'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.' [‎391] (380/594)

through the Black Sea^ and ^Colchis, 3
Georgia, who embrac'd the Mahometan Religion, to obtain
the Government of that Kingdom : and in this Garden it is
that the common people of Com mofl: utually take their Re
creation. There arealfo two fair Keys all along the River,
the whole length of the City ■ and at the Eaft end a fair
Bridge. It contains alfo very large and beautiful
where the Markets are kept both for Whole-Sale and Retail.
Neverthelefs Cow is no place of great Trade; they export
from thence vaft Quantities of Fruit dry'd and raw, efpecially
(Pomegranates, great ftore of Sope, Sword Blades, and Earthen
Ware both white and varnifh'd. And this is peculiar to the
white Ware,which is thence tranfported, that in the Summer
.it cools the water wonderfully and very fuddenly, by reafon
of continual Tranfpiration. So that they who defire to
drink cool and delicioufly, never drink in the fame Pot above
five or fix days at moft. They walh it with Rofe-Water
the firft time,, to take aWay theillfmell of the Earth ; and
they hang it in the Air full of water, wrapt up in a moift
linnen Cloth. A fourth part of the water tranfpires in fix
hours the firft time, after that ftilllefs from day to day, till
at laft the Pores are clos'd up, by the thick matter contein'd
in the water, which flops in the Pores. But fo foonasthe
Pores are ftopp'd, the water ftinks in the Pots, and you muft
take new ones. There are in this City a vaft number of deep
Cellars, out of which the People draw water to drink : to
the greateft part of which Cellars, you muft go down a def-
centTof forty or fifty Steps, that are very fteep to boot. But
the water which they fetch from thence is as cool as any
Ice 5 coming from»Fountains that are ftopt with Cocks . So
that this Water is a moft delicious Refrefhment in the Sum
mer, which is furioufly hot at and all the adjacent Parts.
This City alfo contains a great number of fair Inns and
Mofques, of which the faireft is that wherein the two laft de»
ceas'd Kings oCPerfia lie enterr'd.
And here I fhall give you the Platform of that Celebrated
Mofque, fo much talk'd of over all the Eaft. It has four
Courts belonging to it, as you may perceive by the Draught-
The firft is planted with Trees and Flowers like a Garden :
being a long Square, having an Alley in the middle which is
feparated from the Beds and Plots by a Baluftrade. There arc
alfo two Terrafles an each fide, running the full length
of the Garden , three foot high. Upon each fide of which
there are twenty Chambers vaulted, nine foot fquare,
C^qcjq one
G I