Therefore, That The World May Be Benefited By My Experience, I
Have Caused My Voyages And Travels To Be Printed, Which I Now Present To
You, Gentle And Loving Readers, In Hopes That The Variety Of Things
Contained In This Book May Give You Delight.
SECTION I.
_Voyage from Venice to Bir in Asia Minor._
In the year 1563, while residing at Venice, being desirous to see the
eastern parts of the world, I embarked in a ship called the _Gradaige_
of Venice, commanded by Jacomo Vatica, bound for Cyprus, taking with
me certain merchandise. On arriving at Cyprus, I left that ship, and
went in a lesser to Tripoli in Syria, where I made a short stay. I then
travelled by land to Aleppo, where I became acquainted with some
Armenian and Moorish merchants, and agreed to accompany them to Ormuz.
We accordingly departed together from Aleppo, and came to the city of
_Bir_ in two days journey and a-half.
Bir is a small city in which provisions are very scarce, situated in
Asia Minor, [in lat. 37 deg. 5' N. long. 38 deg. E. from Greenwich], the river
Euphrates running near its walls. In this city, the merchants who intend
to descend the Euphrates form themselves into companies or associations,
according to the quantities of merchandise they possess, and either
build or buy a boat to carry themselves and their goods down the
Euphrates to Babylon[121], under the care of a master and mariners hired
to conduct the boat.
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