Travels in Asia and Africa, etc

Front matter

Ay' ,y - 6, '.-' ■!,.'./ yy /<-' - '/v: //..-/■ .>/.-/• y/ f/c '////'/./. /W7i.*' ' TRAVELS i. ASIA AND AFRICA; INCLUDING A JOURNEY FROM SCANDEROON TO ALEPPO, AND OVER THE DESERT TO BAGDAD AND BUSSORA; A VOYAGE FROM BUSSORA TO BOMBAY, AND ALONG THE WESTERN COAST OF INDIA; A VOYAGE FROM BOMBAY TO MOCHA AND SUEZ IN THE RED SEA; AND A JOURNEY FROM SUEZ TO CAIRO AND ROSETTA, IN EGYPT. By the late ABRAHAM PARSONS, Esq. Consul and Factor-Marine at Scanderoon, LONDON: PRINTED FOB LONGMAN, HURST, KEES, AND ORME, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1808. tj.oon, mnmii, rATEMosTia-aow.

Preface

. AS the public have a right to expect some information relative to the author of these travels, in order to be satisfied with regard to their authen ticity, it has been thought expedient to prefix to them a short narrative of his history. Mr. Abraham Parsons was originally bred to the navy, in which his father was a captain. In the earlier part of his life he commanded different vessels in the merchants' service, during which period he visited several parts of the globe; a pursuit particularly adapted to the turn of a mind naturally fond of novelty, and remarkably inquisitive. When he quitted the sea he carried on considerable commerce as a merchant in Bristol, which, not being attended with the desired success, after some years, he was obliged to relinquish. After this he was, in the year 1767, appointed by the Turkey Company, consul and factor marine at Scanderoon, in Asiatic Turkey; a situation which, after a residence of six years, he was obliged, from the unhealthiness of the country, to resign, when he commenced a voyage of commercial speculation; the nar rative of which is contained in the following pages.

Soon after the conclu sion of this tour he retired to Leghorn, where he died in the year 1785. The manuscript devolved, by the author's bequest, to the Rev. John Berjew, of Bristol, his brother-in-law, and from him descended to his only son, the present editor, whose principal motive in the present publication arises from a desire to comply with the wish of a much respected father, and tlie sugges tions of several literary and scientific friends. It would have made it's appearance long before the present period, if the editor's professional engagements had afforded him sufficient leisure for tran scribing the manuscript, correcting the language, and expunging those pas sages, wdiich, referring entirely to the author's private concerns, could not possibly interest the public. The

PREFACE.

. The only liberty which the editor has taken with the narrative has been confined to the correction of verbal or gramatical inaccuracies, and in some very few instances to the altering of the arrangement of sentences, which in the original appeared rather obscure. Though much has been done, the editor is aware that if further opportunity had been afforded him, much more might have been effected. He has been severely scrupulous not to alter the sim plicity of the original composition, and, aware that the first duty imposed on him was fidelity, he has been peculiarly solicitous neither to add to nor di minish from any circumstance or description in the narrative : he has preserved it in it's native form, as far as was possible, conscious that rhetorical ornaments were not to be expected in a writer, who, from the nature of his education, must necessarily be unacquainted with the elegancies of composition.

To a candid public he trusts the narrative, with all it's imperfections, not without some hope, that though the region has been often before explored, it may furnish some original and instructive information, in points but lightly touched on by former travellers ; and that though some of the details may appear tedious, they may afford a more clear and natural view of the state of society and manners in the east, than many more elaborate and florid publications. JOHN PAINE BERJEW. Bristol, April, 180S. Directions for placing the Plates. View of Bagdad (vide page 11 6) to face the title. View of Antioch to face page 70. CONTENTS. V CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Page A Description of Scanderoon and the adjacent country, - - 1 CHAP. II. Road from Scanderoon to Bylan, including the celebrated passes from Asia Minor into Syria. — Description of Bylan, Karamut, - - - - 1 si CHAP. III. A journey from Bylan to Kepse (the antient Seleucia) and from thence to Latachia, (the antient Laodicea,) Aleppo, and back again to Scanderoon, - - - 25 CHAP. IV. Travels over the Desert, from Aleppo to Bagdad - - - - 75 CHAP. V. Description of Bagdat, or Bagdad, 116 CHAP. VI. Journey from Bagdad across Mesopotamia to Helah on the Euphrates.— Voyage from Helah down that River to Bussora, - - - -- 139 CHAR CONTENTS. VI CHAP. VII. Page The city of Bussora described— Account of the customs paid there, and of the trade to and from thence, ------- 15 _ CHAP. VIII. Meditated siege of Bussora by the Persians — A remarkable natural phenomenon — Transactions at Bussora — Advance of the Persian army — Progress of the Siege — Departure from Bussora, - 162 CHAP. IX.

The town of Bushear, in Persia, described, with the port and road, &c. 187 CHAP. X. Departure from Bushear — Isles of Baharin — Pearl fishery — Muscat — Arrival at Bom- 1 bay — Account of the island, - . - 202 CHAP. XI. Voyage to the Southward along the coast of Malabar — Onore — Hyder Ally — Seringapatam — Tellicherry — Cochin — Cochinberg — Callicut — Mahie — Mangalore — Goa, - 220 CHAP. XII. Departure from Bombay — Surat — Description of it's port — Account of the population — Peculiar customs of the country — Commerce, - 245 CHAP. XIII. Departure from Bombay — Arrival in the Red sea — Description of Mocha — Population — Commerce — Banyans — Dominions of Mocha — Buke Fakey, or Hodedah — Jedda — Departure from Mocha — Ezion Geber — Tor — Arrival at Suez, 266 CHAP. XIV. Description of Suez— Insurrection in Egypt — Arrival at Cairo — Description of the city — Rise of the Nile — Ceremony of cutting it's banks to let the water into the city canal — Excursions to the pyramids — Procession of the Mecca pilgrims Rosetta, - - TRAVELS IN ASIA, &c.

CHAPTER I.

A DESCRIPTION OF SCANDEROON AND THE ADJACENT COUNTRY. OCANDEROON signifies in the Turkish language little Alexandria, by which name the English have always distinguished the town ; the Italians call it Alessandretta, and the French Alexandrette, both signifying little Alexandria. It is situated at the extremity of the Mediterranean Sea, in latitude 36. 40. N. at the south-east angle of the bottom of the gulph of the same name, and approaching so very near to exceedingly high mountains, as to be within half an hour's walk to the ascent of them. As the afternoon sun shines with its full force upon them, Scanderoon has not only its rays on it the whole day, but, for at least half the time, the additional heat by reflection from those mountains, which makes it intolerably hot for six months in the year,, from the beginning of May until the end of Octobef.

But what is worse, the many springs which abound in the mountains,, for want of proper channels to convey the water into the sea, form many standing pools in the plain near the town, the stench of which, in the spring and summer, it not only very offensive, but impreg nates the air, as the height and vicinity ofthe mountains impede its free circulation. It is usual in May and June for the consuls and other B European European residents to move for the summer to Bylan, which is situated very high up the mountains, at about ten miles distance from Scanderoon. The situation is such that it is colder both in summer and winter than in the northern parts of England, but very healthy. Such of the Europeans as are so indiscreet as to stay at Scanderoon during the heats, for the most part suffer severely, as they very seldom escape a fever, generally a tertian, which is so very severe, as in five or six days to reduce the patient from a robust man to a skeleton ; if he survive the seventh night, he generally escapes, especially if he live abstemiously for twenty or thirty days after, otherwise a relapse is the certain consequence..

From a tertian it often changes to a double tertian, and then to a quartan, which frequently ends in a fatal dropsy, unless the patient quickly leaves the place, nor will that always save him. In the winter and spring about four miles of the plain nearest Scanderoon are almost a marsh, over which there is only one passable road, which is a high stone causeway, supported in the lowest situations by bridges. This inconvenience is, however, compensated by a wholesome air, and by the quantity of wild fowl and fish caught at this season. In the mountains wild hogs are plenty, which the Turks, although they never eat them, yet hunt and shoot, and when cut up bring to Scande roon in sacks, upon horses, for sale to the Christians ; this they do as privately as possible, lest they should be reviled by their brethren, who hold it an abomination to have a swine touch their garments.

Hares in the autumn and winter are likewise plenty, and the sea abounds with fish more in this than any other season. There is one fish caught in this gulph, that is found in no other part of the Mediterranean, which is the cod, in all respects the same as the cod in the English and North seas, and equally good ; they weigh from six to thirty pounds and upwards. The Europeans many years since agreed with the fishermen for this fish at a fixt price, namely fifteen paras (about eleven pence English money) for the Aleppo rotuli, which is five English pounds. We often salt and send them to our friends at Aleppo, and they in return send by the messenger a fine piece of salted beef. On such occasions the messenger carries from thirty to forty pounds weight, and obliges himself to go to Aleppo in forty-eight hours from the time time he leaves Scanderoon, and to return in the same period.

His pay is four piastres, or ten shillings English, for the whole journey, besides which he gets a present of a piastre at Aleppo, and another at his return, if he complies with his engagement. From Aleppo to Scanderoon is about eighty miles over the mountains, the road the messengers always take, but the way the passengers and caravans go is about one hundred and twenty. The caravans are eight, and passengers on horseback ordinarily four days in performing the journies, as it is customary to carry beds, cloaths, pro visions, &c. to which the Europeans, who love good cheer, add wine, as no other liquor but the pure element is to be found on the road. Besides the cod, in the winter season there are both red and grey mullet ; the red in great abundance, and as cheap as sprats in England in a plentiful season ; John dories, prawns and soles, but not in plenty, in February and March.

There are plenty of cuttle fish, which the Greeks catch in the night near the shore, by wading into the sea about knee deep, with a fire brand in one hand, and an harpoon in the other, with which they strike them, and afterwards give them to an attendant, who follows with a basket; the Greeks esteem them more than any other fish. There are prodigious quantities of different kinds of small fish, which I have no name for, which are caught at all seasons, and sell for a para, or three farthings English, sor a Turkish oka, which is forty-two English ounces. The mutton at Scan deroon, from November to July, is as good as in any part of the known world ; it is very fat, as sweet as venison, and in most people's opinion as well tasted ; this is entirely owing to their feeding on the Bylan mountains, where there are plenty of sweet herbs, such as the small leafed sage, thyme, lavender, marjoram, origanum, and many others.

It is but seldom that we get such beef as an Englishman would call good, it is well tasted, but lean. Fowls are good and plenty, as every Greek family breeds them more for sale than for it's own use ; nor is there any want of good capons, the price of which has been many years fixed at half a piastre, or fifteen pence English, each. Fowls, chickens, and eggs vary ; sometimes fowls are four or five, at other times only three, for a piastre ; chickens from six to ten the piastre, and eggs from two to six for a para, or three farthings English. In the spring milk and butter are cheap, as B 2 are &e. 4 are the fruits of the country in their proper seasons ; their grapes excel those of their neighbours. The price of bread, beef, and mutton, is fixed by the pashaw of the province, and that of the two last has been the same in winter and summer for many years back, at eight paras (sixpence sterling) the oka of forty-two English ounces for mutton, and six paras per oka tor beef.

The price of bread varies from two to three paras the oka, at a medium of four years. The plain of Scanderoon (exclusive of the marshy part which is near the town) is upwards of twenty miles long and about two in it's greatest breadth, and extremely fertile. The wheat harvest generally begins about the first of June, seldom later than the sixth, the barley in general about a month later. Wheat is sown the latter end of October, and barley in February or the beginning of March ; neither rye nor oats are known in Turkey : the barley is eaten only by the cattle and poultry. After the harvest there is great plenty of quails and partridges, bechi fichi, a small bird, so called because it chiefly feeds on figs; they are esteemed as delicious as the ortolan, and are as plenty as sparrows, and, whether seen or not, many are killed at every shot, by firing at random into the body of a fig tree in the fig season, which lasts four months.

The partridge season continues from July to January ; the season for woodcocks, snipes, wild dnek, teal, and widgeon, from the middle of November to March. Hares are plenty in the same months, and the francolin (heathcock) from Oc tober to June and July : there are pheasants, but not in abundance. About the beginning of December the snow begins to fall, and by the fifteenth or twentieth, the mountains are entirely covered over as far as the eye can discern; after this a sharp cold commences, which continues until about the middle of March, which is disagreeable to the natives only, but to the Europeans delightful and healthy. The rains commence in October, at which time heat and cold are alter nate, and without great care colds are caught in this month, which gene rally terminate in a malignant fever, from which few escape, and those who rio, seldom recover in less than forty, fifty, or sixty days.

I speak from experience, and had I not taken some of doctor James's powders, I believe lieve I never should have got the belter of the disorder: it was continual, and confined me in bed sixty-one days. We have more ships from Europe in the winter and spring, than at any other season, sometimes from nine to twelve at a time; in the last four years there have arrived from Marseilles twenty-seven French, and from London seventeen English, from Leghorn five English, from Holland five Dutch, from Venice six Venetians, and from Leghorn one Dutch, one Venetian, and one Ragusan ship; in all sixty-three ships from Europe, which were all reloaded back to the places from whence they came ; besides which many ships arrive at Scanderoon from different parts of Turkey and Egypt, mostly French and English.

Those from Egypt come loaded with rice and coffee, which are sold, and the produce laid out in the purchase of silk and gall nuts, which they carry to Egypt to dispose of. The ships which come from different parts of Turkey are such as come from Europe with part of their cargoes consigned to Constantinople, Smyrna, or Cyprus, and the remainder to Scanderoon, from whence they load home. — Most English ships, in their way out and home, touch at Cyprus to unload and load goods there, in the same manner as the Venetians and Dutch, and some of the French. There is a considerable coasting trade carried on by Turkish and Greek Vessels between Cyprus, Latachia, Tripoly, and other parts of the coast of Syria and Palestine, the coast of Caramania, and the islands of Rhodes and Stanchio. Scanderoon was built by order of Alexander the Great after the battle of Issus, and was about a mile and a half to the south of the present town, close to the hills ; or rather part of the city was on the hills, which for some space are of easy ascent, and covered with a fertile soil.

The foundations to a great extent are visible in many places ; some stone walls eight feet thick are yet breast high; and near the center of those remains is the cele brated well called Jacob's Well, or Fountain, which gushes out from under a rocky hill into a channel almost level with the plain, seemingly made by art in the solid rock, eleven feet long, fourteen inches broad, and thirty inches deep ; the current of water fills up twenty-five inches of the kc. 6 the depth; it runs with great velocity, and the inhabitants say it's stream has always been the same. A French gentleman (well versed in hydraulics,) sometime since computed, that six tuns of water ran off in every minute of time; for my part, I must confess it to be beyond my art to form any judgment whether or not his computation be right.

The Jews have a tra dition, that at this fountain, Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, watered his flocks, and pitched his tents in the plain for a great length of time, which is the reason it has always been called after, and still retains his name; whether it be so or not, they best can tell, as they are almost the only chronologers in the east, consequently no one will venture to dispute the point with them. This is certain, and upon record, that a more pure and salutary water is not to be found, and it's fame is so great, that about twenty years since, a pasha, then governor of Aleppo, who had been formerly resident here, and drank the water, was at the expence of keeping sixty camels, for the sole purpose of carrying water from this well to Aleppo, for the use of himself and family. The Turkish and Greek ships which come to Scanderoon, always take their water for their voyage from this well, nor will any person at Scanderoon drink any other.

It is conveyed by asses, who each carry four jars, which hold about ten gallons, fixed in wooden frames, two on each side, for which quantity they pay four paras, or threepence. The oldest inhabitants say, that they never knew or heard of any alter ation in this spring, but that it always ran summer and winter seemingly at an equal rate; this stream forms many pools between it's source and the town, which, swelled with the rain and snow water from the mountains, make the plain for near three miles quite a morass. It has only one channel into the sea, which, running through the plain in meanders, takes an easterly direction, and runs parallel with the wall of the English Factory, until it come opposite to the outer gate, when, changing to anortherly, it discharges itself into the sea. This circumstance has obliged us to build a bridge over this rivulet, in order to bring the ships' cargoes from the beach to the Factory.

As the old bridge was never well made, and often wanted repairs, this year I caused caused it to be rebuilt in a more permanent manner, and placed stones on it's surface of a firm texture, four feet long, twenty inches broad, and six teen deep, well laid in mortar made of the same stones, so that it now may last probably an hundred years and more, without repair. Towards the months of June and July the plain has many dry paths over it, as the water is absorbed ; but in the lowest parts pools remain all the summer, though continually lessening ; these pools occasion the in tolerable stench before mentioned. There are innumerable patches of higher ground which are never overflown, on which grow thousands of myrtle and oleander trees, the largest I ever saw, which to a distant spec tator make a beautiful appearance.

The natives eat the myrtle berries as an astringent; their fibres being rendered extremely lax by the climate, they run to the myrtles as if by instinct, and eat the berries medicinally. The boys gather and bring them into the town, and carry them round the neigh bouring villages for sale. On the 25th of July this year, 1772, being then at Bylan, and having occasion to go to Scanderoon, I took with me a pocket thermometer of Fahrenheit's, and hung it up in the great hall at the British Factory house, in a room where the sun never penetrated, and found the heat to be ninety two degrees, nor did it lessen more than one degree in three days and nights, which I staid there. The heat is always more intolerable in the night than in the day-time, as, in most days in summer, a sea breeze commences about nine or ten in the morning, which continues for the most part until after sun-set, when it becomes calm : sometimes a land breeze begins about two or three h. the morning, which is cool and greatly refreshing to the inhabitants, who are obliged to stay at Scanderoon during the heats.

I took the thermometer back to Bylan on the 29th of July, when the heat was there only seventy-four degrees, nor did I ever know it to exceed seventy six degrees in five summers. It is evident that when Scanderoon was first built, the sea was almost close to the town, consequently those. marshy grounds reaching from the present town, nearly as far as Jacob's Fountain, were then part of the sea ; to to prove which there yet remains the greatest part of the walls of a castle, very high and square, and near a mile within the present town. In the walls of this castle fronting the sea, are several large iron rings with strong shanks, which go through the walls, and are fastened on the inside ; they are much worn by time. It seems plain that those rings were intended to fasten the cables or ropes of such vessels as lay near the shore to load or un load their cargoes.

This castle, we learn from tradition, was built by the Mamalukes when they governed Egypt and this country : to confirm the conjecture above-mentioned, in the year 1576, when the British Factory house was built, the walls of the rampart facing the sea were not above ten yards from it, at present they are above three hundred, and within part of the present town; so that in two hundred years the land has gained upon the sea at the rate of above four feet and half yearly, but not two yards in perpendicular height, as no part of the plain is two yards above the sur face of the sea. It is obvious that the land is still gaining, and as the sea retires from this side, it gains on the other shore in proportion, which agrees with the observation of the natives on the opposite coast of Cara mania: this seems unaccountable to the natives, though the reason is evident, for during the winter months the violence of the northerly wind makes the surf to break on the shore with great force and as the beach i3 very level it gains perceptibly after every gale.

From June 1768 to this present time, August 1772, it has increased more than four yards from my own observations. The present town consists of about one hundred and seventy houses occupied by Greeks, and about fifteen more by Turks ; the whole number of inhabitants scarcely amounts to eight hundred. The houses are all built of stone with only a ground floor, the roofs are flat, on which the na tives sleep in hot weather; there is a small yard or garden to each house. When caravans with goods come from Aleppo, the place exhibits the appearance of a fair until their departure; there have been in these last four years sixty-eight caravans from that city, consisting of from two hundred and fifty to two thousand camels in a caravan, beside mules and horses. This ./This town united to Byass is a bishop's see ; the bishop has a palace, and resides here in the winter, and at Byass in the summer, where he has likewise a palace.

The palace here is far from being contemptible ; it was rebuilt, and cost upwards of three thousand pounds sterling, about three years since. It has no window to the street, and only a ground floor ; the door is only four feet high by two and a half broad, which is thus made to hinder the drunken janisaries from riding into it ; for as this place is the only thoroughfare from Asia Minor into Syria, large bodies of soldiers often pass this wav, who halt on the plain near the town, always one night, some times more; and if not restrained by their officers, commit many violences on the poor Greeks, who must bear all with seeming patience, or be well drubbed. The Greeks have a large church here without steeple or bell ; their me thod of calling to prayers is by beating on a large iron bar, which is sus pended by a rope or line for that purpose.

The church yard is large and walled in, and the gate of the same dimensions with the door of the bishop's palace for the same reasons: the church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. They have a seminary here, where twelve students, intended for the priest hood, are educated; they wear a black gown and a trencher cap ; after or dination they are sent to different cures, and others admitted in their stead. There are three Greek priests here, the chief, by way of eminence, is called the papa, the other two act as his assistants, and are very ignorant. The quantity of church plate they have here is surprising; it is mostly filigrane work, neatly made and well gilt, and weighs above two hundred pounds averdupois. It is always deposited with the English consul for se curity, and only carried to church as occasion requires, and instantly returned to the Enghsh Factory house.

The English and Dutch who die here are buried in the Greek church-yard. The Roman Catholicks have a church and burying ground under the protection of the French consul. A friar is sent here to officiate from Jerusalem, who has a house adjoining to the church, which is far from being a bad one, as, besides the ground floor, it has a hall and four good rooms over it. There are five other good houses which have upper rooms ; the aga or governor's (who is likewise C euscustomer,) the French, Dutch, and Venetian consuls, and a French factor's house. Here is a bazar or market, and opposite the British factory house, close to the marine, is the guard house, where reside the captain, two of ficers, and thirty janisaries, who are partly maintained by the four Euro pean nations who have their consuls and flags here.

Each consul pays ten piastres a month to the captain of the guard, who is appointed by the pasha, on the recommendation of the consuls: beside which he receives a toll of one para for every loadcn camel, horse or mule, which comes in the caravan Irom Aleppo, the same for every loaded beast that passes this way from any other place, one per cent, on all cattle, sheep, or other kind of prov'r-ions which come by sea, so that his place is esteemed to be equally good with that of the aga. The English are die only Europeans who have a national residence, which is their factory house; it is one hundred and twenty feet in front by ninety deep; the ground floor is laid out into four very large warehouses, so very strongly arched, that General Sir Eyre Coote (who was here in March 1771, on his return from India by way of Bussora) declared them to be bomb proof.

The apartments over them are so many and so com modious, as to afford room sufficient to lodge sixty men, with a kitchen large enough to dress victuals for them all : it has a good garden, a stable for eight horses, and other outhouses, with five warehouses in the front and back courts, sufficient to receive the cargoes of five ships. It cost the Levant Company one hundred thousand piastres and upwards building. This factory house stands in the centre of a piece of ground of about five acres, walled in ; the walls are eighteen feet high and thick in proportion, built with good stone ; the front wall to the sea is seven hundred and fifty feet in length. It is not included in the town, being more than one hun dred yards from the nearest house. A new pashalick was created by the Porte in 1768, which, commencing on this side the bridge of Antioch, extends across the plain of Antioch to Karamut, Bylan, Scanderoon, Byass, and quite to Tarsus in Cilicia (now Caramania) ; more than two hundred miles in a northerly direction.