'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.' [‎153] (194/1024)

Chap. Hh 0/ Monfieur Tavernier. 155
— — i —x • ■ - .r .i" nn-mwi in , 'I ^,-r-— '"y —
choiceft Wares of Ferfia. At the end of that Bazar (lands a fair Inn two Stories
high, which the Mother of Sba-Abas the fecond caus’d to be built. In the middle
(lands a great Fountain with four great Gates, which lead into four other Inns*
Here by the way let me give a Traveller and a Trader in Ferfia this advice * that if
his Goods be not very heavy, he never hire a low Chamber, as being three times
dearer than thofe above ; For the Chambers which the Sun lies upon moll in the
Summer, are the Chambers which coll lead. Not but all the Chambers in the Inn
are Tax’d at the fame rate by the King ; but the Holl for his profit will find feme
pretence or other to raife his price,pretending thofe Chambers be hir’d already which
you defire, efpecially if they be corner Chambers, which are the larged and mod
commodious. And indeed without this collufion Chambers would be very cheap. /
The bed convenience of thofe Inns is, that a man is more fecure in one of them then
in a privateHoufe: For there if it happ’n that a piece of Goods be dol’n i or that your
Chapman prove infolvent for Goods bought,the Inn-keeper is to make all goodsbeing
by the Law to receive fo many blows aday ’till he pays the fum demanded# The
Merchant alfo gives two in the hundred for every thing that he fells, and when the
Market is done they prefently go to the Hod, who fets down in his Book the qua
lity of his Goods, and the names both of buyer and feller. If he knows not the
buyer, he is bound to go and enquire after him, and if he be not folvent, the
Merchant takes his Goods again. Sometimes the Merchant to fave the two in the
hundred, combines with the Purchafer to carry away fome of his Goods without the
knowledge of the Hod, which is done by grealing his Deputies fid, who wilt pre
fently diut his Eyes. But then if the Purchafer proves infolvent, the Merchant
dares not complain, beeaufe his Goods are not RegUler’d in the King’s Book, whom
he has defrauded of his Cudom.
No lefs fecure are the Bazar t or Market-places, where the Merchants (hut up
their Shops very (lightly, the Bazars being drongly guarded both within and with
out all night long. As for the petty Stalls in the Meydan^ every one puts up his
Ware in a Box Padlock’d up, and then lay them down at one end of the place one
by another. As for the courfe fort of Ware, as Tents, 1 Cords, Ropes, and fuch
other things they only heap them under a large Coverlet faden’d at the four
corners by four dicks, for the Meydan alfo is as drongly guarded as the Bazar.
Between Halys Gate and that which leads to the Bazar where the Armenians keep
their Shops Jive all thofe that deal in Rnjfia Leather, making Borachtis to tye under
the Horfes Bellies, little Buckets, and Furniture for Horfe-men, as alfo Bowyers,
Fletchers, and Forbifhers. From the lad Gate to the eftd of the Gallery, live all
the Druggids and Apothecaries.
At the Angle upon the two fronts upon the Ead and North, there is aj&ate that
leads to the Great Bazar *, next to that live only your Sai]s-meg that fell whole Ha
bits for men, as Shirts, Sheets, Hofe, and the like. There be alfo thofe that fell
Leather Shoes for men and women *, which Shoes are always worn by perfons of
quality.
Out of this Bazar you go into another full of men that work in Copper, fuch as
make Pots, Plates, and other Utenfils for the Kitchin. Here alfo live thofe that
make Files, and the blades of Sythes. The red of the Bazar is poffefs’d by Dyers
of Calicut s and at the end of the Bazar is a fair Inn, where all the Merchants live
that fell Musk, Rujfta Leather, and Furrs.
I have in another place obfervM that the King has a great Revenue out of the Bj-
zars arid Inns which he has caus ? d to be built, which is particularly hid out in pro-
vifton for his Table. For the Law of Mahomet forbidding Princes to impofe Taxes
or Cudoms upon the People, they do not believe that the money which arifes from
thence is fit to be employ’d or laid out for the neceflaries of life, believing that their
food fo purchas’d would do them no good. By virtue of this prohibition of Mahomet
it is,that the Merchants take all the liberty they can to deceive the King of his Cudoms,
believing that they cannot offend thePrince,while they tranfgrefs not the Law.Befides,
that if they (hould pay all the King’s Duties, the price of Goods would rife fo high,
fo as to fpcil the whole Courfe of Trade and Commerce. Neither would the Reve
nue of the Caravanfera s. Bazars, and Gardens fuffice for the Kings Kitchin, were not
the feveral Kans or Governours of Provinces oblig’d to fupply that expence eve-
*y Week in their turns, whereby thofe expences cod the King little or nothing.
V Upon