'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.' [‎126] (165/1024)

The Persian Travels Boot III
1 —Storm, whereupon he pulfd off his Boots and cmW
Tmt chooiine rather to go bare-foot to his lodging, then to tpoil his
Another time, it being the cuftom of all Catholick Ambaffadors to ^ Mafsta
the Covent of Grey Friars in Vera , upon St. Frances day, the Mzngrdim A®y..
fador after Mafs was done, coming out of the Church, and teeing fbmt biiblcs
which the Pedlets expofe in the Cloyller upon that day, bought a Tin Ring
two or three fmall Looking-GlafTes, and a Pipe, which he put b
and went piping all the way Pth Street, as Children do coming from Fairs.
But to return to the matter, you mu ft take notice that there arc not cdy Iron
Mines butaifo Mines of Gold and Silver in two places live or fix days Josmmty
from the one call’d Somntt, the other Obeut. But the mifcSnidis, rfe
people can hardly be got to work there, for fear the Earth ihould tumble down,aid
burythemin theMine, asithas many times happen’d.
There is alfo a Mine of Gold near to a place which is call d 2n( j a
Mine of Silver atGunijhe-Kone, five days Journey from Erzerom, and feom
^ people themfelves both- Georgians and Mengrelim^ tky ^
trouble themfelves about the ignorance and vicioufncfs of their Prie% T or
they be able to inftru6t them or no* The richeft among them are thef which arein
moft credit, and abfolutely give Laws to the poor. Theie ate alfo fbme heads of i{k
C hurch, that affume fuch a jurifdiftion over the people, as to fell them both tothe
Turks and Perfians, and they choofe out the handfom’ft Children, both Boys and Girls,
to get the more money, by which authority alfo the great men of the Coontiy enjdy
Marry’d Women and Maids at their pleafure. They will cfyoofe out thdr Children
for the Biftiops while they are yet in their Cradles-, and if the Prince bediifctisfiUatit,
all the Clergy joyns with him that makes the choice, and then together by theEars
they go. In which Skirmifhes they will carry away whole Villages, and fell all the
poor people to the lurkf and Ferfianf* And indeed the cuftom of felling men and
women is fo common in that Country, that a man may almoft affirm it tobeoneof
their chiefeft Trades. j u n* . r f
The Bifhops diffolve Marriages when they pleafe, and then Many again after they
have fold thefirft. If any of the Natives be not Marri’d to his fancy, he takes
another for fuch a time as he thinks fit, for which he pays her alb the while as the
Turh do. Very few of thefe people know what Baptifm means. Only two or three
days after the woman is -brought to Bed, the Prieft comes and brings a little Oyl,
mumbles over a few Prayers, and then anoints the Mother and the Infant, which
they believe to be the beft Baptifm in the World. In fhort, they are a peopled
no Devotion at all, neither in their Ceremonies nor in their Prayers. But there
are great (lore of Nunneries, where the young Maids apply themfdves to their
Studies, and after fuch an age, whether they flay in the Nunneries or betake
themfelves to the Service of any of the great Lords, they Confds, Baptize,
Many, and perform all other Ecclefiaftical Fun&ions, which I never knew pradis’d
in any other part of the World befide*
: • ■ j •,' x *
•* , ■ • ^ . / \ '
CHAP. XI.
Of Comania, Circaffia, and of certain people which tic) cd
Kalmouchs.
C \Oma>iiah bounded toward theEaftby the Sea; Weftwanl by* £
^ Mountains that divide it from Circajjia Northward it lies upon mjcrM)
and Southward it is bounded by Georgia. From the Mountains t
4 bound upon the North-Eaft toTerc](i, which is the River thatp*
Mofcovia from Comavia, it is all a level Country excellent for Tillage,
ding in fair Meadows and Pafturage. However it is not over-peopl d, wot ^
reafon they neves Sow twice together in one place. The Climate is much t ^