'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.' [‎88] (127/1024)

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The Persian Travels Book IL
•the other. It is one of the beft countries in the pofleflion of the Grand's''"'
being ftotM with large Meadows and excellent Pafturage, where are bred n'T" '
numbers of Beafts, efpecially Mares and Bufalo’s, The Female Bufalo’s o 0 t W 7 e
Months, and yield lo much milk, that there are fome that will pi vc b tw v '
twenty Pints. And there is fo large a quantity of Butter made, that in feme Vil
lages upon the Tigrx, we fawfomctimes five and twenty, fometirfies twentv Brrrt"
lad’n with Butter, which the people fell all along the Gulf of as welhma
slratna, as Perfui fide. ’ "“P'’ 11
Half the way betwixt Baaddt and Balfara, we perceiv’d feveral Pavilions lit
in the Meadows along by the fide of the River.. Upon enquiry we heard thatth
Tiy icydaT was come from Co/ijicifitifioplc to gather tf^j Grand Signor's duty’s p
from fiagdat to Gorm, for all the Bufalo’s as well Male as Female^ there is to be pad
. a Ptajler and a quarter for every head once a year which is worth yearly to iL
Grand Signor a hundred and fourfeore thouiafld Piafiers. Every Mare alfo pL-s tw
PUJlcrs, every Sheep ten Sow, which if the Country people were not very cunninp
Would be worth fifty thoufand PUfieri more than it is. ' ' ^
After this we came to Gorno, a Fortrefs upon the point where the two Rivers meet
befides two other fmall Cattles upon each fide, fo that there is no paffing without
leave. Upon the Fort of Gorno, which was well furnilh’d with Cannon, we fawthc
Prince of .Balfiira’s Son, who was Governour of the Fort. And here it isthatthe
Account of the Cuftoms is taken. But though they are very exsC in fearchina the
Barks, they are very civil, for they fearch no body. However left any Goods (hoold
be hid between the Planks of the Ships, over which they generally throw Fagots and
Canes, the Cuftomers bring a great Piercer, with which they bore the Tides of the
Bark quite through for the ditebvery of conceal’d Goods. The Goods are Rc°ifiet’d
MGirno, but the Cuftoms are always paid at Bslfara, according to theacccmw
givn fromtheFort. ^
The fame day entrinj? into the Chanc! that is cut out of Euphrates to Balfatd
we met the chief of the Holland Fadory taking his pieaiure in a Boat cover’d wiih
Scarlet, who took me with him to Balfara.
.M/47V1 ftands upon the fide of Arabia deferta^ two Leagues from theRuinesof
a City, which was formerly call’d Beredon, and anciently flood in the Defert to
which the Water was formerly conveigh’d out of Euphrates in a Brick Chanel’(till
to be feen.
By the Ruines it appears to have been a great City, from wfience the Ardkim
fetch away the Bucks and fell them at The City of Bal/ara is half ,a
i-eague from Euphrates, which the Arabians in their Language call
or the River of Arabia. The Inhabitants of the City have made a Chanel to it
about half a League Io»g, which bears VelTels of 150 Tuns •, at the end where-
or ftands a Fort, fo that no VefiTcl can get into the Fort without leave. The Sea is
above fifteen Leagues off, but the Tide comes up to the Chanel, and fills the River
other nfteert Leagues upward beyond Gorno. The Country Is fo low, that were
it not for a Dam that runs along the Sea-flioar, it would often be in danger of being
drawn d. The Dam is above a League m length, and built all of Free-flone fo ftrong,
that the fury of the waves can do no-injury, though it lie open to a Boyftrous Sea,
it is not above a hundred years fince Balfara belong’d to the Arabiansoi the Defert,
and had no commerce with the Nations of Europe. For thofe people were contented
to eat their own Dates, having fo great a quantity, that they only live upon them.
Tis the fame thing all along the Gulf on each fide; for from Halfarato the River
Indus for above fix hundred Leagues together, and all along theCoaftof Arabia to
Majcate, the poor fort of people know not what it is to eat Rice, but live upon
Oates and Salt-filh dry’d in the wind. The Cows eat no Grafs, and though they
go abroad in the fields, they find little or nothing among the bulhes which is
proper for them to eat. Blit every Morning before they drive them to the
;ieid and when they return home, they give them heads of filh andDate-mits
Bon d together. , .
,1, T1 7 T A havin S had War with the Arabians took Balfar.t and yet bccaufe
tne Arabians always hover’d about the Town, and mflde'booty of all they could lay
^.cir hands on, they were forc’d to come to an agreement with them, that the Jrdt
Would quietly enjoy all the Dcferr,’till within a League of the City; and thatthc
. ' y . Turfy