'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎124] (547/594)

1 Jbr /L
TheirFrontiers, between Orquenge and Efiher-ahaat: and thefe
People our Modern Autohrscall which are properly
Turks For thefe People, and thofe that hold the Empire of
Conftantmople cameatfirft from Tu that is to fay, from
thofe Provinces of Tartary, whichare very vaft, altho we have
but little knowledge of em. And this is alfo that Country which
ought properly to & be call'dT«rfe, and not the Provinces of ^
llaznd Europe, polfelsd by the 0«. For the Eaftern Peo
ple never call by that name the Inhabitants of thofe Provinces,
nor the Monarch that Commands 'em, And there
fore it is an error of our Europeans; in regard the People of
Turkic acknowledge no fuch appellation, deeming it Barbarous.
For that among them Turk fignifies one that comes from thofe
High-lands of Tartary, let it be from what part it will The
(Per/tans therefore to define thofe Turkmans more diftinftly, ca
'em Sara-Netflm. Sara lignifying aPUinor Down, and
thofcihat abide there, from the Verb Nti/lmm, to reft otHefo/e.
So that Sara-Netfhin fignifies thofe
try. Now ancient Hiftorians,and writers of Travels,who under-
flood not the Eaftern Languages or at leaft had but a fmattenng
underftanding of'em, call thefe People Saracens, which word
was never pronounc d at firft by a French-man, who would furely
have pronoune'd it Sarajhins. In regard French-men pronounce
with left trouble the Shin of the Afiatics then fome of their Neigh-
bours, efpecially the Englifh; who every where write it
But to make a true relation of a Country, it is necellary that
they who defcribe it fhould know the Language ^ elfe they
muft commit a thoufand errors not paffable among perfons of
Judgment, of which there needs no other proof, then luch Rela
tions of Travels which we have feen printed in this Age: Not
to mention any other then thofe of Terfiaj of which there are
two which are indifferently tolerable ; Palle s and the Travels of
Oleums: though the firft be full of faults, which may be faid to
be Monftrous; and the latter be not altogether exempt. And
yet they are better then the reft, in regard thole Authors under-
ftood the Terftan Language; and therefore it is my Opinion, that
whoever publishes his Travels, and Obiervations of a Country,
of which he has not learnt the Speech, fhall never make any per-
fed and accomplifli'd. And this digreffion 1 did not think would
be difpleafing to the Curious.
But to return to our ftory, this Colony of Turcmans was for
merly Tributary to the Calmachs ; but about thirty years ago
they took San£luary in (perfia, fubmitting under the Government
or