'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.' [‎203] (224/448)

upon this ^report of the Jem inhabiting at and about Damoan, that this was the
place.
fidlyGoropim and others are fo far from agreeing with Haythotiy That Ararat is in Arme*
ma rather than any other place where the Mountain uninterruptedly runs as .far as'^^j-
anay (Eafterly to the CafpanSzz. as Strabo and moft Geographers place it, albeit miltaken
in making it part ofTartaryy and yet Ptoiomy in his fifth Table of ^4fia places it between
Media and Armenia^ which I marvel at J )and may properly bear that name, That he inclines
rather to fix it in the molt Southerly part of Scythia ^ which I think too far ftretcht; and
rather agree with St. HieromeyThat Ararat is not only a hill ftridly fo called,but in a larger
iignification a champaign Country near which Araxis runs, (over which, albeit lib. 8.
ALneid. fayes Araxit fcorns a Bridge, Alexander and Cafar built two) not far diftant from
the foot otTaurm ; which defcription brings it very near Damoan. Elmacin alfo in his
firit Book relates how that the Emperour Heradim purfuing Chozjrhoe the Parthian King
into Hyrcania was by fome then in the Army fhewed a high hill which they called Geudi,
upon which they perfwaded him the Ark relted •, which Geudi fays the Author was near
unto a Villa at that time called Themain : a name differing not much from Damoan, the
(D) and (Th) being fometimes alike pronounced. Geography Nubienfts hath alio fome
concordance with it, faying Mons Jemanin in qua requievit Navis Nohx, legi debet The-
manin: which name upon this occafion fundry 6*^^ Writers commemorate faith Agaihias.
Furthermore, Vulcanm in his 4 lib. gives us this further teftimony. That upon the high
Mountain Taman Noahs Ark relied: ft name little difcrepant from what Damoan is now
called, the various Dialeds of Speech in many places occafioning a greater difference •, and
for proof may note the different pronunciation of London^ Tredaghy and Antwerp by our
tranimarine neighbours.
Nor does that of Procopim upon Gene/is weaken but rather fortifiethismy conjedure
infaying that Ararat excurrit in medium inter Armenian & Parthiam verfus Adiabenam ad
aquilonemy nonad orientem Babylon ; feeing that Damoans fcituation is 'twixt Armenia and
Parthia. Being alfo more ftrengthened from that of the Commentator upon Berofm, who
perfwades his Reader that the Ark refted upon thofe Cafpian hills that feparate Armenia
from Media : Which defcription as with a finger to my apprehenfion direds unto this
Mountain of Damoan. But having peradventure prefumed too far upon this fuppofition,
I leave the difquifition to a more accurate obferver: and onely take leave to acquaint
you with what the Jews here-about inhabiting report; How that part of the idolatrous
Tribes of Dan, Zebulony After, and Naphthali were by Salmanajfer commanded to abide
intheie parts •, Tiglathpille^ar the Aflyrian Monarch having tranfplanted the half Tribe
of Managesy Rheubenznd Gad to Jaaroon and other places within this Kingdom of Larry
as I have already obferved. The Inhabitants of Damafcm alfo were removed by that
great Prince to Kyr in Media, 2 Reg. 16. 9. about the River Cyrm, which is fo pro
nounced •, but the Chuthites were removed to Samaria in the place of thofe Jews, 4 Reg. 17.
which Chuthites (as 1 gather from fofephw in his 9 lib.) were inhabitants of this Region,
at that time called by the name of Chutha y by which word fome miftakenly have, under-
ftood whole Perfia albeit more likely to be Chuthifian as Sufiana is oft-times called a
Countrey extending from Larr Weftward as far as the Altars of Hercules, the utmofl
Cities of which were Apamaa and Ctefiphon. And albeit Gihon be a general name for
great Rivers, nothing indeed has more puzzled Scholars than to find where Gozan run :
For although Ptoiomy make it (if it be that Gonana he mentiones in his 6 lib. 16 cap.) a
branch of Oxus *, yet forafmuch as at Hara which fome erronioufly take for Chara or Cha-
ran in Mesopotamia where the Patriarch Abraham fometimes dwelt, and HaU and Ghahor
are Cities in Media as recorded in the 2 Reg. cap. 18. verf. 1 1. near the River Goaan^
it is not probable to be that Gonan which mixes with Oxm, iince no part of Media is
within three hundred miles of it. Go^an then either mufl be in Media, which maybe
feeing that Araxis waters Armenia and runs into the Weft fide of the Cafpian Sea ^ or elfe
this River here which is of a great breadth, ftreaming from Taurm both into Media and
Hyrcaniay and cut in many fmall Rivoletsby the People to draw her many ways to ferve
their occafions. And the Jews inhabiting here confirm this conjedure, faying alfo, That
when they were brought hither captives they were difperfed into many feveral places,
and here have refted unremoved during many overtures and changes of the Perfian Mo
narchy.
Moreover, albeit the Jfraelites had for the extent of their Dominion what was from
the Red-Sea or Wildernefs of Syn to the River of Euphrates and the great Sea, as the
Mediterranean is called Exod. 16. 1. and fojh. 1. 4. which was accomplifhed in Davids
Reisn: vet the Territory they inhabited ftridly called Judah and the portion of the
Dd 2 twelve