'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.' [‎94] (643/1024)

94
A Relation of the Grand Seignors Seraglio-
Troublefome Some of the Devouter fort of Perfans^ and fuch as are moft zealous for their
Vefarts m the oWn ta k e t he way of Babylon i upon this fcore, that brings them at the fame
lire S time to the Sepulchre of their Prophet Half which is but eight days Journey
e * kC diftant from it. This is the moft wretched place, of all the places upon earth,
and affords no water but the moft corrupted water, which is drawn out of
certain Pits, and that of a Canal, which Scbach-Abas caus’d to be brought thither
from the Euphrates, but which is now quite out of repair. Whoever expe£b
to drink good water there, muft bring it along with him, from other pla
ces five or fix days Journey diftant from the other: And yet that falfe Pro^
phet impofes on thole, who have fuch a Devotion for him , not only the
inconveniences of coming fo far off; but alfo thofe of being in a fair way
to perifh by thrift, and hardfhip of lodging.
The laft time it was my fortune to pafs through the Defarts, I came
to that deteftable place upon this occafton, that meeting with a Courricr,
who was come from Babylon, with two Arabians, whom he had in his Com
pany, he gave us intelligence, that the Grand Seignor’s Forces, which had
then newly taken Babylon, were upon their march back, in Kttle Deteachmencs,
and that there was no queftion to be made, but they would feizte on our Camels
and Baggage. Which advertifements oblig’d us to take our courfe more to
the South, and to get further into the Delert, where we fpenc fixty and five
days in eroding of it, to avoid meeting with thofe Forces.
As for the Princes of Arabia, they have no great Journey to make, becaufe
they are thq next neighbours to Mahomet's Sepulchre.
A Miraculous The Mahumetans of Europe come to Aleppo, and there joyn the Caravan;and
oftbelfn"^ of thofe 4 f^' ca o P a ^ s t0 Grand Cairo, and meet in the Defarts, with the fame
i§ Ja/spurneJ. Caravan of Aleppo at eighteen days Journey from Medina, where there is a
water, which goes by a Canal, quite to that City, all the way of thofe eight
een days Journey. ’They have it by Tradition, That that water was found
by their Prophet Mahomet, as he crofs’d the Defert with his Army, ready to
dye for thirft, and that going to drink of it firft of any, there iffued a Voice
to him out of the Water, which faid to him, Prophet, thou wilt find it bitter:
That he made the Voice this Anfwer, Let us all drinl^of it, for l kpow it isfireet,
and 1 would to God, that we could always find as good. That thereupon the Voice
replying the fecond time. Prophet, Command, and 1 will follow thee : And that as
foon as he had fpoken, the Water made a Canal under ground, and follow’d
him quite to Medina.
From Vamas, Hierufakm, and Cairo, they account forty days Journey to Medina,
and it is at the two and twentieth day’s journey that they find that water. Tis part
ly to fee that miraculous Water, which had been fweetned by the Prophet, that
there goes into thofe places fo great a concourfe of People , of fo many different
Nations, from all parts of the World ; in as much as there is no Mahumetan, let
him be at ever fo great a diftance, and but tolerably in a condition of health, and
fupply’d with the external accommodations of fortune, who does not think himfelt
oblig’d to go once in his life to Mecha, in perfbn,or to fend fome other in his ftead.
After the Pilgrims have continu’d certain days at Medina, they go to Gebel-Araffa,
that is to fay, the place, where Adam found Eve, his Wife, five hundred years, after
God had created her. It is a City in the Mountains, at the diftance of Two Dayes
Journey from Medina, and at one from Emena, another City, which is half way be
tween both. AfToon as the Pilgrims are come thither, all thofe who arefo well fuc-
nifh’d, buy a Weather to make a Holocauft of it, and to diftribnte it amongft the
poor, they being not allow’d to keep above two pounds of it, for themfelves. If they
do not pun&ually obferve that, and that fome difeovery fhould be made thereor,
they are made incapable, ever after, while they live, of fhaving their Heads, or
paring their Nails. , ,
From GebeLArajfa, they return to Medina, where they keep an account of the
time, when the Caravan arrived there ; in regard that all the Pilgrims, who came
by Land, are, as I faid elfewhere, mantain’d with fuftenance for the fpace of se
venteen days; but they who came by Sea arefuftain’d, as long as they continue
there, even though they fhould make it the place of their abode, as long as they
live.
FINIS.