and betweene euery course of bricks there lieth a course of mattes made of
canes, which remaine sound and not perished, as though they had bene layed
within one yeere. The city of New Babylon ioineth vpon the aforesayd small
desert where the Olde city was, and the riuer of Tigris runneth close vnder
the wall, and they may if they will open a sluce, and let the water of the
same runne round about the towne. It is aboue two English miles in
compasse, and the inhabitants generally speake three languages, to wit, the
Persian, Arabian and Turkish Tongues: the people are of the Spaniards
complexion: and the women generally weare in one of the gristles of their
noses a ring like a wedding ring, but somewhat greater, with a pearle and a
Turkish stone set therein: and this they do be they neuer so poore.

[Sidenote: Rafts borne vpon bladders of goat skins.] This is a place of
very great traffique, and a very great thorowfare from the East Indies to
Aleppo. The towne is very well furnished with victuals which come downe the
riuer of Tigris from Mosul which was called Niniuie in olde time. They
bring these victuals and diuers sorts of marchandises vpon rafts, borne
vpon goats skins blowenvp full of wind in maner of bladders. And when they
haue discharged their goods, they sel the rafts for fire, and let the wind
out of their goats skins, and cary them home againe vpon their asses by
land, to make other voyages downe the riuer. The building here is most of
bricke dried in the Sun, and very litle or no stone is to be found: their
houses are all flat-roofed and low. [Sidenote: Seldome rain.] They haue no
raine for eight moneths together, nor almost any clouds in the skie night
nor day. Their Winter is in Nouember, December, Ianuary and February, which
is as warme as our Summer in England in a maner. This I know by good
experience, because my abode at seuerall times in this city of Babylon hath
bene at the least the space of two yeeres. As we come to the city, we passe
ouer the riuer of Tigris on a great bridge made with boats chained together
with two mighty chaines of yron. [Sidenote: Eight and twenty dayes iourney