Purchas his pilgrimes. part 2 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

§. I. [ 10]

Of Euphrates, Orpha, Caraemit, the Curdi, Armenians, Bithlis, Van, and Arraret.

HAuing rested in Aleppo two monethes and better, Master Iohn Mildenall and my selfe tooke our leaue of the Consull and Merchants, with a full intent and pur∣pose to trauell vnto the great Citie Labor, in the Great Mogors Countrey in the East Indies: lodging all that night on a thinne Turkish Carpet in Woods-caine, where the * 1.1 Carauan was assembled, to the end that wee might bee with the foremost: for delay in such trauell doth produce great and ineuitable danger. From [ 20] Aleppo wee spent three dayes Iourney vnto the bankes of Euphrates, passing by many Villages not worth the naming, and fertile Plaines, abounding with all sort of prouision necessary for mans life. One of those Villages is a Village of note vnto this day, called by the Countrey people Ted••••h, where the Iewes keepe a Monument in remembrance of the great Synagogue, hol∣den there in the yeare from the Creation 3498. Neere vnto this Towne is the Valley of Salt memorable for that great ouerthrow which Dauid gaue the Aramits, when hee slue of them in one battell eighteene thousand men. Here also Campson Gaur••s the Great Sultan of Egypt fought that deadly and mortall Battell with Selymus the first, the Great Turke; where hee lost his life being trodden, without regard, to death, both by his owne Sculdiers and pursuing Enemies.

Being arriued on the bankes of Euphrates, we found it as broad as the Thames at Lambith; but [ 30] in some places it is narrower, in some broader, running with a very swist streame and current, * 1.2 almost as fast as the Riuer of Trent. At this place doth this Riuer beginne to take his name, be∣ing heere all gathered into one Channell, whereas before it commeth downe from the Lake Chieldor-Giol in Armenia, in manifold armes and branches, and therefore is called by the Coun∣trey people, by a name which signifieth a thousand heads. Here it is that Merchants vse to passe downe by Barke vnto Babylon, thereby to auoid and shunne the great charge and wearisomnesse of trauell through the Desart of Arabia. Which passage they make sometimes in fifteene dayes, sometimes in twentie dayes, and sometimes in thirtie dayes, answerable to the rising and falling * 1.3 of the Riuer: and the best time to passe thither is either in Aprill or October, when the Riuer doth swell with abundance of Raine. The Boates are flat-bottomed, because the Riuer is shal∣low [ 40] in many places; so that when they trauell in the Moneths of Iuly, August, and September, they find the Riuer at so low an ebbe, that they are faine to carry with them a spare Boat or two, to lighten their owne, if they should chance to fall on the shoales. Euery night after Sun-set, they fasten these Boates to a stake, the Merchants lying aboord, and the Mariners vpon the shoare, as neere as they can vnto the same. In this passage downe the Riuer, you shall meet with diuers troupes of Arabians, who will barter their prouision of Dyet (for they care not for mo∣ney) as Hennes, Kids, Lambe, Butter, and sowre Milke, for Glasses, Combes, Corall, Amber, Kniues, Bread and Pomegranates, Pils, wherewith they vse to tanne their Goats skinnes, in which they Churne with all. All of them, as well Women, Children, and Men are very good Swimmers, who oftentimes will swimme to the Barke side with Vessels full of Milke vpon their [ 50] heads. These people are very theeuish, and therefore in your passage downe good watch must bee kept. But to returne where we left, wee were constrained by the deepnesse of the Riuer to ferrie ouer our whole Carauan, which consisted of a thousand persons, besides Camels, Horses, Mules, and Asses, by reason of which multitude we spent a whole day in transporting ouer the said Carauan. The gaines of which transportation yeelded the Ferriman a Shaughee, which is fiue pence English vpon a Beast.

Being ouer the aforesaid Riuer, wee arriued at Bir and entred into the famous Prouince of Mesopotamia; The Turkes doe call it Diarbech. This Prouince of it selfe is most fruitfull, but * 1.4 by the Turkish Wa••res much ruinated and wasted: neuerthelesse, there are some Cities of great importance. About two dayes iourney from Bir, wee came to Orpha, a Citie of great account [ 60] * 1.5 and estimation, which many suppose to haue beene the famous Citie Edessa. As yet there re∣mayned certaine Monuments of Baldwin * 1.6 in Latine letters. The aire of this Citie is very health∣full, the Countrey fruitfull, onely wood excepted, and therefore in stead thereof, they burne the dung of Camels and other beasts, dried in the Sunne. This Citie is built foure-square; the

West part standing on the side of a rockie Mountaine, and the East part trendeth into a spacious Valley, replenished with Vineyards, Orchards, and Gardens: the walls are very strong, fur∣nished with great store of Artillerie, and contayne in circuit three English miles: and for the gallantnesse of the site, it was once reckoned the Metropoliticall seat of Mesopotamia, how∣soeuer it is now translated to Caramida or Caraemit. There is in this Citie a Fountaine full of fishes, so vsed to hand, that they will receiue any substance that shall bee offered vnto them: both Iewes, Armenians, and Turkes reported vnto vs, that this Fountaine was Iacobs Well, and that here hee serued his Vncle Laban twice seuen yeeres, for faire and beautifull Rachel. * 1.7 The gates of this Citie were much battered, a little before our comming by Eliazgee the Scri∣uano, and the Rebels his followers; hee drew the Citizens to a composition of fiftie thousand [ 10] Chekins, and so departed. Memorable also is this Citie, then called Carras, for the great bat∣tell which was fought before it betweene the Romans and the Parthians, when Marcus Crassus was Generall on the one side, and Surena on the other side.

At this Citie hauing paid our Custome, which is a Doller on a summe of goods, our Carauan was licenced to depart: and at our ordinary houre, which was three of the clocke in the after∣noone, we set forward towards the ancient Citie Amida, now called Caramida or Caraemit, * 1.8 fiue dayes iourney from Orpha, trauelling sometimes ouer rough and craggie Mountaines, and sometimes through most delightfull Playnes and Valleys: amongst which there is one of note, enuironed about with a Pale of Mountaines, in such wise that there is but one entrie and pas∣sage: where * 1.9 Aladeules is said to haue had his Paradise. [ 20]

At the end of fiue dayes trauell, wee arriued at Caraemit, which is to say, The blacke Citie, either for the stone wherewith it is built, being like vnto Iet in colour, or for the fertilitie of the soyle round about it, which is of a dusky colour. This Citie is seated vpon a maruellous high Rocke, and containeth in circuit very neere sixe miles; and though it be sufficiently forti∣fied by nature, yet is it enuironed with a double wall: the outmost is somewhat decayed, but the inmost is well repaired, being fenced with great store of Artillerie. It is gouerned by a Bassa, who commandeth ouer twelue Sanzacks, and thirtie thousand Ty••••ariots: and is now become the Metropoliticall Citie of Mesopotamia. There were mustred from this Citie, when A〈…〉〈…〉at the third inuaded Persia, in the yeere 1578. twelue thousand Souldiers, the Captaine being well checked by Generall Mustapha for bringing so few. The Souldiers of this Citie for the most [ 30] part are Archers, not of any courage, but very effeminate, and accustomed to the vse of the Sci∣matarre. During our abode at this place (which was fourteene dayes) we lodged in a very faire * 1.10 Caine built of free-stone; for which lodging we payed to the Master of the Caine fiue Shaughes a piece: all which time nothing fell out worthie obseruation, but the cruell execution of a petie malefactor, who hauing but pilfered away certaine small wares, was mounted on a Ca∣mell, with his armes spread abroad, hauing two sockets-holes bored in his shoulders blades, into which were set two flaring torches, dropping continually on his skin to his greater torment, and in the end, hauing carried him in this pitifull manner through the principall streets of the Citie, they brought him to the place of execution, and there ganched him on a great Iron hooke, suffering him so to hang till he died. Passing through the South-gate of this Citie, wee [ 40] payed to the Porter of the gate a Shaughee vpon a beast, descending from the Citie into a most fertile and fruitfull Plaine, where are many Gardens and Orchards, and places of great refreshment.

Through this Plaine runneth the great Riuer Euphrates, with a very swift current; and it as * 1.11 broad here sometimes of the yeere as the Thames at London Bridge, but now was much dried vp, by reason of the heate in Summer, making thereby many Ilands and demi-Ilands, where the Citizens of Caraemit during the Summer season doe vse to pitch their Tents, to enioy the fresh∣ment of the Aire and Riuer: but in the Winter it swelleth so aboundantly ouer the said Ilands and bankes, that neither man nor beast is able to passe ouer: to auoide which inconuenience, there is, a mile distant from the Citie, a stone-bridge of twentie arches, made ouer the said Ri∣uer. This euening we pitched two miles from the Citie, and stayed all that night of purpose [ 50] for some Merchants that were behind. Here wee exchanged our Camels, and instead of them tooke Mules, a creature farre more fit to trauell ouer craggie Rockes and Mountaines then Ca∣mels: for now we were within a few dayes iourney, to passe ouer the high Mountaines of Ar∣menia, called in Scripture the Mountaines of Ararat: which trauell with Camels is not onely laborious, but very dangerous, if the ground should proue moist or slabby; for then being la∣den with great burdens, they cannot goe onwards, neither are they able to passe with their huge burdens, through the streight passages which are in those Mountaines.

Two dayes iourney from Caraemit, we rested at the foot of a great rockie Mountaine, being * 1.12 one of the Heads out of which Tygris floweth, and runneth downe with a swift current to Bal∣sara, and so dischargeth it selfe in the Persian Gulfe. Strangely doth it issue out of three Rockes [ 60] admirably hanging, that a man as he passeth vnder them, would imagine them to bee readie to fall on his head. And for the strangenesse of the site, the Turkes haue builded three Bridges in * 1.13 the midst of those Rockes, to passe from one vnto another, thereby to behold Natures wisedome

in framing them so wonderfull. Wee went to view the same, but through the huge ouer-falls, which came farre off within those Mountaines, and the steepnesse of the same, together with the hideous noise, and whistling murmuring, wee found not so great contentment aboue, as wee did beneath.

The next day we spent ouer many high Mountaines, on the top whereof grew great quanti∣tie * 1.14 of Gall-trees, which are somewhat like our Oakes, but lesser and more crooked: on the best tree in this place a man shall not gather a pound of Galls: at euening we pitched againe on the bankes of Euphrates; and in the morning passed the said Riuer, but not by Barge as before, which * 1.15 was likely to haue bred no small annoyance to our whole Carauan; for through the swiftnesse of the streame, and deepnesse of the Channell, many Beasts with their ladings had beene carri∣ed [ 10] away and drowned, if there had not beene in time a shallow Foord discouered, which had in such sort raised the depth of the Channell, making as it were a shelfe for our Commodious pas∣sage: by helpe whereof there was not so much as one man or beast that perished.

We were no sooner ouer, but forth-with we were encountred with a certaine troope of peo∣ple, called the Curdies, which some thinke to be a remnant of the ancient Parthians. This rude * 1.16 people are of a goodly stature, and well proportioned, and doe neuer goe abroad without their Armes, as Bowes and Arrowes, Scimatarre and Buckler, yea and at such time, when a man for age is ready to goe downe to his graue. They doe adore and worship the Deuill, to the end hee may not hurt them or their Cattell, and very cruell are they to all sorts of Christians; in which regard, the Countrey which they inhabite, is at this day termed Terra Diaboli, the Land of the [ 20] Diuell. They participate much of the nature of the Arabians, and are as infamous in their La∣trocinies and robberies, as the Arabians themselues. They liue vnder the commandement of the great Turke, but with much freedome and libertie. This theeuish company did sundry times ar∣rest our Carauan, affirming that their Prince had sent for a Dollar on a summe of goods, without the payment whereof (being fiue seuerall times demanded) wee should not passe through their Countrey. One Village of note is there in this Countrey, wholly inhabited by the Curdies, be∣ing * 1.17 fiue daies iourney from Caraemit, and three daies iourney from Bitclish, called by the Countrey people Manuscute. This Towne is seated in a most fertile and fruitfull Valley, be∣tweene two Mountaines, abounding with Pasture and Cattell: and about a mile from it, is an Hospitall dedicated to Saint Iohn the Baptist, which is much visited as well by Turkes as Christi∣ans, [ 30] who superstitiously affirme, that whosoeuer will bestow either a Sheepe, Kid, or some piece * 1.18 of Money to releeue the poore of that place, shall not onely prosper in his iourney, but obtaine forgiuenesse of all his sinnes. To the Gouernour of this Village, wee paied for our custome a Shaughee on a summe of goods, and so were dismissed. The next day following, we passed ouer many craggy and steepe Mountaines, and at the last rested our selues and wearied beasts on the banke of Euphrates, being the out-most bounds on this side of Mesopotamia, and so entred the day * 1.19 following on the Borders of Armenia the great, which is by some distinctly diuided into three parts; the North part whereof being but little, is called Georgia: the middle part Turcomania: and the third part by the proper name of Armenia.

It is now called Turcomania, and was the first seate of the Turkes, after their first comming out [ 40] of Scythia, who left their naturall seates, and by the Caspian Ports passing through the Georgian Countrey, then called Iberia, neere vnto the Caspian Sea; first ceased vpon this part of Arme∣nia, and that with so strong an hand, that it is by their posteritie yet holden at this day, and of them called Turcomania.

At our first entrance into this Countrey, we trauelled through a goodly, large, and spacious * 1.20 Plaine, compassed about with a rew of high Mountaines, where were many Villages, wholly inhabited by Armenians; a people very industrious in all kind of labour: their Women very skilful and actiue in shooting, & managing any sort of weapon, like the fierce Amazones in antick time: and the women at this day, which inhabit the Mountaine Xatach in Persia. Their families are very great; for, both Sons, Nephewes, and Neeces, doe dwell vnder one roofe, hauing all [ 50] their substance in common: and when the Father dyeth, the eldest Sonne doth gouerne the rest, all submitting themselues vnder his Regiment. But when the eldest Sonne dyeth, the gouern∣ment doth not passe to his Sonnes, but to the eldest Brother. And if it chance to fall out, that all the Brethren doe dye, then the gouernment doth belong to the eldest Sonne of the eldest Bro∣ther, and so from one to another. In their dyet and cloathing, they are all fed and clad alike, li∣uing in all peace and tranquilitie, grounded on true loue and honest simplicitie.

To discourse how populous this Nation is at this day, is needlesse, since they inhabit both in Armenia the greater, and Armenia the lesse; as also in Cilicia, Bithynia, Syria, Mesopotamia and * 1.21 Persia. Besides the principall Cities of the Turkish Empire, be much appopulated with them, as Brusia, Angori, Trabisonda, Alexandria, Grand-Caire, Constantinople, Caffa, Aleppo, Orpha, [ 60] Cara-emit, Uan, and Iulpha: for that they are very laborious in transporting Merchandize from one Citie to another, by which meanes, through the customes which are paid in euery Citie, the Coffers of the Grand Signior are wonderfully inriched. This people haue two Patriarchs, to * 1.22 whom they giue the name of Vniuersall: the one keepeth his seate in the Citie of Sis in Cara∣mania,

not farre from Tharsus: the other in the Monastery of Ecmeazin, neere vnto the Citie Eruan in this Countrey. Vnder these two Patriarchs are eighteene Monasteries, full fraight with Friers of their Religion; and foure and twentie Bishopricks. The maintenance allowed in times past vnto each of these two Patriarchs, was a maidin on an house; each Patriarch hauing vnder him twentie thousand housholds: but now that large beneuolence the great Turke ••ath seased into his owne hands; and therefore now they are constrained to liue on the Almes of the people, going continually in Visitation from one Citie to another, carrying their Wiues and whole family with them.

The people of this Nation haue amongst them the Christian * 1.23 Faith, but at this day it is spot∣ted with many absurdities. They hold with the Church of Rome in the vse of the Crosse, affir∣ming [ 10] it to be meritorious, if they make the same with two fingers, as the Papists vse; but idle and vaine if with one finger, as the Iacobites. They adorne their Churches in euery place with the signe of the Crosse, but for other Images they haue none, being professed enemies against the vse of them. In keeping ancient Reliques they are very superstitious, and much deuoted to the * 1.24 blessed Virgin Mary, to whom they direct their prayers. They imitate the Dioscorians in eating Whit-meats on Saturday, which to doe on Wednesday and Friday were a deadly sin: neuerthe∣lesse, they will not refraine from the eating of flesh on euery Friday, betweene the Feast of the Passouer & the Ascention. They abstain fiue Sabboths in the yeare from eating flesh, in a remem∣brance of that time which the Gentiles did sacrifice their Children vnto Idols. They celebrate the Annunciation of the Virgin Marie on the sixt of Aprill, the Natiuitie of our blessed Sauior on the [ 20] sixt of Ianuary, the Purification the fourth of February, and the Transfiguration the 14. of August. The ministration of their Liturgie or Seruice, is performed in their natiue language, that all may vnderstand: but in their Seruice of the Masse for the dead, they are most idolatrous, vsing at the * 1.25 solemnizing thereof, to sacrifice a Lambe, which they first lead round about the Church, and af∣ter they had killed it and rosted it, they spread it on a faire white Linnen cloath, the Priest gi∣uing to each of the Congregation a part and portion thereof. They are (vnlesse some few fami∣lies) so farre from yeelding obedience vnto the Sea of Rome, that they assume all Antiquitie vn∣to themselues, as hauing retained the Christian Faith from the time of the Apostles. Many Ie∣suites and Priests haue beene sent from Rome, to bring this oppressed Nation vnder her gouern∣ment, but they haue little preuailed; for neither will they yeeld obedience, nor be brought by [ 30] any perswasion to forsake their ancient and inueterate errours, to become more erronious with her.

Hauing well refreshed our selues amongst these Villages, wee proceeded in our ordinary tra∣uell, but ere we had passed two miles, certaine troopes of Curdies incountred our Carauan, with a purpose and intent to haue robbed the same, but finding themselues too weak to contend with so great company, they departed vntill the next day following, when againe they met with vs in a very narrow passage betweene two Mountaines, where they made a stay of our whole Cara∣uan, exacting a Shaughee on euery person, which to purchase our peace we willingly paied; and so arriued that euening at Bithlis an ancient Citie, but a Citie of much crueltie and oppression, where little Iustice and right is to be found to releeue distressed passengers. [ 40]

This Citie standeth in a pleasant Valley, by which runneth a little Riuer, falling out of the * 1.26 Mountaines Anti-Tauris, it was once a Towne in the Confines of the Persian Kingdome, borde∣ring vpon Mesopotamia, and had a Castle kept with a Garrison of Persian Souldiers, before such time as Solyman the Magnificent did conquer these Countries, which was in the yeare 1535. * 1.27 In which yeare there was a memorable battell fought betweene the two great Bassaes of Caire and Syria, conducted by Vlemas the Persian Traitor; and Delymenthes a right Nobleman of Per∣sia. The two Bassaes and Vlemas were commanded by Solyman (in his returne from the spoile of Tauris) to follow him with eighteene thousand good Souldiers in the rereward of his Army, to receiue and represse the sudden assaults of the Persians, if need should require. But Delymenthes with fiue thousand Persian Souldiers pursued the Turkes, and ouertooke them in the aforesaid [ 50] Valley; and being furthered in this venterous designement, both by the darknesse of the night, and the abundance of raine which fell at the same instant, as if it had beene wished for, on a sud∣den got within the Turkes Campe: where the Persian Souldiers, as Wolues amongst Sheepe, did such speedy execution amongst the sleepy Turkes, that the two great Bassaes and Vlemas had much adoe to get to horse, and saue themselues by flight. Few of all that great Army escaped the sword of the Persians. There was three great Sanzacks slaine, one taken, and the other fled, eight hundred Ianizaries seeing themselues forsaken of their Captaines, laid downe their Har∣quebusses, and other Weapons, and yeelded themselues vpon Delymenthes his word. In memo∣riall thereof they still keepe that day (which was the thirteenth of October) as one of their so∣lemne Holy-daies. In Bithlis we stayed two daies; and at our departure paied vnto the Gouer∣nor [ 60] of the said Citie, a Dollar on a summe of goods, and so set forwards towards the great Citie Uan, three daies iourney farther. In which trauell we had a very wearisome and painefull iour∣ney, ouer high Mountaines and craggy Rockes, the way being exceeding narrow, that a beast could hardly passe with his burthen, without much heauing and tumultuous shouldering. The

which narrow passages the Turkes told vs, was by the commandement of Amurat the third, * 1.28 the Great Turke, cut through by the maine industrie of labourers, for his Armie to passe, like that incredible worke, which Haniball with Vinegar wrought vpon the Alpes. In this place our trauell was very dangerous, by reason of a brackish Lake or little Sea, called, The Lake Arctamar, which was vnder the Rocke, ouer which wee passed, and wee enforced to ride shoa∣ling * 1.29 on the side of the said Rocke, that had not our Mules beene sure of footing, both they and we had perished, with an insupportable downe-fall in that Sea. Two miles from this shoare in the aforesaid Lake are two Ilands, called, The Ecmenicke Ilands, inhabited onely by Ar∣menians, * 1.30 and some Georgians, which two Ilands doe bring forth and yeeld such store of Cat∣tell, and plentie of Rice, Wheat, and Barley, the Garners and Store-houses for all the Coun∣trey [ 10] round about.

Being arriued at Van, our Carauan rested in the Suburbs of the said Citie, not daring to presume to enter the Citie, by reason that the Bassa was gone to fetch in a rebel, that was risen vp in those parts; in whose absence the Citie, vnder the sub-Bassa, was no better gouerned then it should bee. On the West side of this Citie lieth a pleasant and delightfull Plaine, wherein the Iani∣zaries twice a weeke doe exercise themselues after their manner in the feats of Warre. On the North side runneth the Lake Arctamar, called in antique time the Moore or Marish, Martiana, * 1.31 or Margiana, or Mantiana. Out of this Lake is caught yeerely an innumerable quantitie of Fish like our Herring, which being dried in the Sunne, they disperse and sell them ouer all the Countrey thereabout.

This Citie is double walled with hard quarrie stone, and is the strongest Towne in all these [ 20] * 1.32 parts, being fortified with great store of brasse Ordnance, and a strong Castle mounted on an high Rocke, to command and defend the Citie. It was once vnder the gouernement of the Per∣sian, but Solyman the Magnificent in the yeere 1549. with a puissant Armie did besiege the same, * 1.33 which after ten dayes siege was yeelded vnto him by the Persian Gouernour, vpon condition, that the Persian Souldiers there in Garrison, might with life and libertie depart with their wea∣pons, as Souldiers: which was by Solyman granted, and so the Citie was surrendred vp into his hands from the Persian King, who neuer since could get the same into his possessions. It is gouer∣ned now by a Bassa, who hath vnder him twelue thousand Timariots.

At this Citie we stayed fiue dayes, paying a Doller on a Summe of goods, and passed from thence to a Turkish Village, called Gnusher, the houses standing in two seuerall places, the one [ 30] * 1.34 rew fit for the Winter, and the other for the Summer season. Here wee began the ascent of the high Mountaines of Ararat, and about noone-tide we beheld Bruz; the very crest of the Periardi * 1.35 Mountaines, now called Cheilder Monte, the hills of Periardo. These Mountaines so called, are very famous by the rising of many notable great Riuers, which doe so fructiferate the Countrey thereabouts, that the barbarous people call it Leprus (which is to say, Fruitfull) viz. First, the Riuer Araxis, which running out of a certaine Marish, with many armes doth wonderfully enrich that Champaine and drie Countrey. This Riuer springeth out of the hill Taurus in this * 1.36 part, where Periardo is situate, on the side of the Hill Abo, and so runneth by East euen to the confines of Seruan, and windeth it selfe towards the West, and by North, where it is ioyned [ 40] with the Riuer Cirus, and then passeth to Artaxata, now called Nassiuan, a Citie of the Arme∣nians, right against Reiuan another Citie, and so watereth Armenia, and coursing along the Plaine of Araxis, dischargeth it selfe into the Caspian Sea, on the one side by South leauing Ar∣menia, and on the other side by North leauing the Countrey Seruania: whose chiefe Citie is Eris. The Riuer Cirus likewise springeth out of Taurus, and so descending into the Cham∣paines * 1.37 and Plaines of Georgia, charging it selfe, and being greatly encreased with other Riuers, it is ioyned with Araxis, and so maketh his issue also into the Caspian Sea. This Riuer the In∣habitants of the Countrey at this day call by the name of Ser, in their owne Language, but the Turkes call it Chiur. Out of these Mountaines also springeth the Riuer Canac, which maketh * 1.38 (as it were almost) an Iland, a little on this side the Citie Eris, and afterwards vnite it selfe in the Channell with Araxis, and so runneth into the Caspian Sea. [ 50]

Two other Mountaines are of great note in this place; the one is Anti-Taurus, now called * 1.39 Mons Niger, The blacke Mountaine, which runneth vp into Media; and the other Gordaeus, the tops of which Mountaines are couered continually with white and hoary Snowes. The Mountaine Gordaeus is enuironed with many other petie Mountaines, called the Gordaean Moun∣taines; * 1.40 on the tops whereof (as wee passed) wee found many ruines and huge foundations, of which no reason can be rendred.

The Turkes call the Mountaine Gordiaeus Augri-daugh, the Armenians Messis-Saur: it is so * 1.41 high, that it ouer-tops all the Mountaines thereabout. There issueth out of the foot of this Hill a thousand little Springs, whereof some doe feed the Riuer Tygris, and some other Riuers, and it hath about it three hundred Villages inhabited by Armenians and Georgians; as also an an∣cient [ 60] Monastery dedicated to Saint Gregorie, very large and spacious, able to receiue Shaugh Tamas the great King of Persia, and most of his Armie, who for the austere and strict life that he saw in those Religious men, made him to spare it, and to change his determination, hauing a full

purpose before to haue destroyed it. About this Monasterie groweth great plentie of Graine, the Graine being twice as big as ours, as also Roses and Rheubarb, which because they haue not * 1.42 the skill to drie it, that Simple is of no esteeme or value. On the top of this Mountaine did the Arke of Noah rest, as both Iewes, Turkes and Armenians affirmed. Some Friers of Saint Gre∣gories Monasterie told vs, that euen at this day some part of the Arke is yet to be seene on the top of this Mountaine, if any could ascend thither; but the way (as they say) is kept by An∣gels, * 1.43 so that whosoeuer shall presume to goe vp (as once a Brother of that Monasterie did) shall be brought downe in the night season, from the place which hee had gayned by his trauaile in the day time before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Carauan is a great many of Camels la∣den, not much vnlike our Carriers here in England. Tedith a Vil∣lage of note. The Valley of Salt. 2. Sam. 8. 13.
• * 1.2

  Euphrates.
• * 1.3

  Time and manner of go∣ing downe the Riuer.
• * 1.4

  Bir. Mesopotamia.
• * 1.5

  Orpha.
• * 1.6

  See sup. c. 2.
• * 1.7

  Gen. 29. 13. ••7. The Scriuano at the walls of Orpha. 1603. Let the Geo∣grapher vse his owne libertie, I giue you the Author.
• * 1.8

  Caraemit.
• * 1.9

  See hereof in M Polo long before that time of Senex de Monte, which this A∣ladeules imita∣ted, if the re∣port be true.
• * 1.10

  A most cruell execution.
• * 1.11

  Euphrates.
• * 1.12

  One of the Heads out of which Tygris floweth.
• * 1.13

  Three Bridges.
• * 1.14

  Gall trees.
• * 1.15

  Euphrates.
• * 1.16

  The descripti∣on of the Cur∣dies, a most theeuish peo∣ple. The Curdies worshippers of the Deuill.
• * 1.17

  Manuscute.
• * 1.18

  Indulgence.
• * 1.19

  Euphrates.
• * 1.20

  Armenian man∣ners. Women Ar∣chers.
• * 1.21

  The Armenians are a populous Nation.
• * 1.22

  The Armenians gouerned by two Patriarchs
• * 1.23

  The Religion of the Armeni∣ans is spotted with many ab∣surdities.
• * 1.24

  Crossings and Crosses.
• * 1.25

  Lamb-sacrifice
• * 1.26

  Bithlis.
• * 1.27

  The great bat∣tell fought be∣tweene two great Bassaes & Delymenthes, a valiant Noble man of Persia.
• * 1.28

  Hand made passage.
• * 1.29

  Arctamar lake.
• * 1.30

  The Ecmenick Ilands.
• * 1.31

  The Lake Ar∣ctamar called in ancient time Martiana.
• * 1.32

  The descrip∣tion of Van.
• * 1.33

  Solyman after ten dayes siege tooke the Ci∣tie Van.
• * 1.34

  Gnusher.
• * 1.35

  Ararat.
• * 1.36

  The Riuer A∣raxis springeth out of the Hill Taurus. Nassiuan. Reiuan.
• * 1.37

  The Riuer Cirus.
• * 1.38

  The Riuer Canac.
• * 1.39

  The Moun∣taine Anti-Taurus.
• * 1.40

  The Moun∣taine Gordaeus.
• * 1.41

  Gordiaeus Mons, whereon Noahs Arke rested.
• * 1.42

  Rheubarb.
• * 1.43

  Monkish tale.