'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.' [‎156] (197/1024)

77><? Persi
an Travels
Book IV
over thrit Cheeks. They carry a great Club in their hands,as the Painters rep K f ent
J 0 l, n the Baplid in the Wildernefs. Between their Girdles and their walls they ftllf r
a company of pitiful Flowers, or elfe a fort of Herbs, which after Exhortation
both the young, and the old Vervt’s beftow upon the Merchants and Tradef m e„’
from whom at the fame time they receive Alms. T oward the evening they go homj
again i and l forgot to tell you, that before the door of the houfe, (lands always a
large Veffel of water , with feveral little Cups, and Ice in the Summer, where all
paffengers may drink upon free-coft.
The River of Senderou, which, as well as the reft of the Rivers of Per/L*, except
the ArM) is not able to carry a Boat, is a very great relief to Iffiahan, Behind the
Mountains of the South beyond Zulpba is another River, call’d Abkiiren , which a-
bout 'five or fix Leagues above Ifpahan, runs within a League and a half of Sender ou,
Sha-Abas the firft attempted to have joyn’d the two Rivers together,to whichpuri
pofe he went about to have remov’d certain Rocks that ftood in his way •, but not
being able to compafs his defign, his SuccefTors laid aftde all the thoughts of attem.
pting any more. Could it have been done, the Campaign of Ifpahan would have
been one of the moft fertile and delicious places in the world,whereas nowtheRiver
is of no ufe, running through defart Coutreys and Plains of Salt. As for the River
of SeMerou, in Winter it over-flows, but in Summer it has very little water, being
oftner foarded than crofs’d over upon Bridges. About four Leagues above they
are conflrain’d to force it into their Lands, to water their Fields and Grounds, which
elfe would produce nothing at all. Wells they have a great many in feveral places;
but befides that, they are not able to furnifti that great quantity of water which is
neceffary j the River Water is much better to fatten the Land. Now you muft ob-
ferve,that their Channels never return to the River,being wafted upon the Ground;
fo that the River of Ifpahan being very much wafted before it comes to the City, by
reafon that it is ftill leffen’d by fo many Channels,about ten or twelve Leagues from
thence, it ends as it were quite fpent in a few Merfties. This fcarcity of water
which is lb general over all Perfia^s the reafon that they are extraordinary Husdands
of it, and buy it very dear. Therefore is the Superintendent of the water, which
brings the King in a very confiderable Revenue, one of the moft contended-for em
ployments in the whole Court. For every Garden is tax’d more or lefs according
to its bignefs, for the water it requires once a week *> which water is let go into
the quarters which have need of if, every Garden having a particular Channel,
whence they have their water by turns. But you muft have a care of attempting
to bring this water in before your turn* tor (hould it come to be known, anealie
Fine would not excufe the matter. I knew two Fr^j,who.becaufe they prefum’d
to take in water in the night time before it was their turn, had like to have loft all
their Land by Contifcation, had it not been for the particular Favour of the King to
the Fr^/,andyetall that favour did not excufe them from being foundly amerc’d.
There are four Bridges a quarter of a Leagues diftance one from another, thatcrofs
the River of Senderou to Ifpahan, That which crofles the walk, bears the name of
Alywrdi-Kan^ who caus’d it to be built, being alfo call’d the Bridge of Zulfa. It
is built of good Brick, joy n’d together with Frce-ftone, and very level, not being
higher in the middle than at either end.It is not above three hundred and fifty paces
long, and twenty broad, being fupported by feveral (mall Arches of Stone, which
are very low. Of each fide there is a Gallery eight or nine foot broad, which runs
from one end to the other, feveral Arches twenty five or thirty foot high fupporting
the Platform,where,when the heat is not extream,they that pleafe may walk for the
fake of the frefh Air. But the moft ufual pafifage is under the Galleries, where
there are feveral out lets upon the River, to let in the frelh Air. For the Galleries
are very high, from the level of the Bridge, to which you afeend by eafie Reps, the
middle of the Bridge not being above twenty five foot broad, ferving for Wagons
and Pack-horfes. There is alfo another way all along by the water fide, where
there are feveral Stones laid to ftep upon, to keep you from being wet-lhod. It
croiles through all the Arches of the Bridge, through little doors made in every
Arch from one end to the other, defeending from the Bridge by a little pair ot
Stairs, tak’n out of the thicknefs of the Arches fupporters. There is another Stair*
cafe to afeend up to the Galleries of about two fathoms broad, with Stays or Rails
on both ildes. This Bridge is truly a very neat piece of Archite&ure, if I roa J not
fay, the neateft in all Perfia* ' ^ heie