A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Which way we travelled from Ana further to Old Babylon, by ſome ancient Towns called Hadidt, Juppe, Idt, and ſaw more pleaſant, fruitful and well cultivated Fields on each ſide than before.
AFter the deſigned Storm, that ſhould have befallen me was over, and I by the Power of the Almighty God delivered, as it hath pleaſed him to do with a great many more, (which would be too long to relate all here) we immediately departed from thence on the 15th. of October. A little below it we found a fruitful and well cultivated Country; and ſome fine Houſes ſtanding here and there, ſo near together, that before we paſſed one, we could ſee another, which had alſo their Orchards and Kitchin-Gardens, and round about them fine Woods of Date-Trees, and many others, which I could not diſcern becauſe it was too far off; ſo that we found a great Alteration, and our Wilderneſs (wherein, chiefly at a Diſtance from the River, we hardly ſaw a Tree in a whole day) changed at the lower end of the Town into a fertile Soil: Wherefore our Voyage was very pleaſant to us, for we had alſo leſs danger to fear from the Arabians. But our Maſter was very much troubled, becauſe the River was often ſtop'd up at the Sides with great Stones that made the River ſwell, for there was a great Number of large and high Water-Engines or Wheels, therefore theſe Stones were laid to lead the Stream to them, to make them work, for it often happen'd that Two of them ſtood cloſe together, which took up ſo much of the River, that we had hardly room to paſs by them in the middle of the Stream, wherefore he was forced to have great Care, to find the right way where he might paſs without Danger. The Reaſon why theſe Water-Wheels are ſo much in Uſe is, becauſe this River doth not overflow (as the River Nilus) to water the Grounds, neither doth it rain enough here ſufficiently to moiſten the Seeds and Garden-Plants, that they be not burnt by the great Heat of the Sun, wherefore they muſt look out for ſuch Means, as will ſupply this Want. To do this they erect Water-Wheels (whereof Three or Four ſtand behind one another) in the River, which go Night and Day, and dip up Water out of the River, which is emptied into peculiar Chanals, that are prepared on purpoſe, to water all the Ground. But if the Places lie not conveniently, or the Shore be too high to erect ſuch Wheels, they make inſtead of them Bridges and peculiar Engines, that are turned by a Couple of Bullocks, to bring the Water up, with great Leathern Buckets, which are wide at Top and narrow at Bottom. This Land being ſo fruitful, we ſoon found, to our great Pleaſure, great Quantities of delicate Fruit, ſold for a ſmall Matter of Money, and among the reſt chiefly Indian Musk-Melons, that were very well taſted.
When we came further we had generally even ground at both Sides, and not a few Fields, the moſt Part whereof, were ſown with Indian-Millet, for they ſow more of this than of Wheat or Barley, for the Sand is pretty deep, wherein the Corn would not grow ſo well. This Millet was juſt fit to be cut down, and in ſome Places they had it in already. It ſhoots up into a high Stalk about Six, Seven, or Eight Cubits high, the Leaves thereof are like unto the Indian-Corn, or Sugar-Reeds, which I took it for at Firſt, and that becauſe the Inhabitants did chaw it as well as the Sugar-Canes, becauſe of the ſweet and pleaſant Juice (which is more in the upper Part of the Cane, whereas that of the Sugar-Canes is more in the lower) which they draw out of it, untill I ſaw at length their white hairy Tops ſprout out, which are large and not unlike to the Italian-Millet. Theſe are full of whitiſh Grains, each of which ſticks between Two broad flying Leaves, of the Bigneſs of thoſe of the Orabus, yet ſomewhat more compreſſed at the Sides. Hereof they bake very well-taſted Bread and Cakes, and ſome of them are rowled very thin, and laid together like unto a Letter, ſo that they are about Four Inches broad, Six long, and Two thick; they are of an Aſhen Colour. The Inhabitants call it ſtill at this Day by its ancient Arabian Name Dora, whereof Rhaſes maketh mention, he that will may read more of it in Authors.
Our Voyage went on very well, wherefore the Merchants began ſeveral Paſtimes, ſome did play at a Play called the Eighteenth, and others played at Cheſs, in which Two Games they were very well verſed; others ſpent their time in Reading and Singing. Among the reſt there was a Merchant from Balſara, that ſung out of his Alcoran (which was put into Rhymes in the common Arabick) ſeveral times with a loud and delicate Voice; ſo that I took great Delight in hearing him. Yet they were not ſo hot in their Gaming or Jeſting, that they ſhould therefore forget the Hour of their Prayers, chiefly their Divines that were in Orders, which uſed to call them out with a loud Voice, at the uſual Hour, either in the Ship, or without in the Deſarts, if they could have convenient Time and Opportunity. But among the Perſians I found a greater Zeal and Earneſtneſs, than among the Turks or Moors, all which Nation have notwithſtanding the ſame Ceremonies in their Prayers. For as they have chiefly Five Hours of Praying, whereof Three are in the Day-time; viz. the Firſt about Noon, the Second about Three, and the Third when the Sun begins to ſet, the two others in the Night, one in the Morning an Hour and half before the Sun riſeth, and the Second after Sun ſet when the Firmament begins to look white and the Stars to appear: So the Perſians would not be hindered, by the Darkneſs of the Night, Danger of the Place, Inconveniency of the Time, to go out, when the others were aſleep, on the Ground in the Iſland where we were landed, and ſay their Prayers with ſuch an Earneſtneſs and Devotion, as I have often ſeen it, that the Tears run out of their Eyes: I muſt alſo needs ſay that they keep cloſer and ſtricter to their Laws than almoſt any other Nation, which forbid them to drink Wine, and command them to live in Poverty, and to watch and pray continually.
The Eighteenth Day of October we came early to Hadidt, a pretty large, yet anciently built Town, belonging to the King of Arabia, which is alſo divided into two Towns by the River Euphrates, like unto Ana, whereof the greater part lieth on this Side of the River. Here the Maſter payed for his Ship two Sayet, (one whereof is about Three-Pence in our Country) to the Cuſtomers, and ſo ſet Sail again, to try whether he could reach that Night to Juppe: And he did oftner than ever before, ſpeak to his Men to pull on (chiefly where the River in its Breadth and Depth was almoſt like unto the Sea) ſo that at Night pretty late we arrived at Juppe, a pleaſant and well built Town belonging to the Turks, and it is alſo divided into two Parts, whereof one lieth in the middle of the River on a high Ground, at the Top whereof is a Fortreſs, ſo the Town is pretty well defended: The other (which is rather bigger) lieth on the leſt in Meſopotamia, wherein are many fine Orchards belonging to the Houſes, full of high Date-Trees, &c. wherefore the Merchants ſpent half a Day there to buy Dates, Almonds, and Figs to carry with them into the Inns; the ſame they did at Idt another great Town of the Turks, on the Right-hand of the Euphrates ſituate on a high Ground, where we arrived on the 20th of October at Night in very good Time, and gave them inſtead thereof Soap-balls, Knives, and Paper, &c. After which goods they have often enquired of us; and we have given them ſometimes ſome Sheets of white Paper, which they received with great Joy, and returned us many thanks for them.
After our Merchants had ſufficiently ſtored themſelves with theſe Goods, and our Maſter had pay'd the Duty for his two Ships, he put off about Noon on the 21ſt of October and went away. About the Evening we ſaw at this Side of the River a Mill, and alſo the next Day another, whereby were ſeveral old Walls Doors and Arches, &c. Whereby I conjecture that formerly there ſtood a Town. Theſe two Mills (as I was informed were two Powder-Mills that make Gun-powder for the Turkiſh Emperour, and ſend it to him in Caravans, together with other Merchandizes through the Dominions of the King of Arabia, wherefore he muſt as well as other Merchants, pay Duty (for that Liberty) and Toll or Cuſtom. The Gun-powder is not made from Salt-Peter, as ours is, but out of another Juice, which they take from a Tree that is reckon'd to be a kind of Willow; known to the Perſians by the Name of Fer, and to the Arabians by Garb, as I have mentioned above. Beſides this they take the ſmall Twigs of theſe Trees together with the Leaves, and burn them to Powder, which they put into Water to ſeparate the Salt from it, and ſo make Gun-powder thereof, yet this is nothing near ſo ſtrong as ours. Pliny chiefly teſtifieth this in his 31ſt Book and 10th Chapter, where he ſaith that in former Days they have made Niter of Oak-Trees, (which certainly he hath taken theſe to be, for they are pretty like Oaks) but that it hath been given over long before now. Which is very probable, chiefly becauſe the Conſumption thereof was not ſo great, before they found out Guns, as it is now ſince they have been found out.
Further on the Water-ſide, on the high Banks, I ſaw an innumerable many Coloquints grow and hang down, which at a diſtance I could not well know, until they called them by their ancient Arabick Name Handbel, whereby they ſtill to this Day are known to the Inhabitants. After we had navigated a great way ſeveral Days one after another, through even Grounds, and in a good Road, we arrived at length on the 24th. Day of October, at Night, near to Felugo or Elugo, a little Village called ſo, and with it the whole Province.