'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.' [‎9] (38/1024)

Chap. IV. of Monfieur Tavernier.
Camel’s Load, which is eight hundred Pounds. For in the mountainous Coun
tries a Camel’s Load is no more •, but in the plain and even Countries they make ’em
carry above ten hundred weight. A Load of Indian Calicutspays a hundred
Crowns; but the Loads of Linnen are much heavier than thofe of Silk. As for
other Commodities, they pay Six yer cent according to their value.
From this Stage the Caravan lets forward to a Fortrefs call’d Hajfan /CzLz,where
you muft pay half a Piafter for every Camels or Horfes Load going from Erzerom
to Erivan, but returning you, p >y but half as much.
Leaving this Fortreis,you mull go and lodge at a Bridge near to a Village which
is caW&Coban Cupri. Over this Bridge, which is the faireftin the whole Journey,
you crofs two. Rivers which there meet, one is the and the other is a Stream
that falls from a Mountain call’d Bingniely both which disburthen themfelves into
the <tAras^ The Caravan ufually ftays a day or two at this Bridge 5 becaufe the Cara
van divides it felfat this place, fome continuing on the High-road, others taking
the Road of Kars, as well to avoid fording the Aras feveral times, as the paying
a great Duty upon the great Road, where they exadfc four Piafters upon every
Camel’s Load, and two upon every Horfe-Load, whereas at Kars you are dif*
tnifs’d for half fo much.
I went Kars Road twice*, but it is longer,and more troublefome than the other.
As foon as you leave the Bridge, for the firft four daysyou travel over woody
Mountains, and very defert Countries, where you meet but with one Village; but
coming near Kars the Country is more plcafant, and well manur’d 5 bearing all forts
of Grain.
Kars is in 78 Deg. 40 Min. of Longitude, and 42 Deg. 40 Min. of Latitude 5
irravery good Soil. The City is very large, but thinly peopl’d, though Provifion
be very plentiful and very cheap. But the Grand Signor always choofing that place
to rendezvouz his Army, whenever he intended to recruit it, and to lodge his
People there which he fent to build Villages ^ theKingof‘Per/fc* has ruin’d ail the
Country, as he did at Sulfa, and in many other Frontier places, for nine or ten
days journey together.
From Kars to 8 rivan the Caravan makes it nine days journey, and lyes where h
can find mod convenience, there being nocertain Stages. The firft days journey
ends at a Monaftery and a Village, the one no lefs deferted than the other. The
next day you come to the Ruincs of a great City, call’d Anikagae, in -the Armenian
Language the CV>y 0/ Ani, which was the name of an Armenian King that was the
Founder of it. By the WaB, on the Eaft-fid€, runsa rapidftream that falls from
the Mountains of Mingrelia, and empties it felf into the River o-' Kars. This
City was very ftrongly fituated • being placed in a Merfh, where are to be feen the
Remains of two Caufeys that only lead to the Town. There are the Ruines of
feveral Monafteries; among the reft two that are entire, fuppos’d to be Royal
Foundations. From thence to for two days jourhey, you meet with only
two Villages *, near thglaft of which you ride by the fide of a Hill, whether wh^en
the Caravan pafiesby, the people bring Horfes from feveral parts to be fold. The
Great Road from the Bridge, where the Caravan parts, lyes thus :
Two Leagues from the Bridge, on the right hand toward the South, lyes a great
Mountain which the People of the Country call Mingol. In this Mountain there
are abundance of Springs, and from one fide of it falls Euphrates, from the other fide
the River of which empties it felf into the-/^/ fourteen ©r fifteen Leagues
on this fide Erivan. The^naf, which the Ancients call’d falls from other
Mountains Eaftward oi Mingol, which after many windings through the Upper
rmenia, where it receives many other Rivers that fwcli its Streams, it difeharges
it felf into the Cafpian Sea, two days journey ft<}tsiShamaj(i» ppon the Frontiers
of the ancient
The whole Country is inter-cut by the Rivers Aras and Kars, and fevcral other
Streams that fall into them, inhabited by very few, but what are Chriftians} thofe
few Mahimetam that live among them being fofuperftitious, that they will not drink
the Water of any of thofe Rivers, nor wafh in them 5 believing them impure and (
defil’d by the ufe which the Chriftians make of them. They have their particular
Wells and Cifterns by themfclvcs, which they will not fufferaChriftian to come