Part 13

About the river I found that sort of _Acacia_ that beareth roundish and brown-coloured pods, called _Schock_ and _Scamuth_ by the _Arabians_: Some thorns called _Algul_, whereon the Manna falleth, chiefly in the county of _Corascen_, as _Avicenna_ tells us. _Chamesyces_, some strange kinds of mosses, which are very much differing in bigness: Among the rest I saw the low prickly herb, by some esteemed to be the _Tragun_ of _Dioscorides_. Below, close to the river, I found the _Herba Sacra_ of _Dioscorides_, which the learned _Carolus Clusius_ hath accurately described in his _History of Outlandish Plants_, book ii. chap. 45. and just by these, more strange ones, chiefly a delicate one growing plentifully there in the sand, which had from five to eight tender stalks, which spread themselves into others that were very full of joints, so that it crept rather on the ground than grew up; by each of them stood three or four roundish Marjoram or _Origanum_ leaves together, and above between them some star like white flowers, with six pointed leaves like unto our _Ornithogalum_, each of them on a peculiar foot-stalk, the seeds thereof I have not seen, but the roots are small and fibrous, which together with their small bitterness have a pretty exsiccating quality; and so in this respect are very like unto the _Polycemon_ of _Dioscorides_, but whether it be the same or no, I leave the learned to decide. Besides those before as we came down the river, I saw a great many large Tamarisk trees, and abundance of a certain kind of _Agnus Castus_, almost like unto the other, only a great deal less, and it had no more but three strong Claver leaves; but above all the _Galega_, called Goats-rue in our language, which in these parts groweth very high, and in so great plenty, that on the river-side I could see nothing but this for several miles together.

CHAP. IV.

_Of the Inhabitants of the mountains, and the great wilderness we came through to ~Deer~: Of their ancient origination, and miserable and laborious livelihood._

Upon this good and severe command of the _Bashaw_, son of _Mahomet Bashaw_, we were acquitted of our long arrest, and went away about noon on the 27th of _September_; we went again from thence through such great desarts, that for some days we saw nothing worth relating, but here and there little huts made of some erected boughs, and covered with some bushes, wherein the _Moors_ with their families live, to secure themselves from the great heat, rain and dews that are in these parts most violent, so that I admired how these miserable people could maintain themselves and so many children in these dry and sandy places where nothing was to be had. Wherefore these poor people are very naked, and so hungry that many of them if they saw us afar off, would fling themselves into the great river, and swim to us to fetch a piece of bread. And when we flung at them whole handfulls, they would snap at it just like hungry fish or ducks, and eat it: Others did gather it and put it into the crown which they make neatly of their sheets on the top of their heads, and so swim away with it. After these sandy desarts had continued a great while, we came at length out of them between high, rough and bare hills, which were so barren that there was to be seen neither plough-lands nor meadows, neither house nor stick, neither high-way nor footh-path, wherefore those people that live there, have no houses, but caves and tents, as they have in the great desarts, where because of the great heat and dryness, the soil is so barren, that they cannot subsist in a place for any considerable time, nor have villages or certain habitations: Wherefore they wander up and down, fall upon the caravans and plunder them, and make what shift they can to get a livelihood. These mountains, as I am informed, reach to the river _Jordan_, the _Dead_ and the _Red-Seas_, &c. wherein are situated mount _Sinai_, _Horeb_, &c. and the town _Petra_, which by the prophet _Isaiah_ is called _Petra of the Desarts_. The _Arabians_ that live in these desarts, and round about them, are extraordinary marks-men for bows and arrows, and to fling darts which are made of canes: They are a very numerous people, and go out in great parties every where almost: They are a very ancient nation, and come from the sons of _Ishmael_, but chiefly from his eldest son _Nebajoth_, and were anciently called the war-like _Nabathees_, and their country, the land or province of the _Nabathees_, which _Josephus_ testifieth in _Book_ i. _Chap._ 21. where he says, that the twelve sons of _Ishmael_, which he had by an _Egyptian_ wife, (his mother _Agar_, from whom they were called _Agarens_, as you may see in the first of the _Chronicles_ and the sixth verse, being also of the same country,) were possessed of all the country between the _Euphrates_ and the _Red-Seas_, and called it the province of the _Nabathees_. The _Midianites_ that bought _Joseph_ of his brethren, and carried him into _Egypt_, may also be reckoned among these. This same country is also chiefly by _Pliny_ (because thereabout are no other habitations, but tents, wherein the inhabitants, live) called _Scenitis_. From this we may conclude that the prophet _Isaiah_ in his 60th Chapter, and _David_ in the 120th _Psalm_ did speak of them, when chiefly the latter maketh mention of the tents of _Kedar_, whereby he understands a country that is inhabited by such a nation, as liveth in tents, and is derived from _Kedar_ the son of _Ishmael_, whom his father _Abraham_, as a strange child born by his maid _Agar_, did thrust out together with his mother into the desarts; his words are these, _Wo is me, that I sojourn in ~Mesheck~, that I dwell in the tents, of Kedar._ In our times these and other nations are called the _Saracens_, which have very much encreased under _Mahomet_ (who by his Mother was an _Ishmaelite_) and did spread very much; and so they were in _David_’s time a very strong nation, wherefore he prayeth very earnestly in his 83d _Psalm_, that God would punish and slay and disperse them, as enemies of his holy church. But that I may come to our former Intention again, here the _Arabians_ again asked us very often, where their King was at that time, so that our master had business enough to answer them; whereby you may observe what great respect and love they have for their King. But that they might not altogether look upon us as outlandish men, nor presently discern us to be strangers, we did sometimes when there was occasion for it, change our turbants, and let one end thereof according to their fashion hang down, which they do to make themselves a shade against the heat, that is very cruel in these countries. But yet if any body, be he who he will, doth enquire after their King, and wants to come before him, to present him with a suit of cloaths, _&c._ or to desire a pass from him, or if one should go about to hire one of them, to shew him the way to a certain place, or through their country which he may do for a very small price, he would soon find one or other that would be ready to do it; but among the _Turks_ there is no such obedience; for if you should desire any thing of them to do in the name of their _Sultan_, they are not willing to do it, except it would redound to their great profit. Wherefore a _Turkish_ guide to conduct you would cost you a great deal more than one of them. Besides, they also remember their master daily, and hardly speak of any thing but of him, his great riches, _&c._ but with such pride and greatness, chiefly when they speak of his powerfulness, and enlarging of his kingdom, as if some share of these were belonging to them, and that they must be respected for it. In this navigation through the great desarts, we two did not spend much, because the towns were at so great a distance from one another that we could not reach them, to provide our selves daily necessaries (as we do in our country on the _Danube_ and _Rhine_) or lodgings. We were necessitated to be contented with some slight food or other, and make a shift with curds, cheese, fruits, honey, _&c._ and to take any of these with some bread for a good entertainment. The honey in these parts is very good, and of a whitish colour, whereof they take in their caravans and navigations great leathern bottles full along with them; this they bring you in small cups, and put a little butter to it, and so you eat it with biskets. By this dish I often remembred St _John_ the _Baptist_, the fore-runner of our Lord, how he also did eat honey in the desarts, together with other food. Besides this when we had a mind to feast our selves, some ran, as soon as our master had landed at night, to fetch some wood, and others in the mean time made a hole in the ground on the shoar, in the nature of a furnace, to boil our meat. So every company dressed accordingly what they had a mind to, or what they had laid up in store; some boil’d rice, others ground corn _&c._ And when they had a mind to eat new bread instead, or for want of biskets, they made a paste of flower and water, and wrought it into broad cakes about the thickness of a finger, and put them in a hot place on the ground, heated on purpose by fire, and covered it with ashes and coals, and turned it several times until it was enough. These cakes were very savory and good to eat. Some of the _Arabians_ have in their tents stones or copper-plates made on purpose to bake them. On the 4th day, being the last of _September_, about noon, we came to the end of the mountains, before which without, on this side, lieth a very strong citadel, on a high hill, built three square, by the inhabitants called _Seleby_, whereof two points go downwards towards the river, and the third upward a great way on the mountain, so that in it’s situation it is very like unto _Baden_ in _Switzerland_. Although it is demolished, yet it is still very strong in it’s walls, that are to be seen at the top and on the sides, chiefly towards the hills, and the river side, to hinder the passage both by water and land. There are also still standing some watch-houses without, as you come towards it near the mountains, which may hold three or four souldiers: yet it lieth still to this day in ruins, and so desolated, that nothing but birds and beast inhabit it; whereof a great many appeared on the river side, as _Herns_, _Ducks_, that were very large and of a delicate colour, and others among which were some of a white colour, called _Pelicans_ by _Aristotle_, and _Onocrotali_ by others, which are as big as _Swans_; the prophet _Zephaniah_ maketh also mention of them in his second chapter, when he prognosticated the punishment that was to come to the _Ninevites_, _Assyrians_ and _Moors_; there also appeared some quite black with long necks; whereof I did see abundance in my travels into the _Land of Promise_, and especially near _Acon_ among the rocks and crags of the sea; as far as I could discern them at a distance; they seemed to be a kind of a _Sea-Eagle_[1], that feed more upon fish than any thing else. Six miles lower, and at the other side of the _Euphrates_, lieth still another fortification, which is called _Subiau Seleby_, that is, lower _Seleby_, on a very high bank, and seeing that we sailed very near it, I could not well discover it. Of these two which way they were besieged and taken; and also of the way of government, or ruling of the Kings of _Arabia_, &c. I should have been very glad to have been a little better informed, but the language wherewith I was not well acquainted, did hinder me. And suppose I should have understood it very well, or enough to have made an enquiry after those particulars, yet I could not have done it without great danger, to have been taken for a spy; for they soon suspect outlandish men on every little occasion, which those that trade in these parts have often experienced not without great loss and danger. Beyond the mountains in the low country we saw more tilled grounds, and habitations of the _Arabians_ than we had done before, wherefore our master landed sooner than he used to do, near a village, to take in provision for our farther journey, where the people brought flesh and _Indian Melons_ to us to sell. Here it happened, that about midnight, one of the _Turkish_ souldiers went out to ease himself on the river side; and when he was busy about it, a _Moor_ came creeping along to him, and thrust him into the river before he was aware of it, and run away. The _Turk_ finding himself in the _Euphrates_, fell a crying out for help; I hearing him, standing centinel that night did not fail him, but made what haste I could, with my scymeter in my hand, followed his voice, and came to the place, although it was very dark, drew him out, and brought him into the ship, which was so kindly taken by the rest of the _Turks_, that I got mightily into their favour, and received many kindnesses of them all the way until we came to _Bagdet_, the garrison which they went to reinforce.

The first of _October_ when our Voyage went on again, there came early in the morning a post of six _Arabians_ on horseback to the river side to inquire of us whither their King was gone, or where we thought they might find him; they had received letters for him from the Sultan, wherefore they must follow him until they found him. The master of our ship told them, as he did to every body that ask’d him, that we had seen him in _Mesopotamia_, which province he call’d _Amanachar_, that he was broken up with his Men to go back into _Arabia_, where they would find him. After this relation they departed, and we went on our way, and soon saw below a town to our right at a distance, call’d _Seccard_, very well situated on an ascent, belonging to the King of _Arabia_, wherefore some of the _Turks_ said, that none but _Haramiquiber_, that is, _great Thieves_, lived in it, which they do out of spight to all them that are subject to any other master than their Sultan. This town we passed by, and went directly towards _Deer_ another town, whence we were then three leagues distant, yet they do not account their distances by leagues, for they know little or nothing of it, but rather reckon by days journeys, for their towns are so situated at such a distance, that they have sometimes to go through divers wildernesses, several days, more or less, before they arrive there. Before we came thither, one of the ships in our company did go too much towards one side, toward a branch of the river, that runs by the town, for it divideth itself into several branches, where it got into the mud and stuck. Our master seeing this, landed immediately, and did send his men to help them. So I got time to look about for the strange plants, and found there about the river many Tamarisk-trees, also a peculiar sort of Willow, which the inhabitants still call by it’s ancient _Arabian_ name _Garb_. These trees do not grow high, but spread very much; the twigs thereof are stronger and not so tough, as to make bands or withs as ours will; the bark is of a pale yellow colour, and so are the leaves, which are long and about two fingers broad, and at the edges round about crenated, so that they are very much differing from the rest of this kind. I found them to be of a pretty drying and astringent quality. Of their flowers and fruit, whereof _Avicenna_ maketh mention in his 126th and 686th chap. I can say nothing, because I saw none. Hereabouts the _Turk_, that would not stay until we were cleared, but went away before us, suffer’d shipwreck, and so lost a great deal of his corn, that he intended to carry to _Bagdat_, call’d _Baldac_, to sell it in the great scarcity, which was occasion’d for want of rain, for there fell none in the space of two years and an a half. And yet, as they say, if it raineth but twice or thrice a year, they have enough to supply themselves. After our men had wrought longer than an hour together with theirs, until they had emptied the ships, they came to us again to go that night to _Deer_. But there being several rocks before it, which were very dangerous to pass, some of their pilots, that understood the depths, came out to meet, and did help us, so that we got safe there. The town of _Deer_, which is not very big, and belongs to the Sultan, is situated on this side of the river, on an ascent, and is pretty well built with houses, (whereon stood great numbers of people when we into it, to see us) but as for the walls and ditches, they are but very slight. At our first arrival, we thought we should soon get clear for the custom with the Armin, and ship off again, but he was not in town, so that we were forced to stay three days for his coming. In the mean time we got acquaintance with the inhabitants, which were handsome, lusty and well set, and white, and more mannerly than the rest; they visited us frequently, and spoke kindly to us, so that we found a vast difference between those and the former. The Armin also, who was no less civil, we presented at his return, with a great dish fill’d up with Cibebs, and several sorts of confectures, and laid round about with soap-balls, as is the fashion in these countries; but to them that were with him and of his family, we gave some sheets of white paper, which they willingly received, and were so well pleased with it, that some of them (as the children do in our country, when we give them something that is strange or pleasing to them) smiled at it as often as they look’d on it. The country thereabouts is pretty fertile and plentiful of corn, _Indian_ millet, cotton, _&c._ and they have also between the rivers very good gardens for the kitchen, with all sorts of plants and fruits in them, _viz._ Colliflowers, Citruls, Pumpions, Cucumbers, Anguries or Water-melons, which they call _Bathiecæ_, whereof they have so many that you may buy forty great ones for one Asper, whereof three make a Medin, much about the value of our penny. There were also some Date-trees, Limon and Citron, and other trees, which I could not distinguish at a distance.

CHAP. V.

_Of our Voyage to the famous town ~Ana~, in which we passed again through great sandy wildernesses; for the performance thereof we must provide ourselves with victuals, and be very careful in our navigation: Some relation of the inhabitants, of their cloaths, and other things we did observe and see by the way, and what else did happen unto us._

After we had paid the custom to the Armin, who was a great deal more civil than he at _Racka_, and provided ourselves with all necessaries, we did but half load our ships, to draw them out of the branch again into the river, and then we carry’d the rest to them by boats and small ships, for the water was very low and full of mud, so that we went from thence on the fourth day of _October_ in the evening, and so staid all night, a little below _Deer_.

The next morning our navigation proceeded very well till noon, when we came to a very broad and shallow place of the river, that our master did not know which way to get through. When he was thus troubled and considering, there appeared on the hight on the shoar some _Arabians_, and shewed us the course we must take, but we durst not trust them, for we had heard before that they had sunk some great stones there, and that a month before they had persuaded a ship to go that way which did not discover their cheat, until their ship after several hard knocks did split in pieces and sink. The same they would have served others, which, although they did not follow their counsel yet they came into such danger, that they could not deliver themselves out of it in a whole days time. We (thanks be to God) got sooner through than in an hour, after we had drawn our ship a little back into the deep stream to the great admiration of the _Arabians_: But the other in our company did not stick much longer, yet we had more to do to get her off, because she was shorter with a hollow bottom, wherefore she was sooner turned, but could not be got out so well as ours which was flat bottom’d. In the evening very early we saw at a great distance on the other side in _Mesopotamia_, a castle in the plain called _Sere_, which the _Arabians_, as they say, have many years ago demolished, which the river _Chabu_, which is pretty large, runs by, which beginneth not much above the castle (which one may guess by it’s fresh water like unto fountain-water) and runs a little way below into the river _Euphrates_. From thence we thought to have reached _Errachaby_, a town belonging to the King of _Arabia_, but being hindred in our navigation, as is abovementioned, we landed a little above this before the night befel us, and went the next morning early to the before-mentioned town, which was pretty large, and lay about half a league from the river in a very fruitful country, where we staid until the next day to sell some goods there. Wherefore two of ours went into the town to call out some of their Merchants to trade with them.