'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎373] (354/594)

through the BJack-Sea^ and the Country of CoTchis.
the Province of Candabar, and the At the top of the
Mountain upon the point of a Rock,we fpy'd a large ruin'd Ca*
(lie,which the 'Perfians call the V Ci?y//t,allcdging that
taxerxes caus d it to be built to imprifbn therein a Princels of
the Blood. But Abas the Great caus'd it to be utterly dernoli-
fhed, asferving only for a Retreat to a number of Robbers
that made themfclves as it were foveraign Lords of the Moun=
tain. On both fides of the Mountain are large Caufeys,which
that great Prince caus'd to be made,for the eafe of Travellers
in the Winter. Towards the end of our journey we pafs'd
a large River, call'd KeftUheufe over a fair Bridge, and lay at
Semele. Which is an Inn or Cara built near the Bridge
to lodge Travellers that can reach no farther.
The River J^efil'heu^eis much larger and more rapid than
that of Miana, and ferves to bound Media from the Country
of the Parthians. And now no fooner have you pafs'd this
River, but you may eafily perceive the change of the Air.
For whereas the Temperature of is fomewhat moyft
and cloudy, which is the reafon of high Winds and much
Rain, and that the Soil is fruitful of it lelf, whatever and«
ent Authors have wrote to the contrary, the Parthian Air is
dry to the extremcft degree jinfbmuch that for fix Months to
gether you Oiall neither fee any Rain or any Clouds: but the
Soil is fandy,and Nature produces nothing without good Huf-
bandry and PaitM.
The Country of the Parthians, which was fo long the'Sea?
of the Empire of /j-t^isthe largeft amlprincipal Province of the
Perfian Monarchy. It is all the proper demeans of the King,
nor has it any Governor, as the moft part of the reft of the
Provinces. The Perfians bound it to the Eaft, by the Pro»
vince of Corajfon, or Cwomitrem 5 to the South, by that of
Fars-, which is properly ferfut-, to the Weft, by J^erbeyanot
Media ; to the North, by Guilan and which
compofe the Province of Hyrcania. This Province extends
itfelf at leaft two hundred Leagues in length, and an hun*
dred and fifty Leagues in breadth. The Air is very dry, and
and the moft healthy for the moft part of any in the world.
It is more mountainous then level. The Mountains are alfo
very bare, and to fpeak in general terms, produce nothing
but Thiftles and Briers: but the Plains are very fertile and
pleafant, where there is any Water : o herwife the Soyl is ve
ry barren. This large Province contains above forty Cities,
which is very much in Terfia, as not being an Empire peopl d
proportionably to its Extents Th^