The King of Pirates

The other three went by Sea, in a Persian Vessel, back from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Mocca, and I heard of them all three at Marseilles; but whither they went afterwards I never knew, nor could I come to speak with them even there.

As for me and my Friend, we first laid out all the Silver we had in European Ware, such as we knew would vend at Ispahan, which we carry’d upon twelve Camels; and hiring some Servants, as well for our Guide as our Guard, we set out.

The Servants we hir’d were a Kind of Arab, but rather looking like the Great Mogul’s people, than real Arabians; and when we came into Persia, we found they were look’d upon as no better than Dogs, and were not only used ill, but that we were used ill for their Sakes; and after we were come three Days into the Persian Dominions, we found ourselves oblig’d to part with them; so we gave them three Dollars a Man to go back again.

They understood their Business very well, and knew well enough what was the Reason of it, though we did not. However, we found we had committed a great Mistake in it; for we perceiv’d that they were so exasperated at being turn’d off, that they vowed to be revenged; and, indeed, they had their Revenge to the Full; for the same Day, at Night, they return’d in the Dark, and set eleven Houses on Fire in the Town where we quartered; which, by the Way, had gone near to have cost me my Life, and would certainly have done so, if in the Hurry I had not seiz’d one of the Incendiaries and deliver’d him up to them.

The People were so provok’d at him that was taken that they fell upon him with all possible Fury as the common Incendiary and Burner of the Town, and presently quitted us (for they had before vowed our Destruction) but, as I said, quitted us immediately, and thronged about the Wretch they had taken; and, indeed, I made no Question but that they would have immediately murder’d him (nay, that they would have torn him in Pieces before they parted with him). But after they had vented their Rage at him for some Time with all possible Reproaches and Indignities, they carry’d him before the Cadi, or Judge of the Place. The Cadi, a wise, grave Man, answered, no, he would not judge him at that Time, for they were too hot and passionate to do Justice; but they should come with him in the Morning, when they were cool, and he would hear them.

It is true this was a most excellent Step of the Cadi as to the right Way of doing Justice; but it did not prove the most expedient in the present Occasion, though that was none of his Fault neither; for in the Night the Fellow got out of their Hands, by what Means or by whose Assistance I never heard to this Day; and the Cadi fined the Town in a considerable Sum for letting a Man accused of a capital Crime make his Escape before he was adjudged, and, as we call it, discharged according to Law.

This was an eminent Instance of the Justice of these People; and though they were doubly enraged at the Escape of the Fellow, who, without Doubt, was guilty, yet they never open’d their Mouths against the Cadi; but acquiesc’d in his Judgment, as in that of an Oracle, and submitted to the national Censure, or Censure according to the Custom of their Nation, which he had pass’d upon them in their publick Capacity for the Escape of the Man.

We were willing to get out of this Place as soon as we could; for we found the Peoples Rage, which wanted an Object to vent itself upon, began to threaten us again: So having pack’d up our Goods, and gotten five ordinary Camel-Drivers for our Servants in the Country, we set out again.

The Roads in Persia are not so much frequented, as to be well accommodated with Inns, so that several Times we were oblig’d to lodge upon the Ground in the Way; but our new Servants took Care to furnish us with Lodging; for as soon as we let them know we wanted Rest, and inclin’d to stop, they set up a Tent for us, in so short a Time, that we were scarce able to imagine it possible, and under this we encamp’d, our Camels being just by us, and our Servants and Bales lying all hard by.

Once or twice we lodg’d in publick Inns, built at the King of Persia’s Charge: These are fair large Buildings, built square, like a large Inn, they have all of them large Stables, and good Forrage for the Camels and Horses, and Apartments for perhaps two or three hundred People, and they are call’d Caravansera’s, as being built to entertain whole Caravans of Travellers: On the great Roads to Tauris and the Side of Turky they are all fortify’d, and are able to entertain five or six Thousand People, and have a Stock to furnish what Number of Men can come with Provisions; nay, it has been known, that whole armies of the Persians have on their March been furnish’d with Provisions in one of these Caravansera’s, and that they have kill’d 2000 Sheep for them in one Night’s Time.

In this Manner we travell’d to Ispahan, the Capital of Persia, where appearing as Merchants, and with several Camels loaden with Merchandize, we pass’d all Possibility of Suspicion, and being perfectly easy, we continu’d here some Time, sold our Cargoes, and would gladly have remitted the Money to other Places, as for Constantinople in particular; but we found the Turks and Persians have no such Thing as an Exchange, by Bills running between them and other Nations, no, nor between one Town and another.

We were invited here by a sudden Accident to have gone Home by the Caspian Sea and Astracan, so thro’ Muscovy; but I had heard so much of the Barbarity of the Russians, the dangerous Navigation of the Caspian Sea by Reason of the Calms and Shoals, the Hazard of being robb’d by the Tartars on the River Wolga, and the like, that I chose to travel to Constantinople, a Journey through Desarts, over Mountains and Wastes, among so many Sorts of Barbarians, that I would run any Kind of Hazards by Sea, before I would attempt such a Thing again.

It would deserve another History to let you into all the different Circumstances of this Journey; how well I was us’d by some, and how ill by others; nay, how well by some Mahometans, how ill by some Christians: But it shall suffice to tell you, that I am at present at Constantinople; and, tho’ I write this here, I do not purpose to send it to you till I come to Marseilles in France; from whence I intend to go and live in some inland Town, where, as they have, perhaps, no Notion of the Sea, so they will not be inquisitive after us.

I am, &c.

FINIS