'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎120] (141/448)

Kine davs we ftayed in Larr -, (hame it were, if in fo long time we had gathered no-
thine hlrr is from Gombroon feven fmall days riding, from fourteen, from Ba-
iv/»M twenty : A Town which by being 100. miles from the Sea, Ca good Neighbour^
but meanly watered by a few Springs,whichneverthelefs are of great ufe for the refrelh-
ine their Gardens; and having but little (hade from trees, favemthofe Gardens, are
the hot feafons exceedingly patched with the Sun; to remedy which they have de-
vices like Turrets upon the tops of their Chimneys to fuck the air for refrelhment;
this place was defaced by rage of War, and overturned by many dreadful Earth-
auakes. Anno Domini 1400 it ftiook terribly whenfive hundred houfes tumbled down.
Amo Koi of their account 973- ^boafted of five thonfand houfes; but that very year
the earth fwelled withfuch a tympany, that in venting it felf all ^ was forced to
quake, and would not be fupprelfed but by the weight of three thoufand houfes turned
topfie-turvy with the death of three thoufand of the Inhabitants: The old Caitle on
the Eaft fide of the Town(which owes its foundation to Gorgem built upon
the top of a folid rock, groaned in a like affrighting downfall. And to me it feemed
ftranae a City fo ftrongly, fo furely founded fliould be fubjeft to fuch commotions.
Now whether it be (as Democrms dreamt) from the gaping Sun-torn Earth quaffing in
too much water and (like a glutted drunkard) over-charging her caverns vomits it up
in a forcible and difcontented motion', or whether (as^r^^ teaches)it be from vapours
ensendred in the bowels of the Earth which(loth to be imprifoned m a wrong orb)rends
its patfaee by a viperous motion*, or whether from fubterranean fire the air being in
flamed upon fulphur, or other like exuberances of Nature, I leave the fcrutiny thereof
to thofe that ftudy the Caufes of Meteors: Howbeit, this being in ^puts me in mind,
That no part of the World is fo fubjed to earth-quakes as Jfta is', for m nherm Ctfars.
time twelve Cities in one night were over-turned by &irth-quakes •, and in Trajan's time
the like in and near Antioch : And indeed this Couiitrey hath had many fad tryals of
that kind, as in our travel we could both fee and hear n. ac - i
Larr the Metropolis of this Province, is now an unwalled Town, as molt AJiaHch^
Towns be. Art being needlefs, feeing the lofty rocks which are to the Eaft and North fo
naturally defend her; For a brave and ftatelyOftleat the North quarter(mounted upon
an overiooking hill)not only threatens an enemy,but aws theTown in a frowning pofture;
theafcent thereto is narrow and fteep-, the Gaible it felf of good ftone; the walls well
furniflied and beautified with battlements and plat-forms, whereon are mounted twelve
brafs Cannon-pedroes and two Bafilisks (the fpoils of Ormus:) Within the Fort are many
fmall houfes or huts which lodge the Souldiers, who have fometimes'there an Armory
fufficient to furnifh with Lance, Bow and Gun three thoufand Men. Howbeit, the walls
are weak, not flanked, nor fo regularly built but that the fcituation and Art rather feems
to make it defenfive though large in compafs*, ufually well vidualled, armed and man
ned as ferves not only to command the City but Countrey alfo, and to fecure them
asainft forreign invafion. The Bn^ar is alfo a very elegant and noble fabnek *, the
material of good chalky ftone: The building is long and beautiful *, aquadraat 'tis like,
though I cannot call it liich, the fides are fb unequal, 'tis covered at top, arched and
coupled after the mode of thofe oriental Countreys*, and within (Burfe-like) is furmih-
ed with fhops and trades of feveral forts; The Alley or Ille which extends from North
to South, is one hundred and feventy of my paces •, from Eaft to Weft it is an hundred
and fixty, the circumference of the oval in center is about one hundred and ninety: A
building in fome hundreds of miles not to be parallel'd. Near this the
are coyned ■, a famous fort of Money, being pure filver but ihaped like a Date-ftone,
the King's name or fome fentence out of the Alcoran being ftamp'd upon itin our Mo-
ney it values ten pence. , , f , n • t ,. , •
The Mofques here are not many ^ one more remarkable than the reft it has, wJncli is
round,(either Ihadowing out Eternity or from that pattern of the Alcaba in. Mecca, whole
fhape they fay Abraham had from Heaven, imitated by the Jews :), In fome part this is
varnifhed with letters, and upon the parget painted knots, beautified in other
places with counterfeit Mofaickj, but low and without glafs, wooden trellizes ( artifi
cially cut after their invention) fupplying them. The entrance is through a brazen
gate, near which is hung a Mirrour or fteel-Glafs*, divers lamps it alfo has for ufe and
ornament. Some of their Prophets reft their bones there: Emeer~Ally-z.edday ~ameer , a
long-nam'd, long-bon'd (if his grave be of right dimenfion) lohg-fince-rotten Prophet
is there enterred*, the older Prophet the frelher profit*, zeal and charity oft-timescn^
riftiing antiquity. But how can I credit what they report that he was a Mahometan,
fince they fay that he died a thoufand five hundred years ago, which is fix hundred years