'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.' [‎117] (138/448)

Car mania
^Band-zJi 11 j.
had gratified him with) returned his Lordihip an hundred and ele
vating his eyes to Heaven, his hands to his breaft, and declining his head well-nigh
as low as the Ambafladors ftirrup, bad alfo the reft of his train farewel ; and havin"
orderedus a convoy and received from us the complements of a re
turned with his troop o. Coozel-bafhes; all the way difporting themielves with the
Giocht de tow,darting at one another fo dexteroufly as fufficiently exprelled their skill and
well deferved our commendation. Here our Ambaflador met with intelligence that
Ahbas was at that time in Ajbarafh a City upon the Cafpian Sea-fhore, where he Drelhm«l
the King intended Audience. Therefore fetting forwards, our firlt days journev was to
Bandally, moft part of the way being near the Sea-fliore: that Village was fix'teen miles
from Gumhrmn or five pharfangs and a half. The word Pbarfrn* is ancient and to
this day continued over all the Perftan Dominions; It is derived from and an
propnatedto the Dialed yet ufed in Perfia, or (which is more likely) from the ii
brew and. Jtrahic^, where the word lignifies three miles, three of which the Tews
might travel without breach of the Sabbath. calls it and makes it to be
four Italian miles; which if fo, it equals the German. pfrafes it and
computes it thirty furlongs oxftadia, every furlong being 4 o pole in length or twenty five
paces; fo that accounting eight furlongs to an Englilh mile, a pharfang is three miles and
a half Englilh and two furlongs over.
At Band-Ally our Tents (which the Ambaflador bought at Swat, and was advifed to
carry along) afforded us our belt accommodation. Howbeit, to give that place its -
due, we found there a very neat Carrayans-raw, (a building refembling an empty
Coliedge .) The (jyceks call them Pandochid, ^ the Tht I^ s JmdTetts 5 the lyidl^is ScTTtiys \ build
ings ereded by well-minded Mahometans as works of charity, and in which they exprefs
their magnificence more than in any other fort of building: Of great ufe, feeing thefe
parts have no Inns for the reception of Travellers y but here en~pajfam they may reft
1 weedy and fecurely^nzm for they are fet apart for publick ufe, and preferved from
violence of Thieves, wild beads, and intemperate weather: At the gate is fometimes
aBuzzar or Tent, that (like Sutlers in Armies) for money furnilh paflengers with provifi-
on ^ yet feldome is it but that Travellers (not daring to depend upon uncertainties) rather
choofe to provide and carry their necelfaries along with them.
The people inhabiting hereabout fetch their water ufually from a great large Ciftern
which they call a Tank,rather refembling a vault or celler under ground more than a fpear
deepfometimes made round,but for the moll part oval: The arch that covers it is welL
nigh equal to the depth; and fo well plaiftered, that when filled by the beneficial rains,
it preferves it fweetto the lafb bucket •, which is ftrau'ge, confidering how long 'tis kept
and without motion, fave what it has when the water is drawn out by Hulfmees or
Bags of Leather, and other VefTels that are not more cleanly than needs. The plaifter
is white and hard, comparable to that of Park *, and (as I could guefs) was a compo-
fition of fand and lime, with fome unduous matter that made the pargett fmooth and
durable. Thefe Tanks are frequent in moft parts of Afia, where fprings are rare, and
the rain feldom falls-, fo as were not this provifion made for Travellers and Carravans,
it would neceffitate them to provide in great leather bags for common ufe, as they are
forced to do in travelling over defarts, efpecially thofe of Arabia. Now thefe tanks
or confervatories are fo ordered, that when any rains fail (which is but feldom,
perhaps one month in twelve at moft, and when it comes diftils not as with us, but
falls or pours down in great drops, if I may properly fo call them) the ground is fo dill
pofed that it quicklylills their fpacious cifterns. Nor are rain waters to be defpisM ;
for by Phyficians they are held the moft wholefome if kept fweet and in cool places,
fuch as thefe tanks or caverns be we meet with in moft parts of Afta. For 9therwife they
corrupt quickly, and by weakning the retentive faculty excoriate the bowels and breed
many bodily diftempers. Thefe I fay, have the preferency, by being the moft etherial
and beft pur ified by the Sun. For firft, the matter by vertue thereof and other the ce-
leftial planets is exhaled principally out of the Sea and moift places of the Earth, and
by its levity rifes upwards towards the higher regions, where by the Moons influence
and other watery conftellations it becomes more grofs^ and defcending into the middle
region is condenftthrough cold*, and as we read in fob 36. 27. God mahethfmallthe
drop of water i fo thefe pour down rain according to the vapour thereof, which the Clouds
drop and diftill upon man abundantly. Neverthelefs 'tis obferyal)le, that the rain which
drops out of thick black clouds is not fo wholefome, nor unapt to putrifie, as whclt ifiues
from white thin clouds. Yea by common experience we find that ipring-waters and what
we have out of clear Rivers is beft for ordinary ufe and more agreeing with feveral con^-
ftitutions, and iikewife with the fuflrage of moft Philofopher s. The