The preachers trauels Wherein is set downe a true iournall to the confines of the East Indies, through the great countreyes of Syria, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Media, Hircania and Parthia. With the authors returne by the way of Persia, Susiana, Assiria, Chaldæa, and Arabia. Containing a full suruew of the knigdom [sic] of Persia: and in what termes the Persian stands with the Great Turke at this day: also a true relation of Sir Anthonie Sherleys entertainment there: and the estate that his brother, M. Robert Sherley liued in after his departure for Christendome. With the description of a port in the Persian gulf, commodious for our East Indian merchants; and a briefe rehearsall of some grosse absudities [sic] in the Turkish Alcoran. Penned by I.C. sometimes student in Magdalen Colledge in Oxford.

The description of HIRCANIA.

THe other place neere to Casbin remarkable is the countrey of Gilan, in the Prouince of Hircania very famous in antique time. Sundry names are giuen vnto it by the Bar∣barians; some call it Girgia or Corca, from a certaine Citie which stood in the same: others Straua from a part of this kingdome: others Messandra, as Mi∣nado••: Mercator calles it Diargument: and in ancient time Hircania, so much spoken of by the Poets for the huge woods, and fierce Tygers that abound there. Westward this kingdome bounds vpon Media: Eastward on Mar∣giana: Southward on Parthia, and the Coronian moun∣taines: and Northward on the Caspian Sea. The North part of this kingdome is ful of thick woods & shadowi•• g••ones wherein grow diuers sorts of trees, but specially C••da••s, Beeches, and Oakes, a fit harbour and shelter for Tygers▪ Panthe••s, and Pardies, which wilde beasts make the pas∣sage in those places very dangerous: but neere to the Sea side it is full of pasture, and very delightfull by reason of the manifold sweete springs which issue out of the moun∣taine neere adioyning. Many principall Cities are there in this countrey, as Bestan, Massandran, Pangiazer, Bachu and Gheilan Cities of such state and condition, as deserue to haue a Gouernour of the same dignitie,

that the Bassa is with the Turkes.

Concerning Bachu, it is a verie ancient hauen-towne, very commodious for ships to harbour in, as also profitable to vent commodities, by reason that Ardouil, Tauris, E∣res, Sumachia, and Derbent ly not many daies from thence. Neere vnto this towne is a verie strange and wonderfull fountaine vnder ground, out of which there springeth and issueth a maruellous quantitie of blacke Oyle, which ser∣ueth all the parts of Persia to burne in their houses; and they vsually carrie it all ouer the countrey, vpon Kine and Asses, whereof you shall oftentimes meete three or foure hundred in company.

Gheilan and the rest stand likewise altogether in traffick: Gheilan being but foure easie daies trauell from Casbin; and very neere vnto the Caspian Sea. A Sea that is very commodious and profitable; being in length two hundred leagues, and in breadth an hundred and fiftie, without any issue to other Sea: to the East part of this Sea ioyneth the great desart countrey of the Tartars: to the West part, the country of the Circassians, the mountaine Caucasus: to the North the riuer V••lga, which hath seuentie mouthes or falles into the same: and to the South part ioyneth the countries of Media and Parthia. This Sea is fresh water in many places, and in other places, as salt as the maine O∣cean. It hath many goodly riuers falling into it, as the great riuer Volga, called by the Tartars Edell, which runnes at the least two thousand miles in length: as also out of Sy∣beria, Yaic and Yem, and out of the Periardian mountains Araxi••, Cirus, Canac, and diuers others too long to write of. And though so many goodly riuers do discharge them∣selues into it, yet it emptieth not it selfe, except it be vnder ground into the blacke Sea by Constantinople.

Now by the commodious site of the Sea, a very profi∣table trade might be planted, being but seauen daies say∣ling from Astracan to Gheilan: the gaines of which pas∣sage is as I haue credibly heard say both of Persians and

Armenians fifty in the hundred, euen in meere Buttanosses. To further which commerce and trade Abas the Persian king hath diuers times of late sent sundry Ambassadors to the grand Duke of Moscouia; among other things, reque∣sting of him, that merchants might haue a safe conuoy, to transport their goods downe the riuer Volga into the Cas∣pian Sea, and so to Gheilan; which he promised most faith∣fully to performe, so fa••re as his power would extend. I know the voiage will be chargeable, yet the benefit will quite the charge, were the passage safe and secure down the riuer, and had we barks of our building but of fifty or three score tuns, which might by reason of the great store of tim∣ber in those parts be easily builded.

The cōmodities to be found at Gheilan & Casbin are silks of all sorts of colors, both raw & wrought, and that in such quantity, that a merchant may b••stow thirty or forty thou∣sand pounds yearly, as also all maner spices & drugs, pearls diamonds, and rubies, likewise carpets of diuers sorts, with diuers other rich merchandizes, the prices of which I think not meet to set down, because of their ••ising & falling as the market goes. In exchange of which cōmodities, we are to carry thither tin & copper and brassel; as also ca••sies for the common p••ople, broade cloath for the merchants, & bet∣ter sort of people, blacke cloathes for womens garments; good chamlets & v••luets died in graine, with purple co∣lours and fine reds; cloath of gold and tissue, veluets, imbroi∣dered with gold; fine holland cloath for the king and Sul∣tanes, dags and pistols, complete harnesses, targets of steele, shirts of male, stonebowes, brushes and such like.

The only colors of cloth which are to be sent, are skarlets, violets in graine; fine reds, blacks, brown blewes, London russets, taunies, Lion colors, faire liuely greens, & the like. I am perswaded that any honest factor residing in Casbin may vent a thousand cloathes yearly, wherof the Venetians haue good experience. But to leaue this noble countrey of Hircania, we will againe come to Casbin a principall Citie in Media, where we stayed fifteene daies.

From Casbin we set forwards to the great and populous Citie of Hispaan, lodging euery night eyther in a Persian village, or in a faire Caine built of stone, where we found all kinde of prouision necessarie for our selues and beastes trauailing sixe or seauen in a company: company suffici∣ent, by reason of the great peace and tranquilitie, which the Persians liue in aboue the Turkes; and so hauing spent sixe daies, wee arriued at Com a verie ancient Citie.

This Citie is called by Ptolomie, Guriana, and was so great in times past, that the inhabitants affirmed vnto vs, that when it was in it first flourishing estate, it was twice as bigge as Constantinople; but it was much ruinated by Tamerlane, and euer since hath lien in the dust without repaire, Cassan carrying away the trade of merchandize from her, which was once the Mistresse and Ladie there∣of. It is well seated for water and all other necessaries, ha∣uing a spacious riuer running by it, with a stone bridge ouer the same: the which we no sooner passed, but wee entred into the bounds of Parthia; a kingdome once fa∣mous, but now so mingled with Persia, that the verie name of Parthia is quite extinguished among them.

Notes

• Bachu.
• Oyle springeth out of the ground.
• Gheilan.
• The Caspian Sea.
• A trade might be planted by ••he Muscouian ••erchants.
• The barkes which must passe the Cas∣pian sea must n••t draw fiue foote water, because in di∣uers places it is very shoald.
• The commo∣dities of Persia
• The commo∣dities to be carried from England into Persia.
• The colours of cloath to be sent into Per∣sia.
• The Citie Com once twice as big as Constan∣tinople.