The King of Pirates Part 5

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 a.s.sistance 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 pa.s.s'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 pa.s.s'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 Circ.u.mstances 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 _Ma.r.s.eilles_ 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._

FINISH.