'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.' [‎314] (337/448)

Mereat Perfarum raontes, qui
effe aurei perhibentur, &c.
And Vmo by like aUufion,
Non demunt animis curas ac religiones i
Perfarum montes, non divitis atria Croefi.
Feafts.
thofe hundred twenty feven Provinces, wasnotlefs than forty thoufand and five hundred
Attic Talents, in our account forty hundred thoufand Crowns or thereabouts. Out of
India alfo they yearly received three hundred and threefcore Talents of Gold in duft.
Nor is the Crown-revenue at this day much lefs, albeit his Territory be not half fo great:
for Tahamas An. Dom. 1560. received eight millions of Crowns, gathered from fifty
Sultans who farmed his In-come *, befides annual prefents from great Officers, fome of
which maybeconfidered by the wealth of a late Neighbour of theirs, the Governour of
Lahore j who at his death bequeathed unto his Mailer three millions of coined Gold, a
great quantity of bullion, Jewels of great price, and many Elephants, Camels, and
Horfes of great value: it is well known, that Leventhibeg feldome failed to fend him year
ly the value of twenty thoufand Crowns as a New-years-gift •, twelve thoufand Horfe the
Cur dyes 'twixt the two Seas alio yearly prefented: and Abbas at this day from Silk and
other duties receives yearly above nine millions, fourteen millions and two hundred and
eighty thoufand Florins fome fay, three hundred fifty feven thoufand Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. in Perftan
Money, which in ours, is about eleven hundred and ninety thoufand pounds, fterling. ,
Now though the ground be for the moft part barren, yet, elpecially towards the
North, the foil is rich and elfewhere, where Rivers or Springs make the improvement.
And it hinders not that her Womb is uberous: for befides that plenty of marble, we
could from her bofome oft-times difcover many minerals anditonesof luftre, as Jacynths,
Jafper, Chryfolite, Onyx, Turquoife, Serpentine, andGranats: Pezars and Pearls al
fo (than which no part of the whole World has better ) are no lefs valuable. That
Mines of Gold in old times have here been foundjPtow in Sticho is proof in that particular.
The Perfian Hills he may deferve to hold,
Which (if the Proverb lie not) are of Gold.
The Perfian Mountains nor the Lydian flats
Our minds from care or z^eal can feparate.
But at this day of fmallefteem, the Natives either wanting skill or will to difcover
them.
Coins at this day ufed, are the AbbafTee, in our Money fixteen pence *, Larree, ten
pence ^ Mamoodee, eight pence *, Shahee four pence ^ Saddee, two pence ; Biftee, two
pence-, double Cozbeg, a penny, fingle Cozbeg^ a half-penny, Fluces (like the Turks
Afpars) ten to a Cozbeg *. But the Gold Coins are Sultanies, equal to a Venice Chequing
Duraes, alike in name and value to the old Dariques, thirteen (hillings and four pence,
&c. but few feen: All but the Cozbegs and Fluces are of pure Silver, thefe are, Brafs,
but currant all over his Monarchy. Now 'tis to be obferved, That no Mahometan Prince
itamps his Coin with Images butLetters,purporting their Names or fome Text out of the
Alcoran: ho wbeit,before the eightieth year of the Hegyra, certain it is they commonly
ufed Images and not Letters.
1 have elfewhere defcribed their buildings: Their Beds are Cots of two foot height, or
four low pofts ftrengthened with girth-web •, a fhag, or Yopangee, fpread at top of dou
ble ufe, for it ferves as an Umbrella abroad, and at home for a Coverlet: in Summer,
their Slaves attend about them: fome to waft and beget cool Air, others to fcare away the
Gnats and fuch like buzzing vermine,which during hot weather pefter them exceedingly.
The Men account it a fhame to urine ftanding •, their reafon is becaufe Dogs ufe that
pofture : they have flaves attendig with Ewers of Silver filled with Water, to cleanfe pol
lution*, albeit not fo with all Mahometans in other Dominions: and to difference the
Sex Herodotus writes that in zy£jryptjfamint flantes virl fe denies mingehant. The better fort
are fo oft on Horfeback, as they hate to fee Men walk ; fuch they think diftempered in
mind a madder thing to fee them ride, though not half a ftones-caft.
Their Horfes efpecially for fervice, are of the Arabian breed, bodied like Jennets,
fwifter and of more courage : they curb their mettle with fharp bits, a ring of Iron help
ing them: Their Bridles are long, and fometimes ftudded with Gold ^ of Gold oft-times
are their pummels and flirrups. Saddles of the better fort are ufually of Velvet •, high and
clofe, like our great Saddle: the trees are curioufly painted. That form they borrow
from the Tartar^ hard,fmall,and clofe \ fure,but not eafie. Generally in good liking are
their HorfeSjalbeit their fare be mean; a little bag filled with barley and chopt ftraw hung
about their heads,is both livery and manger: they ftridly tie them to a certain proportion.