'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.' [‎68] (105/1024)

three or four hundred paces diftant from the C ity toward the North. When the
Inn is full, the reft retire into the Grotto’s which are near at hand, and are very
good quarters. Here the Toll-gatherer prefently comes and counts the Bales with,
out op’ning them. They that carry any Sacks muft pay for half a Load.*, if not, he
op’ns the Sack to fee if there be any Merchandife therein, for then the Merchant
tnuft pay the whole duty.
Ourfa is the Capital City of Mefopotamia^ built as they fay, in the fame place
where Abraham liv’d, and where ftood the ancient Edeffa, where the people of the
Country report, that King Abdgxnu generally kept his Court. There are ftill to
be feen the ruines of a Caftle ; from w'hence they add, that the fame King fent to
Ctftf/Sr for his Piaure, and offer’d him his Kingdom and his people to defend
him againft the Jews^ whom he underftood to be his Enemies. The Chronicles of
the Armcrtiar/s repoitt) that A b agar us was their Country-man, and that in his Reign
they began to be Chriftians, and to be Baptiz’d by the hands of an Apoftle, whom
CHR IST fent to that Prince after his Refurrettion. Neither is this Caftle yetfo
far ruin’d, but that there is (till to be feen a fpacious Hall, and three or four hand-
fom Rooms with fome reliefs of Mofaick work. I was curious to fee what ever
Was remarkable in this City. And firftthey led me to a large Fountain which rc-
fefnbles a Fifh-pond, the Spring whereof is under the Foundations of the principal
Mofqttee, which was built in honour of Abraham. The Chriftians of the Conn,
try fay, that it was in that place where he pray’d, before he went about toSacrf
ficehis Son Ifaac, and that two Springs of Water arofe from the two places where
hereftedhis knees, which now feed the large Fountain I have made mention of. It
is pav’d with Free, ftone, andfo full of Fifh, that if you throw them in a little Bread,
they will follow you from place to place as you walk by the fide of the Pond. There
is no medling with them *, for the Turks have a great veneration for thofe Fi(h,which
they call Abrahams Fifh. Befides that, the place about the Fountain where the
Water wid’ns it felf to water all the City, is cover’d with very fair Carpets, for
about twenty paces in bredth* This Fountain at length falls into a little River that
runs by the Walls. As for the Grotto where the two Springs rife, there U no going
into it before you have pull’d off your Shooes, and it is a great favour for a Chriftian
to fee it *, fuch a favour as coft me fix Piafters. I alfo faw the Church, under the
portal whereof, they fay, St. Alexis liv’d feventeen years a private life. Itfhnds
in the middle of a Church yard, in the higheftpart of the Town, in the poMon
of the Armenians. But. their principal Church is about a quarter of an hours
walking from the City, built by St. Apkm?, who is there buried. The Monaftery •
(lands yet entire, enclos’d with fair Walls. In the Church I faw a large Bible in
Armenian Charafters. The Sepulchre of St. Ephren is in a Cave at the foot of the
Mountain, to which there alfo belongs a Chappcl, where they keep three or four
Lamps continually burning. There are other up and down the Mountain,
where are to be feen very ancient Sepulchers of the Chriftians. The City o\ 0 w\^ j
isfeated in a good foil, very well manur’d, which extends it felf out of fight to
ward the Eaft. There are feveral pleafant Gardens near the walls, water'd by
little Channels brought thither by Art. The foil produces good Wine, fothat ,
a man may live as well at Ourfa y as in any part of Turkic. While I flay’d there,
I kill’d abundance of Feldfares in thofe Gardens; and indeed there is great ftore of
wild Fowl all the Country over. The Walls of the City are of Freeftone, with
Battlements and Towers*, but within, the houfes are fmall, ill built, and ruinous:
And there are feveral void fpaces in the City, which makes Ourfa to look rather
like a Defert than a Metropolis. -The City is Govern’d by a who has under
him a hundred and fifty Janifaries^ and fix hundred Spahi's, Handing more in need
of Cavalry than Infantry, by reafon of the Incurfions of the Arabians y efpecially
in harveff time. In fhort, Ourfa is the place where they drefs fuch great quantities
of Cordovan Skins, by reafon of the waters particular to the Country, which give
them that peculiar beauty. The Yellow Skins are dreft at Ourfa y the Blew at Tocat)
and the Red at Diarbtquir.
The twentieth of March, wefetoutof Ourfa, and after a Journey of fix hours,
we lay at a pittiful Village where the Inn was fain all to decay. There is a Foun
tain of excellent water by it, which is all the convenience of the place, for there is
no Provifion to be had. ^
** > The