'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.' [‎239] (272/1024)

Chap- XV. of Monfieur Tavernier.
up in a Velvet or Sattin-Cafe embroider’d* and hangs behind down to the
waft. /
Handfome Women are very plentiful in Perfia^zs well the tawny as the white.
For the Merchants that bring both from all parts, choofe the handfomeft they
can pick out. The white Women are brought from Mufcovia, Poland, Ciraffia,
Mengrelia, Georgia, and the Frontiers of Tartary. The black from the coaft of
Melinda, and the Red-Sea.
The Perfian Women are feen by none but their own Husbands. They are very
idle in their Houfes, not fo much as looking after any thing of Houfewifery. In
deed every thing is at the Husband’s difpofal, fo that the Women are rather Slaves 1
then Wives. They fpend their time in taking Tobacco, after feveral fafhtons.
When they go to the Baths, (he’s the Woman that wears the beft Clothes, and
brings the bell Collation. They that have.Slaves, caufe ’em to rub their arms,
their legs, and their thighs, till they fall alleep i having no other divertifementin
their voluptuous Prifon. The higher a man is, in dignity, the more he glories in
having a great number of Wives and Slaves *, and his abfolute power keeps them
in order either willingly, or by conftraint.
There are two forts of Eunuchs for the guard of the Sultaneffes and the Wives
of the Nobility : Some are white, but they never come neer the Women, but are
order’d to guard the firft doors of the Haram. The others are black, frightful
to look upon, and flat-nos’d: who attend only upon the Women. If there be a
neceflity.for a Woman of Quality to go abroad, the Eunuchs go before and be
hind with Battoons in their hands, to make the Corrou\, and drive all the people
out of the way. When the King goes into the Countrey, if any one be afleep in
the high*way, and be perceiv’d before he wakens, he is immediately cut to pieces
as belies. In the time of Sba-Abbot the Second, one of the Fellows that help’d
to fet up the Womens Tents, being weary, fell afleep in one of them upon the
ground. When the Women came, they, feeing a man afleep, fet up a fhriekingi
upon which, the Eunuchs coming in, wrapt up the Fellow in the Carpet as he lay,
and carrying him into t]*e Fields, buried him alive. Carpet and all.
V
CHAP. XV.
Oj the Difeafes of Perfia, anJ the manner of curing them.
■ y w /• \'t. v -/3Tf i /■ n I yy » ■ \ ^ • ./ ^ ; 1
T HE Perfian Children are feldom fick of the fmall-Pox, but in lieu of that,
they are very fubjedfc to Scald-pates, till ten or twelve years old. Which, it
may be, proceeds from their (having fo young, and fo often: for they (have at
five or fix months old, and two or three times a week.
As to the Pox, the Perfians would be more troubl’d with it, but that the dry Air
of the Gountrey is an enemy to it: betides, they never lye twice with the fame
Worpan, without going to the Bath to fweat out the venom of that diftemper.
As for the Gout s or Gravel, the Perfiant know not what it means: But the
menians are troubl’d with the latter, efpecially thofe that in their youth accuftom’d
themfelves to drink more Wine then Water.
To thofe that are troubl’d with the Cholick, they ufually preferibe the eating of
Horfe-fk(h ; and I have feen many cur’d by that means.
Generally the Perfianr, efpecially the rich, or thofe that have wherewithal to
five handfomely, are much lefs fubjedf to Sicknefs then the people of
Some take the reafon to be, becaufe of their China &x\vk which they drink every
Spring, boy ling an ounce in three pints of water, and fo continuing the Dofe for
ten or twelve days one after the other: all which time they keep a very moderate
diet, and eat no fruit for a month together. This drink caufes the Patient to fweat *j
and the fweat being wip’d off, dyes the Linnen* nay the very walls of the Cham
ber of a yellow colour. As for any method of Phylick, they have none in Perfia*