When we went on and came to the promontory of mount _Libanus_, we saw

abundance of villages by the way, which for the most part are inhabited

by Christians, _viz._ _Syrians_, _Maronites_, &c. with whom we did lodge

sometimes over-night; these entertain’d us very civilly, and gave us such

wine to drink as grew on the mountains, than which I hardly remember I

ever drank better. Amongst the rest of the villages we came to one call’d

_Hanal_, lying high in a fruitful country, where, as I am inform’d, in

former days a very fine city stood, which is so desolated, and in process

of time decay’d to that degree, that in our days there is almost nothing

left of it but a small village, and here and there in the fields some

small ruins of old houses.

We went on farther between the mountains, where we spy’d a little town

upon the hills, and above it a strong castle, which it is said the

_French_ did formerly build, that lieth in a very convenient place

between the mountains, so that you must go just by it; but because it

is haunted with evil spirits and hobgobblins, it remaineth unrepair’d

and uninhabited. We left it on our left hand, and came out into a

spacious corn-field well till’d, where on our left we saw the town

_Sermin_ at a great distance, and near to it and about it, great woods

of _Pistacio_-trees, which are gathered there, and sent to _Tripolis_,

and so by the merchants to us: Some of them grow also near the high-ways,

chiefly in the village of _Basilo_, where we stay’d all night.

In our way we found nine or ten Champs, call’d _Caravatscharas_: these

are open inns, where the caravans and travellers go in, commonly towards

evening, to stay there all night; they are free to any body, but you find

neither meat nor drink there, if you will have it you must bring it along

with you, and must be contented to lie upon straw, if you can have it,

upon the lower wall, which goes round about the sides, on purpose to give

to horses, asses, and camels their food upon it. They are generally three

miles distant from one another; they are large and stately, and as strong

in walls as castles, commonly built four-square, and have within a large

yard, and round about it are stables which are quite open, just like

cloisters. Some of them have a garrison of nine or twelve Janisaries, to

keep the roads clean, and to protect the travellers from assaults of the

inhabitants and _Arabians_.

When we had travell’d over several rough mountains, and came almost

near to _Halepo_, we saw at last the city just like _Damand_, of the

bigness of _Strasbourg_; at the gates we dismounted, because in _Turky_

no outlandish man hath liberty to ride thro’ a city, and so we went into

it, and I went into the _French Fundique_ to take my lodgings, as all

_Germans_ use to do.

CHAP. VI.

_Of the situation of the potent city of ~Halepo~, of the buildings

thereof, and also of the delicate fruits, and fine plants that grow there

within and without the gardens._

The town of _Halepo_, which is the greatest and most potent in _Syria_,

anciently call’d _Nerea_, is in some places well fortify’d with ditches

and walls, only they are not quite round it, so that one may (the same

it is with _Tripolis_) at any time of night go in and out; neither

are the gates, as used in our country, chiefly in cities of account,

beset with soldiers, but you will only see two or three waiting at the

head-gates, where the highways go through, which are rather there to

take custom, than to keep the gates, neither have they any arms. But

in the middle of the city there is a castle on a high hill, which is

strong, large, surrounded with walls and ditches, and well beset with a

good guard. Concerning their other buildings, which are flat at the top,

and cover’d with a sort of pavement, that one may walk on the tops of

them, they are like unto them of _Tripolis_. Amongst the rest there is

a very magnificent building, which they say hath cost a great deal of

money, which hath for it’s entrance a very low and small door, so that

one must bend himself very low that will go into it, but when you come

in, you find there delicate large halls, high open arches, very pleasant

and cool to sit underneath in the summer, water-works, orchards, and

kitchen-gardens, where among the rest was one of these _Ketmy_’s: Besides

these there was also some fine Mosques with steeples, which were round

and small, but very high; some of them had a balcony at the top, like

unto a garland, whereupon the waits are, and their priests go about at

the time of prayers, to call people in. But for other stately buildings,

that might be erected for the memory of some potent King or Prince,

there is none.

Without the city they have here and there some country-houses; among the

rest one built for the _Turkish_ Emperor, at four miles distance from

the city, where he used to be sometimes, chiefly when he is at war with

the _Sophy_, King of _Persia_, that he may presently assist his army

in case of necessity; this is very large, but not built so stately as

so great a monarch deserveth. In the great garden is a chapel built by

the river that runs through it upon pillars, where the _Great Sultan_

used to hold conferences with his Privy-counsellors and Visier-bashaws.

It happen’d in the reign of _Solyman the Great_, as the gardiner did

relate to us, that when they were assembled, to consult whether it was

more profitable to him to suffer the _Jews_ in his provinces, or to

root them quite out; after every one had given his opinion, and most of

them were of the opinion, that they ought not to be tolerated, because

of their unsufferable usury wherewith they oppressed his subjects; and

after the Emperor had heard every ones sentiment, he gave them also to

understand his, and that in this instance, _viz._ He bad them look upon

a flower-pot, that held a quantity of fine flowers of divers colours,

that was then in the room, and bid them consider whether each of them in

their colour, did not set out the other the better; and that if any of

them should decay, or be taken away, whether it would not somewhat spoil

the beauty of the rest. After every one had heard the _Sultan_’s opinion,

and did allow of it to be true; the Emperor did begin to explain this,

and said, The more sorts of nations I have in my dominions under me, as

_Turks_, _Moors_, _Grecians_, &c. the greater authority they bring to my

kingdoms, and make them more famous. And that nothing may fall off from

my greatness, I think it convenient, that all that have been together so

long hitherto, may be kept and tolerated so still for the future; which

pleased his council so well, that they all unanimously agreed to it, and

so let it remain as it was.

Without the city of _Halepo_ are abundance of quarries, where they dig

great free-stones of a vast bigness, almost as white and soft as chalk,

very proper for building: There are also about the town some walks or

grotto’s under ground, which are above an _English_ mile long, which

have the light let into them by holes made near the highway, so that a

man must be very careful (chiefly at night) that he may not fall into

them, or that he may not be trapann’d by the _Moors_ that live in them

in great numbers. The ground about it being very chalky, it causeth

to the soles of our feet, chiefly at night, although one be very well

provided with strong shoes, a very considerable driness and heat, as one

may also see by the _Moors_, that, for the most part go bare-foot, which

causeth the soles of their feet to be so shrifled, that into some of

their crevises you may almost put your little finger. Yet notwithstanding

that, _Halepo_ is surrounded with rocky hills, and the valleys thereof

are chalky; they have no want of corn, as barley, wheat, _&c._ but rather

it is very fruitful, and their harvest beginning commonly in _April_

or _May_: But they have but few oats, and less grass or hay; for the

driness is so great, and it is so sandy, and the hills are so rough and

full of bushes, that they make but very little hay. Wherefore they feed

their cattel with barley, and with straw, which is broken in pieces by

threshing waggons, that are drawn by oxen. The valley is also full of

Olive-trees, so that yearly they make several thousand hundred weight

of oil for to make Soap. There is also a great quantity of tame and

wild Almond-trees, of Figgs, of Quince, and white Mulberry-trees, which

are very high and big: _Pistacies_-trees, which they call _Fistuc_, are

hereabout very common; they have underneath very strong stems, which have

outwardly an ashen-colour’d bark, and are adorned with handsome leaves

of a sad green colour, like unto their _Charnubis_, and behind them grow

many small Nuts like Grapes in clusters together. In the spring when they

first put out, they send forth long shoots, which the _Moors_ gather

in great quantity for their sallad, and dress them as we do Asparagus.

There are also abundance of delicate orchards, that are filled with

_Oranges_, _Citrons_, _Lemons_, _Adam_’s-_Apples_, _Sebesten_, _Peaches_,

_Morelloes_, and _Pomegranates_, &c. and amongst them you find sometimes

Apples and Pears, but very few, nor so many sorts, nor so big, nor so

well coloured as ours. There grow many Myrtles, which bear roundish

berries of the bigness of our _Sorbus_ or Services, of a blewish grey

colour, very good to eat, which have white seeds of the shape of our

jumping cheese-magots; they propagate them diligently, because they are

beautiful, and remain long green, to put about their graves. Moreover

there are many _Sumach_-trees, which they plant for their seeds sake,

which is much used by them; but _Cherries_, _Amelanchier_ and _Spenleny_

I have not seen there, and very few Goosberries, or Currans; _Weychseln_

they have, but very few, wherefore they esteem them, and keep them

choice, as a foreign plant, to shew them to others, and to present great

persons with them; this may suffice of trees.

Concerning their garden plants: those that are common, are Endives,

Lettice, Keal or Coleworts, Colliflowers, _Cauloropa_, _Rauckelen_,

_Apium_, _Tarcon_, whereof _Rhasis_ describeth two sorts, one with

long small leaves, by us call’d Taragon, and the other with broad

leaves, which I reckon to be our _Lepidium_, by the inhabitants call’d

_Cozirihan_. _Ravos Serap_; or our common Hartichokes. But beyond all

they plant _Colocasia_ in such plenty as we do Turneps, whereof they have

also great plenty. They are also very well provided with Horseraddishes,

Garlick, and Onions, which the inhabitants still call _Bassal_. Of

_Pumpions_, _Citruls_, and _Cucumis anguinus_, which they call _Gette_,

they plant as many as they have occasion for; but many more _Angurien_ an

_Indian Muskmillion_, or Water-mellons, which they call _Batiechas_, but

_Serap._ _Dullaha_, they are large, of greenish colour, sweet and pleasent

to eat, and very cooling, wherefore they esteem them to be their best

fruits; but chiefly those, which have more red than white within; they

are very innocent and harmless, and keep so long good, that they sell

them in their _Batzars_ all the winter long. Moreover, there are three

sorts of those plants which the _Arabians_ call _Melanzana_, _Melongena_,

and _Beudengian_, as ash-coulour’d, yellow, and flesh-colour’d, which are

very like one another in their crookedness and length, and like unto the

long Gourds. There are two other sorts, which are call’d _Bathleschain_,

_viz._ oblong and round ones, which are much bigger, of a black colour,

and so smooth and glaz’d that they give a reflection. They eat these

oftener boil’d (chiefly after the way which _Averrhoës_ mention’d) than

raw. Without their gardens are two other strange plants, which also

(being they eat them commonly with others) may be reckon’d among the

Kitchin-herbs; whereof one is call’d by them _Secacul_, which I found

about the town in shady places, and among trees, and in the corn; it’s

roots are of an ashen colour without, and white within, smooth, mellow or

tender, of one inch thick, and one and a half long; it hath instead of

fibres, little knobs like unto warts, and a sweet taste, not unlike to

our Carrots in stalk, herb or head, saving only the flowers, which are

yellow; the herb-women carry them strung upon strings about the streets

to sell them. The other sort is also very plentiful, and is found in dry

and rough places, which the inhabitants to this day, with _Serapio_, call

_Hacub_, whereof he maketh mention in his 295th chapter, under the name

of _Hacub Alcardeg_, whereof they cut in the spring the young shoots or

sprouts, that grow round about it, boil and eat it as we do Asparagus,

corruptly call’d Sparrowgrass; the whole plant is very like to our

Carlina, only this hath bigger, higher and more prickly heads, whereon

appear flesh-coulour’d flowers. It being that it is every way like it,

and that also the root hath the same virtue, for if you steep it in

water, and drink of it, it maketh you vomit and fling up; therefore I am

of opinion, that without doubt it must be the true _Silybum Dioscorides_;

besides this there grow also in the road and on old walls such plenty of

Capers, that they are not at all esteem’d; they take these flowers before

they open, and pickle them, and eat them for sauce with their meat. I had

almost forgot another herb, which I found in their gardens, that beareth

roundish smooth stalks about two foot high; the leaves are two and two

equally distant from one another, and one above the other; they are long,

crenated at the sides, like unto our Mercurialis; between them sprout out

in harvest-time yellow flowers, which produce long aculeated cods, which

open themselves when they are ripe; within them are six distinctions, and

in each of them a little black seed placed in very good order; the herb

is of a sower taste, like Sorrel, wherefore it is to every body, chiefly

the _Jews_, known, who boil the leaves thereof with their meat to eat

them; wherefore some take it to be _Olus Judaicum Avicennæ_, and others

take it for _Corchorum Plinii_, whether it be or no I suspend my judgment.

They have abundance of Pulses in these countries, which they feed

upon, so that you see several in their _Batzars_ which sell nothing

else but them. Among the rest you will find abundance of _Phaseoli_,

or Kidney-beans, little and great ones, very white; and many sorts of

_Cicer_, which they call _Cotane_, and, with _Avicenna_, _Hamos_. Whereof

they have as many as we have Pease in our country, and boil them for

their daily food, and oftentimes they eat them raw, chiefly if they be

roasted, till the outward shell falls off; they often call for them thus

dressed when they are a drinking in their coffee-houses, and have them

brought to table with cheese after their meals instead of preserves or

fruit, as Cibebs, Hasel-nuts, and the like, for they eat very mellow, and

have a fine saltish taste. They dress the _Orobus_ after the same manner,

which they call now _Ades_ and _Hades_, but whether right or no I leave

to the learned; they are somewhat less and rounder, and not unlike the

Cicers in their colour, only that these are reddish and white, and the

other white and yellow. These put me still in mind of another strange

plant, by the _Arabians_ call’d _Mas_, whose leaves and cods are pretty

like our _Phaseolus_, and the cods contain little round seeds, something

less than our pease, of a dark green colour, and are so smooth and

shining that they reflect again. _Serapio_ maketh mention of them in his

116th chap. under the name of _Mes_. And _Avicenna_ in his 488th chapter

under the name _Meisce_; and the very learned and experienced Botanist,

_Carolus Clusius_, calleth it, in his _Epitome_ of the _Indian_ plants,

by the name of _Mungo_. The _Turks_ love these Pulses very well, chiefly

to eat them among their rice. So much I thought convenient to mention

here of their Kitchen-herbs and fruits that grow in gardens and about

_Aleppo_; of others that belong not to the kitchen I shall make mention

hereafter.

In this city of _Aleppo_ the Merchants buy great store of drugs,

brought from several parts by the caravans, as _Rheubarb_, _Galbanum_,

_Opoponax_, _Styrax_, _Laser_, _Sagapenum_, _Scammony_, &c.

CHAP. VII.

_Of the high places and authority of ~Bashaws~, what great courts they

keep, and how they administer their offices; as also of their way of

living, of their privileges, of their manners and conversation._

The city of _Aleppo_, which some, considering the name and situation,

believe to be the town _Chalibon_ of _Ptolomæus_ situated in

_Chalibonitis_, is subject unto the _Turkish_ Emperor, together with all

the adjacent places, wherefore he keepeth a _Bashaw_ in it, which is to

rule it, and the whole province according to his will and pleasure. Now

as the _Bashaws_ are almost the chiefest and heighest under the Emperor,

so they keep according to their station and dignity their courts as

great as the Princes do in our country, according as they have great

or small provinces. So they have under them their chief commanders, as

_Sangiacks_, _Bolucs-bashaws_ and others, which are continually with

them, go with them to their temples, or any other place where-ever they

have a mind to go in great numbers, both on foot and on horse-back,

which by their several habits are to be distinguish’d, but chiefly the

_Bolusc-bashaws_, who as captains have an hundred Janisaries under them,

which in costly cloaths, and high heads with feathers, run on foot like

lackies by their master. They have also besides their court, as well as

the Emperor himself, peculiar lodgings for their concubines, which they

either have pick’d up here and there out of towns and countries, or else

taken in time of war by sea and land from Christians and other nations;

wherefore they keep many eunuchs to attend them constantly. They take

great delight in hunting, and go often several days journeys after it;

if they take wild boars, they give them to Christians, because they

are by their laws forbid to eat them, which makes the _Turks_, often to

mock them in the streets, crying out and calling them _Chansir quibir_,

that is, great Boars or Hog-eaters. Although the _Bashaws_ are great

persons, that command over cities and countries, yet they are reckon’d

to be like others, but slaves to their master, that have nothing of

their own that they can bequeath to their heirs or posterity after their

decease, as our Princes can; because the Emperor, after their decease,

taketh possession of all their visible estates, and allows only to

their children an annuity; nay, if their Sultan commands them to go

from one place to an inferior one, or to leave their dignity quite and

clean, they must obey immediately, if they will not run themselves into

greater inconveniences or dangers. This is the reason that such persons,

though rich, seldom build great buildings, so that you see none in all

the country, except it be a chapel, or a champ, which they build to be

remember’d by. They rather keep their riches in gold and silver, which

can be hid, and so secretly given to their posterity. They bestow but

very little upon jacks, for they are too covetous, neither have they

many workmen that are able to set them. These _Bashaws_ being altogether

for their own advantage, that strive to get wealth, their subjects must

needs suffer very much under them, but chiefly strangers, that live

there to traffick, as _Italians_, _French_, &c. whereby between them and

the _Bashaws_, that mind their own and not the public good, arise often

great differences, and they must have suffer’d great damage, if their

sovereigns, to prevent these things, and that their subjects may deal

securely, had not taken care to send them discreet and prudent men, which

are call’d Consuls, endew’d with great privileges from the Grand Signior,

to hear their complaints, and to protect them against any assaulters.

It happen’d in my time, while I staid there, that great differences

arose between the Consul of _Venice_ and the new _Bashaw_ who was sent

thither instead of the deceased one, in the year 1575, the 6th of March,

who came in to take possession with a great number of horse and foot.

At his arrival, the Consul of _Venice_ went, accompany’d with a great

number of merchants in great state, to meet him, to bid him welcome,

and presented him with fourteen cloaths richly wrought of silk, desiring

him to take his countrymen into protection; that they might trade and

deal safely under him. The _Bashaw_ looking upon the cloaths, behaved

himself very unkindly, and thinking them to be very inconsiderable, he

not only refused them, but answer’d the Consul very scornfully. So it

often happens that these great persons come to differ, and pursue their

differences so far, that at last it must be brought before the Emperor

and his court. If they find that the _Bashaw_ is in the wrong, he is

immediately punish’d, not regarding his great authority, according to the

default, either in money, or else, if it be a great crime, he must loose

his life for it; which is the oftner done, because they depend very much

upon traffick, which bringeth the Emperor in yearly a great revenue. Yet

notwithstanding they are punish’d so severely, sometimes the pride and

ambition of the _Bashaws_ is so great, that to uphold their greatness

they will not cease to strive by any means after riches and very great

wealth, which their subjects, not to speak of strangers, find daily, whom

they squeeze and press, chiefly if they find them rich, to that degree,

that they cannot come to any thing, nor thrive under them; moreover they

draw, after the decease of their rich subjects, for the most part the

greatest share of what they leave, into their own purses; so that such

persons do not take pains, nor bestow any great cost to build their

houses, or to till their grounds, as we do in our country. They have

commonly in market-towns and villages low houses or halls, whereof many

are so cover’d with hills, that you cannot see them before you are quite

at them. When you come into them, you find neither chairs, nor stools,

nor tables, only a couple of pieces of tapestry spread, whereon they sit

after their fashion; and instead of feather-beds, whereof they make no

use at all, they have mats and quilts, which they fold together in the

day, and hang them up in a corner, at night they spread them out again

to sleep on them. They have no occasion for sheets to cover themselves

as we do, nor for any towels neither, for instead of them they use long

pieces of rags, which they hang about their naked necks, or hang them

at their girdles. We see sometimes in their houses, above all in the

country, several strange shaped earthen vessells, which cover whole

sides of the wall in their rooms, which their relations use to present

them with at their wedding, which to please them, they use to put up,

and to keep there, rather for their remembrance than to make any other

use of them. In their kitchen they have very few utensils, perhaps a few

pipkins, pans, and trenchers, for they boil all their victuals in one pot

together, that their maids may not have many to cleanse, or to put up.

Concerning their cloaths: They bestow not very much upon them, although

they be well to pass, for they love money so well, that they will rather

spend a whole day in contending for a penny, than pay it willingly.

Wherefore a man that will travel through these countries, must have his

purse well stored, and keep it very close, that no body may know it’s

worth, but chiefly he must have a care of the _Jews_, who are not to be

trusted, if you will escape great danger: They will not only do nothing

for you without reward, but if they suspect you to have any money,

they will endeavour to get it from you. Wherefore those that take a

pilgrimage into the Holy Land, and go in pitiful cloaths, are not much

troubled by them. The courtiers of the _Bashaws_, and amongst the rest

chiefly the eunuchs and dwarfs, _&c._ whereof they have several, go in

their taffety and sattin cloaths, which are long, and very well trimmed,

wherewith their master furnisheth them, being gifts from others, which he

distributeth among them. The Soldiers, _Spahees_, _Janisaries_, _&c._,

commonly have blew woollen cloaths from the court, and they live on their

pay, that is, four, five, six, seven, or eight _Medins_, (which are

about three farthings apiece) more or less (according as their places

are) which are paid them daily, as well in peace as in war time: If they

can get any thing else, by excursions and fighting from their enemies,

it is well for them. The Soldiers commonly wear white turbants on their

heads, and so do all _Turks_, and put painted paper underneath them,

chiefly when they go into the war, believing if they wear them they

cannot be hurt nor wounded. On their turbants they commonly wear cranes

feathers, that others may believe them to be valiant soldiers, and that

by their number people may guess that either they have been in so many

campaigns, or else killed so many _Christians_. Besides these turbants

the _Janisaries_ have also hats with high crowns, called _Zarcellus_,

made of white felt, which they wear instead of helmets, when they are

in waiting, or go out to the war; these have before, on the forehead, a

gilded sheath, set without with granats, rubies, _Turkey_-stones, and

other jewels, yet of no great value, wherein they put their feathers.

They and also other _Turks_ and _Moors_ let no hair grow upon their

heads, but as soon as it grows they shave it again, only behind they keep

a lock, which hangs down a pretty way; they let their beards grow now,

which they used formerly to cut off, so that now for some years they

have worn huge great mustachies. In war time they carry musquets, and

in peace, chiefly when they are in waiting, their long poles. They are

also allow’d to marry, and besides their wives, to keep any they take

prisoners in war, or else to sell them to any body. When they are at home

they are lovers of wine, and when they can come at it, that no body sees

them, they will drink more without mixture than any other nation; but in

time of war, when they are in expedition, they can live very sparingly,

and will march all day long before they will refresh themselves. Yet

to speak the truth, these and almost all Soldiers, because they are as

well paid in peace as in war, are no more so ready to take the field,

and to change a quiet life for a troublesome one, or a secure one for a

dangerous, as they have been in former ages, being used to laziness for

a great while together. Besides the power and strength of the _Turks_

is reckon’d much inferior to that of the Christians, for we are better

arm’d with muskets and pikes, to keep them off at a distance, that they

may not be able to come in with us to club-law, and so over-power us; for

if their enemy doth not give way at their first on-set, they turn their

backs and run away. But that notwithstanding all this, we gain nothing

from the _Turks_, but they rather from us; the reason is, not to mention

our manifold transgressions, rather our great divisions and contentions,

which hinders us from going out with such an army as is necessary, and

we might otherwise do. Wherefore the _Turks_ come out the bolder, to

frighten and to plague us, and make use of all sorts of stratagems to

amuse us, or to draw us into an ambush by pursuing them, and when they

think we are almost tired, they fall upon us with a multitude of fresh

men, to surround and to beat us. Nor do they value it, if they loose one

regiment or another, because there is enough of them, and they know how

to have in the room of the slain others again, that will be very glad

to accept of it, because of their pay that they receive daily of their

Prince out of his provinces. It being then so that he doth not only

maintain his own provinces, but rather gains others, and enlarges his

dominions daily, we ought to be very careful; for the more he increaseth

the more we are in danger. Thus he taketh one town, country, or kingdom

after another with his sword, as we have seen hitherto in _Europe_, not

to mention any thing of _Asia_, not without great detriment and damage

to all Christians. So he cometh daily the longer the nearer to us, that

at length we must expect no better than _Greece_, _Thracia_, _Servia_,

_Bosnia_, _Hungary_, and _Wallachia_, &c. which are brought into slavery,

under which some persons of quality still groan to this day. So I found

at _Aleppo_ an ancient Queen of _Wallachia_ with her sons, whereof the

youngest was born after the King his father’s death, who is maintain’d by

a very small allowance from the _Turkish_ Emperor. She is a very discreet

woman, and well skill’d in the _Turkish_ and _Arabian_ languages. Her

subjects still hope for her, that God Almighty will restore her to them

again, that so their slavery may have an end.

After the _Turks_ have obtained a great victory, they lift up their

hands, thank and praise God, and the prophet _Mahomet_, God Almighty’s

dearly beloved messenger; and pray farther, that God may send differences

and quarrels among us (that are against the book _Jugilis_, as they call

it, that is the book of the Gospel) that the magistrates may quarrel with

the subjects, and the Clergy with the Seculars, that from thence may

arise such disorders, that we may go on to transgress the laws of God

still more and more; that our belief in _Messias_ may be extinguished,

and that all good orders and policies may be dissolved: So that God may

take from thence occasion to make them farther our punishers to afflict

us. And when they see that the rich men oppress the poor, that the

magistrates do not protect the just and innocent, but that the chief and

heads do strive to ruin one another, then they rejoice at our misfortune

and misery, and do not fear us in the least to do them any mischief

(which might easily be done if we were unanimous) but rather threaten

what mischief they will do us.

When the _Turks_ have taken a strong town, or a whole country by the

sword, that they may keep them the easier in subjection without a great

garrison, pains, or danger, they demolish the places that are not very

strong, and send away the nobility and chief persons, which otherwise

might do them a great deal of mischief; and in the room of these they

bring in _Sangiacks_, with their souldiers, to keep the strong places,

and to take care of the Emperor’s revenue. So that in these places there

is no nobility, that come from any ancient races, and have their own

estates hereditary and descending from heir to heir: Which one may also

suppose when he considereth that the law of _Mahomet_ alloweth to those

that adhere to it, to have four wives at a time, besides concubines or

slaves as many as they please: I will say nothing of the liberty they

have to divorce them upon any small occasion, and to take others in their

room; from whence flow such disorders and uncertainties, that very few

children know who are their parents, and so there is but little love

shewn between them as one may easily suppose. And this is no disgrace

to them, but rather reputed to be an honour, because they conclude from

thence that those that keep many wives, behave themselves diligently

according to their laws: Wherefore they sooner trust them, prefer them

before others, in places and salaries, and esteem them to be true

_Tschelebiis_, that is, noblemen. Although these and other _Turks_ have

several wives, that are not all equal in their birth and extraction, yet

they all have in family affairs their equal share and power, and they

all are equally provided for with meat, drink, cloaths, _&c._ and they

have also their work and business equally among them: And that because

they bring their husband no portion, but he must rather buy them from

their Parents, sometimes for a considerable sum of ready money, and give

them cloaths and other necessaries to boot: wherefore the matrimonial

tye (which they call _Chebia_) is more in the power of the husband than

the wife, so that he may marry one three times and reject her again;

but farther he must not go, except he will be accounted a scandalous

base fellow: As you may perceive by the words of the _Turkish_ Emperour

_Bajazet_, which he did send to _Temyry_, who is also called _Tamerlane_,

saying, that he had better to take a wife again after he was three times

divorced from her, than to go to war with him; which scornful language he

might well have forborn; for _Tamerlane_ did not only beat him in a cruel

and bloody battle, but took him prisoner, and carried him about in an

iron cage like a wild beast of the forest.

But that I may return from whence I digressed, the marriages of the

_Turks_ are never look’d upon to be ratified before they are married by

one of their priests. Their wives must agree together, and live peaceably

and amicably, and must not resist their husbands, except he maketh

inequality among them: If any should appear (which happens very often)

they do not forbear to complain of their husband to the _Cadi_ or Judge.

So that daily very strange transactions (which are not strange to him)

come before him: If so be that the husband is convicted, and the wife

absolved, they are divorced immediately in the same hour.

The _Turkish_ women are pretty handsom, and well shaped, very civil in

their discourses, and other behaviour. When any of them is married, and

carried to her bridegroom’s house, their relations go along with her,

that are invited to the wedding, and begin to make a noise immediately in

the streets, and extol their voices more and more as they go along, that

you may hear them a great way off.

The _Turks_ that are of some condition, and rich and able men, have

at their weddings several diverting shews; in the day-time they have

dancing, running, actings, singing, jumping, and leaping, and dancing

on the ropes, _&c._ After sun-set, and at night, they let off rockets,

and fire-works of several sorts, made artificially. These are let off in

publick and open places, that every one may see them, and they last often

till break of day. The rope-dancers have three ropes one above the other,

whereof the uppermost is the longest; upon every one of them they have

their peculiar lessons, which they perform exactly and dexterously, with

dancing, jumping, running, gesticulating, going upon stilts, _&c._, which

is pleasant to look upon. Their children when they are married, soon

forget their parents, they dare not see them again in a great while, nor

do they desire to do it.

When they have children born, they do not justly circumcise them on the

eighth day, but let them be 8, 9, or 10 Years old, until they can make

their confession: There are some, chiefly among the _Arabians_, that

imitate their patriarch _Ishmael_, who was not circumcised until the

thirteenth year of his age. It is commonly performed in the house of

their parents. If rich mens sons are circumcised, they make a feast,

and roast a whole entire bullock, into his belly they put a wether, and

into his belly a pullet, into the pullet’s belly an egg, and so they

roast them all together, what remaineth they give to the poor. When the

children grow up, and begin to go, they cloath them in loose flying coats

of fine stuff, woven of several colours, which are pleasant to look

upon; and they put upon the heads of those that are not yet circumcised,

coloured caps, which are wrought with flowers, and very common to be sold

in their _Batzars_. After they are circumcised, they begin to wear white

turbants, which are made of cotton, and rolled about their caps after a

peculiar manner, and are commonly twenty yards long.

They have still another strange custom, which young and old, men and

women, use in these Countries, _viz._ They make a thin paste of galls and

calcined copperas, (to beautify themselves, and to keep their eyes from

rheum) with it they blacken their lips, and make a ring round about their

eyes, in the same manner as our ring-doves have about their necks. These

paintings they have had anciently, and some of them they have prepared of

_Stibium_ or Antimony: Of these paintings of the eye we read in several

places, chiefly (that I may not mention others) in the _23d._ Chap. of

_Ezekiel_, the _40th_ verse, where the Lord says by the prophet, _And lo,

they came, for whom thou didst wash thy self, paintedst thy eyes, and

deckedst thy self with ornaments_.

Concerning the education of their youth: They only learn in schools to

read, and to write the _Arabian_ Alphabet, the characters or letters

whereof are common both to the _Turks_ and _Arabians_, although their

languages are very differing: Besides these, there are other schools,

wherein the young men are instructed in the Emperor’s laws, and those

that go on in their learning, and take it well, are soon called to

high offices, as _Cadi_’s and _Cadileschiers_. But in liberal arts and

sciences, such as we teach in our countries, they are not instructed,

for they have not only none of these learned men, but esteem learning

of these sciences a superfluity, and loss of time; they rather love old

rhimes and ballads that speak of and commend the mighty deeds of their

ancient Emperors, and other Champions; or other fancies that make foreign

nations, or any of their enemies, ridiculous: And such things they put

either themselves into rhimes, or else hear those that have been put into

rhimes by others already, which they say daily with peculiar actions,

out of town in pleasant greens, (where also other divertisements are

performed with singing, dancing, leaping, _&c._) So that they are rather

pleased with the reading of these frivolous silly writings, than to learn

arts and sciences: Which you may evidently see, in that they do not

esteem, nor will admit of that Noble Art of Printing Books, that might

inform them in any thing: Which the clerks, whereof there is a great

number up and down in the cities, like very well, because they daily take

a great deal of money for the writing of their prophet _Mahomet_ and

others, which maketh them generally very rich, and wear greater turbants

than the rest, that they may be distinguished from others. Their paper

is generally smoothed and glazed, and they comprehend their letters in

very few words: When they will make them up, they fold them up until they

come to be no broader than an inch, the outward crevise of the paper they

fill all along with wax within, and so glue it as it were to the other,

or else they take any other paste made for that purpose, and so imprint

their name upon it with their seal that is done over with ink, so that

nothing remaineth white but the letters: These seals are generally made

at _Damasco_, where the best artists live that cut in steel, and they

put nothing more in it but their name. They do not make any use of paper

that is writ on, although they have great quantity thereof, neither to

put things up in, nor for any other use, and yet if they find any of it

in the street, they do not let it lie, but take it up carefully, fold

it together, and put it into the next crevise they meet with, for they

are afraid that the name God may be written on it: Instead thereof the

Grocers make use of great leaves of _Colocasia_, whereof they have great

store.

CHAP. VIII.

_Of the great trading and dealing of the city of ~Aleppo~; as also of

several sorts of their Meats and Drinks, of their Ceremonies, and their

peculiar way of sitting down at Meals._

Having heretofore treated of the buildings and situation of that

excellent town of _Aleppo_; and of the customs, manners, and offices of

the _Turks_, as much as I could apprehend of it, I cannot but speak,

before I leave it, of the dealings and merchandizing that are daily

exercised there, which are admirably great. For great caravans of

pack-horses and asses, but more camels arrive there daily, from all

foreign countries, _viz._ from _Natolia_, _Armenia_, _Ægypt_, and

_India_, _&c._ with convoys, so that the streets are so crouded, that

it is hard to pass by one another. Each of these nations have their

peculiar _Champ_ to themselves, commonly named after their master that

built it, _viz._ _Champ Agemi_, _Champ Waywoda_, _Champ Abrac_, _Sibeli_,

_Mahomet_’s _Bashaw_, and which are kept for them, that they may make

them their inns, and live in them, and to keep or sell their merchandizes

according to their pleasure. So among the rest of the nations there are

_French-men_ and _Italians_, &c. which have also there their peculiar

buildings (which, as is before said, are called _Fundiques_) wherein

some live together, and others (chiefly the _Italians_ that are married)

live without in lodgings; they have very small habitations, and live

sparingly like the _Turks_. In these _Champs_ you may meet with several

sorts of strange merchandizes, before all in _Champ Agemi_, where you

have all sorts of cotton-works, _viz._ handkerchiefs, long fillets,

girdles, which they roll about their loins and heads, and other sorts,

by the _Arabians_ called _Mossellini_ (after the country _Mussoli_,

from whence they are brought, which is situated in _Mesopotamia_) by us

_Muslin_; with these do the _Turkish_ gentlemen cloath themselves in

summer. There is delicate tapestry, artificially wrought with all manner

of colours, such as are sometimes brought over by us. From _Persia_

they bring great quantity of an unknown _Manna_ in skins, by the name

of _Trunschibil_, which is gathered from a prickly shrub, called by the

_Arabians_, _Agul_ and _Albagi_, which is the reason that it is mixt

with small thorns and reddish chaff. This _Manna_ hath grains something

bigger than our _Coriander_-seeds, so that, to all appearance, it is

very like unto our _Manna_, which we gather from the _Larix_. It might

also very well be taken to be the same that the _Israelites_ did eat,

had not God the Almighty fed his people and maintained them miraculously

and supernaturally. But that it falls upon thorns, is also attested by

_Serapio_ and _Avicen._ in those chapters where they treat of _Manna_,

which they call _Theceriabin_ and _Trangibin_, and that very learned and

experienced Botanist _Carolus Clusius_ saith the same in his Epitome of

_Indian_ plants. I found some of these shrubs that grew about _Aleppo_,

which were about a cubit high, which shout out into several roundish

stalks, and divide and spread themselves from the stem into several

sprigs like unto a flower (part whereof were quite over-grown with

_Epithymum_, as _Thymus_ used to be) and had abundance of long thin and

soft prickles, from whence grew out flesh-coloured reddish flowers, that

bore small red cods, very like, and of the same shape with the cods of

our _Scorpioides_ (whereof I have found many at _Montpelier_) wherein are

seeds of the same colour. The root thereof is pretty long, of a brown

colour, it’s leaves long, like unto those of _Polygonum_, of an ash

colour; those that grow at the bottom of the thorns are of a warm and dry

quality. The people use the herb for a purge, they take a handful thereof

and boil it in water. Besides this they have another _Manna_ like unto

that, that cometh to us from _Calabria_ by the way of _Venice_, _and is

the concreted Saccarine Exudation of the ~Ornus~._

Among the rest they also shew costly stones, by the _Arabians_ called

_Bazaor_, which are oblong and roundish, and smooth without, and of a

dark green colour. The _Persians_ take these from a peculiar sort of

bucks, and use the powder against mortal and poisonous distempers. There

are some that are very like unto these in form and figure, but not to be

compared for goodness: Wherefore a man must have great care that he be

not cheated. But there are some proofs to know whether they are good or

no, which a Merchant communicated to me as infallible. Take quicklime and

mixt it in powder with a little of this stone, and with water make them

up into a past, when that is dry grind it, if it then remaineth white

it is esteemed false, but if it turns yellow it is good, and brought

from _Persia_. They also bring hither _Turkey_ stones, that grow almost

only in their country, and their King, the _Sophy_, has an incredible

treasure of them together: Lately so many of them were brought to us

that the prices fell very much; but when the King heard of this, he

immediately forbid that any should be exported in seven years time, that

so they might come to their former price again, which seven years as I

am informed are now expired. There are also put to sale many chains of

delicate oriental pearls, which are for the greatest part taken or found

in the _Persian_ seas, near to the island called _Babare_, situated not

far from that great trading city of the _Turkish Batzora_, or _Balsara_.

From _India_ they bring hither many delicate spices, _Cinnamon_,

_Spikenard_, _Long Pepper_, _Turbith_, _Cardamoms_, _Nutmegs_, _Mace_,

and _China Roots_, which the _Arabians_ make more use of than of

_Guaiacum_, and delicate _China_ cups and dishes, _Indico_: and in very

great quantity they bring that noble root called _Rhubarb_. And moreover,

they sell several sorts of precious stones, _viz._ _Garnets_, _Rubies_,

_Balasios_, _Saphires_, _Diamonds_, and the best sincerest _Musk_ in

little cods. These precious stones are hid by the Merchants in the great

caravans that come from _India_, and they bring them secretly, because

they dare not pay custom for them, that the _Bashaws_, _Sangiacks_ and

others, may not rob them of them on the high-ways, for they use to do so

if they find any. I will cease to discourse any longer of these and other

drugs, and several merchandises, which the Merchants convey thither from

foreign places daily, and from thence to other places again, because it

is none of my business to deal in them. With the spices are sometimes by

the Merchants brought from the _Indies_ delicate canes, which are very

long, solid, or full within, flexible and bright without, of a yellowish

colour; they are almost every-where alike thick, only a little tapering;

but few joints, far distant from one another, and are hardly seen in

them. There are two sorts of them, great and small ones; the great and

stronger ones are used by old and lame people instead of crutches to

walk with, but the lesser (which are very like the former) are made into

arrows and darts, for which they are very fit, the _Turks_ wind them

about with silk of many sorts of colours, which they are very proud of

when they make their entries. You find also in the shops another sort of

canes to be sold, which are small and hollow within, and smooth without,

a brownish red colour, wherewith _Turks_, _Moors_, and the _Eastern_

people write, for to write with goose quills is not in use with them;

wherefore these may be esteemed to be the true _Syringas_ or _Fistularis_

of _Dioscor._ Besides these there is another bigger sort of canes, almost

of the same colour, but full of joints; the Pilgrims that go to see their

_Mahomet_ bring these with them from _Meccha_, and the people of that

country carry them along with them on horseback instead of short pikes,

chiefly the _Arabians_, for they are long, strong, and light, and yet

solid or full within; with these they come running on upon their enemies,

or else they (lifting it up above the middle in one of their hands) fling

it at them, with such force, that they penetrate deeper with their sharp

iron (wherewith they are tipt before and behind) then their arrows.

_Theophrastus_ maketh peculiar mention of them in his fourth book and,

the _11th_ chapter, and _Pliny_ in his sixteenth book and the _36th_

chapter.

We see very few of these in our country, for the Christians are forbidden

under great penalties to carry any of them (the same it is with any other

arms that they make use of in their wars) out of the country, if any doth

and is found out, he exposes himself to infinite troubles and dangers, as

did happen to one in my time, who after a scimiter was found about him,

was very highly accused, and fined seventy ducats to be paid in two days

time, and if he had not paid it, they would certainly have circumcised

him, and made him a _Turk_.

Besides these above-mentioned _Champs_, there are a great many more

without and within the city, where also all sorts of merchandizes are

sold, _viz._ _Quibir_ the great, _Sougier_ the little, _Gidith_ the new,

_Atich_ old, _&c._ And besides all these they have a great exchange

called _Batzar_ by the inhabitants, which is in the middle of the town,

and is bigger then _Friberg_ in _Bavaria_, in it there is many alleys,

and each of them divided for several wares and handycraft trades;

first the grocers and mercers, then those that sell tapestry and other

soft woollen cloaths, and also _Turkish Machyer_, _Camlet_, _Taffety_,

and other silks and cottons delicately wrought. There are also good

_Cardavon_, delicate furrs of _Martins_, and chiefly _Wild Cats_, whereof

abundance run about in these countries.

There are also jewellers that sell all manner of jewels, precious stones,

pearls, _&c._ All sorts of handy-craft tradesmen, as shoe-makers,

taylors, sadlers, needle and pin-makers, painters, goldsmiths, brasiers,

locksmiths, _&c._ that have their shops in the _Batzars_ where they

work, but their work is chiefly that of the goldsmiths, painters and

locksmiths, is so silly, that it is by no means to be compared with

ours. There are also turners, fletchers that make arrows and darts, and

bow makers, that have besides their shops small butts, that any body

that goes by may exercise himself, or try his bow before he buyeth it.

These bows are sometimes plain work, and some inlaid with ivory, buflers

horns, _&c._ which maketh them of a different price. The archers wear a

ring upon their right thumbs as our merchants wear their seals wherewith

they draw the string on when they are going to shoot, these are made of

wood, horn, or silver, and some are set with precious stones. Besides

these you find in great _Batzars_ some barbar-surgeons, which, (when they

have no body to trim) use to go about the streets with their instruments

and a flask of leather to look out for Work; if they find any that will

be trimmed they do not come back to their shops, but go to work in the

streets, or in the next _Champ_ if any be near, and there begin to lather

him, and shave all the hair off his head; save only one long lock which

he leaves to hang down his back. There are also places where they sell

slaves of both sexes, old and young, which are sold dearer or cheaper,

according to their strength or handsomeness, _&c._ But in all these

countries I saw neither wheel-wright nor cart-wright, because neither

waggons nor carts are in use with them: Neither could I find (for all

it is so great a city) a gunsmith that understood how to mend the least

fault in a gun-lock. Because there is a great trade daily driven in these

_Batzars_, you shall find there at all times of the day a great number

of people of several nations walking up and down, which makes a crowd as

if it were a fair. Amongst them you will often see drunken _Turks_ which

use to push people that do not give them the way immediately, chiefly if

they be Christians; but the Christians are not afraid of them for all

that, but prepare themselves (when they perceive some of them to approach

among the people) and stand upon their guard to be even with them, and

when the _Turks_ come and push them, they make them rebound again to one

side, or to one of the shop-boards. Sometimes also the _Turks_ will lean

themselves backwards against the shops, and when they see a Christian

go by they let him fall over their legs, and so laugh at them, but then

the Christians again when they perceive this, they kick up the other leg

of the _Turk_ whereon he rests and so make him fall down himself. For it

is usual with the _Turks_ to try the Christians what metal they are made

of, whether they have courage or no, wherefore they oftentimes before

they are aware of them, assault the Christians with rough words, and

if they find them to be afraid they laugh at them to boot, but if they

resist them, they give over immediately, as soon as they find them in

earnest (just like some dogs that sooner bark than bite) and esteem them

afterwards the more for it, and call them brave people that are fit for

the war.

You find also in this crowd several that are in orders, called

_Sacquatz_, (which commonly are pilgrims that have been at _Meccha_)

that go about with skins full of water, and for charity give to any,

nay, even to the Christians that desire it: (because the _Mahometans_

are forbid to drink Wine in their _Koran_.) Wherefore you see many in

their peculiar habits (moved thereunto by devotion) that go all day long

among the people to exercise a work of love and charity to those that are

thirsty. They have in one hand a fine gilded cup whereinto they pour the

water out of their skins, wherein they have commonly laid chalcedonicks,

jaspirs, _&c._ Sometimes also delicate tasted fruit, to keep the water

fresh, and to recreate the people. When they give you to drink out of it

they reach you also a looking-glass with this admonition, That you shall

look your self in it, and remember that you are mortal and must die. For

this service they desire nothing of you, but if you give them any thing

they take it and thank you, and spirt into your face and beard to shew

their thankfulness some fragrant water which they have in glasses, in

a great pouch tip’d with many brass clasps. The _Turks_ and _Arabians_

also esteem it to be a great charity and love, if they let their marble

troughs or great pots that stand every where about their doors be filled

up with fresh water every day, that travellers or any that are dry may

quench thirst as they pass by; in it hang little kettles to drink out of:

If one goes to it, others that see him go also, and drink rather for

company’s sake than to quench their thirst: So you find often a whole

multitude about a pot. If you have a mind to eat something or to drink

other liquors, there is commonly an open shop near it, where you sit down

upon the ground or carpets and drink together. Among the rest they have a

very good drink, by them called _Chaube_ (Coffee) that is almost as black

as ink, and very good in illness, chiefly that of the stomach; of this

they drink in the morning early in open places before every body, without

any fear or regard out of _China_ cups, as hot as they can, they put it

often to their lips but drink but little at a time, and let it go round

as they sit. In this same water they take a fruit called _Bunru_, which

in it’s bigness, shape, and colour, is almost like unto a bay-berry, with

two thin shells surrounded, which, as they informed me, are brought from

the _Indies_; but as these in themselves are, and have within them, two

yellowish grains in two distinct cells, and besides, being they agree in

their virtue, figure, looks, and name, with the _Buncho_ of _Avicenna_,

and _Bancha_ of _Rasis ad Almans._ exactly; therefore I take them to be

the same, until I am better informed by the learned. This liquor is very

common among them, wherefore there are a great many of them that sell

it, and others that sell the berries, every where in their _Batzars_:

They esteem it as highly as we do in our Country wormwood wine, or that

that is prepared with several herbs and drugs: Yet they love wine better

if their law would allow them to drink it, as we have seen in the reign

of the Emperor _Selymus_, when he gave them leave to drink it, that

they met together daily in drinking-houses, and drunk to one another,

not only two or three glasses of strong wine not mixed with water but

four or five of such as came from _Venice_ to them so quickly one after

another with such eagerness, as I have often seen it that they would

not allow themselves to eat a morcel or two between it; and so as you

may easily guess, they become to be sordid presently, and so hoggish,

that they excel all other nations in it. But after _Selymus_ was dead,

and his son _Amurah_ succeeded him in his right, he immediately forbad

them to drink wine in the very beginning of his reign, and looked after

it with such severity, that any body that did but smell of wine was

imprisoned immediately, put out of his place, and a great fine put upon

him according to his capacity, or for want of it, punished severely

with many blows under his soals. During this prohibition it happened,

that when the _Bashaw_ of _Aleppo_ had a mind to go abroad and met in

the court-yard one of his men that was drunk, and perceived it by his

staggering, he drew his scymeter and cut off his head, and so left him

dead upon the place. But yet notwithstanding all this severity, and be it

never so peremptorily forbid, they do not only not mind such prohibition,

chiefly the Renegadoes, being very much used to it, but long and linger

the sooner after it with that eagerness, that in the summer time they

use to carry in privately, just like the ants, great quantities of wine,

and lay up good stores that they may meet at night and drink together

until they have their bellies full, and so rest after it all night that

they might not smell of wine the next day. In that time when they were

prohibited to drink wine, we Christians fared very well and bought our

wine very cheap, until afterwards they had leave to drink it again: Their

wines are generally red, very good and pleasant, they keep it in skins;

they are brought to _Aleppo_ from several places, but chiefly from a

famous town called _Nisis_, which lieth two days journey distant from

it upon the borders of _Armenia_: The use of skins is still very great

with them as it was in former ages, as we may see by the similitude of

Christ, when in St. _Matthew_ Chap. ix. verse. 17. he says, _No man put

new wine into_, &c. Seeing that the Christians have leave to drink wine,

therefore they sell and buy most of it, they also plant it, and have

whole villages in their possessions, with abundance of vineyards. But

the _Turks_ not being allowed to drink wine by their laws do not keep

or cultivate many vineyards, and if they do they press the grapes after

several ways, for some they make into _Cibebs_, chiefly these people that

live in and about _Damascus_, where indeed the best groweth; others boyl

the juice of the grapes up to the consistence of honey, which they call

_Pachmatz_, chiefly those that live at _Andeb_, a town between _Bir_

and _Nisib_. They have two sorts of this rob, one very thick, and the

other somewhat thinner, the former is the best, wherefore they put it up

into little barrels to send into other countries, the latter they use

themselves, mix it sometimes with water and give it to drink (instead

of a julep) to their servants, sometimes they put it into little cups,

to dip their bread in it, as if it were honey, and so eat it. Besides

these they have other sweet drinks which they prepare out of red berries

called _Jujubes_, or of _Cibebs_, which, when boiled in water with a

little honey, the inhabitants call _Hassap_, and others call’d still by

the old name of _Berberis_, of which they bring great quantities down

from mount _Libanus_. Among other liquors they have a special one called

_Tscherbeth_, which boiled of honey tasteth like unto our mead; they have

another made of barley or wheat, by the ancients called _Zychus_ and

_Curmi_: These two last make the _Turks_ so merry and elevated, that, as

our clowns do when they drink beer, they sing and play on their hautboys,

cornets, and kettle-drums, which their musicians make use of every

morning when the guards are relieved: All these liquors are sold in their

great _Batzars_, where they have baskets full of ice and snow all the

summer long, whereof they put so much into the drink that it maketh their

teeth chatter and quake again. Thus much I thought convenient to mention

of their liquors or drinks.

Concerning their food: Their bread is nourishing and good, and so white,

chiefly at _Aleppo_, that none is like it in all _Turky_: They have

several sorts of it, of several shapes and mixtures, whereof some are

done with yolks of eggs; some mix’d with several sorts of seeds, as of

Sesanum, _Romish_ Coriander, and wild Garden Saffron, which is also

strewed upon it. Meat is cheap with them and very good, by reason of the

precious herbs that grow thereabouts, chiefly upon mount _Tauri_, which

extendeth itself very far eastwards, from whence they have abundance of

cattel, as rams, weathers, and sheep with broad and fat tails, whereof

one weigheth several pounds. They have also great store of goats, which

they drive daily in great numbers through that city to sell their milk,

which every one that hath a mind to it drinks warm in the open streets;

among them there are some that are not very big, but have ears two

foot long, so that they hang down to the ground, and hinder them from

feeding; when one of them is cut off, which is commonly done, they turn

themselves always upon that side that the other ear may not hinder them

from feeding. They have no want of beefs and buffles, for they are very

common there, and the butchers kill the beasts in the fields without

town, where they have their slaughter-houses; thereabouts are a great

many dogs that live of the offels, and have their young ones in holes and

cliffs, where they bring them up, and these become so ravenous and wild,

that they run about in the night after their prey, as I am inform’d,

like wolves in our country; and this may very well be, for the _Turks_

do not only not kill any dogs, but rather carry them home when they are

young, and there feed them till they are grown up, and able to shift for

themselves; and they believe that they do a deed of charity that is very

acceptable to God Almighty; like unto the divines in the _Indies_, call’d

_Banians_, which serve the birds in the same manner as these do dogs and

cats. These wolves are more like to our dogs, both in shape and bigness;

and so says _Pliny_, that the wolves in _Egypt_ are less and lazier than

these towards the north. Being there are no inns in _Turkey_, where, as

with us, travellers may lodge and have their diet, therefore there is a

great many cake-shops kept in the _Batzars_, where all manner of victuals

are cleanly dressed, _viz._ butchers meat, fouls, and all sorts of

sauces, and broths, and soups, where every body buys what he hath a mind

to, according to the capacity of his purse. Among the rest nothing is so

common as rice, which they boil up to such a stifness that it crumbleth.

A great many other sorts you shall see in copper basons upon their

shop-boards, prepared after the same way; amongst the rest peculiarly a

very common one, call’d _Bnuhourt_, made of barley and wheat, which were

first broke in a mill, and perhaps dry’d, and so boil’d with or without

milk, into a thick pap. _Dioscorides_, in the eighty third chapter of his

second book, maketh mention of this by the name of _Crimnon_; and also

_Avicen._ and _Rhasis ad Almans. in Synonymis_, calleth it _Sanguick_

and _Savick_. The _Turks_ provide themselves with good store of this,

chiefly in war-time, by water and by land, that when they want provision,

they may make use of it instead of bread. Besides these, they have more

dishes amongst them; I remember one call’d _Trachan_, when it is dress’d

it is so tough, that you may draw it out like glue; this they make up

into little pieces, which being dry’d, will keep a good while, and is

very good and pleasant food after it is boil’d; wherefore they lay up

great stores of this in their strong fortifications as we do of corn,

that in case of necessity they may eat instead of biskets, or other food.

That such sorts of foods, by the Latinists call’d _Puls_, have been very

well known to the ancients, and that in case of necessity they use to

make a shift with it, _Pliny_ testifieth in his eighteenth book, and the

eighth chapter.

They have also all manner of poultry in great plenty, _viz._ pullen,

snipes, partridges with red bills, woodcocks, _&c._ but very few fishes,

because they have only a small rivulet, which is full of turtles, so

that at _Aleppo_ they are very scarce; neither do they esteem them much,

because most of them drink water instead of wine, which is prohibited

by their law, wherefore there are but few brought thither from foreign

places, as _Antiochia_, and the great river _Euphrates_, _&c._ distant

from thence two or three miles. Besides this they have little by-dishes,

as keal, colliflowers, carrots, turneps, french-beans, besides trees and

codded fruits, and many more; but yet they are not so well skill’d in the

dressing of them, as we are in our country.

_Lastly_, They put also up with their Cheese, Cibebs, Almonds, dry’d

Cicers, Pistacho’s, and crack’d Hasel-nuts, which, altho’ they are

carry’d thither from our country, are better tasted and pleasanter than

ours. They have many sorts of preserves, very well done with sugar and

honey, very artificially, chiefly those they carry about to sell upon

plates very well garnish’d, made up and set out with several colours and

shapes, very beautiful to behold. For the rest they live very sparingly,

and bring the year round with small and little expences, for they do not

make so great feasts, nor have so many dishes, nor bestow so great cost

as we do in our country.

In these eastern countries they eat upon the plain ground, and when it

is dinner-time they spread a round piece of leather, and lay about it

tapestry; and sometimes cushions, whereupon they sit cross-leg’d before

they begin to eat, they say grace first, then they eat and drink hastily,

and every one taketh what he has a mind to, and do not talk much. The

rich have fine cotton-linnen about their necks, hanging downwards, or

else hanging at their silk girdles, which they use instead of napkins;

their wives or women do not eat with them, but keep themselves in their

peculiar apartments. After they have done, they rise altogether with

a jerk, swinging themselves about, which our countrymen cannot easily

imitate, till after they have been there a long while, for the limbs are

numbed in sitting cross-legg’d, so that one hath a great deal to do to

bring them to themselves again. At last they take up the leathern table

with bread and all, which serveth them also instead of a table-cloth and

bread-basket, they draw it together with a string like a purse, and hang

it up in the next corner.

CHAP. IX.

_A short and plain relation of plants, which I gather’d during my stay at

~Aleppo~, in and round about it, not without great danger and trouble,

which I glued upon paper very carefully._

Being I undertook this long journey, chiefly on purpose to see myself

those fine outlandish plants, whereof authors so often make mention,

growing in their native soil, and to gain a more clear and perfect

knowledge of them. I was very glad to have an opportunity to stay longer

than I intended, that I might the ofner go out with my friends and

comrades into the fields, among the _Turks_ and _Moors_, not without

great pain and danger of being knock’d on the head, to fetch in more

and greater variety of plants; wherein my comrade _Hans Ulrich Krafft_,

who came into these parts along with me, very often hath faithfully

and honestly assisted me. But having heretofore made mention of the

garden herbs and fruits, I will only in this place write of them which

grow abroad without the gardens, and that with all possible shortness;

and begin with the Poplar-tree, as the commonest of all, which the

inhabitants still call by the ancient _Arabian_ name _Haur_; they grow

very high in these countries, and abundance of them grow about the

rivulet near _Aleppo_, which make very shady walks underneath in the

heat of the summer. There is also a peculiar sort of Willow-trees,

call’d _Safcaf_, _&c._ these are not all alike in bigness and height,

and in their stems and twigs they are not very unlike unto Birch-trees,

which are long, thin, weak, and of a pale yellow colour; they have soft

ash-coulour’d leaves, or rather like unto the leaves of the Poplar-tree,

and on their twigs here and there are shoots of a span long, like unto

those of the _Cypriotish_ wild Fig-trees, which put forth in the spring

tender and woolly flowers, like unto the blossoms of the Poplar-tree,

only they are of a more drying quality, of a pale colour, and a fragrant

smell. The inhabitants pull of these, because they bear no fruit, great

quantities, and distill a very precious and sweet water out of them,

very comfortable and corroborating to the heart. The _Arabians_ call

these trees _Zacneb_ and _Zacnabum_; _Rhasis_ in his 353d and _Avicen._

in his 749th chapter; and after the same manner maketh _Serapio_ mention

of them in his 261st chapter, by the common name of _Zucumbeth_; and

_Theophrastus_ in his fourth book, and eleventh chapter, where he treats

of _Elæagnus_ which this is very like unto, and may be taken for the

same, although they differ in bigness, which often and easily happens

according to the soil and place where they grow. Hereabouts are other

small trees, which I rather take to be thorny shrubs; they are very like

in leaves unto the others, and are call’d by the _Moors_, _Scisesun_.

They love to grow in moist places and in hedges; from the root shoot

several stems, cloathed with a smooth brown-colour’d bark; they bear at

the top pretty long and strong twigs, which here and there are beset with

a few prickles, whereon grow small flowers, white without and yellow

within, whereof three and three sprout out between the leaves. I did

not see any of their fruit, but yet I do believe that they are like unto

the Olives of the _Bohemian_ Olive-tree, to which this plant is very

like, which is very naturally delineated in the herbal of the learned

_Matthiolus_. These trees cast forth such an odour in the spring, that

any body that goes by must needs be sensible of it presently; wherefore

the _Turks_ and _Moors_ cut many of their branches, and stick them up in

their shops.

On the banks of the above-mention’d rivulet, chiefly about the stone

bridge, as you travel to _Tripoli_, grow many _Agnus Castus_’s, of

the lesser sort, and on the other side in the fields, many _Pistacho_

nut-trees.

Within and without the city grow also many sorts of trees, _viz._ that

which _Avicen._ calleth _Azederack_, but _Rhasis_, _Astergio_; white

Mulberry-trees, Date-trees, and Cypresses, by the natives call’d _Sacub_,

which hereabouts grow very big and high, Turpentine-trees, _&c._

About the fences and hedges you will find wild Pomegranat-trees, with

fine double flowers, wild Almond-trees, the fruit whereof the _Moors_

carry about in great plenty to sell to the poor; and near it in old

decay’d brick-walls and stony places, you shall see Caper-bushes:

among the rest there groweth a very strange bush, by the inhabitants

call’d _Morgsani_, which is very green and thick, hath a long woody

coat, whereout sprout several stalks, with round leaves, like unto

Caper-leaves, only with this difference, that four of them stand together

all opposite to one another like unto our beans; between them there

appear small flowers, red within and white without, whereout grow long

pods, like unto those of the _Sesamum_. This plant hath a very unpleasant

scent, wherefore the inhabitants use it frequently to destroy worms;

but what the ancients formerly call’d it, I know not, but really am of

this opinion, it must be according to the description the _Ardifrigi_

of _Avicen._ and _Aadiccan_ of _Rhasis_; he that pleaseth may read more

thereof in the quoted places. In these places are also found the thorny

_Acacia_, by the inhabitants call’d _Shack_, and by the _Arabians_,

_Shamuth_, which are very small and low, chiefly those that stand in

the fields, which give as much trouble to the plowmen as the ferns and

rest-harrow do here; the twigs are of an ashen colour, crooked, full of

prickles, like unto those of the Rose-bush, and have very small feather’d

leaves, like unto _Tragacantha_, which are almost divided like unto our

female fern, the flowers of them I have not seen, but the cods that grow

out of them are without brownish, in their shape thicker and rounder than

our beans, spongy within, and containing two or three reddish seeds.

I have, besides these, seen in shops pods of a chestnut-brown colour,

sold under the name of _Cardem_, which have two or three little distinct

cells or baggs, in each whereof is a reddish seed, in the figure of our

male Balsam; these are brought from _Egypt_, and by some thought to be

the true _Acacia Diosc._ whether it be so or no I cannot well tell,

because I never saw the plant. Very near it, in untill’d places, groweth

_Galega_; _Sisynrichium Theophrasti_, which is very curiously delineated

in the book of _Rempert. Dodon. de herbis & floribus coron._

There is also found another fine plant, by the inhabitants call’d

_Tharasalis_, which hath seven or eight waved leaves, which stand about

a round stalk, almost as it is to be seen in _Sisynrichium_, only they

are a great deal broader, and not so long, when the stalk thereof, which

is not above a cubit long, is grown, through and above them; it gets at

top a white flower, not very unlike unto the low blue Flower de Luce

which blow early in the spring; it has a roundish root, like unto that of

_Narcissus_, and also has many long white fibres. Not far from thence,

when you get upon the hill, there groweth in the rough places others,

_viz._ _Bistorta_, still by the inhabitants call’d _Zuph_, a fine sort of

_Verbacum_; _Scorzonera_ with purple flowers, Saffron with small little

leaves, and a delicate yellow flower; also _Arisarum_, _Homaid._ and

_Arum_, call’d by them _Carsaami_, whereof there are four sorts, among

the rest a strange one, with long ears, wherefore they call it in their

language _Ouidae_.

There also are about the rivers some _Anemones_ of several sorts and

colours, very beautiful, as red, purple colour, yellow, _&c._ all which

they call with a common name _Sakaick_, and give an additional name

according to the colour of it, _viz._ _Schakaick achmar_, _Sakaik assar_,

_Aserack_, &c. that is to say, red-yellow, of a violet colour, _&c._

which would be too long and tedious to describe all here; chiefly if

I should at length relate the common ones, as, wild Rue, _Asphodelus

albus_; _Rheseda Plin._ _Flos solis foliis minoribus serpilli_, wild

Onions, and other innumerable more. As you come down by another way back

again, nearer to the corn-fields, you find other fine herbs, as the wild

new _Harmala_, a delicate sort of _Astragalus foliis hedysari minoris_,

and by it another which is very like unto _Astragalus_ of _Dioscor._ so

that I really believe it to be the same. There appear a great many of

them upon the height; it is a low herb, with a long brownish root, as big

and long as the root of horse-raddish, which puts out at the sides some

strong fibres, which are almost blacker and harder to cut than the root

itself; some of them go downwards, and others the greater part upwards,

and bended like unto horns. These contain, together with their sweetness,

also a driness; they shoot out at the top into several branches of the

same colour, yet not above the length of a finger, which incline towards

the earth, whereout grow nine or ten small leaves, like Lentil-leaves,

not very unlike to those of _Orobus_, and distributed after the same

manner. Between them sprout out purple-brown flowers, after them come

long and thick and full bladders, whereof some are as big as those of the

_Colutea_.

All these and several other herbs have I preserved and glued to some

paper, with great and peculiar care, so that they are to be seen in their

natural colours so exact, as if they were green.

About the river up a hill, I found a tender and fragrant herb with long

and white roots, of a pretty acrimonious taste, it’s leaves were like

unto our Coriander, only somewhat rounder, and not so much cut, but only

a little about the edges; I found no stalks nor flowers, for it was

early in the year, and about Easter, which is the time of their first

springing, these they call’d _Zarneb Melchi_, and the inhabitants dig

so many of these roots, that they send yearly several chests full into

_Persia_, where they use them, as I am inform’d, very frequently in

pains of their backs, and all other accidental pains: As far as I can

see, when I look upon the leaves, I reckon it to be the third sort of

_Daucus_ of _Diosc._ A little lower, as you come to the plow’d fields, I

found also the second kind of _Chondrilla_ of _Diosc._ with round roots

of a smooth and dark yellowish colour, perhaps at the top half an inch

thick, and five or eight long, whereon at the end where it is thinnest,

hangs another round root of the bigness of a Chest-nut, which are so full

of milk, that they are ready to crack; at top, where it is divided into

three parts, sprout out many long and small grass leaves together, which

lie flat upon the ground; between them come out yellow flowers like unto

those of _auricula muris_, each whereof hath it’s peculiar stalk.

Not far from it, yet in rougher and stonier ground, groweth another

_Chondrilla_, which is like unto that former in all parts, only the

leaves thereof are broader, and more woolly, and of an ash colour, very

like unto the _Holostium_ of _Montpellier_. As you go to the Grand

Signior’s garden, about a small mile from the town, at the road, I found

a good many plants, _viz._ _Draba Dioscorid._ call’d _Orobanche Halinu_,

_Spina solstitialis_, a kind of _Carduus Mariæ_; wild Cucumbers, by them

call’d _Adiural hamar_; _Xyphium_, _Peplium_, _Heliotropium tri coccum

Caroli Clusii_, and also his _Paronychia Hispanica_, and his third

_Lichnis_, with pale and red purple-colour’d flowers; _Coris Matth._ with

yellow flowers; two delicate sorts of _Geraniums_; and upon old walls I

found a little _Rauckel_ with pale-colour’d flowers, _Umbilicus Veneres_,

and a great many more. I cannot leave unmention’d those that grow round

about in the fields, and chiefly amongst them a _Medica_, with dissected

trifoliated leaves; and many more, whereof some have long and streight,

and others many bended pods, in a cluster together. I also found one with

many white and hoary heads, which look’d almost like unto _Lagopodium_,

and another little one with green-colour’d pods pressed together, so long

and so broad as those of _Senna_, which were a great ornament to the

whole plant. And also thereabouts are found many sorts of corn-flowers,

quite different from ours; _Papaver erratic_, in their language call’d

_Schuck_, of which they make a conserve with sugar, and use it in coughs;

_Papaver corniculatum_ with stately purple flowers. I found also there

_Eryngium_, with blewish tops and starr’d heads; two sorts of _Henbane_,

whereof one that groweth in the fields hath red and purple-coulour’d

flowers, the others which I found in the town upon the old walls had

white ones, by the Latins call’d _Apollinaris_. Much thereabouts in the

corn grew the less _Melampyrum_, by them call’d _Paponesck_, which at

the top beareth thick, yellow flowers, very like unto the _Melampyrum

Tragi_; _Item_ the second kind of wild Cumin, with yellow flowers, and

long bended pods; _Poterion Matth._ by the inhabitants call’d _Megasac_,

which they stick up in their chambers, to keep them from being bewitch’d.

A delicate sort of _Horminum_, with small woolly and dissected leaves,

a Garden-cypress with gold-colour’d flowers; _Scabiosa_, _Anchusa_, and

a _Salvia_, which hath many roundish leaves, and about their square

stalks grow purple-coloured bells, wherein is it’s black seed, like

unto that of _Melissa Molucca_, whereof I have made mention above. In

the corn also groweth _Leontopetalon_, in their language _Aslab_, with

it’s brown-colour’d round root and large leaves, which are roundish and

very near divided like unto those of our _Pæonia_; the stalk hath at the

top, which is about a foot high, and hollow, more twiggs, whereof the

point of each of them beareth several small purple and yellow flowers,

which make roundish bladders, that contain one, two, and sometimes three

seeds, the children use to play their tricks with them as they do with

the flowers of _Papaver erraticum_ in our country. The great roots they

bruise, and rub with it spots in cloaths, which, as they say, they draw

out immediately.

By these in the corn groweth also the true _Chrysogonum_ of _Diosc._

which is as high as the former, and also in flowers, stalks, and roundish

root, which is redder within, very like it, only the stalk is slenderer,

and hath more and longer by-shots, or _germina_, at the end whereof you

see stately yellow flowers, so that it is thicker, and more spriggy than

the other; it’s pennated leaves, whereof there are commonly four that

come from the root with long foot-stalks almost as slender as a thread,

lie close to the ground, as you may easily imagine, and have every one

their ribs, two and two leaves growing together on each side, one after

another, so that four of them stand together in a cross; they are darkish

green, and at the out-side, where they are broader, very like unto Oaken

leaves. Now, as these and others, that grow in these countries, are as

yet very little known, so may also the following, that groweth in plow’d

fields, be reckon’d among the unknown, which is very like unto the

_Lycopsis_ of _Diosc._ for which, in my opinion, it ought to be taken.

This plant hath a red coat, and a straight stalk about two foot high,

from whence round about below spread themselves many strong and rough

leaves in a circle, as if it were from one center; not unlike the wild

Bugloss, they decrease a little by degrees, as they grow higher and

higher; out of each of them, close to the stalk, sprout out many twigs,

with their peculiar small leaves, as you see in _Echium_; between them

shoot out very tender purple-coulour’d flowers, which are whole within,

and divided into six small or longish leaves, almost like unto these

of the _Caryophillus montanus_. In the beginning of February I have

seen several sorts of Hyacinths, and the _Oriental_ one in the greatest

quantity, which they call _Zumbel_ in their language. In April I saw

another very delicate one, known to them by the name _Ayur_, with long

and very small leaves of our _Philangium_; it groweth pretty high, and

beareth at the top four stalky flowers; the leaves thereof are very like

in shape and colour unto the three leaves that stand up in our Flower de

Luce; the root is very like to that of a Tulip, wherof I have also seen

a great number in these grounds of all sorts of colours. I have also

found some Daisies like unto our own, and also another sort of them with

nine or ten white Saffron-flowers, which sprout sooner in the spring

in the corn, not so bare as ours, but between the leaves. The leaves

are pretty thick, but narrower, longer, and narrower pointed than the

before-mention’d; they also spread more about upon the ground, and come

from a white coat with a brown-red skin, surrounded and divided in the

middle, it is call’d _Kusan_ in their tongue, but by some others it is

still call’d _Surugen_.

These and a great many more strange herbs have I found, but because they

were unknown to me, I forbear to mention any more of them. But yet I

cannot but describe to you one more, for the taking of which I and my two

comrades fell into great danger, as we often did, both of _Turks_ and

_Moors_, which needs not all to be related here; this is call’d by the

inhabitants _Rhasut_ and also _Rumigi_; it hath a strong yet unpleasant

savour, and about four stalks of a whitish colour, and so tender towards

the root, and so small as a pack-thread, whereon at each side grow seven

or eight tender ash-colour’d leaves one against the other, distributed

like unto those of _Osmond-royal_, only they have round ears towards the

stalk, like unto the small Sage, and between the lowermost, which are a

little more distant, flowers like unto our _Aristolochia_, yet a great

deal bigger, of a more brownish colour, and hanging on longer stalks.

The root striketh very deep, and is very like unto our _Pellitory_, of a

drying quality, and somewhat hot, as the bitter taste intimates. When I

was busy about this tender plant, and strove to get it out whole, which

took me up the more time, because I had no proper tools by me, a _Turk_

well arm’d came galloping upon us, to see what we were doing; but when

we perceived him to be fuddled, and that he earnestly set upon us, to

make booty of us, each of us gave him something, according to his desire,

seeing that he would not leave us without, that so we might get rid of

him; then he rode very well pleased out of our sight, and we took no

farther care of him. But before I could get the root quite out, he came

back again with full speed upon us, so I bid my comrades to run to the

next Olive-trees, and I would follow them presently; but when I saw him

come pretty near me, and found I could not get the plant whole, I pull’d

it up as well as I could, and so ran to my companions. But when I came to

the Olive-trees, I found they were run several Olive-trees farther, which

stand row by row, and found myself quite alone and destitute, and that

I must defend myself behind the tree; so he came down upon me with his

scymeter drawn, and fetch’d one blow after the other at me, which I still

declined, running from one side of the tree to the other, so that they

went into the tree and mangled it mightily. In the mean time defending

myself thus unarm’d against him, I took a resolution, that if he should

take hold of his bow and arrow to shoot at me, which he could not do,

except he left his scymeter, to run in upon him, and struggle with him;

but this fight during very long, and perhaps his anger did not give him

leave to think of it, I found out another way; knowing them to be very

covetous, to make myself free again with a piece of money, and to give

him a small silver piece, which in their language they call _Saict_,

worth about three pence or a groat, so pull’d it out, and shew’d it him,

still standing behind the tree; as soon as he saw it, he gave over, and

beckon’d to me to give it him so I stepp’d to him, and when I reach’d it

to him, he took it. But my table-book fell out of my pocket when I pull’d

out the money, upon the ground, wherein I had recorded many things,

which when he saw he would have it also, but I refusing it, he grew mad,

and began to renew the same game again; then I repented that I did not

dismount him when I gave him the money; yet I consider’d that if I should

have done him a mischief, as he deserved, yet although I had never so

good a cause, I was sure I must be cast, and perhaps to come to a greater

mischief and hurt; so I gave it him, and after he had received it he was

pacify’d and rode away.

But to come to my former purpose again: I found about the river the other

_Tragium Diosc._ in the plough’d ground, and afterwards also in abundance

upon the hill, but generally in moist places, near to the spring that

runs down the hill; it’s root is whitish, pretty long and slender, from

thence spread themselves some woody stalks, not above a little finger

long, whereon grew towards the top many leaves together, which were long,

and had of each side of their ribs small leaves, one opposite to the

other, which were divided, just like the _Trichomanes_, only somewhat

longer, about the bigness of those of _Asplenium_, and are, as they,

delicately green within, but without, and against the ground, of an

ash-colour, and woolly, chiefly the small ones, that are just sprouting

out between the others. Out of these first-mention’d stems come first

naked long stalks, upon which grow at the top violet-brown flowers close

together, as if it was an ear of corn; the inhabitants call it _Secudes_,

and so did the ancient _Arabians_, chiefly _Avicenna_ in the 679th chap.

where he also attributeth this Virtue, that it is very proper in the

bloody-flux.

In their gardens the _Turks_ love to raise all sorts of flowers, wherein

they take great delight, and use to put them on their turbant, so I

could see the fine plants that blow one after another daily, without

trouble. In _December_, I saw our violets with dark-brown and white

flowers, whereof they gave me in that season several nose-gays. Then

came the Tulips, Hyacinths, Narcisses, which they still name by the old

name _Nergis_. Before all other I saw a rare kind with a double yellow

flower, call’d _Modaph_, and a strange _Convolvulus hederæ foliis_, with

great purple flowers, whereout grew seed-vessels, as you see in the new

_Harmala_, with three distinct _Capsula_’s, wherein is kept it’s black

seed, to which they attribute the virtue of evacuating tough slime. This

is found sometimes in gardens, and by the inhabitants call’d _Hasnisca_,

and the _Persians_ _Acafra_, and _Serapio_ chap. 273. _Habalnil_; the

_Latins_, _Granum Indicum_, and _Carthamus Indicus_, and he that hath a

mind to know more of it, let him look into the author himself, in the

above-mention’d place, in the 306th chap. of _Avicenna_ and the 208th of

_Rhasis_. I also found in their gardens, Balm, Basil, and a fine sort of

Amaranthus, which for his colour’s sake may be call’d _Symphonia Plinii_,

and therefore call’d parrots feather.

I cannot forbear, before I conclude, to mention some which I found here

and there in the _Batzars_, and among them a strange sort of Lillies,

which as I am told grow in sunny, moory, mossy, and moist places; whereon

groweth a long stalk of the same colour and thickness of ours, only a

great deal broader, but broadest of all at top, where it is about three

fingers broad, so that it is like unto a Spatula that is painted at

one end; on this stalk grow at each side several tender leaves, which

are pretty long, but very small and pointed, and at the top thereof

some white flowers like unto ours. When I was thinking of this at

several times, what they were call’d by the ancients, it came into my

mind, that I had read of them in _Theophrastus_, _lib. 4. cap. 9._

and I really believe it to be the same. But whereas _Theophrastus_

writes in the quoted place, that they do not touch the ground, I can

say nothing to it, for I never saw any of them growing. They have also

some small roots to sell, call’d _Mamirani tchini_, good for eyes, as

they say; they are yellowish like _Curcuma_, but a good deal longer,

and thinner, and knotted, and very like unto our _Poligonatum_, and

may be esteem’d the true _Mamican_, whereof _Rhasis_ maketh mention in

several places. There is also among others brought a great quantity of

the juice of _Scammony_, that is still very soft, it cometh in leathern

bags from out of the country, and so it is sold to our Merchants in

their _Fondiques_; but those that buy it must have a great care, because

it is often adulterated, that they be not cheated. There is also a

good deal of the juice, by the Apothecaries call’d Opium, and by the

inhabitants Ofium, which the _Turks_, _Moors_, and _Persians_ and other

nations take inwardly not only in war, at the time when they go to fight

their enemies, to make them couragious and valiant, but also in time

of peace, to drive away melancholly and care, or at least to ease it.

Their religious people make also use of it, but above all the rest the

_Deruis_, and take so much of it, that it maketh them presently drowsy,

and without consideration, that when, after their barbarous and silly

way, they cut, slash, or burn themselves, they may feel less smart or

pain. If any one hath so begun to make use of it, (they take about the

quantity of a large pea at a time) they cannot well leave it off again,

except they have a mind to throw themselves into a sickness or other

inconveniencies; for, as they confess themselves, that if they omit

taking of it, they find themselves very ill in their bodies. Opium is

commonly taken from the white Poppy-heads, in their language call’d

_Caschasch_, wherein they cut, when they are young and tender, a spiral

or winding-circle round about it from top to bottom, one under another;

out of those runs some milk, which they let be there until it groweth

thick, then they gather it and make it into balls, like unto our perfum’d

soap-balls. Being that the _Turks_ use this Opium so commonly, it happens

sometimes that they take so much of it, that it is very dangerous;

wherefore they have an antidote, as I was inform’d, that is the root

Aslab, whereof I have made mention before, which they give to bring them

to rights again.

I found also in the great _Batzars_ a sort of _Alga_ sold in their shops,

which was dark-red, and therefore very useful for Dyers; it had stalks of

the thickness of a finger, and was surrounded with several thin scales,

or rather leaves, and round; wherefore it may be taken to be a _Saderva

Serab._ and herb _Alargivan_ of _Andreas Bellunensis_, whereof he maketh

mention in his Index, where he interpreteth the _Arabian_ words. For a

kind of this may also be taken, because it affords a delicate purple

colour, that _Alga_ that is found in the seas near _Candia_, and is

describ’d by _Theophrastus_ in his fourth book and seventh chap. Lastly,

among the rest, I did also enquire after the _Amomum_, and thought,

because they were near unto the confines of _Armenia_, that therefore

they might easily have it by the Caravans, which come daily from those

parts; yet I was forc’d to run a great while after it, till at length

I got a little stalk thereof in one shop; they call it by the name of

_Hamama_. But of the other, so call’d by _Dioscor._ which is like unto

it, and therefore may easily be taken for the right one, they had a great

deal. These two small shrubs, altho’ they are very like to one another,

yet for all that they may be distinguish’d by their stalks and different

colours. Wherefore _Dioscor._ bids us, if we will not be imposed upon, to

pick out the bigger and smoother, with it’s noble seed, and to leave the

small. This stalk which I found about the length of a finger, is almost

of the colour of the bark of the Cinnamon-tree, and also in it’s acrimony

and good odour, altho’ it was old, still very strong. At the top had been

several woody stalks, close to one another, whereon I believe had been

the flowers and Seeds. But the twigs of the other sort, which are crack’d

and bended, are of a brown colour, which at the top divide themselves

into other less ones like a tree, whereon grow several stalks with little

heads, like unto the _Masaron_, or _Marum Syriacum_ from _Crete_, wherein

is no great strength nor odour.

Thus much I thought convenient to mention of strange plants, chiefly of

those the ancients make mention of, and so I conclude the first part of

my _TRAVELS_.

_End of the first Part._

[Illustration: CAROLUS JEPHSON IMPRIM]

[Illustration]

Dr _Leonhart Rauwolff_’s

TRAVELS

INTO THE

Eastern Countries.

Wherein is treated of his Journey from _Aleppo_ thro’ the Famous Town of

_Babylonia_, to _Bagdet_; what he saw by the way, and what did befal him

in going and coming by Water and by Land. With a brief Account of the

high Mount of _Libanus_, of the strange Plants and Inhabitants thereof.