'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.' [‎236] (269/1024)

The Persian Travels Book V.
they lay their hands upon their itomachs, and bow, which is their manner of fa.
luting the Company that tarries for them. After feme few Compliments, they
get a Horfeback> attended by all their Vifitants, who accompany them\o the
King’s Houfe, in expe&afion offome kindnefs, by vertue of their favour. Tj le
favours which the King ufually does to fuch people, is to fend them to the Gover-
nours of Provinces with a Hawk or a Calaat, with order ftat thefaid Governours
remember the Serjeant Porter.
The Kan being advertiz'd that the Calaat is coming, he rides forth of the City
to meet it ? attended by all his principal Officers, the chief of the City, and the
greateh part of the Inhabitants. . The Juglers alfo mull give their attendance to
gether with the Drums and Trumpets, and all the Mufick-makers. They rendez-
vouz ufually in a Garden one or twd leagues from the City, where the King’s Mef-
fenger Hays with the Calaat. So foon as the Governour perceives him, he makes
a low obeyfance, and a Prayer for the King s giving God thanks for that the King
is pleas’d to preferve him in his memory: then he puts on the Calaat^ which is
according to the quality of the Governour: fometimes the Pu)be alone i fome-
times Pvobe and Cloak: fometimes Robe, Cloak, Girdle, and Bonnet •, to which
if he be a Grandee, are added the Scimitar and Dagger: which method is alfo
obferv’d toward EmbafTadors. When the Kan has put on the Calaat , he returns
to the City with all his Retinue, goes to the King's Houfe j fot the King has a
Houfe in every City,) kilfes the Columns of the Gate, and makes certain other
Prayers for the profperity of the King; At length he rides home, where he makes
a great Feaft, (hewing the Calaat to all perfons that come to him, who byway of
complement cry Moubarel^bajhet, that is, may it be bled, and prove a good omen.
The Perfians are not much addi&ed to play: fpr befides, that the Law forbids
it s the Mejhaldar*Bajhi has a power to fine and puniffi Gamefters, as I have faid
already. For which reafon he has fpies, to which the meaner fort of people date
not refufe entrance into their Houfes: but the richer fort laugh at 'em y and will
give ’em nothing. Among the Games, there is one game at Cards which
the Per(ians call Gengefe. We have but four diftinft marks upon ours, but they
have eight. They alfo play at a kind of Chefs,and at Trifirac y which t woGames
arc moft in ufe. The Shopkeepers play in the Streets with little Marbel-bowls,'
not much unlike our Childrens Bowling Hones. But as for Bowling-greens, or
Tennis-Courts, they know not what they mean.
Neither the Perftans nor any of the EaHern People accuHom themfelves to
Walk as we do. And therefore when they fee us walking to and fro together ina
Garden-Ally fortwoor three hours together, they are amaz’d. They only fpread
a Carpet in the faireft place of the Garden, and fet themfelves down to contem
plate the verdure of the place ; and if they rife, 'tis only to pull the fruit from
the trees, for they love to eat what they gather themfelves, never caring for
what others have handl’d.
The Men never dance, only the Women of Pleafure, which are always fentfor
to their FeaHs y where they dance opeo-fac’d, and fhew a thoufand poHures to di-
verdfethe Company. Their jugkrs are every jot as good as ours y but whereas ours
make ufe of Balls, they ffiew their tricks with Urge Hen-eggs. Their Dancers
upon the Ropes far exceed ours. I have feen Tome of them that have ty’d a Rope
to the top of a high Tower, and fatten'd the other to the ground, and then vvalk-
mg up to the top with their counterpoifes in their hands, have laid themlelves up
on the Rope upon their backs, and have ilid to the bottom with a fwiftnefs like
lightning.
The Perfians are altogether as fuperHitious as the Turkj. Before they fay their
Prayers they are oblig d to wafh : every one having a Refervatory for water in
his own Houfe, which is always full of water. They plunge their heads in the
water, warn their mouths, rub their foreheads yand if a man ffiews themany nalii-
nt sin the Vefiel, there's water enough, they cry, for puriheationy though, if it
rriU ^ k e £° ur or bve foot deep. But if it be Running-water,
e eaH quantity in the World ferves to purify ’em, and render ’em fit to pray:
while they ground their belief upon this maxim of the Mahomet, that if if
ou run through Pijhkjll^ or Camels-dung, it would be fufficient for purification,
ere is one fort of walhing appointed by their Law, which is, to go to their
Baths