'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.' [‎208] (229/448)

was moft magnificent, which remained entire and undemoliiht m jofephus his time^and
fnmp whiles after: That built by Dams was no lefs fplendid for molt part was of
Cedar wood the roof being ftudded and plaited with burmttied gold^, of both which
nothing now'remains fave memory *, and i can hardly fay memory, lihce'fome ( but fri.
volouflv) make queftion whether T mryz, be old Echatan, and whether it be in Media
or no But if to be under Baronta^ if to be 36 degr. 50 minutes, if to fhew the ruins
of Tobias his Grave, if to be the Burial-place of Kings, if to be the Metropolis time
out of mind, if to be the Gity from Jemfalem N. E. four hundred farfangs can make it
Echatan • or if the authority of Ananias, Fetrm de la valle, LeuncUvtm, Teixera and Or-
telirn will ferve,it will then appear to be Echatan m Media', and the rather from this ad
ditional authority out of Polybius, Media fta in meditulho Afia Regio efi opulemijjlma, cujus
Caput eft Echatana: Upon whofe deftrudion by the Affyrians, mentioned lib. Tobit
and called Ara formerly) became the head Gity of Media: but Ecbatan afterwards re
covered its liberty though not former glory. Pliny alfo hath this note, (mean
ing Ecbatana) condita eft a Selemo Nicanor Rege diflans a Cajpiis portis 20000 fajfus. So as
Ptolomy^s conceit of Tabryz. ( miftaken in the Tan, a Gamma being printed erroneoufly
for it) to be in Ajfyria, of Cedrenm and Haithon in Armenia-, of Chalcondyles in Perfia,
of Niver in Per}-Armenia, and of Paulas Fenetm in Parthia ; what were thefe conjedures
but taking rife from the Monarchique Titles of Ajfyrian, Armenian, or Parthian as they
fwayed then, and the reft made Provinces butcniefly from the miftake how Armtnia
was divided ; part of Armenia extending South from Araxis into Atropatia, Art ax at a
being' the Metropolis, and from whence the Name P erf Armenia was compounded:
which is not above 36 degrees though Ptolomy makes it 40. for by Ahulfeda, Vkghbeg and
other Geographers of thofe parts, the latitude ofTaurys beft agrees with the Icituation
of Ecbatan.
Tabriz, then is a City both great and populous, famous for an in-land Trade , and fo
well governed, that it is no terrour to fuch as repair to buy and fell there, for all it is
a Garrifon. The fcituation is near the Mountain Orontes or rather Baronta, which is
a part of Taurus. It is compaffed with a mud-wall five miles about: the Houfes after
the common mode are flat at top *, their material Sun-dried bricks. The Buz.z.ar large,
the Gardens lovely: That to the South-eaft was planted by King Tamas and much Ipoken
of-, but the Turks Horfes have lately, grazed there. It hath but a fmall fupply of frefli
Water ^ yet what it lacks in that, fire and flame fupply the Sun, Wars rage, and ci
vil broils having more than fufficiently parched her. To .pafs by the revolutions of the
Empire, the Turks firft paffagefix hundred Years lince, Tamberlanes rage and the like^
remember we onely thofe irreconcileable Fadions, the Envicaydarlai and Namidlai that
for three hundred Years fo perfecuted one another with implacable wrath, as they en
gaged in their quarrel nine other Provinces, who at length grew fo engaged amongil
themfelves, that not onely this City but Media and Armenia became well-nigh depopu
lated : the Gibelyns nor Rofes parties or fadions out-matching them: fo as in fine they.
made an eafie entrance to any invader. Selym the Grand Seignior was the firit efpied
it ^ and to become an eye-fore to Tamas Son of fomael their inveterate adverfary, fends
a Bajhaw thither with an Army who ranfaked it An. Dom.15 14. Heg. 894. without much
refiftance. And An. 1530. feconded it with fo much fury that it flamed many
dayes; the infatiate Turks pillaging without mercy, turning topiie-turvie all they met
with, and into a Chaos thofe elaborate Walks and Gardens which Shaw-Tamas fo much
delighted in. Reviving again, it again was made proftrate to Ebrahim Baffa's luxury,
fent by Solyman at. the inftigation of Vlemm a Perfian Tray tor, albeit Brother-in-law to
the King*: at which time An. 1534. Heg. 9 14. the Turks plundered it. But An.i^S$.Heg.
965. it groaned under the greateft fuftering, when Ozman the wrathful Bajfa flave to A-
murat the third fubduing it, perpetrated all manner of hoftile cruelty: till thirty Years
after by that incomparable Prince Emyr-hamze-myrta ( elder Brother to Shaw-Abb as) it
was re-gained, re-built, and fortified againft the future infolence of thofe Barbarians.
For 'twixt this City and Ardaveil he gave the Turks a notable defeat: and after that,
Abbas himfelf An. 1619. near the fame place did the like", which for the future has
quieted it under the Perfian Government. Taurls is diftant from Cazhyn feven days eafie
journey; from the Mare Cajpium as many *, from Araz. ( a Gity of good Commerce in
Silks, and through which Araxis ftreams) fix ^ from Derbent eight ^ from Spaham feven-
teen-, from Shyraz. thirty ^ from Ormus fifty 5 from Jerufalem fifty from Aleppo thirty,
and hom Babylon thirty or thereabouts.
Three days journey from hence is Sumachy, which fome pronounce Shamakie, a Town
confifting of four thoufand Houfes or thereabouts*, well peopled and of good refort by
Merchants