'A Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, in the years 1808 and 1809, in which is included some account of the proceedings of his Majesty's Mission, under Sir Harford Jones, Bart., to the Court of the King of Persia. With twenty-five engravings from the designs of the author; a plate of inscriptions; and three maps.' [‎171] (240/524)

ISPAHAN.
171
surement of the general population of the city, the whole numbers of
Ispahan would swell rapidly; but as every one in the course of the
day has some business in this spot, the rest of the city is compara
tively deserted; and as the traders also themselves have here their
shops only and return to their homes at night, the mixed multi
tudes which throng the hazard, again scattered over all the quarters
of the town, become a very inadequate proportion for its extent.
The women, indeed, except the very lower class, generally remain
at home^ and during the day form, with their children, all the po
pulation of some paits 'qfj the city. The N. and E. divisions are
th6 best inhabited. In Ckaedin's time the numbers were esti
mated lay those; who reckoned largely one million and one hundred
thousand soul*; but even by the. more moderate were fixed at six
hundred thousand. Considering, however, the state of ruin in which,
perhaps, half of Ispahan is at present, we cannot place its actual
population at more than four hundred thousand souls, a calculation
which is supported by the accounts of the houses or families, of
which there are eighty thousand. This information was subsequently
communicated to me bj H ajee MAHfow^ED H ossein K hai^, second
Minister ito the Ki<ng, a native also of the city, and long its Governor,
whose opportunities theretoe of ascertaining the fact were unquestion
able. Much, nevertheksfe, must be allowed for the exaggeration na
tural to a Persian.
Thei Jmhnh slbpsi (or eating-houses on the plan of those in Turkey)
seemed to be alson equally etoati and well arranged. From one of
these - h counplcrte dinner^ with» Wvery necessary convenien'Ce of dishes-,
^heifcts^may be>procured ait a short notice, and at a moderate
expQiwpe. TI t^ most frequent shops appeared to be those of sweet-
nrmtBy wkiek (in a consumption almost incredible) ferm the dhief
ingredients of f; Pbrsianf food, ahd are hero arranged for sate- very
wcatiy i in large China vksesv clean 1 glass vessels, and: bright brass
platiiera. The people excel in the composition / and import their sugaj
z 2