This Halys is the famous River which was heretofore the Boundary of the two Kingdoms of the Medes and Lydians; concerning which, there was an ancient Oracle, That when Crœsus pass’d it to make War on the Persians, he should overthrow a great Empire, which fell out to be his Own; whereas he thought it would have been the Persians. Near the Bank of this River, there was a Wood, which seemed to us, to bear an unknown Shrub; but when we drew near, we found it to be Liquorice, and with the Juice of its Root, we refreshed our selves abundantly.
Near that River, we met with a Countryman, and asking him, by an Interpreter, Whether that River did abound with Fish? And how they used to catch them? He answered, That there were Fishes enough; but no Body could catch them. When he saw we wondred at his Answer, he proceeded: For, says he, if a Man strive to take them up in his Hands, away presently they swim, and will not stay to be catched. This Answer was the less surprizing to me, because, when we had lighted upon some unknown Birds, and demanded of the Country-men, how we might take them? One or other of them told us, That they could not be taken; for if any Body endeavoured to lay Hands on them, they would fly away.
But one of my Collegues, Francis Hay, having some Nets with him, caused them to be cast for the catching of Fish; we took a great Draught of them, and especially the Silurus, or Sheathfish, which are common in the Danow. Besides, there is in that River, good Store of Sea-Crabs, or else, a Sort of Fish very like them. Whereupon, the Turks, who saw our Fishing, wondered at the Industry and Ingenuity of Christians, who would catch Fish at that Rate. Hereupon, perhaps, you will say, What, are there no Fishermen in Turkey? I grant there are; but very few of them live in those Parts. And, I remember, in another Place, when the Turks saw us turn the Stream out of its Course to catch Gudgeons at the Bottom, they laughed much at us. What, said they, do you catch such small guddling Fish? what are they good for? This Ninny-Hammer did not understand, that a great many of those Fishes would make a dainty Dish, enough to suffice many Guests. But the Turks are so parsimonious, that they don’t study their Bellies at all; give them but Bread and Garlic, or an Onion, with a Sort of Bonniclabber, or sour Milk, known in Galen’s Time, by the Name of Syllabub, but called by them, Ingurthe; they feed like Farmers, and desire nothing more.
They make this Drink thus; they dilute this Milk with cold Water, and then cram Bread into it. This they use in the hottest Weather, and when they are more athirst; and we our selves found great Benefit by it, in our greatest Droughts. It is a Repast very grateful to the Palate and Stomach, and of admirable Vertue in quenching the most vehement Thirst: There is abundance of it ready made for Sale in all the Turkish Inns, or Caravasera’s, as well as all other Sorts of Soop. As for hot Meat, or Flesh, the Turks don’t much use them in their Travels; their usual Dyet, on the Road, are Syllabubs, Cheese, dry’d Plumbs, Pears, Peaches, Quinces, Figs, Raisins, and Cornel-berries; all these are exposed to sale in great earthen Platters boiled in clean Water; every one takes what he likes best. Those Fruits, with Bread, is his Food; and the Water which remains, serves for Drink. Thus their Meat and Drink stand them in very little; so that I dare say, one Christian spends more Money, on his Belly, in one Day, than a Turk doth in twelve; yea, their most solemn Feasts consist of Wafers, Cakes, and such-like Junkets, together with several Dishes of Rice, with some Mutton, and Pullet; for Capons are not yet known in Turkey; but as for Pheasants, Thrushes, and Birds called Figeaters, they never so much as heard of their Names. But, if Honey and Sugar be mix’d with the Water, the Drink is like Jove’s Nectar to them. One Sort of their Liquors I had almost forgot, ’tis this. They take Raisins of the Sun, and bruise, or grind them in a Mill, and then put them into a wooden Vessel, pouring a certain Proportion of hot Water upon them. This Mixture they stir about a little, and then cover the Vessel close, and suffer it to ferment a Day or two; if it works well, then they add Lees of Wine to quicken the Operation. When it first begins to ferment, if you taste it, ’tis over-sweet, and that makes it more unpalatable; but afterwards it acquires something of an Acid Taste, which, mix’d with the Sweet, is very grateful to the Palate for about three or four Days; especially if it be mixed with Snow, of which there is plenty at Constantinople at all times. This Drink they call Arabsorbet, i. e. the Arabian Potion. It will not keep long, but grows sour in a very little Time. ’Twill fly up in your Head, and make you reel as bad as any Wine, if you drink too much of it; and therefore, the Turks, by the rules of their Religion, are forbidden to drink it. For my Part, I liked it very well; yea, that sort of Grapes was very acceptable and refreshing; in many Places they keep them all Summer long. The way of preserving them, they told me, was this: They take large Bunches of Grapes ston’d (as the hot Sun quickly ripens them in those Countries); these they put into a Wooden or Earthen Vessel, in the Bottom whereof, they first lay a Line of groun’d Mustard-Seed; then they spread a Line of Grapes upon it; thus with a Lay of Grapes, and a Lay of grinded Mustard-Seed, they fill it up to the Top; and, when the Vessel is full, then they pour in new Must, as much as will fill all the Interstice; then they shut it close, and so let it stand till the hot Time of the next Year, when Men stand most in need of Drink. Then these Vessels are broach’d, and the Grapes, with its Liquor, are set to sale. The Turks like the Liquor as well as the Grapes; but I did not so well like the Taste of the Mustard-Seed, and, therefore, I caused the Grapes to be washed, and then, when I was most thirsty, they gave me great Relief. I hope you will give me leave to commend a Food to you, that did me so much good, seeing the Egyptians esteemed their Herbs and Plants, which were contributory to their Health, as so many Deities. But ’tis Time for a Wanderer to return back into the Way.
From the Bank of the River Halys, which the Turks call Aitoczu, we came to Gonkurthoy; from thence to Choron, and from thence to Theke Thioi, where the Turks have a stately Monastry for their Priests and Monks, called Dervises. Those Dervises told us a great Story of a certain Man, called Chederles, of an huge Stature, and graveness of Mind answerable thereto. They suppose it was the same with our St. George, and ascribe the same Exploits to him; as the saving of a Virgin by the Slaughter of a huge and terrible Dragon. To which they add many Fables and Imaginations of idle Brains; as that he travelled over several Countries far and near, and at last came to a River, whose Waters made those that drank them immortal; but in what Part of the World this River is, they cannot tell us; they say, moreover, that it lies somewhere in a great Cloud, or Mist of Darkness, and that never a Man saw it since Chederles. As for Chederles himself, he was made Immortal, and so was his Horse, by drinking the same Water, who now, both do invisibly travel over the World, delighting in Wars, and appearing therein to the most Valiant, or to those who implore his Aid, of what Religion soever they be: Such ridiculous Fancies do they please themselves with! To which we may add, other Things as absurd as those before-mentioned, That he was one of the Friends and Companions of Alexander the Great. For, the Truth is, the Turks keep no just Account either of Times or Ages, but makes a confused Hodge-podge of all History. When they have a Mind to it, they scruple not to say, That Job was Master of the Horse to King Solomon, and that Alexander the Great was General of his Army; with such-like Stuff.
In that Monastry, or Mosque, there is a Fountain that bubbles forth very clear and limpid Water; it is built about and cover’d with most excellent Marble, and they ridiculously would have People believe, that it had its Original from Chederles’s Horses, which he pissed in great Plenty in that Place. They also told us many Rodomontado’s concerning the Companions of Chederles, concerning his chief Groom, and also concerning his Nephew by his Sister, all which were buried near at hand, and their Sepulchres there to be seen; and when any Suppliants come to pay their Devotions to them, they would have persuaded us, that they receive great Relief thereby; yea, they superstitiously affirm, That the Fragments of the Stones, and the very Earth itself, on which Chederles’s Feet stood, when he staid for the Dragon, if drank in any Liquor, are very good against Fevers, the Head-Ach, and the Diseases of the Eyes. All the Country thereabout, is full of Dragons and Vipers, so that, in the hot Season of the Year, they are so thick, basking themselves in the Sun, that the Ways are almost unpassable for Travellers.
I had almost forgot to tell you, that, whereas, the Greeks do usually paint St. George on Horseback in their Temples, with his Squire behind him, holding out to him a Cup of Wine as to his Master, he being (as they believe) their Chederles; they laugh heartily at that Spectacle.
At this Place, we were near our Journey’s End, for now we had but one Stage more to Amasia; and that was Baglison; from thence we reached Amasia, April 7, and thirty Days after, we left Constantinople. As we were coming, some Turks met us, to gratulate our Arrival, and to introduce us with Honour.
Amasia is, in a manner, the chief City of Cappadocia, where the Turkish Governor of that Province usually had his Residence, for the Administration of Justice, and where he usually forms his Camp. But that Town, ever since Bajazet’s Time, seemed to be very unlucky, and of late, the miserable Case of Mustapha hath confirmed it to be an unfortunate Seat. Strabo writes, that he was born there. It lies on the Side of two opposite Hills, the River Iris dividing the City of the midst, running between them; so that from each Part you may look down upon the River, as from the Seats or Stairs of a Theatre; and one Side of it is conspicuous and open to the view of the other. It is so encompassed with Hills, that there is but one way to it, either for Coach or Waggon.