'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎200] (231/582)

200
ISPAHAN.
nation by former services or benefits; after which we dined toge
ther at a late hour, and closed a day of much pleasure.
O ct. 7th.—At the early hour of sunrise, horses were saddled for
all our party; and Assad Ullah Khan, with his son and some of
their friends, who were well acquainted with the principal objects
of curiosity about the city, were deputed to be our companions
and guides for the morning excursion. They were desirous of
taking us at once to some of the splendid palaces of the ancient
kings; but as all was submitted to my direction, I proposed ano
ther line of march.
Ispahan is thought by Major Rennell to be one of the places
to which the Jews were carried in their first captivity, when the
ten tribes were taken captive to Nineveh ; for tradition says, that
during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, many Jews settled in the
quarter called, to the present time, 4 Yahoudeeah.' Abulfeda says
also, that Bochtanser, (or Nebuchadnezzar,) when he destroyed
Jerusalem, sent the Jews here, who built a town which they
called 4 Yahoudiathat Gajjong was the most ancient of the
villages on which Ispahan was built, and that Yahoudia was built
at the distance of two miles from it. Also, that though Gajjong
decreased, Yahoudia flourished by the accession of Mohammedan
tribes, and its name still remained.
As I was particularly desirous of making a minute investiga
tion into the relative state of these quarters, their distance from
each other, &c. as their names had been already confirmed to me
by report, it was proposed that we should first direct our route
to them. A world of 4 wonders' was expressed at the motive
which could induce a visit to such insignificant spots ; and a
thousand assurances were made that they contained nothing to
reward the trouble of the excursion. No one dared, however,
directly to object, so that my original plan was pursued.
Gajjong is the name of the ruined quarter, by which we ap
proached Ispahan, on the day of our first entering it; and this
includes all the space now covered by deserted and demolished