for the fake of thofe, that have a mind to travel, that if one or more of them fhould go into these countries, they might have occafion to make a more accurate enquiry after these things.

CHA P. IX.

Which way I came in my return from Bagdat through Affyria, the confines of Perfia, and the province of the Curters, to the town Carcuch, Capril, &c. and at length to the river Tygris, to Moffel, that famous town, which was formerly call'd Nineveh.

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HEN hinder'd in my travels, for feveral weighty reasons, I was forced to go back again; I look'd up my goods, as I was advifed by my good friend the Chriftian, whereof I made mention here before, and fitted myself for my journey. I got for my companions three Jews, one whereof came down the Euphrates with me, the others came from Ormutz, for I could get no others, to travel with me to Aleppo. We fet out on the fixteenth of December in the year 1574, for Carcuch diftant fix days. journey, in the confines of Media, on the other fide of the river Tygris, which is ftill call'd by them in their language Hidekel. By the way we firft faw some well-till'd fields, and above us on the river Tygris fome villages, fo that I could not but think I fhould meet with a country that had plenty of corn, muft and honey, &c. as it was commended by the Arch-koob-bearer of the King of Affyria, and compared even with the Land of Promife, but the farther we went, the greater grew the wilderneffes, fo that we were forced to lodge all night in the fields.

The

The next morning there appeared a great way off more little villages belonging to the King of Perfia: But we went on through the defarts, and my fellowtravellers told me that they extend themselves to Perfia and Media, where we loft our way, and came in the evening into a bog which hindered us so much, that I, because their Sabbath began, whereon according to their laws they must not travel, was forced to ftay there with them all night long in it, and alfo the next day, in great fhowers of rain, not without great inconveniency and trouble. During our ftaying there I look'd about me for fome plants; but found none, because they did but first begin to fprout; but in the moift places fome wild Galengal with great round roots, by the inhabitants call'd Soëdt, and by both Latins and Grecians, Cyperus.

The nineteenth day, after we were not without trouble, got out of the mire, our way extended itself ftill farther thro' defolate places and defarts. I thought of Julian that impious Roman Emperor, and of his army, which when it went against the Perfians, and was very numerous, over the river Tygris near to Ctefiphon, he was by an ancient Perfian that was a prisoner, decoy'd into these defarts, where he was beaten and routed by the Perfians. In this great fight when the Emperor himself was mortally wounded, he took up, as Nicephorus and Eufebius fay, a handful of blood and Aung into the air, yielded the victory and said, Then Galilean (fo he call'd Chrift, in whom he at first believed, and afterwards deny'd and perfecuted) thou hast beaten and conquer'd me. After we had lived for feveral days very hardly in the defarts, and spent our time in mifery, we came on the twentieth by Scherb, a village over an ascent, into another more fruitful and well till'd country, fituated on the confines of Perfia, and for the most part inhabited by them, which we could conjecture by the common language. Now though travelling through the confines ufes commonly to be very dangerous, yet, I thank God, we met with none, so that we without any stop or hindrance reach'd that night, the twenty first of December, to Schilb, a curious

village

village, where we refted all night and refresh'd ourfelves.

From thence we went on through large and fruitful vallies, but I found nothing (for it was but just at the beginning of ploughing time) that was worthy to be mention'd, for the plants did but juft begin to fprout; we had by the way feveral villages, and fo we had better opportunity to buy provifion. The twenty third at night we came to one where we could buy near one hundred eggs for two pence.

The next day we got up early again, and faw before us the high mountain Tauri, all covered with fnow (which extended itself a great way from north and weft to the eastward) at a great diftance. We went on a-pace, and advanced to Tauk early in good time, and before their Sabbath began again. This town is not very strong and lieth on a plain. We went into a camp without it, and refted there all the Sabbath. After Sun-fet, when it began to grow dark, they defired of me to light a candle. I remembred then immediately, that they could not do it themselves, being forbid by law, as you may find in the thirty fifth chapter of Exodus, where you may fee that they must kindle no fire in any of their habitations, wherefore they furnish themselves the day before with all forts of provifions and neceffaries, that they may not need to do any labour on the Sabbath, and yet may not want. When these Jews fay their prayers, they use the fame ceremonies as the Chriftians and Heathens in the eastern parts do: For firft they lift up their hands, then they bow down forwards with their whole body, and at laft they kneel down and kifs the ground. Thefe Jews bragged continually of their Patriarchs, and made mention of the laws; but of the ten commandments they knew nothing, wherefore I took an occafion to repeat them before them in the Portugal language, which is very much. fpoke in the Indies, as well as I could, and they did admire when they heard them, how I came to know them. But when I began to fpeak of Chrift and his offices, they burst out into fuch blafphemies, that I was glad to fay no more, but hold my tongue.

Not far off from Tauk, we faw a very strong caftle,

ters.

near unto a wood, that is guarded by a Turkish garrison: This is fituated in the province of the Curters, which beginneth there, and lieth between Media and Mefopotamia, all along the river Tygris and reacheth to Armenia. These Curters, which are almoft all Neftorians, fpeak a peculiar language, which was unknown to my fellow-travellers, wherefore they could not fpeak to them in the Perfian nor Turkish language, which is spoke all along from Bagdat through Affyria, in the confines of two potent monarchs, to that place. We were therefore forced to defire others that understood both languages, to be our interpreters through the country of the CurBut whether this language did run upon that of their neighbours the Medians or no, I could not certainly learn; but yet I was inform'd that the Parthians, Medes, and Perfians, as peculiar nations, had their peculiar languages, as hiftories tell us, and we may also perfectly fee in the Acts of the Apostles the fecond chapter and the eight verfe, where it is thus written: And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mefopotamia, &c. All which people almost are fubject unto the Sophi, the mighty King of Perfia. The before-mention'd Curters were formerly call'd Carduchi, and afterwards alfo Cardueni (as chiefly Xenophon testifieth) have had their peculiar policy and government. But after many changes and wars, they are at length fubdued and brought under the dominion of the Turkish Emperor, to whom they are still subject to this day, and he hath every where his garrifons in oppofition to the Sophi. But what is farther to be faid of them, chiefly concerning their religion, fhall be hereafter mention'd, when I fhall give you an account among other Chriftians, of those that live in the temple of mount Calvaria in Ferufalem.

After the Sabbath of the Jews, my companions, was over, we went on again, and came the twenty fixth of December to Carcuck, a glorious fine city lying in a plain, in a very fertile country; at four miles diftance is another that lieth on an afcent, whither we alfo travell'd, my companions having business in both of them, and fo we fpent two days in them before we were ready to go on again. The

The twenty ninth we travell'd through large and dry heaths, and came at night to fome tents, which were made of hair or hair-cloath, wrought out of goats and affes hair, and fix'd in fuch an order, that they made ftreets and allies like unto a market-town. In one of these we went to lodge with thefe poor people, (that were white Moors, and like unto the Gypfuns in their fhape and figure) and to ftay there all night long. But whether these people are fubject to the Turkish Emperor, or to the King of Perfia, or to any other, I could not find out by their cloaths, because they all wear the fame hereabouts, nor could I difcern any thing by their language. To us came a little after fome more travellers, fo that we had hardly room to lie down in. These people were very diligent and bufy to get us fome meat and drink, for the husband went foon out of doors to gather dry boughs and talks of herbs, which I could not at that time difcern what they were, and brought them to us to boil or drefs fome meat with them. The woman was not idle neither, but brought us milk and eggs to eat, fo that we wanted for nothing; the made alfo fome dough for cakes, which were about a finger thick, and about the bignefs of a trencher (as is ufual to do in the wilderneffes, and fometimes in towns alfo) fhe laid them on hot ftones and kept them a turning, and at length fhe flung the afhes and embers over them, and fo bak'd them thoroughly. They were very good to eat, and very favory. This way of baking cakes is not new, but hath been very ufual among the ancients, fo we find in Scripture mention made of bread bak'd among the athes; the Romans call'd it, Panes Subcineritios; and fo we read in Genefis the eighteenth chapter, of cakes made upon the hearth, which Sarah made in hafte when the three men came to fee Abraham.

The thirtieth we went from thence, and about noon we came to a town call'd Prefta, which is chiefly towards the river whereon it lieth, very well fortify'd, but what the inhabitants call that river, I do not remember, but according to it's situation it must be that which Ptolomy call'd Gorgus, which runs below into the Tyger. In this place they make floats, which a'though they are not very big, nor have much wood in

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them