A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Of the Turkiſh Phyſicians and Apothecaries; Of my Comrade, Hans Ulrich Krafft of Ulm's, hard Impriſonment. Of the great Danger that I was in, in the two Towns of Aleppo and Tripoli. Of the murdering of ſome Merchants, and what elſe did happen when I was there.
AT my return to Aleppo, where my Buſineſs obliged me to ſtay a while, I came to underſtand, that during my abſence, ſeveral Italians and French-men, were in their Sickneſs but very ſlightly ſerved by the Jews their Phyſicians; wherefore I did not only ſoon recover my former Acquaintance and Practice by them, but might have alſo ſtept into great Buſineſs with the Turks, for I was preſently ſo well known, that I had much to do to excuſe my ſelf with Diſcretion to get off of them, that I might eſcape their Anger and Diſpleaſure, which I muſt have got, if I had ſerved them never ſo faithfully, which I knew ſeveral had before me found by experience. Wherefore at the inſtance of ſeveral good Friends, I only cured two great Perſons, whereof one was a Georgian, and at that time Sangiack of Jeruſalem, which were very well pleaſed with me, and requited me accordingly. The Phyſicians generally in theſe Parts, agree before hand for the Cure with their Patients, for a certainty, according to the Condition of the Patient, and his Diſtemper, and have ſecurity for their Money, but yet it is not paid to them, before the Patient is cured. They have a great many Phyſicians, but they are very unskilful, chiefly the Turks which know none but their own Language, and ſo cannot read the Authors of Phyſick that have writ in another Language, as the Jews can. But ſeeing that the Jews are very much addicted to Covetouſneſs, they endeavour rather to promote their own Intereſt, than that of their Patients; ſo that the Turks are but ſlightly provided with Phyſicians, and therefore rather die like Flies, than take adviſe of their Phyſicians, chiefly of the Jews, which are not contented with a ſmall Reward; to this add alſo that the Turks never put any Confidence in the Jews, and eſteem their Counſel but little; and beſides, they believe that God hath already pre-ordained every one his Death, ſo that he that is born to be drowned cannot be hanged. And beſides all this, the Jews do not ſtick cloſe to them in time of neceſſity, but fly preſently, and firſt of all in time of Sickneſs (which certainly happens once in Seven Years, if not in Five or ſooner) juſt like Hirelings, as they have ſufficiently experienced in the laſt Plague in the Year 72, with the loſs of ſeveral Perſons of Worth and Quality; chiefly among the reſt a Turkiſh Pay-Maſter, by them called Daftedar, and another Eminent Turk, and their own Sons, which both of them (although this proferr'd to lay 3000 Duckets, and the other 10000, into the Hands of a third Perſon) yet were neglected and leſt by their Phyſicians and died. It is very much in uſe among them, that if any body doth find himſelf not well, another puts his Arms croſs before him, and ſo graſpeth him about his Back, and lifteth him up, and ſets him down again, and ſhaketh him ſeveral times, juſt as they uſe to do Sacks with Corn, to make them lie the cloſer and to hold the more. As the Phyſicians are, ſo are alſo the Apothecaries, where you find nothing of any great Compoſitions, nor purging Electuaries, as Elect. Diacatholicon, Diaphoenicon, &c. (although they have the beſt Ingredients thereof, for we have them all ſent from them) except they be ſent to them from Marſeilles or Venice, &c. If you have occaſion for any Herbs, Roots or Seeds, &c. you muſt go your ſelf, not without great trouble and loſing of time, and find them either in the Fields, or elſe at the Grocers and other Shop-keepers. Among the reſt of the things they had, I ſoon knew the Rob Ribes by its ancient Name and pleaſant ſouriſh Taſte, whereof they make a great quantity in this place, and ſend it further into other Countries, but chiefly to the Turkiſh Emperour; wherefore in the Eaſter Week they had already gathered ſeveral Sacks full of the Stalks of the true Ribes of the Arabians (which are hairy, almoſt two Foot long, and of the thickneſs of an Inch, of a greeniſh colour, and underneath, as alſo Serapio mentioneth, reddiſh,) from the Mount Libanus, and brought it to the Cadi to make Rob of it for him. I ſaw them lie in his Court-yard, and ſeveral of them were given me to taſte, and to take away with me. What Herbs I found at my return elſe, becauſe there are but a few of them, therefore I have put them among the reſt here-above in a peculiar Chapter. I ſaw there ſeveral ſtrange Birds, and among others ſome of a delicate green and blue colour, which were about the bigneſs of our Nut-crackers, by them called Sucuruck, and by others Alſecrach. I alſo found their Alhabari, which are not unlike our Peacocks, and almoſt as big, and could not fly much. Of four-footed Beaſts, I ſaw ſeveveral, and among them ſome Civet-Cats, which were brought thither in Caravans, from remote Parts and the Indies. In the Fundique of the Conſul of the Venetians, I ſaw a very ſharp ſighted one like unto a Lynx, exactly of the ſhape of a Cat, ſo that it was not eaſily diſtinguiſhed from it, ſave only in its bigneſs (for it is much higher and ſlimmer). This is a very wild and fierce Beaſts, ſo that his Keeper himſelf was afraid of it. It once got looſe, and got through the Yard below into an Apothecaries Shop, wherein he had juſt then put a great many Glaſſes that were ſent him from Venice, whereof it broke the greateſt part before it could be taken again. When I was there, a young Rhinoceros was carried through the Town to Conſtantinople. It came from the moſt Eaſtern Parts, and had killed above 20 Men before they could take it. They alſo lead daily ſome Lions about the Town in ſmall Chains, which have ſmall Bells before, that every body may take the ſooner Notice of them; they are ſo tame, that their Keepers ſometimes wraſtle with them in open Places, neither do they eaſily grow wild, except they ſhould ſee Sheep, then their Keepers have enough to do to keep them off, and to appeaſe them. Without in the Fields in high and buſhy Places, are ſometimes found Chamelions, which are ſomewhat bigger than our green Lizards, but a great deal leaner and higher upon their Legs; they walk very ſlowly and lazily, they live a great while without Meat like the Serpents, and are a very ugly Creature. If we put it upon a coloured red, yellow, or black Cloth, it hath by degrees changed its natural green Colour into the ſame that the Cloth was of.
Having ended my Buſineſs I had, and in the mean time received a Letter from my Comrades that were at Tripoli, I parted from thence according to their deſire, and came on the 5th. of May, Anno 75, to them in Tripoli. After ſome Days arrived alſo with ſome Goods, one of their chiefeſt Carriers, which they call Mokeri, which ſwore to me by his Head, that is, he affirmed upon his Faith and Reputation, that the Sub-Baſhaw of Aleppo, when he was departing from thence, had ſent his Bailiffs to my Lodgings to apprehend me, and to fling me into the publick Turkiſh Gaol, becauſe they were very well aſſured, that when I was on the Hills (where they had ſeen me look for Plants) I had obſerved the Situation of the Town, and all the Country very diligently, that I might, when I ſhould have an opportunity, betray them to their Enemies, and ſhew them the beſt way to take it. But all this was contrived that they might have an opportunity to take an Avaria on me, as the Merchants call it there in theſe Countries, that is to ſay, they would accuſe me falſly to make me puniſhable, that they might get a ſum of Money out of me. And the Carrier alſo really believed, for as much as he heard of them, that they would not have let me come off for leſs than 200 Saraffi or Duckets, one whereof maketh two of their Gilders. Thanks be to our Lord God, who hath delivered me from their unjuſt Accuſations and Contrivances, and brought me ſafe to this place. At my arrival at Tripoli, when I expected to live ſecurely and quietly, and thought that I was paſſed all danger, I fell notwithſtanding all this into another; for when my Comrades, and with them alſo Hans Ʋlrich Krafft (yet without any tranſgreſſion) were flung into the Turkiſh Gaol, by the Contrivances of ſome Turks, the ſame Rogues had alſo a mind to contrive ſomething againſt me, to bring me in alſo. But the French Vice-Conſul, Andrew Bianchi, who was my very good Patron, took my Part, in ſo much that he did recover my Liberty by the Turks, in ſpite of my Accuſers and not only got me Licence to walk freely without moleſtation in and about the City where-ever I pleaſed, but did alſo procure me a free and ſafe Acceſs to my Comrades, to ſee them in Priſon as often as I pleaſed. Into the Priſon wherein they were kept, I muſt always go through three ſmall and low Doors, which the Keepers did always very freely and without any grumbling open unto me, to go in or out, and ſometimes I have ſtaid there all Night with them. I was always in very great hopes that God Almighty would have ordered it ſo, that their Adverſaries might have agreed with them, ſo that I and my dear Friend whom I loved as my own Brother, Hans Ʋlrich Krafft, might have been returned home again with Joy. But it pleaſed God to order it other ways, for the Differences grew the longer the more difficult, and were ſo long produced, that this Young Gentleman, particularly Hans Ʋlrich, was kept there in this hard Impriſonment very near three Years. To tell all that he ſuffered and endured there, would be too long here; only this I cannot omit to tell you, that he did endure and conquer all theſe Troubles and Adverſities (as I did ſee my ſelf) with ſuch a Courage, Patience and good Conduct, that notwithſtanding all theſe (although he was almoſt left quite Comfortleſs) he was rather fit to comfort others than to be comforted. When I went thus in and out to them, I obſerved very well that the Turks have very great Compaſſion on poor diſtreſſed Priſoners, and are very free to give them Alms, and a Man uſed to come in daily with Bread or boiled Meat, as Rice, and other ſorts of boiled Corn, chiefly on Feaſt-Days after the Afternoons Lecture was over, and when he diſtributed them, he did alſo always as he went by, fling in for each of them a little Loaf (very like unto them they Bake in Lent in our Country) into their Apartment before them upon the Ground, wherewith they muſt make ſhift, except they could live of their own means, or get ſomething by their Hand-labour (whereof there was a good many that did) to maintain themſelves. Theſe Alms the Turks give rather freely, without being ask'd for it, for they believe that God is better pleaſed with that which they give freely, than that which is begged of them. Wherefore they have very few or no Beggars in their Towns, which beg Alms as they do in our Country. During my ſtay at Tripoli, I did at the requeſt of the Conſul, live in his Fundique, who entertained me very honourably, that I might give Attendance, and if any of the Merchants or Sea-men, ſhould happen to be ſick, I might uſe my beſt endeavour to cure them. So I did in the ſpace of three Months, cure, only in our Fundique, above Forty Men of all ſorts of Diſtempers, viz. malignant Fevers, violent Gripings of the Guts, &c. which generally befell them that were lately arrived, and were not yet acquainted with the Air and Diet of the Country. There happened in theſe Days, a miſerable cruel Caſe, that ſome (among whom were Five Italians and One French-man) did arrive at Tripoli, which made themſelves ſoon ready to go from thence further to Aleppo, with their Merchandices to ſell there. Upon the Road they left their Caravan too far behind them, and met with ſome Horſe-men, which ſpoke to them, and deſired them that they would halt at the Command of their Maſter the Sub-Baſhaw, and diſmount, and go into the next Camp (which I found very deſolate and ruined when I went by formerly) to ſtay there until he came to them, which would not be long, for he had ſomething to ſay to them; the Merchants obeyed them readily, fearing that if they ſhould not, they would be puniſhed ſeverely by the Sub-Baſhaw for their Diſobedience. After they were gone into the Camp, the Murderers immediately fell upon them, Shooting and Striking at them, until they killed them all at laſt, then they buried them in the Ground, mounted their Horſes and rode away. After theſe Murderers thought they were very ſecure, one of theſe Rogues (which were ſaid to be Arabians) met one of the Mockeri or Carriers of the ſame Caravan, he knew the Horſe immediately, and perceiving it to be bloody, his Heart gave him that it was not right, wherefore he made haſte up to him, and thruſt his bended Bagonet into his ſide, and took him Priſoner, and carried him to Aleppo, where he was (as I did hear afterwards) having confeſſed the Fact when he was upon the Torture, executed for it. They did alſo ſeek for the reſt, but did apprehend none of them in the time of my ſtaying. The Sultan elſe taketh great Care to keep the Roads ſafe and free from High-way Men, that Trading may go on without hinderance. Yet ſometimes there are ſome of the great ones, and Men of Note, that put others upon it for gain's ſake, ſo that one muſt be very careful in theſe Countries. It is not long ago when we had News, that not far off the Chriſtians had taken ſome Ships from the Turks, and carried them off, and alſo formerly in the beginning of July of the laſt Year, they loſt ſome more, and as I am informed, among them were Four great ones, Three Fliboats, and Two other, that were taken by Six Gallies of the Chriſtians, which made the Turks mightily diſcontented; wherefore the Emperour ſends out many Gallies into ſeveral places, chiefly to Rhodes, to croſs the Seas up and down to keep them clear from Pirates, and to hinder them from making Incurſions or Deſcents upon him. Theſe come ſometimes into this Port, but our Merchants and the Maſters of our Ships do not care for their arrival, for they are forced to preſent them with Cloths, Woollen Cloaths, Money, &c. if they will remain in Favour with them.