'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.' [‎374] (355/594)

374 T he Travels of Sir John Chardin into Periia,
The Orientals call the Country of ; that
is to fay, Ter/tan Ai'ack- They call itlikewife
or the Country of the Mountains, for the reafon's already recited.
My Opinion is, that the Scythians from whom, as ancient Au
thors hold, the fParthians deriv'd their Original., were the Uf,
fer Tartars, that inhabit to the North of now call'd
Yuzhecs, and formerly 'Baftrians ; and that that fame Jrfaces,
who founded the Empire of the was a Native of
the fame Country with Tamerlan, and thofe other
Tartar Princes,that made fuch great and famous Concjuefts in
the Ages lafl paft.
The ]<!. we travell'd four Leagues keeping on to
the South, as when we firft let out of Taurts : the Road
was very good, only we had Mountains very near us upon
the right and left hand. We lay at Sir [ham ; which is a large
Inn, adjoyning to three or four fmall Villages, but leated
in a fandy anddry Soyl; and there the Officers that gather
the Duties upon Goods tranfported out of the Kingdom keep
their Poft.
The 4th. we travell'd feven Leagues, through bufliy Plains
and Sands 5 and we were forc'd to make feveral windings
and turnings,by reafon of feveral Mole-Hills and little Sand-
Hills in our way.Ne verthelels both on one the fide and t'other,
at a diftance we could fee a Champian Country,very delight
ful and fertile, and Villages here and there, which yielded a
very delightful Prolpeit; the River Zenjan wat'ring thole Vil
lages. We lay at a large CaraVanjeray call'd Niche, built be»
tween five fpacious Villages.
The 5 th. we travell'd fix Leagues through a Road more
pleafant and lefs crooked, and obferving the fame Courfe as
the day before j and lodg'd at Zerigan, a little City,that con
tains not above two thoufand Houfes. It is feated in a very
narrow Plain between two Mountains that cnclofe it, not
above half a League one from the other. The Soyl of Zerigan
is fertile and pleafant, and the Air wholfome and cool in the
Summer. The City without is furrounded with Gardens,that
yield both Pleafure and Profit, but within the Town there
is nothing remarkable but the great Ruins.
The Hiftory of 'Per[la records this City to have been
founded in the Reign of Ardechir^hahe^on, fcveral Ages be
fore Chrifl; and farther adds,that it confifted of twenty thou
fand Houfes, which is very probable, for that heaps of Rub-
bifh, and Ruins are to be feen for a mile together round about
it.