The 24th we came to Mohader, a small village at the foot of the great
hill, thirteen miles from Nakhil Sammar.
Our chiaus had a warrant from
the pacha to take up asses for our men, and accordingly did so at this
place over night; but next morning the Arabians lay in ambush in the
way, and took back their asses, neither of our chiauses daring to give
them one uncivil word. The 25th we came to Rabattamaine, a sensor,
with a few small cottages and shops, on the side of a hill, sixteen
miles. Here grow poppies, of which they make opium, but it is not good.
The 26th we came to a coughe[333] house, called Merfadine, in the
middle of a plain, sixteen miles. The 27th, Tayes, a city half as big
as Zenan, surrounded by a mud wall. We staid here two days, in which
time I did all I could to recover Mr Pemberton's boy, whom Hamet aga the
governor had forced to become Mahometan, and would on no account part
with him. Walter Talbot, who spoke the Turkish language, was allowed to
converse with him in a chamber among other boys. He told Talbot that he
was no Turk, but had been deluded by them, saying that I and all my
people were put to death at Zenan, and that he must change his religion
if he would save his life, but he refused: yet they carried him to a
bagnio, where he was circumcised by force.
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