A collection of curious travels & voyages in two tomes ... / by John Ray ...

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. Where∣fore 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 Foot-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 Driness, 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 Jor∣dan, 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 De∣sarts. 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 an∣ciently called the War-like Nabathees, and their Coun∣try, 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 E∣gypt, may also be reckoned among these. This same Country is also chiefly by Pliny (because thereabout

are no other Habitations, but Tents, wherein the In∣habitants live) called Scenitis. From this we may con∣clude that the Prophet Isaiah in his 60th. Chapter, and David in his 120th. Psalm did speak of them, when chiefly the latter maketh mention of the Tents of Kedar, whereby he understands a Country that is inha∣bited by such a Nation as liveth in Tents, and is de∣rived from Kedar the Son of Ishmael, whom his Fa∣ther 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 Sa∣racens, which have very much encreased under Maho∣met (which 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 earnest∣ly (in his 83 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 asked us very often again, where their King was at that time, so that our Master had bu∣siness enough to answer them; whereby you may ob∣serve 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 Obedi∣ence; 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 Pro∣fit. Wherefore a Turkish Guide to conduct you would cost you a great deal more than one of them. Be∣sides, they also remember their Master daily, and hard∣ly 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 King∣dom, as if some share of these were belonging to them, and that they must be respected for it. In this Navi∣gation 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 with 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 De∣sarts, 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 accor∣dingly 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 turn∣ed 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 its situation it is very like unto Baden in Switzer∣land. Although it is demolished, yet it is still very strong in its 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 with∣out, 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 Beasts inhabit it; whereof a great many ap∣peared on the Rivers side, as Herns, Ducks, that were very large and of a delicate Colour, and others, a∣mong which were some of a white Colour, called Pe∣licans 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 ap∣peared some quite black, with long Necks; whereof I did see abundance in my Travels into the Land of Pro∣mise, 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, that feed more upon Fish than any thing else. Six Miles lower, and at the other side of the Euphrates, lieth still ano∣ther Fortification which is called Su∣bian 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 A∣rabia,

&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 sup∣pose 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 further 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 to 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 a∣way. The Turk finding himself in the Euphrates, fell a crying out for help; I hearing him, standing Sentinel 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 rein∣force.

The first of October when our Voyage went on a∣gain, there came early in the Morning a Post of six Arabians on Horse back to the River side, to enquire of us whither their King was gone, or where we thought they might find him, they had received Let∣ters for him from the Sultan, wherefore they must follow him until they found him. The Master of our Ship told 'em (and so he did to every body that asked him) that we had seen him in Mesopotamia, which Province he called 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, called Seccard, very well situated on an ascent, belong∣ing 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 spite 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 accompt 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 Com∣pany did go too much toward one side, toward a Branch of the River, that runs by the Town, (for it divideth it self into several Branches) where it got in∣to the Mud and stuck. Our Master seeing this, land∣ed immediately, and did send his Men to help them. So I got time to look after the strange Plants, and found there about the River many great Tamarisk-Trees, and also a peculiar sort of Willow, which the In∣bitants still call by its 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 dif∣fering from the rest of this kind. I found them to be of a pretty drying and astringent quality. Of their Flowers and Fruit (whereof Avicen maketh mention in his 126 and 686 Chap.) I can say nothing, because I saw none. Hereabout the Turk (that would not stay until we were cleared, but went away before us) did suffer Shipwrack, and so lost a great deal of his Corn, that he intended to carry to Bagdet (called Baldac) to sell it in the great Scarcity, which was oc∣casioned

for want of Rain, for there fell none in the space of two Years and 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 (where∣on stood great Numbers of People when we went in∣to 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 so 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 looked on it. The Country there about is pretty fer∣tile and plentiful of Corn, Indian Millet, Cotton, &c. and they have also between the Rivers very good Gar∣dens for the Kitchin, with all sorts of Plants and Fruits in them, viz. Colliflowers, Citruls, Pumpions, Cucum∣bers, Anguriens, or Water-Melons, which they call Bathiecae, 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.

Notes

• I guess them rather to have been Cormorants; no Ea∣gles having long Necks.