'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎209] (230/448)

S umachy. Shaugh-D 209
Merchants from Rujfia and Armenia, being thence the road-way to CazJhyn The North
pole is here elevated 39 degr. fcituate it is in that part of Media called Atrotatia by old
Writers, and pretends that it had its foundation laid by Shamuc Zeddade An. Bom nno
'Heg. 37°- from whom probably it took its Name having fome coherence with it.' Th^
ground is good in which 'tis feated, and watered by a pretty River, foas it bears both
Corn and Grapes in plenty: and though the place be level, it ifeverthelefs has a laree
and delightful profped towards the North-weft; but of moil remark is a Fountain or
Spring near the Town, which inftead of fweet Water fends forth a Stygian liquor, thick
and clammy, both in colour and tafte refembling Tar and not unlike that bituminous
liquid fubftance at Halt upon Euphrates, in the High-way as Travellers pafs from
Bagdat to Aleppo : This onely is in much lefs quantity, and not put to like ufes. Taurls
was the Royal Seat of feveral Kings, the laft of which wasObdolo~chawn> who died and
was here buried Art. Dom. 1^66. Heg. 946. leaving behind him a Son caWed Syrvan-Sha
who finding liimfelf unable to fway a Scepter fo near to Abbas the Per/ian King, pru-
dentially fubmitted his Royalty, and enrolled himfelf a Tributary Prince under his Em
pire. Now albeit the City is commonly reputed of good defence, yet it was unable to
keep out the Turkijh Army at fuch time as that old fretful wretch Maftapha with fire
and Sword invaded thofe parts and turned moft of the Towns and Villages into aihes*,
this place efpecially parching by the heat of his wrath, and the Inhabitants Mering
under the edge of his mercilefs Sword, the heads of fo many of the befieged being up
on the furrender whipt off as raifed a Monumental-pillar, which ferved as a Trophy to
exprefs his lavage fancy.
Next night we made our Manzeil at Sangurrabaut, a Town confiiling of an hundred
Cottages. In this place we buried a civil Gentleman Mr. Welflit our Camarade and
Countrey-man under a broad-fpreading Chenoar-tree, and fixed a brazen fcrole over
him which fpake his Name and Nation. This was the utmofb we could do in that po-
fture we were : Neverthelefs, Vt Te poftremo donarem mmere mortis, give me leave to add
this Diftich to his memory.
We have deplored thy death : ttfenfuirtg Tears Mors tua non careat fletu j linquamus Amicis
Thy Kin will pay thee Tribute with their tears. Moerorem ut celebrent funcra cum lacbrymis.
From Tabriz, we travel through Sultany to Cazhyn, the Hills Zagri and Coatri inter-
poling. And,
Next night flept in th? open Fields under a befpangled Canopy, the Firmament; the
next in the King's Town, his Purgatory rather; if a confpiracy of loole
and fcalding land, burning Sun, and mean Cottages could make one ^ for the Houfes
there differ little in ihape or clofenefs from Ovens •, fo as the People all day bake them-
felves in them in ftead of Caves and Grots, which ferve well to abate the extreme ar
dour of the Sun: a People fo diicourteous, that our mifery nothing afflided them. Now,
in regard that the heat derived from the Sun arifes from the reflexion of his beams
darted upon the furface of the Earth, where the Sun cafts his beams perpendicular,
(which is onely within the torrid Zone) the heat where the reflex is molt, mult bycon-
fequente be greateft. But that the heat ihould fo exceed here at fuch a diftance from
the Tropick, was doubtlefs from the quality of the Earth and inflanfd air that render it
fo intemperate to us,though better endured by the Natives,who from their cradles are in
ured to it. Cuftgm is a fecond Nature. In probability this was the Land of Nod, i.e. banifh-
ment, into whicnC^ wandered after he departed from the prefence of the Lord^ for
this Countrey is Eaft from JLden. And whereas he built Enoch the City, albeit it has
loft the Name, the Mountains neverthelefs are not far diftant hence being part
of Taurus and neighbouring the Badrians; albeit that name is found alfo near Vontm
and Albania, as fome have placed them. From that hateful Town we halted, and next
night got into CazJbyn.
C A Z B Y N (or Kazwin after the lilp of Ferfm) is that fame City which was known to
ancient Topographers by the name of Arfacia or Arfifaca which Strabo mentions, fo
named from Arfaces that Yallant Per/ian who ruled here An.M, 3720. and from whom
the enfuing Kings honoris gratia wqxq ftiled Arfacida. This was two hundred and fifty
Years before the Incarnation of our Saviour CHRIST ; and is accounted the firft that
made Media an Empire in defpight of that Seleuchus who was Son to the great Monarch
of Syria Antiochus firnamed Theos. By command of Nycanor it was afterwards called Eu~
ropus; but loft that Name when it bended under the next conqueft. It is likely this
was that ^^ (a City in as appears in Tobit J whither the Angel went from
E q pcbatan