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MAY, 1907.] THE TRAVELS OF RICHARD BELL (AND JOHN CAMPBELL).
The Padre Cutt 4; all Dyed. Nowes beinge carried of it, y padrey Kild himselfe, weh thing brought a fiudice [prejudice] to all frenchmen in yt Citty.
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Next day caime a Coffeloe from Cashmeer [Smyrna], yt said they mett a Xpian, 2 Sarvants, 2 Mules, wth a horsse (woh was starved) by them, and all deade. The Gouerner, when Monsier Jordan & Rasin7 went before him, told vs the aboue relation, demanding wtt we 3 weere. They Sa, they weere fr [French] men. I S4, I was an Engl man. Sa he, all french men are Haram Zadds [haramzada], Deceivers. For Engl men I haue not to say of them, never haueing anie tryall of them.
Must not, Sa he to ye fr. men, yor Padrey be cald to Acc. for ye men hes kild & himselfe, besides he, being to yu as our Casa [qact] is to vs, cannot answer it to God.
I am, Sa ye Gon", not soe sorrie for him and ye Slaues As for the Docter, y Goodman, who by his meanes I slighted, and is now lost,
Wee tooke our leaves & went to ye Seraie, But ye Padreys of that place invited vs to theire Convent, woh Monsier Jordan & Rasin did refuse by reason of ye Gours language.
4 Dayes wee staid in the Seraie; every day the Gour sent vs 6 dishes of Meate. Our Coffelo [kafila, caravan] beinge gatherd to a heade, & redy to goe, we went to ye Gour to take leave & psented him wth some small gifts; but he refused them, & Sd, when y" come this way againe, bringe me some Europe token. Soe we parted; & went thance wth y Coffiloe 23 Leagues before wee caime into y sands. 17 Days we travalled in y Sands with great losse of Men & Cattle, vist Cammells, horsses, and Asses. In all ye 17 days, wee weere not hable to see of horss lenth before vs, or One an other, Or to open or mouths or eies; but when we would eate or Drinke, ye Sand got in like to Choake vs; yet we had Muffellers Over our faces.
They Stringe 100 Cammells together to follow One after an other, And every 100 haue a man On ye formost Cammell wth a howse in woh he sits In, ye howse Coverd both day and night, And in it Is a light & a Compass to guid y Cammell ye way, for ye sands drive soe wth ye wind, its not possible to see.
Wee haueinge 1 monts Jurney more to goe ere we should be Cleere of ye Sands, and or Cattell died soe as wee weere forst to put two loads on One Back, I said, letts turne back, And, Consultinge with ye eminentest Marchant, an Arminyon, & ye 2 frehmen, Judged it best to hyer a guide to pilote vs or way an other way Towards Neneveigh [Nineveh], wch was a nearer way; & Leaueinge ye Coffeloe, we could goe in One day 8 times as farr as wth it. 15 Armynion Marchants (horssemen), ye 2 fr:men, my selfe, and or sarvants went, giveinge 11 Dollers a heade for Pilot money.
Wee had 140 Leagues to Neneveigh, neither pile gras, water or Ought elce in or way for refreshment but what we carried with us. Our Guyde brought vs to Neneveigh in 23 days all verry weary: We staid theire 7 Days, and in that tyme refresht o'selues verry well.
From Nenevey we went to Cornway in 12 Days, woh, at 20 Mile a day, I gess to be about 75 Leagues.
From Corneway we went to Kirkway [Kirkuk], yo fr: men & I then only in Company; we went it in 7 Days, woh is about 60 Leagues.
From Kirkeway to Bagdatt, 120 Leagues, in 13 Days. We arrived in Bagdatt in helth, but left or Boyes in Kirkway & tooke fresh horsses there, or Boys to follow to Bagdatt.
We had but beene 4 days theire, when y° 2 ffrench Marchants feel sick, it being soe hote, yt with ye Brees of ye Sunn, it kild the Natives; & Many I saw, as white as Engl men, kild immediatly & turnd as black as a Coale.
47 See ante, note 42 on p. 128.
