The River Vardar and Meritch (Maritza), as is said, before they came to this town, meet; and a little above, upon the side of a hill betwixt them, is a pretty little countrey town most Greekes called Marás. A little further under the hill, next towards Meritch,[374] is a little pit of a blewish sort of clay; here a company of old gossips at the 15th of Aug., which is the Assumption of the B. V., bring water from the river and mix it and the clay together into a perfect pudding or stodge; and on that daye infinites of people, Turkes, Jewes, and Christians, resort thither and goe in, and tumble in the mire, which they believe will cure any sort of infirmity; and without doubt it often happens so.[375] These old Hags tell how in the night before the water springs out of the ground, and how it lasts till the Octave (that is, the 22nd day), and then dryes up; both which I proved to be a notorious lye. Yet the people are so zealously bent to believe the story, as I had liked to have been imbroglid for disputing of it. The earth is a kind of fuller’s earth, or very obstersive, and may doe good in many cutaneous diseases, without the help of the Παναγία,[376] as they call her.
On the other side that river, under a great ridge of hills or mountaines, is another pretty Greek village cal’d in Turkish Cadun-cui (Khanoum-cui), or Ladyes town; there is excellent wine there. Over the mountain is a great Turkish Town, famous for a Seraglio of the G. Sr., whither he retired in the Plague, leaving the Vizier to act all. It is call’d Ack-bonar[377] (white fountain), and seemes at a distance a brave place.
Acrosse the river from our town (Caragátch[378]), upon the top of a high hill, stands a little (but very curious) Seraglio, or rather Kiosk or sommer house, whither the G. Sr. retires for a fine girle sometimes; and it is contrived very convenient for the purpose. I have been in it; it is the best prospect about all Adrianople; they call it Khiderleh, which is the same with St. George, it having been formerly a Greek church of that name. You must know St. George is a great saint even amongst the Turkes, and their galleyes commonly set out that day to the White Seas. I have been many times reflecting on the name which they give him, Khiderleh (and very commonly Khidreleh), the Khi being pronounced strong in the throat like an aspirate, and I have fancy’d it to be taken (as is perhaps the whole story) from ὓδρα; and both that tale of Hercules and the Hydra, and Apollon and the Python, from Eve and the serpent. I may venture to give my conjecture now Dr. Haylin[379] is dead, and I shall be obstinate in it too.
At the bottome of that hill, next Adrianople, is a large suburb cal’d Ildrém,[380] or thunder. Round about Khiderléh, and all the waye upon the mountaines betwixt Ack-bónor and Khanoum-cui, are planted vineyards most plentifully; the Turkes by their law may eat what grapes they please (it being the greatest part of their food from August to Christmasse), and now (as is said) they freely taste the blood likewise.
On the North-east of Adrianople stands the Seraglio, which is very large, and on one side of it runs the river Tunza,[381] on the other side is a plain where we saw all the sights. There is a very stately bridge, or rather pile of stone, built over the Tunza from Adrianople to Ildrem; it is at least 970 of my paces long, and was built by Michael Waivod of Moldavia, as is cal’d Michael’s[382] Kupru, or Michael’s bridge. Tunza under it meets with a branch of Arda-Meritch; over Tunza by the Seraglio on the Town side is a very strong stone bridge; on the other side, about a mile and a half from it, is another bridge of wood. Upon that river on the west side, a little farther, Backstrevacui, where they make very good tiles and brick; next stands Carajauis, on the other side about 2 miles distant; and the mountaines on the east side of it have many quarreys of soft spongy stone, yet they use it in many buildings. It stands over against Ack-bonar. About 2 or 3 mile farther is Corojecui, a little village, and about a mile farther is a very fine lake call’d by the Turkes Gióle-babba, or father Lake (Giole being a lake); it stands with Tunza on the West, high hills on the E., and Corojécui to the S. It is well stock’t with fish (and fowl in the winter time); we saw there in August multitudes of Pelicans, swans, and some Ducks. At the East end of it, at the foot of the hills, stands a summer-house of the G. Sr.’s, furnisht allwayes ready. There are many excellent fountaines of very good water; there are some few houses about it inhabited by Turkes; we found them civil, and had liberty to go in and see what we desired. It is seated very pleasantly, being overshadowed by many Chinár (or Plane) trees. The Lake is round about environed with a great quantitye of sedge, which yearly yeild a plentifull crop.
The river Tunza comes from a place cal’d now Yianobole,[383] but I never was higher upon it then this place; all the way hither it runs very crooked and winding, and the hills on both sides lye in like manner winding in and out, and make a crook’d but large meadow or plain, in which the G. Sr. or Vizier, drawing out their forces for the warres, first pitch their tents. We saw all along the vestiges of them, and many, many ovens and kitchings framed in the earth, to make ready their bread (the true staff of a Janizaryes life), and pelów,[384] or Boiled rice.
From Caragatch to Adrianople we passe thre long bridges, the first of wood, serviceable onely in winter, the water being little or nothing in sommer; yet this bridge is the longest, and the river under it is nothing but sand. The second bridge is likewise wood, over a branch of the river that runs all sommer; for after Arda and Mellitch (Maritza) meet they go in one stream to the city, where meeting with Tonza (Tondja), they again divide into two streames, making severall very pleasant little Islands. About 2 or 3 mile of the City, to the South, is seated a large town call’d Bosnacui,[385] where the French Ambassadore was seated when he was at audience; and he tells me that upon that Island are about 9 or 10 such villages more. The rivers running on either side about 10 or 12 mile unite into one again, and the broad sandy brook to the W. enters into the same channell likewise; of these three the first is call’d (likewise on this south side the City) Tonza, the middle one Merrich, the sandy one Ardar; as if the 3 streames after that had met at Adrianople, sever’d themselves intirely again. By this you may see the error of our common maps placing Adrianople upon the Hebrus, which cannot be properly said to be till all these three meet again beneath Bosnacui; at least the currents are falsely there by them laid down. Mellitch comes from Pilippopoli,[386] Arda comes from Sta. Sophia[387]; upon which, next to Caragátch, stands Choróocui, or rotten town. About it are many long (but narrow) lakes, which may give the name in Turkish; and there growes infinity of Tribulus aquaticus,[388] which the vulgar Greek calls ἀγριοκάστανο, or wild chestnut, and from thence they call the name of the town in Greek Καστανοχωριὸ. Southerly from the river Arda is another village, cal’d in Turkish Ishék-cui,[389] or Asses town, in Greek Γαιδαροχωριὸ, which signifyes the very same; it was cal’d formerly ἀηδονοχωριὸ, that is Nightingale town, but (as the Greeks now tell the story) a great lord of this countrey whom they call Ἰουλιανούφερα, whom they make a Turke, sent for the Bishop of this town, who chanc’d to anger him highly about a Cheflick, or summer house, which he desired of the Bishop there; and therefore he swore that whosover cal’d it hereafter otherwise then γαίδάρο-χωριὸ should be hang’d.
As much farther, just at the foot of mount Rhodope, and very near Arda, is Orta-cui,[390] in Greek βουλγαροχωριὸ, whether the Germane resident went to avoyd the Plague. I was two or three dayes entertain’d there like a prince; and observed this and what followes: and, believe me, I will take it upon my credit to maintain this to be a pretty exact map of what is here set down. Orta-cui is a very populous town, built thre quarters round a very steep hill, like an Amphitheater reinverst or imbost. There are about 1,500 familyes in it, all Greekes. There crept in some few Turkes, but all the town setting against them, and playing them scurvy tricks, made them soon weary, and they have not of late had any, though it is a very paradise to live in. All the hills are cover’d with vineyards, which make a pleasant red wine, which we might buy anywhere for 5 aspers per Ook,[391] that is, about 3 pints. The valleyes grow either very good corne or pasture. On the south side the village, about ½ an hour, is amongst the hills a most pleasant clear fountain of purging waters, but they work without the least offence. On the North side, towards the east, is a great plain, very fruitfull in all manner of corne and flaxe. The town stands within ½ houre from the Arda, which runs amongst the mountaines most clear, and very deep. Just against this town it hath a mill set on it, on the side of which, towards the hills, it is very deep, and full of great rocky stones, those hills being nothing else. On the other side it is very shallow, with a small stream, and little pebbles at bottom, but no sand till below Ishek-cui, where the land round about is sandy; which confirmes me in my opinion that the river by Caragatch and Adrianople is so foul and sandy from the sand driven from shore by the wind; though beneath Adrianople, towards Bosnacui, it is foul by reason all the dunghills (the Turkes using little manure or compasse[392]), and carryon, and filth, and dead men (many whereof we saw dayly thrown in, being either executed, or perhaps dead of the Plague) which are continually thrown in. Here likewise are taken as good and sweet fish as may be—Carps, Roach, Dace, Pikes, and (above all) a pale-flesh’t trout, which are good, from the stony bottom; whereas, about Adrianople, from the sand or otherwise, all fish taste fleshy and beastly.
A little above this mill, next the town, amongst the hills, hath been a large old castle; part of the walls are yet standing. The high mountaines, quite above, are now cal’d Θεοβουνὸ, or God’s hill. I guesse not but these ridges of mountaines are the true Rhodope,[393] for the great road from Adrianople to Salonica lyes over there, and all travaylers assure me that on the other side are no other hills at all till they come to Hemus, which they still call ἁμομὸντε.[394] There is but little earth and few trees upon these mountaines that I ever saw. The stone, where it is naked, lyes many times Horizontal, but oftener declining. Arda comes running from the S.W. amongst these hills, having his head about 4 dayes journey (as they informe me) from Ortacui, at a place called Darovasi,[395] not farre from Sta. Sophia. Here are many, many houses built of wood entirely, the walls being made of whole trees hewn down and clench’t[396] at the ends. There are a few such at Caragatch. I am informed that in Poland almost all mean people’s houses are such.
All the people of this town seem to live well. We chanc’t to be there after harvest, when they were treading out their corn. That fashion, and the threshing floores (as we translate it), or publick places to which they bring their whole crop to tread the corne out, are still here every where in use, no other way being known to Turke or Greek but that, and no barnes being to be found, but so soon as ever they have cut down their corn, they tread it out immediately, which is likewise done with oxen yoked to a great thick plank (which these people and the Islanders call ροκάνη[397]) about a yard and a half long and a yard broad. The bottome is all filled with sharp flints stuck into it.[398] Upon the top stands a person, who also guides the oxen round, and pricks them forward with a goad. In a great floor you shall have 2 or three of these, and as many yoke of oxen at a time. After they have trodden, or rather bruised, one flooring out, they lay another; thus all the strawe is broken to pieces like chaf, and thence it is call’d chopt straw. What from the slovenlinesse of their dressing their corne, and the badnesse of their mill stones (they being onely some pieces of very hard stone joyned together with a strong mortar, and collar’d in a hoop of Iron), there is no bread or meal in this part of Turkey but what is very gritty. Some of the Turkes do muzzle their oxen, but not all. In sharing their corn they have a kind of wooden glove on the 4 fingers of the left hand, which in Greek they call παλαμαριὰ,[399] to guard their hand from thistles and the like.