'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎5] (34/1024)

Chap.II. 0/Monfieur Tavernier. 5
what they preferve in Cifterns when it rains. In the middte of the Mountain is a
fair Spring, and round about it are feveral Chambers cut out of the Rock ? where
the Dervichs made their abode. There are but two Inns, and thofe very bad ones,
in But the foil is good,and bears the belt Wine and Fruits in all Natolia*
Ainabachar, is the name of an Inn, diftani a quarter of a League from a great
Town where they fetch their Provifions.
Tiircall is a great Town near to a Mountain^upon which there (lands a Caftle.
The River that comes from Tocat v#fhes the Houi'es, and we caught excellent Filh
in it. In that place is another of the faired Inns upon the Road.
From T nrcaH you may travel in one day to Tgcat) where the Road from Smyrna
to Ifpahan meets.
Toe at is a good fair City built at the foot hf a very high Mountain, fpreading it
feif round about a great Rock that dands aimodin themidft of the Town, upon the
top whereof a high Cadle commands the neighbouring parts, with a good Garrifon
in it. It is very ancient, and the remainder of three others that dood there in
former times. The City is very well inhabited with Turks, who are the Lord Con
trollers- Armenians, Greeks, and Jem. The Streets are very narrow, but the
Houfes are indifferent well built*, and and among feveral Mofquees, there is one
very magnificent, which feems to be newly rear’d. There wasalfo a very fair Inn
going up, which when I lad traveled that way, was not quite finilh’d. There is one
thir r; more particular and more commodious at Tocat, which is not to be found in
any Inns upon the R6ad, That round about all the Caravanferas in the Town, there
are Lodgings which they let out to Merchants, that defire to be by thcmfclves out
of the noife and hurry of the Caravans, whiles they day at Tocat. Befides that,
in thofe private Lodgings you have your liberty to drink Wine, and provide for
the red of your Journey j which is not fo eafily done in the publick Inns, where the
Turks will have an eye upon the Merchants, to draw Money out of their pockets.
The Chriftians have twelve Churches at Ttfcvtf, and there refides an Archbifhop,
that has under him feven Suffragans. There are alfo two Monaderies for Men, and
two for Women ; and for fourteen or fifteen Leagues round Tocat, the Country is
all inhabited by Armenian Chridians, but very few Greeks being intermix’d among
them. The greated part of thefe Chridians are Tradefmen, and for the mod part
Smiths. A fair River runs about half a quarter of a League from the City, which rifes
near to Eraerom, and is crofsM at Tocat over a very beautiful done Bridge. Upon
the North fide of the City, it waters a Plain three orfourdays Journey in extent*
and two or three Leagues broad. It is very fertil, and replcnifh’d with fair Vil
lages very well peopl’d. A man may live very cheap atlocat: the Wine is mod
excellent, andallfortof rare Fruit very plentiful. It is the only place in aUAJia
where plenty of Saffron grows, which is the bed Commodity you can carry to the
where a Pound, as the Years fall out, is worth thirteen or fourteen * Franks, * Every Frank
though the Wax that preferves it, be as much in weight as the Saffron. This City, being 2 s.
with the Lands belonging to it, ufuailyisthe Dowager Sultanejfes ]oynturc. There derling,
is only an Aga and a Cady, that command there in the behalf of the Grand Signor:
for the BaJJja, from whom they receive their Orders, lives ztSivas, which is the
ancient and a very great City, fome three days journey from In
(hort, Tocat is one of the mod remarkable Thoroughfares in the Ead,where are
continually lodg’d the Caravans from Perfia, Diarbequer, Bagdat, Conjfantinople,
Smyrna, Synopses, and other places *, and here, the Caravans turn off, as they are
varioufly bound. They that are for Conftantinople, take to the Winter Wed upon
the right hand *, they that are for Smyrna, incline to the Summer Wed, upon the
left hand. When you fet out either way out of Tocat, there is a Toll-gatherer
that counts all the Camels and Horfes that pafs by,and exa&s for every Can el a quarter
of a Rixdollar, and for every Horfe half as much. As for the Horfes or Camels that
carry the Paffengers or their Provifions, they pay nothing. This con. ualconcourfe
of the Caravans trolls the Money about at Tocat, and makes it one of the mod con-
fiderabie Cities of Turkic.
Setting out of Tocat to go to Erzerom, you difeover a little Village fofttuated v v
under a Hill, as if the Mountain lay atop of it ^ and between that Mountain and
the River, the Road is very narrow where the Caravan is to pafs. In this Road it
was, that we met the Grand Pifier returning from Hunting, with a Train of four
hundred