'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.' [‎14] (45/1024)

The Pe r si an ‘Travels Book 1.
North, and falls into the Aras, that runs not above three Leagues off to the South
Though this City be fortified to the Weft by the River,yet it is never the ftrongcr
by reafon of the Hills on the other fide which command it: and in regard it is built
upon a rock, the Moats of the Fort are not above threeor four Foot deep. f n
fomirplaces the City isfecur’d With a double Wall with fevcral Towers 3 but the
Walls bedog only of Earth, as arcmoft of the Houfes, the Rain does moremif-
chief, than the Cannon would do. That part of Erivan to the North-Weft, i s l
kind of Suburb, but far better inhabited then the City: for there live all the Mer
chants and Artificers, together with the Chriftian Armenians^ who have four
Churches there, with a Monaftery. And of late years they have built alfo a very f a j r
Inn in the fame Quarter. In the City there only lives the Km, with the Military
Officers and Sooldiers *, the Km\ Lodgings lying upon the River. The Governour
is a Perfon of great Power, and has always fufficient Forces about him to guard
the Frontiers. The Summer being very hot at Erivan, he lyes in Tents upon the
Mountains during the Heat. When a arrives, he is forc’d to give the
King advice thereof: and'ifany AmbafTador come thither, he is bound to maintain
him at his own expence, and to caufe him to be conduced to the Territories of
the next Governour, who is oblig’d to do the fame. So that Ambafladors are not
bound to be at any Expenees in the Territories of the King of Etrfia. Four Leagues
from the City are high Mountains, where the Natives that inhabit the hot and
-Sun burnt Countries toward Chaldea, come Twenty Thoufand together, tofeekout
good Pafturage for their Cattel^and about the end of Autumn return again into their
own Country. I cannot compare this Mountanious Tra£I,whether for its Valleys 1
and Rivers, or for the nature of the Soil, to any Part that I have feen, better
than to that proportion of Switzerland, which is call’d the Cemtry of Vanx : and
there is a Tradition among the Natives, That certain people that inhabited between
the and Mount and which compos'd a Squadron Alexander s Army,
having ferv’d him in his Gonquefts, feated themfelves in this part of Armema^hkh
they found fo like their own Country. From Tocat to Tatreis the Inhabitants are
for the moftpart Chriftians. Which large Traft of Grouud being that which the
Ancients call’d the Province of Armenia,^ no wonder to meet with fifty
fiians for one Mahometan. There are many ancient rmenian Families in Erivan,
Which is their native Country •, but they are well us’d by the Governours,who being
far diftant from the Court, do what they pleafe. This City not being far remote
from the Province from whence the Silks come, is the place where aJl the Buyers
and Sellers refort. But neither in Erivan, nor in any other part of Terfia are the
Merchants put to open their Bales at the Cuftom-Houfes, as in Turkic, They only
pay certain Duties toward fecuring the Highways *, which Duties they call
ries, and thofe thaegather them Raders. -
% The Kans or Governours of Provinces in Perfia are civil to Strarigcrs, efpecially
to thofe that they like, or that ffiew them any thing of Curiofity. The firft time
that I went into Per/w I took a yourtg Watchmaker with me, and coming to
Erivan, I carried him to the Kan who was then Governour. It was at a time
when Watche? were very rare in Perfia', and the Kan, underftanding what Trade
the Young Man was of, told us he iyas the firft Watch-maker that ever had been
in Pcrfa : Thereupon he brought thkyoung man a Watch tomend, and that he
might havef the pleafure of feeing him Work, he lodg’d us in a Chamber next his
own, and made us drink with him every day; for he was a true Toper, and com-
pell’d us to drink with him from four in the Afternoon ’till near Midnight, in a place
which he had made on purpofe, in his Garden, to take off his Glaffes.
This was he, that having deliver’d Erivan to went along with
him to Conflantinople, and became his Favourite for teaching him to Drink. Amur at
left a Garrifon of 22000 Men in the City; but Sha-Shefi the Perfian King begirt it
prcfently with aftrong Army; and planting himfecurely uuder one of the Hills
that command the City, he batter’d it inccffantly with eight Pieces of Cannon .* the
fourth day he made a Breach, and though he had the repute of a Coward, he was
the firft at the Affault, and took the City .* aru. jecaufe they would not yield at his
Summons,he put all the Garrifon to the Sword.For which was quit with Sha-
afterwards, though not in fo noble a way ; for enteringa Viftor into Baodat,\\Q
put all the Perfhans to the Sword, after he had given them his',word to the contrary,
and promis'd to fpare their lives. The-