'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.' [‎98] (647/1024)

The Publisher unto the Reader.
had leaned his own Dominion. Alter this fucceis he did lor divers years attend
other Conquefts, and having fubdued a great part of India, all Perfta, Media, Armenia,
Jffyria Mefopotamia, Babylonia, and Syria, he refolved to requite the Invafion of Tk-
Ciamijh: whereupon having drawn together an Army of 500000 men, he marched
through Media Atropatia, then and hill called Shervan 5 palled the ?ort£ Caucafe^
which the Perfians name Verbent ; thence through Dabejlan, and the great Defart be
tween that and Ajiracan (then named Gitturcban ) and having wafted all that fpacious
Countrey on the Weft-lide of the Volga, depoulated and difmantled divers fair Ci-
ties (the ruines of leveral being yet viftble to thofe who Navigate the Volga, as
we are informed by Okarius ) he pafted the Volga, and on the Eaft-fide encoun-
trcd Tdmttamifcb, who had Collected a mighty Force, having befidcs his own Hords,
the affiftance of the Tartars of CaJJ'an, Tumen, Kalmuhe, and Vabejlan : and his Army
by this acceffion was more numerous than that of his Enemy. The Battel was long
doubtful, and exceeding all that happened in that Age for carnage and cruelty, both
Parties being full of hatred unto their Adverfaries 5 and knowing that this Fight
would lofe or gain thcm a mighty Empire. They fought three days with little in-
termiflion, and it could not be difcerned which had the advantage. But that which
is thought 3 chiefly to have occafioned Tamerlane’s Viffory, was the departure of a great
Tribe from Tbudamifcb, whole Prince EBave pretended he had received feme great
injury or affront, but Was indeed thought he was corrupted: For retreating unto
Anmarth the Tmkt(b Emperour, he after the fame mannner betrayed Bajazet, who
foon after fucceeded 3 revolting at the begining of the fight unto Tamerlane. ThuSa-
tnifeb being defeated, with great difficulty made his efcape, leaving his Countrey ex-
poftd unto the fury of the Zagataians, whom fo great a flaughter of their own
Friends had highly exafperated. They fpared nothing that was capable of being
fpoiled ; demolilhed Serai, together with Seraicbicb^ upon the Jaid^, and Gitturcban,
which were the only confiderable Cities on the Eaft-fide of the Volga, and leaving
the Countrey a meer Defart, killing, or Captivating the Inhabitants, driving away
the Cattle, they returndinto Perfia with great Booty. This happened in the 791 year
of the Hegira. A. C. 1388. Serai, and Saraicbicl^ never regained thir former fplen-
dour ; but f Giiturcan now A(lracan ) did by degrees recover, but never arrived tothat
heighth it attained unto during the Empire of the Cbazari and Zavolgenfian Tar
tars.
For J faphat Barbara, and Ambrofio Contarini, who were both Ambaftadors from
the Venetians unto Ufm Cajfan Emperour of Perfia, and well acquainted with thofe
Parts 3 Barbara living fixteen years at the City Tana on the mouth of the River Ta*
nais 3 and Contarinibdng forced in his return iwmPerfia to reftde there fome months:
They, I fay, both tell us, Thar this City before its deftru&ion by Tamerlane, was a
very famous Emporium ; all the Silks, moft of the Spices and other Commodities,
which were afterwards brought down to Syria, were then carried by Shipping to
Aflracan ( which they both name Citrachan ) and thence by Land in a few days to Ta
na, whether the Venetians fent every year iixteen great Gallies. But after its fubver-
fion by Tamerlane, this Commerce ceaied and the Gallies receiving their Lading in
Syria, and at Alexandria of Mgypt. In the time of the forementioned Writers,
which was from the year 1436. when Barbara firft went to Tana, until his return out
of Per fa in 1488. And Contarini, who returned not long before him, Citrachan yfte
a mean Town, confifting chiefly of Tartarian Huts and incompafled with a pitiful
mud "Wall, a place of no confiderable Traffick, only the Mufiovites fetch’d thence
Fiih and Salt. But Juan Vaffilomcb having reduced it in the year 1554 under his
Dominion, it hath been by iucceeding Emperours both fortified and enlarged: I ftali
fay no more concerning it, Okarius a moft deligentand judicious Writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , having left
us fo particular a Defcription thereof. I fhall only add, That I fuppofe the caufe 01
fo diffrent names, as Giftarcban, Citracban, and Aflracban, were occafioned by the
Princs, who fuccemvely pnrftded, as is very obvious to any who are acquainted with
the Cuftomes of the Arabians, Perfians, Turks, and other Eaftern People.
But to return rinto otir Zavolgentian Tartars , fo called by the Neighbouring
Slavonic^ Nations, becaufe the Seat of their Empire, and their ch iefeft places of Ke-
ftdence were on 4 or near the Volga ( which River did alio almoft equally divide
their Territory j Z,a being only an Expletive Particle, as I cowld manifeft by in-