A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Cunning and deceitful Stratagems of the Grand Turk againſt the Inhabitants of Mount Libanus the Truſci, and Maronites: And how he made War with them, and what Damage they ſuſtained by it.
HAving here before made mention of the Maronites and Truſci their Neighbours and Allies, I cannot but muſt alſo go further, and briefly relate, how the Turk did make War againſt them (as to whom they are not yet quite ſubjected) during the time of my ſtaying in theſe Countries. But from whence this War did firſt ariſe, and had its beginning, I was thus informed, that it broke out about one of their Governours, which lived then for a little time at Damaſcus. For when the Grand Signior did obſerve that theſe People did daily grow in Number and Strength, he conſidered, that if he ſhould let them go on ſo, and neglect to curb them in time, they might probably after a while grow too Potent for him; wherefore he thought it requiſite, to ſtudy and make it his Buſineſs to find out ways and means to ſubdue them and to reduce them under his Power. In order thereunto, he apprehended the Governour that lived then in Damaſcus, and put him into Priſon, and at length took away his Life unjuſtly under pretence as if he had endeavoured to raiſe a Rebellion; not doubting but that when he had removed their Head, he might the eaſier ſubdue and reduce theſe People. But when the Truſci and Maronites underſtood this cruel and abominable Fact, not without Grief and Trouble, they were not only not at all diſcouraged from reſiſting ſo Great and Formidable an Enemy, but rather took new Courage that was promoted by the great Anger this deteſtable Fact put them into, ſo that they united themſelves the firmer, and did unanimouſly reſolve to oppoſe him with all their Might and Power, and to ſtand by their ancient Liberty; and accordingly they began immediately to Arm themſelves, to Fortifie their Villages, and chiefly their Paſſes, and to provide themſelves with Guns, Bows and Arrows, and all other things neceſſary for their Defence, ſo that in caſe of Neceſſity they might be ready to reſiſt their Enemies, being ſuch a kind, that kept neither Faith nor Promiſes, which they had often experienced to their great Grief and Loſſes. So that in all probability it was like to be a War, which alſo broke out with great Violence within a little time after. But becauſe I went for Bagdet at the ſame time (where in former Years the Potent Caliphi did reſide) I did hear no more of it in all my Journey until at my return, when my Comrade Hans Ʋlrich Krafft of Ʋlm, then Priſoner in Tripoli, did relate it to me, ſo as it was reported to him by Credible Hands; who told me that the Truſci are very numerous, that they were divided into ſeveral Regiments, of ſeveral colours, and that thoſe that live in the middle of the high Mountains were the moſt numerous of them all, that they live in a Country that is very well ſecured and ſurrounded, ſo that they need not, nor will not be ſubject either to the Turks or any other Potentate. They are Warlike People, for the generality good Gunners, that make their own Guns and any other ſorts of Arms, &c. they have plenty of Corn, Oyl, Wine, good Meat and good Fruit, ſo that they need not any Aſſiſtance of Strangers. They chiefly deal in Silk, whereof they wind (from Silkworms) about 100 Rotulas in a Year (which is about 450 Hundred weights) to ſend from thence into other Countries. Theſe have their white Colours, and their Confederates that live on the outward Hill toward the Sea, at Baruti near Tripoli, have red ones, and have alſo their Colonel which they call Ermin Mackfur, which alſo thoſe that belong unto the white Colours acknowledge to be theirs, as well as their own (which was lately murdered.) This becauſe he could not entrench himſelf as well as the other Truſci on the Hill, agreed with the Great Sultan, and made Peace, upon this account, that if he would let him live peaceably and quietly, he would help him to Protect the Country, and pay unto him yearly the accuſtomed Tribute, but if the Grand Signior would not be pleaſed with this proferr, he would join the reſt and aſſiſt them. The Emperour accepted of this, and did not only make this Ermin Mackfur Lord of all Baruti and Seide, called Sidon, but did alſo procure him a great and plentifull Yearly Revenue out of theſe Countries; thinking thus to oblige him, to help him with his Truſci to ſubdue the others, not doubting but that he might eaſily overcome theſe, when once the others on the Mountains were killed. But they would not get up the Hill, but did proferr to the Turks, that if their Men and the Moors would go up, they would be ready in the Valley about Baruti, to cut off all that ſhould fall into their hands. This Anſwer they gave to the Sultan, only for Faſhion's ſake, for no Truſcus killeth the other. When the Sultan ſaw that they would not bite one another, and that he was not like to obtain any great matter from the Colonel, he did notwithſtanding ſend up the Baſhaw, of Damaſcus with Six other Baſhaws and Seventeen Sangiacks about Two Hundred Thouſand ſtrong, both Foot and Horſe well Armed, to ſubdue the before-mentioned Truſci which were about Sixty Thouſand ſtrong, to burn, demoliſh and deſtroy their Towns, Villages, Houſes and Plantations. After they were come up to the Aſcent Two Days Journey from Damaſcus, they found the Roads ſo ſteep that no body could paſs them on Horſeback, for there was nothing to be ſeen but rough and ſharp-pointed Rocks. So they agreed to diſmount, and to go up to them on Foot, and ſo they took preſently Six or Seven Villages (whereof there is ſaid to be Twenty Seven in all) but they found nothing in them but ſome Women and Children and very few Men (the reſt were got upon the Hills where they had intrenched themſelves) which were all cut in pieces, and the Villages burnt.
The Turks and Moors thought themſelves obliged, according to their Emperours Command, to go on further, ſo they endeavoured and got up higher, but could not do any more harm to the Truſci, being hindered by the bad ways: But on the contrary the Truſci met them ſometimes and poured their Shot upon them from all Sides, before they were aware of it, ſo that they were but in an ill Condition. Then when the Turks would purſue theſe Men, they were too quick for them, as being born and bred in theſe Mountains; ſo they did only laugh at them, and bid them kiſs their Breeches: So the Turks (partly for want of Proviſion, partly being tired by the ſteep Roads) were ſometimes forced, not without great damage and loſs of their Men, to retire again to take better Meaſures. Sometimes alſo the Truſci would ſtand between the Rocks covered and when they found any of their Enemies appear, chiefly thoſe that endeavoured to climb up the Rocks, they would all of a ſudden ſhoot among them as among a Flock of Pigeons, ſo that many of them did precipitate themſelves and broke their Necks. They would alſo ſometimes decoy the Turks into a good Road and after Eight or Ten Thouſand of them were paſſed, they would with Six Thouſand Truſci fall in the Rear of them, to drive them up higher, where others ſoon did appear that came down upon them: ſo they ſurrounded them ſometimes, and received them ſo warmly, that but very few of them came back again to tell what was become of the reſt. After this War had continued for about two Months, the Baſhaw at laſt was forced to make a ſhameful Retreat with the Remainder of his Forces, and that ſo much the ſooner becauſe the Winter began to approach, ſo that it was impoſſible to endure the Froſt and Snow, which occaſioned many to die, and the chiefeſt of them came home ſick.
The Truſci pretend to be Chriſtians, and the Poſterity of thoſe that ſome Years ago by Might and Strength recovered the Holy Land; ſo that ſtill to this Day, they have a great Affection for Chriſtians, which thoſe that travel among them to buy Silks can teſtifie, whom they treat and entertain very civilly with good Meat and good Wine, yet refuſe to take any Money for it: And ſay, That what God hath given them they are bound to diſtribute among us Chriſtians. But they hate Mahometans and Jews, and keep very good Intelligence with the Chriſtians of this Country. Yet they themſelves are neither Chriſtians, Turks, Moors nor Jews: For they do not go to Maſs, nor any other publick Worſhip of God: They cry out ſometimes to Heaven that God would be pleaſed to protect them. They alſo believe, according to the Opinion of Pythagoras, that the Souls of the deceaſed according to their Merits, tranſmigrate from one Body into another; That the Soul of a pious Man goeth into a new-born Child, and that of an ill Man into the Body of a Dog or other wild Beaſt; chiefly if he hath lived very ill. As they believe ſo they live alſo. Among them they marry to their neareſt Relations, the Brother to his Siſter, the Son to his Mother, the Father to the Daughter, and they lie all together at Night, but they will not marry into a ſtrange Family. The Father or the Mother ſays, Seeing that God hath given me this Child as a Seed unto me, why ſhould I throw it away upon a Stranger? or elſe, I have a Garden, and God giveth me Flowers in it, is it not reaſonable, that I ſhould enjoy them rather than a Stranger? &c. they make uſe of a great many of theſe and the like Expreſſions. They alſo keep a Yearly Feaſt with their Wives which then they change one with the other as they pleaſe. Elſe they are not given to ſtealing, killing, or any ſuch like Crimes (becauſe they want for nothing) but if any be taken that hath thus tranſgreſſed he is executed immediately. So they live in Peace together, and care not for any other Monarch.
The End of the Second Part.