'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.' [‎58] (95/1024)

$8
The Persian ‘Travels
The Edifices, neither publick nor private, are very Eandforn, but only with
fide} the Walls are or Marble of feveral colours, and the Cieling of Foli^'
Fret-work, with Inscriptions in Golden Letters. Without and within the
there are fix and twenty Atcfquees y fix or (even whereof are very mapnsfi'
with {lately Dhowo's, three being cover’d with Lead. The chideft anti la
of all, was a Chnftian Church which they call’d Alhha^ cr Ltftcn'd unto : which'
thought to have been built by St. Helen. In one partot the Suburbs alfo {Wirf
another Mofqnee , which was formerly a Chriftian Church} in that there is S
thing worthy obfervation. In the Wall upon the right fide of the Gate there*
a Stone to be feen two or three Foot fquare, wherein there is the figure of a hand
fora Chalice* and a Sacrifice over the hollow of it, with aCrefcent that covers th
Sacrifice, the two Horns whereof defeend juft upon the brims of the mouth of th
Chalice. One would think stfirft that thofe Figures Were in Mofmc Work: but
it is all Natural, as I have found with feveral other Franks having ferap’d the Stone
with an Iron Inftrument, when the Turk* were out of the way. Several Confuls
would have bought it, and there has been offer’d for it 2000 Crowns} but the
BajhaT of Aleppo would never iuffer it to be fold. Half a League from the City
lyes a pleafant FI ill, where the Franks are won t to take the Air. On the fide of
that Hill is to be feen a Cave or Gmto, where the Turks report that liv’d for
lome few days; and for that there is an ilJ-fhap’d figure of a Hand imprinted in
the Rock, they farther believe it to be the Hand of Haly.
There are three Colledges in Aleppo y but very few Scholars, though there be
Men of Learning that belong to them, who have Salaries to teach Grammar, and
their odd kind of Philofophy, with the Grounds of their Religion, which are the
Principal Sciences to which the Turks apply thcmfelves.
The Streets of the City are ail pav’d, except the Bazar's, where the Merchants
and Handicraft-Tradefmen keep their Shops. The chiefeft Aitifts, and the moft
numerous are Silk and Camlet-Weavers.
h\ the City and Suburbs there arc about forty Inns*, and fifty publick Baths as
well for Women as for Men, keeping their turns. ’Tis the chiefeft Paftimefte
Women have to go to the Baths; and they will fpareail the Week long to carry
a Collation, when they go at the Weeks end to make merry among themldvres m
thofe places of privacy. . .
The Suburbs of the City are large and well peopl’d, for almoft aD the Chriftbss
have their Houfes and Churches there. Of which Chriftians there are four forts in
Ahppo ^ I mean of Eaftern Chriftians, that is to today, Greeks, Armenians, Jacobin
or Syrians, and Marcnites. The Greeks have an Archbifhop there, and arc about
fifteen orfaxteen thoufandin number; their Church is dedicated toSu George. The
Armenians have a Bifhop, whom they call Kertabet *, and are abou* twelve thou*
fand in number; their Church is dedicated to the Virgin. The Jacobites being
about ten thoufand, have a Biftiop alfo • and their Church is likewife dedicated to tic
Virgin, as is that of the Armenians. The JITaronites upon the Pope, not being
above twelve hundred ; their Church being confecrated to St. £/z^. The Romani
tholicks have three Churches, ferv’d by the Capuchins, Carmelites, and Jefuits. They
reckon that in the Suburbs and City of Aleppo there are about 250000 Souls.
There is avaft Trade at Aleppo for Silks and Camlets, but chiefly for Gall-Nuts,
and iF r danede, which is a fort of Acorn-fhell without which the Curriers cannot
drefs their Leather. They have alfo a great Trade for Soap, and for feveral other
Commodities ; the Merchants repairing thither from all parts of the World. For
not to fpeak of the Turks, Arabians, Per flans, Indians, there are feveral Engftfh, hfr
Hans, French, and Hollanders, every Nation having their Conful to carry on their In-
terefts, and maintain their Priviledges.
Nor does this place happ’n to be fo great a Mart, through the convenience of the
two Rivers of Tigris and Euphrates, as fome have writt’n; by which they fay foch
vaft quantities of Commodities are tranfported and imported out and into the City.
For had that been, I (hould never havecrofs’d the Defert, coming from Bagdat to
Aleppo ; nor at another time, going from Aleppo to ‘Balfara, And as for Euphrates,
certain it is, that the great number of Milk built upon it, to bring the Water to the
neighbouring Grounds* have not only render'd it unnavigabk, hut mdc it very
dangerous. ; .