Hamilton’s account of the east injdies, 291

,on affes or mules, for a very fmall reward, notwithftanding there is a pofitive com-mand in the alcoran, that forbids them to touch fwine’s flelh.

They have plenty of black cattle, wild and tame, and good milk; but they makebut fcurvy cheefe of it, and no butter, becaufe they make the fat of their Iheep’s tailsferve in their kitchens inltead of butter; and they keep no tea-tables for the confump-tion of frelh butter. And coffee, which is much in ufe, is the conftant companion ofa pipe of tobacco, which is taken by the ladies as well as gentlemen. In the defert,which is very near the town, there are wild camels, horfes, affes, goats, lions, leo-pards, panthers and foxes, which they hunt on horfeback, with fword and lance, andon foot with fowling pieces. They have plenty of delicious fruits, as pomegranates,peaches, apricots, quinces, olives, apples, pears, nectarines and grapes that are asfweet as the juice of the fugar-cane, and their fpirits are fo weak, that they’ll pro-duce neither wine nor vinegar: but the moft plenty and ufeful of all their fruits, aretheir dates, which fupport and fuftain many millions of people, who make them theirdaily food, and they are wonderfully nourilhed by them. Baffora exports yearly forforeign countries, above 10,000 tuns of dates, which employ abundance of feamen fortheir exportation, belides many more poor in gathering and packing them in matsmade of the leaves of the date tree, and likewife in drying them. I bought about 160pound weight of wet dates for 2s. 3d. llerling, and fometimes they are cheaper.

The ruins of the famous Babylon lie about 200 Englilh miles up the river from Baf-fora; and at Bagdat, which is 12 miles below it, the ruins appear to be a mountain,and are'the habitation of wild beafts and ferpents. Whether Bagdat was built out ofits ruins, or no, I know not; but ’tis reported, and generally believed that it was. Itis now a prodigious large city, and the feat of a Beglerbeg, who governs a very greatprovince. They balhaws of Baffora, Comera, and Mufol, (the ancient Nineveh ) arefubordinate to him, and are able to bring 150,000 men into the field.

Comera Hands on the banks of Euphrates , about 80 miles above Baffora,‘and, bycommon tradition, is the place where holy Job dwelt. It abounds in all things thatBaffora produces, viz. fruits, roots, herbs and animals: befides, it is very fruitful inproducing wheat, rice, and pulfe of feveral fpecies. There is a garrifon of 10,000 ja-niffaries continually kept there, and 8 or 10 river gallies, well furnilhed, to awe thecircumjacent countries, who are apt to rebel. And Baffora has 3000 japiffaries and 5gallies for the fame account. The balhaws of the gallies are not fubordinate to thebalhaws of the cities; but he of the gallies has the command of the circumjacent coun-tries, laying on of taxes, and raifing fubfidies at his pleafure, as he of the cities haspower to opprefs the citizens: and their avarice and leverity often caufe mutinies andbloodlhed. One of thofe mutinies happened at Baffora, in anno 1721, for the balhawof the city having married a lady out of the Grand Seignior’s feraglio, and that mo-narch having fome deference for her on account of confanguinity, her hulband was putinto the balhaw’s Ihip to get money to fupport his lady’s extravagancy; and finding thatfair honeft ways would be a long while in raifing fuch fums as he thought would befufficient for that end, oppreft botli city and country to fill his coffers. The poor op-prelt merchants, mechanics and peafants plied him with complaints on his foldiery,who, they thought, robbed them, fince their exactions were new. They gave in re-monftrances of their grievances, and petitioned for redrefs; but the perfons fent withthofe addreffes, had the baftinado for their impertinence. Upon this the diftreffed cityand country made their addrefs to the balhaw of the gallies, who knew that they hadjuft caufe of complaint. He wrote to the Beglerbeg, and informed him of their cafeand condition, and obtained a fevere reprimand; for he of the city, inltead of amend-

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