'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.' [‎241] (274/1024)

Chap. XVII. o/Monfieur T A V ERNI ER.
Mobre, Abon> Azw, Vet, Babmen, Efpendarmouze. The hrli month, Ferverdin,
begins with the Vernal Equinox, every month not containing above 30 days, ad
ding the five which remain to the end of the year, which they call Kramfi Movjie-
relze. . # ^ v
The day of the Vernal Equinox is the firft day of the year, which they call Neo-
zoiize, and is one of their Principal Feltiyals. For that day all the Grandees ap
pear at Court, and prefent the King according to their quality. If they can
meet with nothing that is rare, they prefent him in Ducats of Gold, and there are
fome that prefent him to the number of ten Thoufand. They alfo give God thanks
fo'rprefcrving them to fee the new year, and for preferving the fruits of the Earth
from bad feafons, for the Corn is by that time well come up.Upon thisfirft day of
the year, if a Perfian has not money to buy him a new habit, he will go and mort
gage his own body to have one. So proud and luxurious are the Perfians from the
higheft to the lowell.
C H A P. XVII.
Of the Feafis and ordinary Diet Perfians.
T He Perfians are nothing eager after delicacies or dainties *, both the nobler
and the meaner (ort being very temperate in dyet. In regard that wood is
fo fcarce and dear about Ifpahan, they never eat boyl’d meat above onee a day :
and as for their Dinner which they call Shate, it confifts of bread, cheelfe-curds,
milk, burnt wine, melons and other fruits in feafon, to which the rich add wet
and dry fweet-meats: At night their ufual food is Pilaw and roft meat. They buy
their Provifion from hand to mouth, efpecially the Mabumetans, which is a double
charge. But for the Armenians, they live thriftily, and buy at once a good quan
tity of provifions to laft for fo long time.
Muttons, Kidds, Pullefs and Pidgeons, are the ufual dyet of the fot
as for Beef they very rarely eat it. The King and the great Lords will eat a piece
of a Hare fomeumes when they have been a hunting: but when they have kill’d
a wild Boar, they fend it always to IbmeGhriftian, in expectation to be prefented
for the honour done him. They have no diveylity ofVi&uals or made Difhesin
Perfta, their dyet being more proper to fatisfie .hunger, thentopleafe a nice palate-
Mutton and Lamb would be very good in Perjia, if they knew how to road it our
way. But the Perfians roaft only at an oven, which is a hole made in the ground
two foot and a half broad, and five or fix foot deep. They burn nothing but
bu(hes, and a kind of Turf mix’d with the dung ofCattd, and dry’d in the Sun.
There are feveral roafhng Cooks at Ifpahan, that roaft a whole Sheep at a time
where he that comes to buy may have as much cut out as he pleafes. Other
Cooks (hops are only for boyTd meat or rice: their fruits which they pickle up in
Vinegar being the only fawce which they have.
As for their Bread it is very white, for they Have wheat enough tofurnifh the
whole Kingdom. They bake every day, making up their Dow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. in the form of a
thin Cake* ftrow’d over with Sefamum. They bake thefe Cakes in their Ovens in
the ground, covering the batch over with little round flint ftones, that are quick
ly hot and retain the heat. At tfpahqn they make a great fire in an earthen pot,
and when it is hot they fpread the Dow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. againft the hides of the pot. The Ar~
nunianj make a fort ot bread as thin as Paper, which they bake upon a thin Iron
plate which is as thin as Paper. Their Plate and Difhes are of red Copper tinned '
within fide. For they are forbid to make ufe of Silver by the Law of Mahomet*
Nor does the King ufe any other then Gold Plate, of which he has great ftore.
They have alfo a fait of Porcellane made at Kerman, To eat their broths they
make ule of woodVfpoons: fen: as for their rice, which is thick, they take it up
,n fingers, and wipe their hands upon their handkerchiefs. •
The firft thing fet upon the Table is the Pipe, the Tobacco, and the difh of
Coffee £