'A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters. Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672. And Finished 1681. Containing Observations made of the Moral, Natural, and Artificial Estate of Those Countries: Namely, of their Government, Religion, Laws, Customs. Of the Soil, Climates, Seasons, Health, Diseases. Of the Animals, Vegetables, Minerals, Jewels. Of their Housing, Cloathing, Manufactures, Trades, Commodities. And of the Coins, Weights, and Measures, Used in the Principal Places of Trade in Those Parts.' [‎334] (381/506)

554 The Prefent State PERSIA.
Letter V.
Springs.
Little Rain.
Showers of
Sand.
The Dew-
turned into
Manna.
Cities.
let loofe, return to the Main Channel, and raife themfelves to the
Brims of its Banks, otherwife paflable in moft places; This firft
way failing, we ftiall fee what Supply is to be expedied from the
Lake Stoke, which lies too low to afcend the High Countries j and
for the Cafpian Sea or Lake, I doubt not it will appear as impoflj.
ble^ if it be true what is faid in behalf of it, That many mighty
Rivers empty themfelves into it, which it receives without the leaft
Augmentation, and therefore cannot return their Kindnefs recipro-
cally.
Which being confider'd, this Land is chiefly beholden to whole-
fome Springs of Living Water, to quench the Third of Plants as
well as living Creatures, which are to that End beftowed on them
apart by a more Liberal Providence, than either of the former by a
joint Confent.
Notwithftanding the impending Clouds, they are moflly without
. Rain; and though they lowre fome Weeks together, they rarely
drop Moifture.
The fudden Gufts and impetuous Blafts from the Mountains hin-
dring them, oftner caufe near the Maritime Coafts, Hurricanes of
Wind, and wonderful Tempefts of Sand, fo Thick and Black, that
the Clouds raifed thereby benight the very Day, and while the
Storm lafts (which is not long) induces a Darknefs to be felt; and
the Fury over, it leaves the Effeds of a Fired Air: Unlefs when the
Seven Stars arife on this Horizon at the beginning of Spring, when
a mellifluous Dew lies not long on the Trees and the Plants, before
it be concrete into the choiceft Manna.
And although at Hated Times the Snow does furnifli them with
Water, yet it fuffers in nothing more than in extreme Drought.
Which is the reafon Eminent Cities and Market-Towns ftand not
thick, but are at vaft diftances one from another; nor are the Villa
ges lefs {haggling, twofcarcely falling under the Eye from the Tops
of their higheft Mountains, excepting in fome few of their Wealthi-
eft Plains.
The moft principal Cities I have (een, are Gcwhroon, and Bunder-
Congo^ two great Ports in the Gulph of Perfia, famous for Traffick
on that fide of the World. Lhor y the Granary for thefe Ports. Je-
rem, excelling in Dates. Siras, lik6 another Phcenix fprung out of
the Afhes of Ferfepolis, which ftill retains the Dignity and Majefty
ot the Metropolis of Perjia, ftridlly fo called ; after the fame man
ner as Ifpahaun, Spahaun, or Suffahaun, moft properly is of Par thin;
only fo much the more Honourable, by how long it fhall pleafe the
Emperor to fix his Throne there.
Thofe Cities which Fame has brought to our Ears, are Caslin x ano
ther Royal City, bordering on the Cafpian, ficklier xh^Spahaun, tho
it exceed it in Plenty of all things. *Taherez, i. e. Taurus in Arme-
no t far from Mount Ararat, now the Seat of the Chief Pa*
triarchate; it is conterminous to the Turks, and the moft Trading
Empory on that fide. For weaving and tranfporting Silks and Vel
vets, Gill an ftands in the firft Rank; inthefecond, S her wan. Joufcan
fells excellent Wool, and from Mujhat is brought the beft Iron and
Copper, thefe being Cities in Carmania, At Derah is the true
fphaltus:
Stones.
divert
oftlrf 0 '
thofe in ^
Stony, a nc
tations in
Quarters.
The Pal
Towards t
Porch, wb
which is 3
which cod
Heat by ]:
to draw k
the out-pa
Fclding -d(
Colours, <
outfide Sla
well as tht
From li
very high,
inthemidd
the fa (
Mitcki
raatick Fl
bearing F
Summer i
as they fi
by Water-
off thett
plain of f
Urikes the
amongft a
below Staii
theburnin,
isconftitutl
is capable:
and are co
Stents ;
wivetheW
Dial fuck.
Houfe, as t
^inte
0 P e n Halls;
fen
^emwatr
Floo r J
far Bedel