Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuriesBarbaro, Giosofat
History
Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuries
Barbaro, Giosofat
Iran -- Description and travel; Voyages and travels
This towne is in the Lesse Arminie,[56] stretching towards the mountaigne
TAURUS, called in their tonge Corthestan. I aboade awhile in this place,
and afterwardes took my ioʳney towards Persia. And notwᵗʰstanding that
there was an other waie, yet went I by the sea costes, and the first day
wᵗʰout longe ioʳney, passeng fooʳthe of Caramanos domynion, I arryved
at a good citie called Tarsus, the lord whereof is named DULGADAR,
brother to SESSUAR. This countrey, though it be in the Greater Armenie,
is nevertheles vnder the souldanes subiection. The citie is iij miles
of compasse, and hath a ryver besides it,[57] whereon standeth a stone
bridge vaulted, by the which they passed out of the towne, and the ryver
doth almost environe the towne. In this citie also is a stronge castell
embatailed on both sides wᵗʰ walles of xv paces high of stone, all
wrought with the ham̄er;[58] before the wᶜʰ is an excellent voide place,
square and plaine, that leadeth to a staier entering to the castell,
and is so longe and large as woll easily conteigne an c[59] men; and
this towne standeth on a litle hill not verie high. A daies ioʳney from
thense is Adena, a verie great towne with a mightie ryver rennyng by
it,[60] over the which is a stone bridge of xlᵗⁱᵉ paces longe, on which
bridge (being in company of certein suffi, as who wolde saie pilgrymes)
we being also clothed after their maner, these suffi beganne to daunce in
spirite, one of them syngeng celestiall things of the ioyes of Macomett,
beginneng meeryly and softely,[61] and aftrewards, by litle and litle,
strayneng the measure faster, according to the tewnes, whereof they that
daunced amended their paces and their leapinges so that divers of them
fell to the grounde and laye as in a traunce, which caused much people
to assemble wondring at them, till the felowes of them that fell tooke
them vp and caried them to their lodgings. And thus did they at everie
lodging, and many tymes also by the waie as though they were forced to do
it. The towne of Adena, and likewise the region, maketh many fustians,
and is under the soldanes domynion, standing likewise in Armenie the
Lesse. I forbeare to speak of the rewynowse townes and castells that
arr betwene that and EUPHRATES, because there is nothing notable. Thus
being arryved at Euphrates, we founde there a boate of the soldanes
hable to transporte xvj horses, and this boate was verie straunge in the
which we passed the ryver. Neere vnto this ryver are certein caves in
the rockes, to the which they that passe make their refuge whan tempest
or yll wheather happeneth. On thother side arr certein villaiges of
Armenie, wheare we laie one night, and so being passed the ryver we
arrived at a towne called Orphe,[62] apꝓteineng to the King Assambei,
and governed by Valibech, brother to the same king. This has sometime
been a great towne, but it was in maner vtterly destroyed by the soldane
when the King Assambei went to the siege of Bir.[63] It hath a castell
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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