'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.' [‎171] (192/448)

Hyrcania. TheCafpian
med by the 'Greeks t * vfaw, a fajcendo- Qtiafi in pafcuis inter armenta depentes. Fixed
ftations thefe keep none, but for mixt profit and delight remove from place to place as
fancy and good paftuxageinvites with all their Family and fubftance treafured up in
long Waggons covered with Felt, and fo'high as they admit of a divifion into two W
ries "• the loweft; (the place of ufual relidence ) is even with the ground ^ and they have
fix wheels to draw with. Little is the difference at this day from what Strabo lib. 11
of old reports concerning them, Errant femper fine Lare vel Pemte (fie diBa quia penes no's
nati funt) fine fixis fedihm, fine legihm, &c. A People albeit now of no accompt amon^it
the Ferfims, yet time was when called Varni, by their courage as well as numbers they
obtained for Jrbaces their Countrey-man the Parthian Empire. But having elfewhere
Ipokenof this fort of People, I fhall give you a brief account of our laft nights tra
vel, which for the greateft part of the way was through the bottom of part of Taurus,
level with the ground, though the top ordinarily moiitens it felf in the middle region.
This is that ftrait ( and not Itraits in the plural, though the name be fuch) or narrow
paflage which is fo much famouzed in Authors; by Pliny called Caffiia porta,who alfo terms
it Ingens Nat'ura mvckculum a great miracle of Nature ^ Bertim^ Cajpiarum clauftra Strabo
and Ptolomyy PyU Cajpia • and others Media, Zagria, Zarz.e& \ JDiod. Siculm, Cajpu por
ta ; Vrifcian, Cajpiadas tangmt porta* } &c. and fome, and not improperly PyU Semiramida j
albeit different from thofe we call Caucafia porta & Iberia (which are near Derbent) and
wherein doubtlefs Maginm is miftaken, in faying that the Cajpia porta are in Turqueflan
which he places in Zagathay or Altai as now called. This narrow ftrait is not more than
forty yards broad and eight miles long ^ but the Mountain on either fide is precipi-
tious*, and fo high as it is much above what an arrow could reach at twice the fhooting,
were it poffible to begin the fecond where the firft: ihot reachf, and is one of three no
ted paffages through that great Mountain * which from Perfia and the South and
Weitern parts lead to Armenia,Hyrcania and the Ca(pian Sea,and which doubtlefs gave this
the denomination. Through this it was the fair Amazonian qwrq to Alexander \ for that
mentioned in Pliny which Nero threatned the Parthians to pierce through was in Arme~
niay and formerly fpoken of.
Now albeit fome have attributed this pafs to the Spirit of Semiramis, who to ex-
prefs her power and to eternize her memory to pofterity, effeded wonders ^ For, In
Jarceio Monte juxta Ecbathan, immortale fui mommentum reliqmt, pracipitia Montis & con-
valles anfiaHm & loca concava ad planum deducens, magno fumptu iter reddidit, Diod. I. 5 .
This certainly is rather the work of Nature, God's handmaid^ the height and hard-
nefs of the Mountain rendring it an endeavour vainly to be attempted, if not impoC
fible to be effeded by Man. Albeit the Perfians (merrily I thought till 1 perceived them
difpleafed with my incredulity) affured me that it was done by Mortis Ally's Arm with
the help of his Sulfikar, which fay the Perfian Chronicles was eighteen cubits long •, but by
equal faith you are bound to believe Ally's Arm was proportionate: And not unlike that
Fabl£ mentioned by Nub.Geogr. 1. parte c. 1.4. concerning the Mediterranean Sea,which at
firfl being furrounded with Hills like the Ca/pian, the famous Hercules cut that Moun
tain afunder with his fword, and made that Itrait we now call Gibralter, which gives
the Water a large and free pafTage into the Atlantick^Ocezn, Now to confirm this for
a truth they tell us, That being in purfuit of the Gowers, (fo then they called the
Chriftians) uniheathing his Sulfichar, for the quicker execution it parted in two, (at
leaft was double edg'd ) with which he fo hew'd his enemies on the right hand and on
the left, that at fome blows he beheaded hundreds; which made the reft fly to pur-
pofe: In the purfuit, the better to overtake his Enemies, he clove Rocks and Moun
tains in twain, and then (as they fuppofe ) made this fmooth paifage: To which I have
but this for anfwer, Hanc fabulam longi temp or is' mendacia finxit: For would they give
that credit unto Pliny he deferves, they might know how that long before Ally's birth,
Ipeaking of this paflage, he fays, Ruptura eft Montis longitudine otto mill, pajf anguftiffi-
ma, &c. A defcription rightly agreeing with what we found it; and Strabo faith. This
ftrait was made by a terrible Earth-quake that rent afunder feveral great Mountains, and
this amongft the reft Terra-motibw (fays he) rupta fuerat Terra apud Cafpias port as, com-
plurefq', Vrbes & pagi, & varia mutationes fluvionm. See.
But of more certainty is what a Perfian then in our company toldhow that a dozen
years fince, a valiant Thief with five hundred Horfe and three hundred Mufquets defended
this narrow road againft all paffengers •, none pafling nor re-paffing without fome acknow-
ledgement,albeit the King of (whofe Dominion lay amongft the Mountains)
frowned at his fawcinefs, and threatned him : but fuch ftorms rather made good mu-
fick to the Thiefs ears. Howbeit, Abbas alfo upon affront grows cholerick to be fo
Z 2 bearded