'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎128] (149/448)

Shyras^.
r/ta.
i rR
i 1.
iilL «i
, 1
- 4y
— ~ the derivation from Shuraz, which lignifies a
; I may ahcrkms or of old hereabouts were termed and
Liom p 1 ^ m L "T % de Semiramide , or elfe aSciyns JrahUfopUs (who to give
appears by ^
Pte/s ex j; ff Xr wasthfcity lefs ancient than great, if the report be true which the
meantes, &c- Nor was t y 0 jr and predeceffor to
Inhabitants . for Botcrm affirms for truth,
Lamer laid its nrit lounoa ^ prove|;b notwl thftanding he bor-
fl fjjj; who ha t h this hyperbolizing queftion, Camm ?
r0 W ^ Omnescllrhes /«, ^ /«.
1 md thereby SW onely worthy to be named a City ; in com.
r/ts Vrhs eft . rendnng tn y / ot - hers ex tant upon the Continent or Ifles
phnfon of which ^ro, taking his pattern as 1 fuppofe from Rome,
were but Villages alio m tms taKing ms ^ long ag0 is indubi .
SbirtnTfor ptoTT give you thefe few inftances. Vlughher^ learned Geogra-
table-, and tor piooi i ^ j ^ ^ to hfteen miles compafs:
pher and N «P he " f r / d eig hty thoufand houfes. eightfcore years
^TOTemarts her t^be tVenty f the like: after him to have fix and
ago reports ner to De y ' Tarich the like circumference*, a circuit very large,
l hirty m rnn P C H r the manv and ftado^ Gardens this as molt other Cities
wp 0C f3f her than from the numerou^ Buildings. of Ferfia in his time nnmbred
have, th ^ . h fand . Ben- Ally three hundred thoufand; 1 dare not gam fay
from Caziyn four hundred and eighty fix-, from four hundred and forty; from
Candahor three hundred and fixtyi from two hundred and nineteen, fromf^
fatv miles Englilh, or thereabouts. The ancient Inhabitants were the
cJtii and Orehatii : now converted into Pan, Fares and Farfflan
SW at this day is the fecond City for magnificence in the Monarchy of Perfia;,
watwedby Bindamyr, Q* Phil. Ferraris in his calls it,, though indeed it is
the Bridge, the water being called Kur) formerly either Orontu as in Ptol. and
I 6. c. it another of the like name being in Ccelofyria, or elfe that in
a River that draws her defcent from the Tas fome fay from the
Mountains, and after above two hundred miles circling in meanders commixing with
Choalhes (now Tahb ) and Vlay, not far from Faldac (old is now fo called) lofe
themfelves in the Gulph, and promifcuoufly thence difgorge themfelves into the fa
SomeTralls it Ihews which were raifed by Caffan the famous Prince,who
lived An. 1470- but feem to fcorn a limited bondagefor now it ftretches from the Soutn-
eaft to the North-weft well near three miles, and is not much lefs the other way-, the
compafs being feven miles or thereabouts. It is very pleafant y feated at the North-
weft end of a fpacious Plain, twenty miles long and fix broad •, circumvolved with
lofty Hills, under one of which this Town is feated ^ defended by Nature, enriched
by Trade, and by Art made lovely *, the Vine-yards, Gardens, Cyprefles, Sudatories
and Temples ravilhing the eye and fmell, fo as in every part fhe appears delightful and
^Here^Art-magick was firft hatched: Here Nimrod for fome time lived: Here Cyrus
(the moft excellent of Heathen Princes) was bornand here (all but his head, whicft
was fent to Tiftgard) intombed. Here the great Macedonian glutted his Avarice ana
Bacchifm. Here the firft Sibylla fung our Saviowr's Incarnation. Hence the MagiWQ
thought to have fet forth towards Bethlehem ; andherea/mVi of two hundred Kings
have fwayed their Scepters. T .
The Houfes are of Sun-burnt bricks, hard and durable', the Buildings not very lorty,
(feldom exceeding two ftories) flat and tarrafled above, having Balconies and Windows
curioufly trellized: within they are fpread with Carpets; little other furniture other
where is noted. Sultan Shock c Allybtg > s Houfe (where the firft night we were banquet-
ted) is inferiour to few; for his Dinning-room was high and round and fpacious: Tne
roof was arched, the walls imboffed with gold and wrought into Imagery, fo ihadowea
that it was hard to judge whether imboifed, infculpt or painted : The windows were