'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.' [‎416] (411/594)

41^ The Travels of Sir John Chardin tnto
^ the Great, rais'd up two ftrong Dams about ic, to
the end it might hold more Water; and to prevent the Wa
ter from wafting. He alfo caus d (everal Caufeys to be made
in the fame place for the Convenience of Travellers. Be
ing defcended from the Mountain, you enter into a deep Val
ley , very narrow and about a League in length : all
which fpace of Ground is ftor'd with Houfes , Vine*
yards, and Gardens lo clofe one to another, that it feeins
to be' but one Village of a League in length. Several de
lightful and clean Streams derive their Springs from that Plain,
which preferve the Air wonderfully cool all the Summer;
fo that it is a place the mod: charming and delightful that a
man fhall meet with in that fcorching Climate. For the
Sun has fo little Power there, that the Rofes were not
then blown ; the Corn and Fruit were alfo then green and
but half ripe; and yet they had reapd their Harveft,and had
eaten ripe Fruit a Cafbun at month before. We locig d at the
end of that lovely Plain, in a there built, which
they call'd Carou.
Some of our own modern Authors aflert,That this Valley
was the Place where Darius was murder'd, which is not im.
probable, for that the Hiftory obferves,that Bejfus and Na-
barzams, after they had committed that Treacherous Murder
upon the Prince, took feveral Roads, the one for
and the other for Battriam ; and Cafwi is exadly the Place
that leads direflly to thofe two Provinces.
The n,wetravell'd eight Leagues; two along the foot
of the Mountains between which that Valley lies; and fix in
,a pleafant Vale, ftor'd with a great number of Villages;
where we met with feveral upon the Road ; we
alighted atone that was larger and fairer then the reft, call'd
Jga-I\emal, from the name of a rich Merchant that bpilt it,
and feveral other publick Struftures about
The ii.our Journeys was not above five Leagues in the
fame Plain, where Aga-Kgmal ftands. We travell'd fb hard,
that by nine a Clock at night we arriv'd at which
is a large Village confifting of about five hundred Houfes,
where there are feveral Inns and Gardens, and great plenty of
Water,
The i],we fet forward late, to the end we might not
come to Ifpahan before day. We travell'd the nine Leagues,
which we had to ride, over lovely Plains, ftill directing our
Courfe