'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎34] (67/1024)

‘The Persian Travels Book!.
Inhabitants. Befides, there hardly paffes a Year but the City is infefted withtta
Plague, which however is notio violent as in Chriftendom. The Turks neither fear
it nor die it, believing altogether in Predeftination. Yet I believe, if the Inha
bitants of Smyrna would take care to drain away the Banding Puddles that gather
in the Winter about the City, they <jrould not be fo frequently molefted with the
Plague as they are. It is moft rife in May-, Junr, and July 3 but the malignant
Fevers that iucceed it in September and Ottober are more to be fear’d, more People
dying of them than of the Peftilence. In all my Travels I never was in Smyrna at
thcfe unfortunate Seafons. There is no Bajha in that City } it being govern d only
by a Cady, who is not. fo ievere to the Chriftians as in other places: For fhould he
abufe his Office, Conftantinople is at hand, where you may complain to the Mifti,
and have relief; who for fome good Prefent may be eafily perfwaded to depole the
Cady, as being glad of the opportunity to difplace him, and to put another in
his room. . • ;
TheCuftoms of Smyrna yield a^rcat Revenue to the Grand being paid
there very exa&ly. But were there a certain Rate put upon Commodities, the Mer
chants, who Would otherwife be lolers, would not ftudy fo many ways as they do to
deceive the Cuftomers: For thofe Cuftomers lay what Price they pleafe upon Com<
modities, valuing that at a thoufand Crowns, which perhaps is not worth three hun-
dred, being abfolute Mafters of the Rate. In my laft Voyage to Smyrna, four Butch
Women that went thither in our Ship from their own Country, carry’d a-fhoar under
their Coats whatever I had of rich Merchandize: for the Turks have fuch a refpeft
for that Sex, that they will not fomuch as offer to fearch them. If a man be tak’n
in ftealing Cuftoms, thefe is no other punilhment than to pay double.
The Trade of Smyrna is very great, and the principal Merchandizes which the
Tranks tranfport from thence, are raw Silk, which the Armenians bring out of
Terfia •, Chamlet-yarn, and Chamlct or Goats-hair, which come from a little City
call'd Angonri, fifteen or fixteen days journey from Smyrna, Cotton twilled; Skins
and Cordovans of leveral colours ; Calicuts, white and blew *, great quantities of
Wool for Mattrefies, Tap’ftries, quilted Coverlets, Soap, Rhubarb, Galls, Va-
lanede, Scammony, and Opium-, which four laft Commodities are to be had in
the Countries near to Smyrna, but not in great quantities. The Caravans come
generally to this Town in the Months of February, June, and Otfober ; and depart
again to the Countries from whence they came the fame Months.
Ephefus not being above a day and a halfs journey from Smyrna, on Horfe-back-
I took an opportunity to go thither. There were twelve of us that joyn’d together,
Franks Hollanders, who took three along with us, and three Horfes
to carry our Provifion.
We travel’d this little Journey in the Summer, and fetting out of Smyrna about
three of the Clock in the Afternoon, we rode through a Country part Plains, and
part Hills, till we came to a great Village, where we fup’d.
After we had ftaid there three hours, we took Horfe and travel’d till Midnight,
to avoid the Heats: By the way we met with nine or ten Arches, very narrow^
which we could not conjedlure to be any thing elfe than the Ruines of fomcAque-
dua. From thence to Fphefus the way is very pleafant, through little Thickets
watred with Rivulets.
A quarter of a League from Fphefas you meet with another CMofquee, which was
formerly a Chriftian Church, built out of the Ruines of the Temple of Fpheftu.
1 his Mefcjuee ftands enclos’d with Walls,and you muft afeend up to it by two Afcenti
of twelve Steps a-piece, which bring you to a'large Paffage. From thence you enter
into a large Cloyfter, the Arches whereof are fufta'in’d with Marble Pillars of feveral
colours, delicately wrought ^ and the lower part of the Gallery, which runs along
three of the fides, that confifts of great Squares of Stone. The Mfquee takes up the
fourth fide upon the left hand, the Gate being in the middle. The Mofquee itfelf
is a wide Arch, fupported by five Columns, all of moft exquifite Work. There
are four of Marble, and every one of a different Colour; but the fifth is a mod:
rare piece, being of Porphyry, aed the bignefs of it makes it fo much the more to
be admir’d.
Ephefus does not look like a City, being fo abfolutely ruin’d, that there is not
* Houfe Handing, It was built upon the defeent of a Hill, in a fituation not much
unlike