'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.' [‎230] (263/1024)

The Persian Travels
Book V.
ts but much more (oft and elegant then at Conti ant innple. As fo r th
Terfian Language, it is fpoken in the Courts of the Great Mogul, and the Kings f
Golconda mA Vifapour, in all which Courts a Noble man would take it for an af
front to be fpok’n to in the Indian Language.
As for their Painters they only paint in miniature, and for Birds and Flow
tfhey will draw them indifferently: But for figures and ftories they know not
what belongs to any fuch thing.
The Pcrjians are moft excellent Artiftsfor manufa^ures of Gold, Silk and Silver
of which their rich Carpets and Tiffues are made: nor do their Gold and Sih^
Manufactures ever.grow black or lofe their luher by long wearing or lying by 1
There are abundance that work in Silk huffs of all forts, and others that mak
Bonnets and Girdles of Gold and Silk. Others there are whofe bufinefs it is to
fafffn flowers of Gold and Silver to their Taffata’s, with gum water, of which
fheWomen make Shifts and Drawers. And now they begin to make fuch large
quantities of Taffata’s, that they care not for the huffs which are brought nnf nf
India, though they be much finer.
T/hey alfo make great quantities of Linnen Cloth of all forts of colours upon
which they faffn feveral flowers with gum water, and Lome figures, though the
Law forbid it. Which they learnt to do upon the Armenians carrying out of£a-
rofe fdme ifl*favour’d cuts and pieces in diltemper which they bought here without
judgment: thefe pieces they hang before their doors, and thofe hollow places
in the walls where they put their Quilts and Carpets when they rife.
The Persians are excellent Artifts at Damafquing with Vitriol, or engraving Da
mask-wife upon Swords, Knives, and the like. But the nature of the Steel which
they make ufe of, very much contributes to their Art, in regard they cannot
fief form the fame work neither upon their own nor ours.This fled is brought from
GJtcondai and is the only fort of fled which can be damafqu’d. For when the
v^kmanputsitinthe fire h? needs no more then to give it the rednefsofa
Cherry, and Jnftead of qaenchtng it in the water as we do, to wrap it in a moift
Ltfirien cloath : forthould he give it the fame heat as to ours, it would eiow fo
hard that whemt came to be wrought it would break like glafs. I fpeak this to
undeceive thofepeople who think our Scimitars and Cut-lalfe are made of fled
of Damafciu which is a vulgar error i there being no fled but that of Golcmda
that can be Damask d.
The Perfian, are alfo excellent Artifts at making Bows and Arrows, and fuch
other weapons as are us’d in that Country, As for Bridles and Sadies their At-
nils far exceed outs, efpecially in their fowing, which they do fo neatly and withfo
much art with a kind of back-flitch, that it looks almoft like an embroiderv.There
are an infinite number that live by dreffing Seal-skins and Goat skins, the firft to
boots for the Gentry and better fort of Merchants, the latter for the poor
1 a,f ° a fort earthen ware made at Kerman which is very fine,andbe-
ing brok n looks as white within as without. It does not endure heat fo well as
p£ 7 V, Wh M haS L hl ^ qUa,i(y ’ ,' hat if you P owie nev er fo hot liquor into a
cup, neither the foot nor the brims a-top will be any thing the warmer.
I here are abundance of poor people that get their living by mending elafsTo-
mYn mJ? 5 ’ I A" ‘ h£y are L bl0k : n th£ y j oin togefher again with a cer-
SercYr rh^^ °l 1 ! me ’. and u ,he white of an egg, then with a Diamond- pointed
Latten-wire 6 h ° ” m 8 afs> and b ‘ nd t,le P ieces to ge'her with a thin
thApIo™! ^r-fidetabk ccmmodities of Perf,a are the Silks which come out of
imasin For f <" ‘"’i Ut tbMe ' S " 0t mucb tra nfported out of Perfia as men
Snt Jn, f fY e r y r nt,t,e ? of Vdvets > Tiffues and Taffata’swere
er in ^Europe ° m ° tCC P 3115 ’ but now we make them better and cheap-
MjSYand'p 0 /! Vfy ° ffiat tran Pp° rte d out of intone,
livdv lhw c^U -A Whl u h - the ru W r 0rri ? h embr °idery: for the Colours being
jwely, they embrotder their (h.fts, hankerchers, vails, and other linnen with
“ The Seal-skins and Goat-skins which are drefs’t in Pm/ia are tranfported by the