where the uppermoft ftick quite clofe to it, as you may fee on the Smyrnum Creticum; on the top it puts forth oblong fcaly yellow buttons, each of them on their peculiar ftalk from whence iffue flowers of the fame colour; it hath a very long root, which at the top fhoots out great branches, that grow fo thick, that in time they may be feparated and transplanted; but elfe they have but very few fibres, fo that they rather are fmooth, and alfo almost as tough and pliable as liquorish root, to which it is very like in it's bignefs and colour, only it is fomewhat whiter, and not fo ftrait. But why Avicenna maketh mention also of it's wrinckles, I am of opinion that he rather speaketh of the greater fort, which is more wrinkly and rougher, and alfo for above a span long, feem to be fhrunk of age and turn'd woody, or decay'd and dry'd up, although within they are ftill juicy, limber, and have kept their natural colour. I was alfo inform'd of others, viz. of the Coftus Syriacus, which they ftill know by the name of Chaft, and is found about Antiochia: And not far off from thence is alfo found the Nux vomica as fome esteem them, by the inhabitants call'd Cutfchula; which together with a great many other famous ones I might have obtained, if I could have had a true, faithful and experienced guide; but for want of fuch a one, and alfo becaufe I could ftay no longer, I was forced to leave them behind, to be hereafter found out by fuch that shall undertake the like journeys.

CHA P. XIII.

Cunning and deceitful stratagems of the Grand Turk against the inhabitants of mount Libanus, the Trufci, and Maronites: And how he made, war with them, and what damage they fuftained by

it.

H

AVING here before made mention of the Maronites and Trufci their neighbours and allies, I cannot but muft alfo go farther, and briefly relate, how the Turk did make war against them, (as to whom they are not yet quite subjected) during the time of my staying in these countries. But from whence this war did firft arife, and had it's beginning, I was thus inform'd, that it broke out about one of their governours, which lived then for a little time at Damaleus. For when the Grand Signior obferved that thefe people did daily grow in number and ftrength, he confider'd that if he fhould let them go on so, and neglect to curb them in time, they might probably after a while grow too potent for him; wherefore he thought it requifite to ftudy and make it his business to find out ways and means to fubdue them, and to reduce them under his power. In order thereunto, he apprehended the governour that lived then in Damafcus, and put him into prifon, and at length took away his life unjustly, under pretence as if he had endeavour'd to raise a rebellion; not doubting but that when he had removed their head,' he might the easier fubdue and reduce the people. But when the Trufci and Maronites understood this cruel and abominable fact, not without grief and trouble, they were not only not at all difcouraged from refifting fo great and formidable an enemy, but rather took new courage that was promoted by the great anger this

detestable

deteftable fact put them into, fo that they united themfelves the firmer, and did unanimoufly refolve to oppose him with all their might and power, and to stand by their antient liberty; and accordingly they began immediately to arm themselves, to fortify their villages, and chiefly their passes, and to provide themselves with guns, bows, and arrows, and all other things neceffary for their defence, so that in cafe of neceffity they might be ready to refift their enemies, being such a kind that kept neither faith nor promife, which they had often experienced to their great grief and loffes. So that in all probability it was like to be a war, which alfo broke out with great violence within a little time after. But because I went for Bagdat at the fame time, where in former years the potent Caliphi did refide, I did hear no more of it in all my journey until at my return, when my comrade Hans Ulrich Krafft of Ulm, then prifoner in Tripoli, did relate it to me, fo as it was reported to him by credible hands; who told me that the Trufci are very numerous, that they were divided into several regiments, of feveral colours, and that those that live in the middle of the high mountains were the moft numerous of them all, that they live in a country that is very well fecured and furrounded, fo that they need not, nor will not be fubject either to the Turks or any other potentate. They are warlike people, for the generality good gunners, that make their own guns and any other forts of arms, c. they have plenty of corn, oil, wine, good meat and good fruit, fo that they need not any affiftance of ftrangers. They chiefly deal in filk, whereof they wind (from filkworms) about one hundred rotulas in a year (which is about 450 C. weight) to fend from thence into other countries. Thefe have their white colours, and their confederates that live on the outward hill towards the fea, at Baruti near Tripoli, have red ones, and have alfo their colonel whom they call Ermin Mackfur, who also thofe that belong unto the white colours acknowledge to be theirs, as well as their own, who was lately murder'd. This because he could not entrench himself as well as the other Trufci on the hill, agreed with the Great Sultan, and made peace upon this account, that if he would let him live peaceably and quietly, he would

Q4

would help him to protect the country, and pay unto him yearly the accuftom'd tribute, but if the Grand Signior would not be pleafed with this proffer, he would join and affift them. The Emperor accepted of this, and did not only make this Ermin Mackfur Lord of all Baruti and Scide, call'd Sidon, but did also procure him a great and plentiful yearly revenue out of thefe countries; thinking thus to oblige him, to help him with his Trufci to fubdue the others, not doubting but that he might eafily overcome these, when once the other on the mountains were kill'd. But they would not get up the hill, but did profer to the Turks, that if their men and the Moors fhould go up, they would be ready in the valley about Baruti, to cut off all that fhould fall into their hands. This anfwer they gave to the Sultan, only for fashion's fake, for no Trufcus killeth the other. When the Sultan faw that they would not bite one another, and that he was not like to obtain any great matter from the Colonel, he did notwithstanding fend up the Bafhaw of Damafcus with fix other Bafhaws and seventeen Sangiacks, about 200,000 ftrong, both foot and horfe well arm'd, to fubdue the before mention'd Trufci which were about 60,000 strong, to burn, demolish and deftroy their towns, villages, houfes and plantations. After they were come up to the ascent two days journey from Damafcus, they found the roads fo fteep that no body could pafs them on horfeback, for there was nothing to be feen but rough and fharp pointed rocks. So they agreed to difmount, and to go up to them on foot, and fo they took presently fix or feven villages, whereof there is faid to be twenty feven in all, but they found nothing in them but fome women. and children and very few men (the reft were got upon the hills where they had entrench'd themfelves) which were all cut in pieces, and the villages burnt.

The Turks and Moors thought themfelves obliged, according to their Emperors command to go on farther, fo they endeavour'd and got up higher, but could not do any more harm to the Trufci, being hinder'd by the bad ways; but on the contrary the Trufci met them fometimes and poured their fhot upon them from all fides, before they were aware of it, fo that they were but in

an

an ill condition. Then when the Turks would purfue thefe men, they were too quick for them, as being born and bred in thefe mountains; fo they did only laugh at them, and bid them kifs their breeches; fo the Turks, partly for want of provifion, partly being tired by the fteep roads, were fometimes forced, not without great damage and lofs of their men, to retire again to take better measures. Sometimes alfo the Trufci would stand between the rocks cover'd and when they found any of their enemies appear, chiefly thofe that endeavour'd to climb up the rocks, they would all of a fudden fhoot among them as among a flock of pigeons, fo that many of them did precipitate themselves and broke their necks. They would alfo fometimes decoy the Turks into a good road and after eight or ten thousand of them were paffed, they would with fix thoufand Trufci fall in the rear of them to drive them up higher, where others foon did appear that came down upon them; fo they furrounded them fometimes and received them fo warmly, that but very few of them came back again to tell what was become of the reft. After this war had continued for about two months, the Bashaw at last was forced to make a shameful retreat with the remainder of his forces, and that fo much the fooner because the winter began to approach, fo that it was impoffile to endure the froft and fnow, which occafion'd many to die, and the chiefeft of them came home fick.

The Trufci pretend to be Chriftians, and the pofterity of those that some years ago by might and strength recover'd the Holy Land; fo that ftill to this day they have a great affection for Chriftians, which thofe that travel among them to buy filks can teftify, whom they treat and entertain very civilly with good meat and good wine, yet refuse to take any money for it; and fay, that what God hath given them they are bound to distribute among us Chriftians. But they hate Mahometans and Jews, and keep very good intelligence with the Chriftians of this country. Yet they themfelves are neither Chriftians, Turks, Moors nor Jews; for they do not go to mafs, nor any other publick worship of God; they cry. out fometimes to heaven that God would be pleased to protect them. They alfo believe according to the opi