ipoly in Soria, where I stayed a while. Afterward, I tooke my iourney
to Alepo, and there I acquainted my selfe with marchants of Armenia, and
Moores, that were marchants, and consorted to go with them to Ormus, and
wee departed from Alepo, and in two dayes iourney and a halfe, we came to a
city called Bir.

Of the city called Bir.

Bir is a small city very scarse of all maner of victuals, and nere vnto the
walles of the city runneth the riuer of Euphrates. [Sidenote: The river
Euphrates.] In this city the marchants diuide themselues into companies,
according to their merchandise that they haue, and there either they buy or
make a boat to carry them and their goods to Babylon downe the riuer
Euphrates, with charge of a master and mariners to conduct the boat in the
voyage: these boats are in a maner flat bottomed, yet they be very strong:
and for all that they are so strong, they will serue but for one voyage.
They are made according to the sholdnesse of the riuer, because that the
riuer is in many places full of great stones, which greatly hinder and
trouble those that goe downe the riuer. These boats serue but for one
voyage downe the riuer vnto a village called Feluchia, because it is
impossible to bring them vp the riuer backe againe. [Sidenote: Feluchia a
small city on Euphrates.] At Feluchia the marchants plucke their boats in
pieces, or else sell them for a small price, for that at Bir they cost the
marchants forty or fifty chickens a piece, and they sell them at Feluchia
for seuen or eight chickens a piece, because that when the marchants
returne from Babylon backe againe, if they haue marchandise or goods that
oweth custome, then they make their returne in forty dayes thorow the
wildernesse, passing that way with a great deale lesser charges then the
other way. [Sidenote: Mosul.] And if they haue not marchandise that oweth
custome, then they goe by the way of Mosul, where it costeth them great
charges both the Carouan and company. From Bir where the marchants imbarke
themselues to Feluchia ouer agains Babylon, if the riuer haue good store of
water, they shall make their voyage in fifteene or eighteene dayes downe
the riuer, and if the water be lowe, and it hath not rained, then it is
much trouble, and it will be forty or fifty dayes journey downe, because
that when the barks strike on the stones that be in the riuer, then they
must vnlade them, which is great trouble, and then lade them againe when
they haue