'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.' [‎21] (54/1024)

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Chap. IV. ^/Monlieur Tavern i e r. , 2
environ’d with Mountains on every fide, but only upon the Weft, the furthdl
Mountain is not above a League from the City y but there is one which almofl
touches it, being only feparated from it by the River. ’Fisa good Country, and
fruitful in Corn ; there is good Pafturage, and great ftore of Pulfe. Some think;
that Tauris was the ancient Ecbatane, the MarepoUt of the Empire of the Medes*
It is at this day a gveat City and well peopl’d, as being the Mart for Turkic',
CMujcovyi the Indies, and Perfia, There are an infinite number of Merchants,
and vaft quantities of all forts of Merchandize: particularly of Silk,, which is
brought out of the Province of GuiUn, and other places. There is a?fo a great;
Trade for Elorfes, which are handfom ^nd cheap. Wine, Aqua vits, and indeed
all forts of Provifions are cheap enough • and Money trolls about in that place more
than in any other part of Afm. Many ^Armenian Families have got great Eftates
thereby Trade, and underftand it better than the Perfians. A little River, the
Water whereof is very good, runs through the middle of Tauris -Jfs call’d Sc/^>z~
kaiej over which there are three Bridges to crofs from one part of the City to the
other. .
The moft part of the Buildings in Tauris are of Bricks bak’d in the Sun *, the
Houfes not being above one or two Stories high at moft. The tops of theHoufes'
are terralVd ‘ the Roofs within are vaulted, and plaifter’d with Earth mix’d with
chopt Straw, which they whiten afterwards with Lime. In the year 1658 the
City was almoft ruin’d by Sultan Jmurath , but it is ajmolf ajl rebuilt again. There
are in it Bazars, or Market-houfes, which are well built, and roahy Inns vejy,
commodious, two Srories high. The faireftis that of Mtrz.a-Sade Governourof
the Province, who caus’d it to be built with a Market-houfe adjoyning, to which
he has added a Mofquee and a Colledge, with good Revenues.
The great Trade of renders it renown’d over all Afm : for it has a con
tinual Traffick with Turks, Arabians, Georgians, Mengrelians, Perfiam , Indiansf
Mufcovites, and Tartars. The Bazaars or Market-hogles, which are cover’d, are
always full of Goods: for there are fome which are peculiar to the Handicraft-
Trades •, the mpft part whereof are Smiths, fuch as make Saws,’ Axes,' Files, and
Steels to ftrike Fire, with Tobacco-ftoppers belonging to them. Some there are
that make Pad-locks: for the Faftern People fatten their Doors only with wooden
Bolts. There are alfo Turners, that furnifti the neighbouring Parts with Spinning-
Wheelsand Cradles: and fome Goldfmiths, that make trifles of Silver. But there
is abundance of Silk-weavers that are Artifts, and work very neatly ° 7 and indeed there
are more of thofe than of any other Trade. Here it is that they drefs the greateffi
part of the Shagrin-Skins that are vended fo plentifully all over Per fa *, for there
are none unlefs it be the Country-people, but wear Boots orShooesof Shagrin-
Leather. This Leather is made either of the Hides of Horfes,, Afles, or Mules,
a*d only of the hinder part of the Hide ; but the Afles Hide has the beft;
grain.
There are to be feen at Taurus, Ruines of the ftately Edifices round about
the great Piaz.z.a, and the neighbouring parts: they have alfo let run to ruine
four or five Mofquees of a prodigious height and bignefs. The mofl: magnificent
and thebiggeft ftandsasyou go out of the Town, in the Road to Ifpahan. The
Perfans will not come near it, but look upon it as defil’d, and a Mofquee of He-
reticKs, in regard it was built by the Sounnis, or the followers of Omar. *Tisd
vaft Structure fairly built, the Front whereof is fifty Paces broad, with an afeent
of eight Steps. It is lin’d without with Brick-work varnifh’d with different Co
lours; and adorn’d within with very fair Painting A Pantique, and abundance of
Cifers ajid Letters in Gold and-Azure. Upon two fides of the Fore-front
are reard two APmarets or Towers very high, but not very wide, yet with Stairs
to go up to the top. They are lin’d with varnifh’d Brick-work, which is the ufual
Ornament of the /V/JWz Buildings: and at the top (land two Cupola's, form’d like
the Turbants which the Perfans wear. The Gate of the Mofquee is not above foup
Foot wide, cut out of a great tranlparent white Stone, four asd twenty Foot high,
«md twelve broad.. Entring at the Door of the Mofquee, you come intoa fpacious
IlUomo, thirty fix Paces in Diameter, rais’d upon twelve Pillars within, and fup-
ported by fixteen without, which Pillars are very high, and fix Foot fquare. Below
there h a Baluftradeo’r Rails that run round about the Building, with Doors to go
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