'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.' [‎95] (644/1024)

The Publijher mto the Reader.
H E enfuing Narration Was put into my hands Five or Six
Years ago, by a very Intelligent Worthy Perfon who long
raided in the feme Family with our Author, and did allure
me, that the Difcourle here publiflied, was written with
his own hand, and prelented unto that Honourable Perfon
who redeemed him out of Captivity. The Gentleman
wn° bellowed rhele Papers upon me, will notberefpon-
fible for the Truth of all therein contained ; but I having
compared his Account of feveral Countries with that of
Charm and other more Ancient and Modern Writers, have found them very Con-
fonant unto each other, and therefore do charitably belive him no lefs Faithful in
his Defcnption of thofe Countries and People concerning whom little hath been
faid by any belides. By reafon of his long abfence from his Native Country, and
dif-ufe of his Mother-Tongue, his ftyle was fo rough, odd, and unpleafant, that I was
forced to make therein great Alterations both as to Method and Expreffion, yet
keeping ftriftly unto his ienfe: I have alfo much abbreviated his Difcourle, many
things being often repeated, and he having fluffed it with divers impertinencies
which would have been void of all Mruflion and Delight. He would never own
his true Name or Pedigree, for Reafons mentioned in his Paper, which I thought al
together unneceflary to be rehearfed 5 that of Afiracan, wherewith he concludes his
N AR RA T IV E, being fiaitious, and I fuppofe affumed, becaufe of his long
Reudence m a City of that name, from which he made moft of his Excurfions
And which with the Adjacent Country he hath above all others moft particularly de-
icnbed, giving us the names of feveral Neighbouring Places and Rivers mentioned
by noother Writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. . I was highly pleafed with the Account he gives us of Czartfr-
gorod^ which he ailo fbmetimes calls Seraicban and Serakbena $ the former of which is
the Mufcovitijb , the latter the Tartarian Appellation^, and inrepretcd 3 both fignifie the
Habitation of the Emperour ovCbamjt being formerly the Metropolis of a great Empire.
As alio with his mention of a place on the Weft fide of the Volga, where he fayes
Aflracan was formerly fituated. Concerning both which Cities, I fhall declare di
vers things I have Collected out of feveral European and Arabian Writers, which ei
ther ate not commonly known, or little regarded. But l muft neceflarly premife
lomewhat concerning the Antient Znhabitants of the Country wherein thefe Cities
areiuuated.
. The firft Nation (of whom I find any mention ) who made any fix'd habitation
M r he e Qd artcrs Were the Cbazari, fo named by the Latines and Greekf, but by the
ahmetansy Alcbozar^ and Gorjani. This Nation during the Reign of the Emperoui:
like a Torrent Overflowed all that Vaft Continent which lies between China
and the Borijibenes, Conquered part of India, all Bactria, Sogdiana, and made the
^ ri etitary 3 by whom they are always called Turkj, and their Prince 3 Chacan, a
t itie formerly common unto ail great Turkifh Emperours. This Mighty Monarch
JWing conquered the Igors or Jugurs, Avans, Cbmi or Huns, Ahtelites or White
and all other Tribes of Turly and Tartars, together with the Alani ( whofe Do-
mnliNT tended, as appears by Marcellinus, from the Boriftbenes far beyond the
moit ^Jorth-Eaft part of the Cajpian ) entred into a League with Jujline,and ftyles
. 1 e ^ ln . his Letters, Lord of the Seven Climates of tbe World. His Adis may be read
arge in TbeophiUCIus Shnocatta ; Excerptis de Legationibus : and divers others of the
famine Hiftonans. This Nation A killed the Emperour Heraclm in his Wars
againfl