'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎308] (339/582)

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SHIRAZ.
naked, excepting only a strong girdle to conceal their waist, and
thick pads at the knees. There were also two little boys and a
black slave lad. At the sound of a drum and guitar, the men be
gan to exercise themselves with large clubs held across their
shoulders, moving in a measured dance: they next began to jump,
and then stoop to the ground, as if about to sit, springing up again
suddenly on their legs: they next swung one foot for a consider
able length of time, and then the other; after which there was
violent jumping and dancing, and afterwards a motion like swim
ming on the earth, by placing their breasts nearly to touch the
soil, then drawing their bodies forward, and rising again, some
even in this position bearing a man clinging fast to their loins.
They next began to walk on their hands, with their feet in the
air, falling from this position hard on the ground, turning head
over heels in the air, and, last of all, wrestling with each other
All these feats were performed to measured tones of music ; and
each encounter of the last description was preceded by the recital
of a poem, in order to encourage the combatants, which was done
by the master of the place. One young man, about twenty-five
years old, from six feet four to six feet six inches high, with the
most muscular, and at the same time the most beautiful form that
I ever beheld, threw all his antagonists; and was indeed as supe
rior to all the rest in skill and strength, as he was more nobly ele
gant in his form and more graceful in all his motions. Jaffier
Ali had known this champion ftom a youth of five years old.
When a lad, he was so handsome that all the women of Shiraz
who saw him were in love with him. He had constantly fre
quented the Zoor Khoneh, and his strength and beauty of form
had improved together. For myself, I never beheld so complete
a model of manly beauty, and had never before thought that so
much grace and elegance could be given to violent movements as
I witnessed here: it realized all the ideal strength and beauty of
the sculptures of the Greeks. There were many strong and active
men among the others, but none to be compared with this.