubies About half an hour after the King was sat the Nazar and the Master of the Ceremonies brought the Ambassador who neither himself nor any of his Train were very well clad and caus'd him to stay at the foot of the steps into the Hall from the Garden When the Ambassador had ascended the steps he prostrated himself before the King then advancing nine or ten paces he did the same again after which the Master of the Ceremonies caus'd him to sit down leaving between him and the King space enough for eight men After that I observ'd that the Nazar went often between the King and the Ambassador and between the Ambassador and the King but I could not tell what they said So that I being by that time quite tyr'd made my obeysance to the King and went home to my Lodging The next day the Nazar signify'd to me that it was the King's pleasure to favour me with a compleat Calaat or Habit of Honour and to pay me my money This is y e God worthy to be praisd The Kingdome belongs to God The God of Mercy to y e Compassionate O Mahomet OHaly y e God most high the Prophets These great Caracters with those y t are upon the side of the names of the 12 Prophets signifie To the Name of God God who is the aid of Mahomet The King who has all power Severat Iafar Elfeteseni Elmoussi These are the names of the four Prophets that haue followed the Doctrine of Haly. This Containe y e Names of y e 12 Prophets without their surnames Aly Hassen Hossein Alizein Maham Iafar Moussa Alj Mahomet Haly Hassen Mahomet That which is under the Names of the 12 Prophets signifies as follows He who at this time enjoyes y e Kingdome The Victorious Abas the second this is y t. w ch is on y e. Kings seale Mahomet Methi son of Habi Bala of the race of Sophi This is y t. w ch is Contein'd in y e seale of the Aemadoulet or first Minister of State y e seale in the Originall is sett
sent him to Prison Eight days after the King who had a great love for him and therefore troubl'd that he must be constrain'd to put him to death unless he would turn Mahumetan sent for him again and offer'd him two thousand Tomans after a powerful perswasion by words but all signify'd nothing Upon that he sent him back again to Prison But yet remembring that he had once approv'd the fact he sent for Ralph a second time and offer'd him ten thousand Tomans and a Wise out of his Haram with all her Jewels all which Ralph refus'd with the same resolution as before The King incens'd at the fierceness of his resolution deliver'd him to the Brother of the party slain to execute the Law upon him The Holstein Embassadors were resolv'd to have beg'd his life but the Athemadoulet smelling their design would not permit them Audience However the King commanded all the Franks and all the Armenian Clergy to be present at the Execution to save all his blood and put him in a Coffin he commanded also that he should be buried at Zulpha in the Armenian Church-yard and have a Tomb made over him Thereupon Ralph was lead to the Meidan with that triangular Instrument of Wood which the Persians call a Palenk about his neck This Palenk was the cause that the Brother of the deceas'd who was to be the Executioner not only miss'd his first blow but wounded himself in the Leg while his Skain being born off by one of the sides of the triangular Instrument by the force of the blow lighted upon himself Whereupon the people making a great shout hinder'd farther execution for that time The King being advertis'd thereof remanded him to Prison and after a few days sent for him a third time into his presence but though the King offer'd him a thousand Tomans and that the Lords urg'd him to turn though it were but for a while and in outward appearance yet neither threats nor promises could move the Zurickian who was thereupon executed at the end of October 1637. All the Franks willingly contributed to raise him a Tomb which was cover'd with a small Duomo supported with four Pillars ten or twelve foot high The Armenians have made him a Saint so that when they are sick of a Feaver they come and make their devotions at this Tomb and every time they come they carry away a piece of a Stone so that the Tomb wants repairing every year The Athemadoulet to the end the King might be the less sensible of the want of him had told the King that his Majesty would find no great miss of him in regard he had a Servant who was almost as good as himself But some few days after the Kings Watch that he always carry'd about him being out of order and Ralphs Apprentice not being able to remedy the fault the King for madness that he had been the Watchmakers death threw the Watch at the Athemadoulets head There cry'd he Dog as thou art by thy advice I put Ralph to death the most skilful man of his Profession that ever will come into my Kingdom Thou deservest for thy counsel to have thy belly ript up But I swear by my Throne that from this time forward I will never put a a Christian to death for his Religion And I question whether any of you would have had the same courage to have dy'd for the Law of Haly. And indeed they have been very cautious ever since nor has any of the Franks been put to death though they have flown out before the King in words and actions rash enough CHAP. V. Of some particulars under the Reign of Sha-Abbas the second SHa-Abbas the second Son of Sha Sefi was no less cruel then his Father and would be no less punctually obey'd He had two Sisters which he marri'd to two of the richest Lords of his Kingdom though of a very mean extraction Some time after the King understanding that they were both with-Child order'd Physick to be given them to destroy the fruit of their Wombs About three months after he was told that they were big again then he suffer'd 'em to be brought to bed but commanded that they should not give the Children any nourishment but let 'em starve to death The same Sha Abbas caus'd the tongue of one that fill'd him Tobacco to be cut out for a word spok'n idly For the King calling for Tobacco one of the Pages ran hastily for it to him that had it in charge and bid him dispatch who answer'd him briskly Gehennemé sabreijlé that is to Hell have a little patience The King being inform'd of it commanded his tongue to be cut out The poor man desir'd him that was the Executioner to cut it as deep as he could in his throat and to leave it very short by which means he spoke some words muffling The people cry'd out against the Nazar who being a person of low extraction and advanc'd to that high dignity in a short time grew so proud that he contemn'd all the Lords of the Court. There was no dealing with him about any business unless he were first presented and he paid no body without making some advantage of it Every body had reason to complain yet no person knew how to come at the King to make their complaints At length they bethought themselves of making their application to two black Eunuchs who had the Kings ear in the night One was call'd Aga-Saron who was the Meter or Master of the Wardrobe and the other Aga-Kafour or high Treasurer These two Eunuchs seeing the King in a good humour one night let fall certain words concerning the Nazar and his management of affairs and thence slid into a discourse of His injustice that caus'd the people to cryout against him and speak evil of his Government Now it happen'd one morning that the King intending to go a hunting the Grand Master who had always a large train attending him coming to the Kings Tent the Meter deny'd him entrance About the same time the King came forth and seeing the Nazar commanded his Officers to take off the Bonnet from the head of that Dog that took Gifts from his people and that he should sit three days bareheaded in the heat of the Sun and as many nights in the Air. Afterwards he caus'd him to be chain'd about the neck and arms and condemn'd him to perpetual imprisonment with a Mamoudy a day for his maintenance but he dy'd for grief within eight days after he was put in prison Jafer-Kan being a generous Lord and one that kept a magnificent train was Governour of Asterabat At first he was very mild but at last he began to exact such sums from the people that his oppressions were very heavy nor were these violences of his conceal'd from the Kings ear who being one day drinking with some of his Lords and seeing the Master of his Musick in the Room who was a merry droll and had always some
Rock We inform'd him of the cause of our coming telling him that we had some commodities that were rare and worth the King 's buying but that we were unwilling to shew them to the King till he had seen them believing it our duty to render him that respect The Nahab was very well-pleas'd with our Complement and after he had caus'd us to be presented with Betlé we took our leaves of him and return'd to our Lodgings whither he sent to us two Bottles of Wine one of Sack and the other of Sohiras which is a rare thing in that Countrey The fourth day we waited upon him again and carried along with us some Pearles of an extraordinary weight beauty and bigness the least whereof weighed twenty four Caratts After he had vewd them and shew'd them to some of the Lords that were about him he ask'd the price which when we had set him he return'd us our Jewels and told us he would consider of it The tenth day he sent for us in the morning and after he had caus'd us to sit down by him he sent for five small Bags full of Diamonds every Bag containing a good handful They were loose Stones of a very black Water and very small none of them exceeding a Carat or a Carat and a half but otherwise very clean There were some few that might weigh two Carats After the Nahab had shew'n us all he ask'd us whether they would sell in our Country We made answer that they might have been for sale in our Country provided they had not been of a black Water for that in Europe we never esteem'd any Diamonds but such as were clean and white having but a small esteem for any others It seems that when he first undertook the Conquest of this Kingdom for the King of Golconda they inform'd him that there were Diamond Mines in it Whereupon he sent twelve thousand men to dig there who in a whole years time could find no more than those five small Bags full Whereupon the Nahab perceiving that they could find none but brown Stones of a Water enclining much more to black than white thought it but loss of time and so sent all the people back to their Husbandry The eleventh the French Canoneers came all to the Nahabs Tent complaining that he had not paid them the four months pay which he had promis'd them threatning him that if he did not discharge it they would leave him to which the Nahab promis'd to give them satisfaction the next day The twelfth the Canoneers not failing to give him another visit the Nahab paid them three months and promis'd to pay them the fourth before the month were out but so soon as they had receiv'd their Money they fell a feasting one another so that the Dancing Wenches carried away the greatest part of their Coin The thirteenth the Nahab went to see the Guns which Maille had undertaken to cast For which purpose he had sent for Brass from all parts and got together a great number of Idols which the Soldiers had pillag'd out of the Pagods as they march'd along Now you must know that in Gandicot there was one Pagod said to be the fairest in all India wherein there were several Idols some of Gold and others of Silver among the rest there were six of Brass three sitting upon their Heels and three upon their Feet ten foot high These Idols ' were made use of among the rest But when Maille also had provided all things ready he could not make those six Idols run that were taken out of the great Pagod of Gandicot though he melted all the rest He try'd several ways but it was impossible for him to do it whatever expence the Nahab was at nay though the Nahab threaten'd to hang the Priests for having inchanted those Idols And thus Maille could never make any more than only one single piece and that split upon trial so that he was forc'd to leave the work unfinish'd and soon after left the Nahabs service The fourteenth we went to take our leaves of the Nahab and to know what he had further to say to us concerning the Commodities we had then shew'n him But then he told us he was busie at present about the examination of certain Offenders which were brought before him For it is the custom of that Country never to put a man in Prison but as soon as the Offender is taken he is examin'd and sentence is pronounc'd upon him according to his crime which is immediately executed or if the party taken be found innocent he is as soon acquitted And let the controversie be of what nature it will it is presently decided The fifteenth in the morning we went to wait upon him again and were immediately admitted into his Tent where he sate with his two Secretaries by him The Nahab was sitting according to the custom of the Country bare-foot like one of our Taylors with a great number of Papers sticking between his Toes and others between the Fingers of his left hand which Papers he drew somtimes from between his Toes sometimes from between his Fingers and order'd what answers should be given to every one After his Secretaries had wrote the answers he caus'd them to read them and then took the Letters and seal'd them himself giving some to Foot Messengers others to Horsemen For you must know that all those Letters which are sent by Foot-Posts all over India go with more speed than those which are carried by Horsemen The reason is because at the end of every two Leagues there are little Huts where there are men always ready who are engag'd to run away immediately so that when one of these men that carries the Letters comes to one of these Huts he throws the Letters into the Hut and then he that is appointed runs with them to the next Stage They look upon it as an ill Omen to give the Letters into the Messengers hands but they must be thrown at his feet and he must gather them up It is to be observ'd also that the Highways in most parts of India are like Walks of Trees and that where there are no Trees at every five hundred paces distance there are set up little Heaps of Stones which the Inhabitants of the next Villages are bound to white-wash from time to time to the end those Letter-Carriers may not miss their ways in dark and Rainy nights While we stay'd with the Nahab certain Officers came to tell him that they had brought certain Offenders to the door of his Tent. He was above half an hour before he return'd them any answer writing on and giving instructions to his Secretaries but by and by all of a sudden he commanded the Offenders to be brought in and after he had examin'd them and made them consess the crime of which they stood accus'd he was above an hour before he said a word still writing on and employing his Secretaries In the mean while several
whereof make a Salt so tart that it is impossible to eat it until the tartness be tak'n away which they do by putting the ashes in water where they stir them ten or twelve hours together then they strain the substance through a Linnen Cloth and boil it as the water boils away the bottom thick'ns and when the water is all boil'd away they find at the bottom very good and white Salt Of the ashes of these Fig-leaves they make a Lye wherewith they wash their Silk which makes it as white as Snow but they have not enough to whiten half the Silk that grows in the Country Kenneroof is the name of the City where the King of Asem keeps his Court twenty-five or thirty days journey from that which was formerly the Capital City and bore the same name The King requires no Subsidies of his people but all the Mines in his Kingdom are his own where for the ease of his Subjects he has none but slaves that work so that all the Natives of Asem live at their ease and every one has his house by himself and in the middle of his ground a fountain encompass'd with trees and most commonly every one an Elephant to carry their Wives for they have four Wives and when they marry they say to one I take thee to serve me in such a thing to the other I appoint thee to do such business so that every one of the Wives knows what she has to do in the House The men and women are generally well complexion'd only those that live more Southerly are more swarthy and not so subject to Wens in their throats neither are they so well featur'd besides that the women are somewhat flat Nos'd In the Southern parts the people go stark naked only covering their private parts with a Bonnet like a blew Cap upon their heads hung about with Swines teeth They pierce holes in their ears that you may thrust your thumb in whete they hang pieces of Gold and Silver Bracelets also of Tortoise-shells and Sea-shells as long as an egg which they saw into Circles are in great esteem among the meaner sort as Bracelets of Coral and yellow Amber among those that are rich When they bury a man all his Friends and Relations must come to the burial and when they lay the body in the ground they all take off their Bracelets from their Armsand Legs and bury them with the Corps CHAP. XVIII Of the Kingdom of Siam THE greatest part of the Kingdom of Siam lies between the Golf of Siam and the Golf of Bengala bordering upon Pegu toward the North and the Peninsula of Malacca toward the South The shortest and nearest way for the Europaeans to go to this Kingdom is to go to Ispahan from Ispahan to Ormus from Ormus to Surat from Surat to Golconda from Golconda to Maslipatan there to embark for Denouserin which is one of the Ports belonging to the Kingdom of Siam From Denouserin to the Capital City which is also call'd Siam is thirty-five days journey part by Water part by Land by Waggon or upon Elephants The way whether by Land or Water is very troublesome for by Land you must be always upon your guard for fear of Tigers and Lions by Water by reason of the many falls of the River they are forc'd to hoise up their Boats with Engines All the Countrey of Siam is very plentiful in Rice and Fruits the chiefest whereof are Mangos Durions and Mangustans The Forests are full of Harts Elephants Tigers Rhinocero's and Apes where there grow also large Bambou's in great abundance Under the knots of these Bambou's are Emets nests as big as a mans head where every Emet has his apartiment by himself but there is but one hole to enter into the nest They make their nests in these Canes to preserve themselves from the rains which continue four or five months together In the night time the Serpents are very busie There are some two foot long with two heads but one of them has no motion There is also another creature in Siam like our Salamander with a forked tail and very venomous The Rivers in this Kingdom are very large and that which runs by Siam is equally as large as the rest The water is very wholesome but it is very full of Crocodiles of a monstrous bigness that devour men if they be not very careful of themselves These Rivers overflow their banks while the Sun is in the Southern Tropick which makes the fields to be very fertile as far as they flow and it is observ'd that the Rice grows higher or lower as the floods do more or less increase Siam the Capital City of the Kingdom where the King keeps his Court is wall'd about being about three of our Leagues in circuit it is situated in an Island the River running quite round it and might be easily brought into every street in the Town if the King would but lay out as much Money upon that design as he spends in Temples and Idols The Siamers have thirty-three Letters in their Alphabet But they write from the left to the right as we do contrary to the custom of Japon China Cochinchina and Tunquin who write from the right to the left All the Natives of this Kingdom are slaves either to the King or the great Lords The women as well as the men cut their hair neither are they very rich in their habits Among their complements the chiefest is never to go before a person that they respect unless they first ask leave which they do by holding up both their hands Those that are rich have several Wives The Money of the Country is already describ'd The King of Siam is one of the richest Monarchs in the East and stiles himself King of Heaven and Earth though he be Tributary to the Kings of China He seldom shews himself to his Subjects and never gives Audience but to the principal Favourites of his Court He trusts to his Ministers of State for the management of his affairs who sometimes make very bad use of their authority He never shews himself in publick above twice a year but then it is with an extraordinary magnificence The first is when he goes to a certain Pagod within the City which is guilded round both within and without There are three Idols between six and seven foot high which are all of massie Gold which he believes he renders propitious to him by the great store of Alms that he distributes among the poor and the presents which he makes to the Priests Then he goes attended by all his Court and puts to open view the richest Ornaments he has One part of his magnificence consists in his train of two hundred Elephants among which there is one that is white which the King so highly esteems that he stiles himself King of the White Elephant The second time the King appears in publick is when he goes to another Pagod five or six Leagues
the world which there is no remedy can prevent One day an English man in heat of blood had kill'd one of the Kings of Macassars Subjects and though the King had pardon'd him yet both English Hollanders and Portugals fearing if the English man should go unpunish'd lest the Islanders should revenge themselves upon some of them besought the King to put him to death which with much ado being consented to the King unwilling to put him to a lingring death and desirous to shew the effect of his poyson resolv'd to shoot the Criminal himself whereupon he took a long Trunk and shot him exactly into the great Toe of the right foot the place particularly aim'd at Two Chirurgeons one an English man and the other a Hollander provided on purpose immediately cut off the member but for all that the poyson had dispers'd it self so speedily that the English man dy'd at the same time All the Kings and Princes of the East are very diligent in their enquiry after strong poysons And I remember that the chief of the Dutch Factory and I try'd several poyson'd Arrows with which the King of Achen had presented him by shooting at Squirrels who fell down dead as soon as ever they were touch'd The King of Macassar is a Mahometan and will not suffer his Subjects to embrace Christianity Yet in the year 1656 the Christians found a way to get leave to build a fair Church in Macassar But the next year the King caus'd it to be pull'd down as also that of the Dominican Friars which the Portugals made use of The Parish Church which was under the Government of the secular Priests stood still till the Hollanders attack'd Macassar and compell'd him to turn all the Portugals out of his Dominions The ill conduct of that Prince was in part the occasion of that war to which the Hollanders were mov'd to revenge themselves upon the Portugal Jesuites who had cross'd their Embassy to China Besides that they offer'd great affronts to the Hollanders at Macassar especially when they trod under foot the Hat of one of the Dutch Envoys who was sent to treat with the King in behalf of the Company Thereupon the Hollanders resolv'd to unite their forces with the Bouquises that were in rebellion against their Soveraign and to revenge themselves at any rate Now as to the business of China it happen'd thus Toward the end of the year 1658 the General of Batavia and his Council sent one of the chief of the Holland Company with Presents to the King of China who arriving at Court labour'd to gain the friendship of the Mandarins who are the Nobility of the Kingdom But the Jesuites who by reason of their long abode in the Country understood the language and were acquainted with the Lords of the the Court lest the Holland Company should get footing to the prejudice of the Portugals represented several things to the Kings Council to the prejudice of the Hollanders more especially charging them with breach of Faith in all the places where they came Upon this the Holland Agent was dismiss'd and departed out of China without doing any feats Afterwards coming to understand what a trick the Portugal Jesuites had put upon him he made report thereof to the General and his Council at Batavia which so incens'd them that they resolv'd to be reveng'd For by the Deputies accounts the Embassy had cost them above fifty thousand Crowns for which they consulted how to make the Portugals pay double Understanding therefore the trade which the Jesuits drove in the Island of Macao and to the Kingdom of Macassar whither upon their own account they sent seven Vessels laden with all sorts of Commodities as well of India as China they took their opportunity and the seventh of June 1660 appear'd with a Fleet of thirty Sail before the Port of Macassar The King thinking himself oblig'd to make defence against so potent an Enemy endeavour'd to sustain the brunt of the Hollander with the Portugal Ships in the Road but the Hollander dividing their Fleet part of them fought the Portugal the other half batter'd the Royal Fortress so furiously that they carry'd it in a short time Which so terrifi'd the King that he commanded the Portugals not to fire any more for fear of farther provoking his Enemies The Prince Patinsaloa was slain in the fight which was a great loss to the King of Macassar who was become formidable to his neighbours by the good Conduct of that Minister As for the Hollanders they took burnt and sunk all the Portugal Vessels and sufficiently re-imburs'd themselves for their China Expences The thirteenth of June the King of Macassar whose name was Sumbaco hung out a white Flag from another Tower whence he beheld the fight environ'd by his Wives During the truce he sent one of the Grandees of his Court to the Dutch Admiral to desire peace which was granted upon condition he should send an Embassador to Batavia expel the Portugals out of the Island and not permit his Subjects to have any more to do with them Thereupon the King of Macassar sent eleven of the greatest Lords of his Court with a train of seven hundred men the Chief of the Embassy being the Prince of Patinsaloa The first thing they did was to pay two hundred Loaves of Gold to redeem the Royal Fortress again and then submitting to the Conditions which the Dutch Admiral had propos'd the General of Batavia sign'd the Articles which were punctually observ'd For the Portugals immediately quitted the Country some departing for Siam and Cambòya others for Macoa and Goa Macao formerly one of the most famous and richest Cities of the Orient was the principal motive that enclin'd the Hollanders to send an Embassadour into China for being the best station which the Portugals had in all those parts the Dutch had a design to win it wholly Now this City lying in twenty-two Degrees of Northern Latitude in a small Island next to the Province of Kanton which is a part of China has very much lost its former luster But this was not all which the Jesuits and the Portugal Merchants suffer'd The Chief of the Dutch Factory at Mingrela which is but eight Leagues from this City understanding the bad success of the Dutch in China had a contrivance by himself to be reveng'd He knew that the Jesuites of Goa and other places drove a great trade in rough Diamonds which they sent into Europe or else carry'd along with them when they return'd and that for the more private carrying on of their trade they were wont to send one or two of their Order that knew the language in the habit of a Faquir which consists of a Tygers Skin to cover their back-parts and a Goats Skin to cover the breast reaching down to the knees Thereupon the Chief of the Factory of Mingrela taking his opportunity and having notice that two of the suppos'd Faquirs were gone to the Mines to lay out 400000
themselves which they were very ready to do carrying as many men with them as possibly they could under pretence of sickness While the chief of them were at Dinner with the chief of the English they all ply'd their Cups and when the Dutch saw the English had drunk hard enough taking their opportunity they pickt a quarrel with the Commander of the Fort and drawing their Swords which they had hidden under their Coats for that purpose they easily surpriz'd and cut all the throats of the Soldiers in the Garrison and being thus Masters of the Fort they kept it from that time till they were routed out by the Chineses Now for the trick that the King of Achen serv'd the Sieur Renaud he having got a good Estate by Jewels arriv'd at length at Achen and as it is the custom for the Merchants to shew the King what Jewels they have the King had no sooner cast his eye upon four Rings which the Sieur Renaud shew'd him but he bid him fifteen thousand Crowns for them but Renaud would not bate of eighteen thousand Now because they could not agree the Sieur Renaud carry'd them away with him which very much displeas'd the King however he sent for him the next day Whereupon Renaud returning to him the King paid him his eighteen thousand Crowns but he was never seen after that and it is thought he was secretly murther'd in the Palace This story came to my remembrance when I found my Brother did not come along with those that were sent to fetch me However I resolv'd to go taking with me 12 or 13000 Roupies worth of Jewels the greatest part being in Rose Diamond Rings some consisting of seven some of nine and some of eleven Stones with some small Bracelets of Diamonds and Rubies I found the King with three of his Captains and my Brother sitting together after the manner of the East with five great Plates of Rice before them of divers colours For their drink they had Spanish Wine strong Waters and several sorts of Sherbets After I had complemented the King and presented him with a Diamond Ring a blew Saphir Ring and a little Bracelet of Diamonds Rubies and blew Saphirs he commanded me to sit down and order'd me a glass of strong Water to whet my appetite The glass held a quarter of a pint and therefore I refus'd it which the King very much wonder'd at but being told by my Brother that I never drank any strong Water he order'd me presently a glass of Sack After that he rose up and seated himself in a Chair the Elbows whereof were guilded His feet and legs were bare having a Persian Carpet of Gold and Silk to tread upon He was clad with a piece of Calicut part whereof cover'd his body from his waste to his knees the rest being wound about his back and shoulders like a Scarf Instead of Shoes he had a pair of Sandals that stood by the Chair side the straps whereof were embroider'd with Gold and small Pearl About his head he had a thing like a Handkerchief with three Corners bound about his head like a Fillet His hair also which was very long was twisted and ty'd together over his head Two persons stood behind him with great Fans of long Peacock Feathers the handles whereof were five or six foot in length Upon his right hand stood an old black woman holding in her hand a little Mortar and a Pestle of Gold to beat his Betlé in wherewith he mix'd the Kernel of the Nut of Araqué and Seed Pearl dissolv'd When it was all beaten together the old woman gave it the King over his Shoulders who opening his mouth the old woman sed him as our women feed their Children For the King had chaw'd so much Betlé and taken so much Tobacco that his teeth were all fall'n out of his head The King of Bantam's Palace was never built by any curious Architect It is a square place encompass'd with a great many Pillars varnish'd over with several sorts of colours against which the King leans when he sits down At the four Corners there are four great Pillars set in the Earth at forty foot distance the one from the other lin'd with a Mat made of the Rhind of a certain Tree so thin that it looks like a piece of Linnen which neither Fleas nor Punies will come near The Roof was cover'd with Coco-Branches Not far off under another Roof supported with four great Pillars he had sixteen Elephants the noblest of all those that are in the Kings service for he has a far greater number train'd up for war that are not afraid of wild-fire For his Guard he might have about two thousand men that were drawn up in Companies under the shade of the next Trees They are good Souldiers as well by Sea as by Land great Mahometans and stand not at all in fear of death His Haram or the Womens Apartment was certainly a very small place For when he had view'd what I brought him he sent for two old women to whom he gave some of the Jewels to go and shew them to his Wives The two women return'd back through a little pitiful door the enclosure being nothing but a kind of Wall made up of Earth and Cow-dung mix'd together Whatever he sent to the Women they never return'd any thing again Which made me believe they would bear a good price and indeed whatever I sold to him I sold to good profit and had my Money well paid me After this we took our leaves but the King oblig'd us to come next day in the evening because he had a desire to shew us a Turky Dagger the Haft whereof being thin of Diamonds he had a mind to enrich with more Stones Coming to the English House with our Money they wonder'd that the King had laid out twenty thousand Roupies telling me they believ'd it was the best part of his treasure The next day my Brother and I went to wait upon him at the appointed hour and we found him sitting in the same place where he sate before There was a Moulla then read to him who seem'd to interpret to him something of the Alcoran in the Arabick Language The Lecture being ended they both rose and went to prayers which being concluded the King sent for the Dagger and the Hast which was of Gold The top of the Handle was already set with Diamonds and upon the upper part of the cross Bar was cut in Facets which could not be less worth than fifteen or sixteen thousand Crowns The King told me it was presented to him by the Queen of Borneo and that it was cut at Goa but that he put a far higher value upon it than I esteem'd it to be worth The Dagger as well as the Sheath was full of Beazils or Collets in very good order but the King had neither Diamond Ruby nor any other Stone to set in the Collets and therefore desir'd me to help him to
Intendency But the Treasury I here speak of is the place where they keep the Jewels of the Crown and all the other Rarities and the wealth gather'd together from Father to Son by the Ottoman Princes which I shall endeavour to lay down distinctly before the Reader 's prospect in my Relation when I come to open unto him both the Treasuries However it is to be observ'd that the Chaznadar-Bachi has only the honorary title of Chief of the Treasury nay that he cannot so much as enter into it since that in the Reign of Sultan Amurat the Pages of the Treasury having complain'd to the Grand Seignor of the ill conduct of that Eunuch he upon their Petition order'd that the Chaznadar-bachi should no longer have any Command there and that the Chaznaket-odasi should for the future exercise his Charge without depriving him of the title thereof But in regard the Chaznadar-bachi is the better known and the more pronounceable Name I shall always make use of it instead of the other and we must not omit giving you this remark That when the Chief or Overseer of the Treasury is remov'd from his Charge he is made a Bassa Upon this counterchanging of these two Officers of the Seraglio it is to be observ'd That amongst all the Mahumetan Princes Turks Persians Indians and of what Sect soever they may be of what has been order'd and establish'd in the Reign of one Prince is never revok'd by his Successor And under the same Sultan-Amurat the Capou-Agasi having committed some little impertinence whereat the Grand Seignor took offence he excluded thence forwards all the Capou-Agasis who should be remov'd out of the Seraglio from the priviledge of coming into a capacity to be made Bassa's I shall not think it much to alledge upon this particular another example of that Maxime of which I was an eye-witness my self in the King of Persia's Court. 'T was in the Reign of Schach Abas against whom some Grandees of the Court had enter'd into a Conspiracy and attempted to take away the King's Life yet with a design to have put his Son into the Throne About Two or Three in the afternoon when every one in Persia is retir'd to the Haram which is the Appartment of the Women the Conspirators sent to the Palaces twenty Men well arm'd with Order first to put to the Sword all they should find at the Gates which ordinarily are guarded only by two or three Men armed with a massy Club and afterwards to go and murther the King himself in the Haram which would be but poorly defended by black and white Eunuchs who are poor Souldiers But the intended blow of the Conspirators was prevented and the chief Porter a Person accounted one of the most valiant of his time being in his Station with two of his Servants Georgians by Country that is to say valiant as all those People are fell upon the Traitors with his Cuttelas and beat them back so smartly that they thought it the best way to run for 't The King having been inform'd of that action order'd him to be brought into his Presence and after he had commended him made this establishment That the Charge of chief Porter should ever continue in his Family from Father to Son He also commanded the Keeper of the Archives or Records to insert that action into the History and wish'd that his own Name might be dash'd out of it and all that had been done during his Reign if any of his Successors attempted to change any thing of his Will and deprive the House of the Faithful Georgian of that Charge The Kilargi-bachi is the chief Governour of the Pages of the Kilar which is the place where they keep all the exquisite Drinks for the Grand Seignor's own drinking It is a kind of Cup-Bearers Office and the Kilargi-bachi a kind of Cup-Bearer and he is also made a Bassa upon his removal from the Charge of Kilargi-bachi He is moreover the Chief of all the Akegis who are the Cooks and Confectioners since no Body can have any entrance into those Offices but by his Order and he has under his custody all the Plate which is for the peculiar service of the Grand Seignor This Officer has for his Substitute the Kilarketodasi Now having told you that upon the resignation of his Charge he is made a Bassa it were not amiss to advertise you further That they who are remov'd out of the Seraglio in order to their being Bassa's ought to have been of the number of the forty Pages of the Chamber and to have pass'd through one of these six Charges of Chashaketodasi and of Kilarketodasi of whom I have spoken already of Dogangibachi of the Chokadar of the Seligdar and of the Rikabdar of whom I shall discourse anon Otherwise they can only be Beys or Zaims or Sphais or at most but Capigibachis by the Grand Seignor's singular favour The case is the same with the Gugombachi who is the second Person of the Office of the Treasury as also with the Anakdar-Agasi who is the third If these People remove out of the Seraglio before they are admitted into the number of the Forty Pages of the Chamber they have only a certain Pay more or less the highest whereof amounts not to above two hundred Aspers I proceed to the other Officers of the Seraglio of whom there will be some mention made in my Relation The Dogangi-bachi is the Grand Falconer and his Charge makes him a considerable Person about the Prince The Chokadar is he who carries the Royal Robe called the Ciamberlue the same Officer which the French call Portemanteau The Rikabdar is he who holds the Stirrup when the Grand Seignor gets on Horseback The Seligdar is the first of the Pages of the Chamber he carries the Grand Seignor's Sword upon days of Ceremony and they ordinarily advance to that Charge one of the handsomest Pages The Hammangibachi is the chief Overseer of the Bath When he leaves the Seraglio as also when the Kamachirbachi who is the chiefest of the Pages of Seferli does so their Pay is an hundred Aspers a day and if they are in favour it may amount to an hundred and fifty It is to be observ'd in the general that when any one of the Forty Pages of the Chamber is remov'd the vacancy is supply'd sometimes out of the Treasury sometimes out of the Kilar and sometimes out of the Seferti and in that they take their turns They always take out the most Ancient and they who were next to them come into their places How that is done we shall take occasion to explicate more plainly in the Chapter of the Treasury The Chiamcibachi is the grand Laundry-man or the Principal of those who wash and order the Grand Seignor's Linnen The Giritbey is the chief Director of those who are exercis'd in shooting with the Bowe and calling the Dart. These two Exercises are much practis'd every Friday in a place of the Seraglio