'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎146] (187/1024)

The Persian Travels
Book IV.
Barbel. In the fubterranean Channel which they bring to water their fields^
,1s another fort of Filh very plentiful of bones, and as little as can be eaten.
1 1 Where the white Mulberies grow by the River fide, fo foon as they begj, n to
bear fruit, 5 t is very good pafiime to fee the Crabs, as big as the Palm of a man s hand
come out of the River after Sun-fet, and climb the trees to eat the fruit,and t hep by
break of day return into the Paver again. They are delicate food, far beyond Grey,
filh, but a hot provocative Diet, as the Phyfidans well obferve. r
During the Froft they bring from thtCafiian Sea great fiore of Salmon or Salmon.
Trouts, four or five Foot long. The Province of Media is well Bor’d with Sturgc 0n
from the mouth of the Paver Araxes. In the fame Sea there is a certain Ft(h like
a Carp, which they fait and dry like our Herrings. From the Per fun Gulf comes
nothing but Salt-fifti, which is tranfported over all the Kingdom.
Their Fowls are much the fame'that we have in Europe, only 1 do not remember
that lever faw any Quails in the Country. As for their Pigeons, they fly wild
about the Country i but only fome which they keep tame in the City, wherewithal
to decoy the reft: which is a fport the Perfians ufe in hot weather as.well as in cold,
Now in regard theChriflians aremot permitted to keep thefe Pigeons, fome of the
vulgar fort will turn Mahometans to have that liberty.Thci'e are above three thoufand
Pigeon-houfes in Ijpaban. For every man may build a Pigcon-houfe upon his own
Farm,which yet is very rarely done •, all the other Pigecn-houfes belong to the King
yvho draws a greater Revenue from the Dung than from the Pigeons: which Dung
as they prepare it, ferves to fmoak their Melons.
Pouitrey is very plentiful in Perfia } and the Armenians brought out of Enrop
the way how to Fat Capons •, the firft fo fatted they prefented to the King, who lik’d
them fo well, that he order’d that the r icheft of the Armenians ftiould be commanded
to provide him fuch & number every year. There are no Turkeys in all dfia but
the Armenians trafficking taVenice carry’dfome from thence, which when theKing
had tafted, he lik’d fo well, that he order’d the Armenians to breed him up fuch
3 number, and to ftbek the Kingdom with them. But the Armenians^ feeing theKing
would impofe a new Tribute of Turkeys as well as Capons, grew negligent, and
fuffer’d the Chickens to dye as foon as they were hatch’d. Thereupon the Eerfmt
fufpedting the fraud, commanded the Armenians to keep the dead Turkeys, that they
might be Judges how they came by their deaths: And it was my wonder tofeefo
many young Turkeys hanging againft the Walls of fome Houfesin Z«/^, that
occafion’d this Story to be told me.
All forts of Water-fowl are as plentiful in Perfia, as with us.
Upon the Frontiers of Media and Armenia, at a certain feafon of the year are to
be feerv a great number of Birds, much like to our Owiils. Much about the fame time
the Corn begins to appear, but then is the ground cover’d with fuch infinite fwarms
ofLocufts, that \\\<z Armenians ixt forc’d to betake themfelves to their ProcdTions,
and to water the ground with a Water which they fetch a great way off, whereinto
the Bodies of feveral martyr’d Chriftians were thrown. Three days thefe Pro-
ceffions and waterings of the ground continue,and after that, whether it be thatthe
fore-mention’d Birds do eat the Locufts, or only drive them away, in two or three
days the Country is clear of them.
As for Birds of prey, the Country wants none, Falcons, Sparrow Hawks, Lane-
rets, &c. of which the Kiug of Perfta is very well provided, having above eight
hundred belonging to his Game. Some of thefe Birds are taught to fly at the wild
Boar, or wild Afs, or wild Goat ^ others at Cranes, Herons, wild Geefe, and Par-
tridg. The chiefeft of which Birds are brought from the Southern Mountains
extending from Schiras to the Prefian Gulf.
The King takes great delight to hunt the Boar and Hart •, and if it come to pifs
that the Game out-run the Dogs, then they let fly one of their Hawks, who pre-
lently feizes the head, and while fhe is continually pecking and difturbing the
Beaft, the Dogs are prcfently at his heels. The Hawks are taught to flop like a
Horfe at full fpeed : elfe they would never quit their prey, which they prefently
do, as foon as ever the Falconer (hews them their reward. Now their way of
ord'ring or making the Hawk is this. They take the skin of a Hart, head, body,
and kgs, and fluff it with Straw, to the end it may be like the Beaft which they
intend to reprefent in the nature of a Quarry. When they have fet it in the phee
- where