'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.' [‎248] (281/1024)

248
The Persian Travels Book V.
libouTtwo hunder’d paces on this liderthe Mofqitee, is another which receives
the fame wafer as\it-tjBns from the Mountain. This Street was made by iman-
Kouli-Kan, after he^d cut the Mountain at the end of it, to ftiorten the way
from Scbiras to Ifpoyan* . , _ . , ,
There are in Schitas three or four Glais-houies, where they make great and
fmall Bottles, to tranfport the Sweet-waters that are made in the City. There
are alfo made the feveral forts of VdTels wherein they pickle their fruits of ail
forts, which they fend in great quantities into India, to Sumatra, Batavia, and
^There is no Silk made, nor any other manufacture in Scbiras: only there are
fome few Cbites or Painted-cloaths made there, which neveithelefs are very
coarfe, and in ufe only among the meaner fort.
As you go out of the City upon the North-well fide, you meet with along
Alley or Walk, in three parts whereof are plac’d three Stones, which they call
Mills. At the end of this walk is a Garden call’d Bay- Sba, or the King’s Garden.
Over the Gate whereof is a great Room half ruin d : and ai the end of a large
Walk planted with Cyprefs-trees, Hands a neat piece of building, but altogether
negle&ed. Upon the lef t-hand whereof is a great Pond pav’d with Free-ftone,
being all the beauties of the Garden: which, it is true, was full of Fruit-
trees, Rofes and JaJmins j yet, for want of order, it look d like a Wilder*
nefs. ' v „ , . , -'xaj
From the Garden to the Hill is a Plain of two leagues long, and ore broads
which is all but one largeVinyard belonging to feveral perfons.Beyond theVineyard
rife very high Mountains, from whence fall feveral little Springs that formaPuver,
which is call’d Bend-Emir, from the name of a Town where the biggeft Spring
rifes. This River of waters the whole Vineyard of Scbiras\ whereit
never rains from Spring till Autumn: which is the reafon that in the Summer
there is no water in the very Channel next the City..
Their Wines are the belt in ?erfta\ but there is not fo great a quantity made
as people imagin. For, of all this great Vineyard, and in all the places round
about the City for four or five leagues together, good part of the Grapes are
dri’d, and a greater quantity pickl’d : and of the Wine, there are many VdTels
full, which arc burnt for the benefit of the poor Travellers, and Carriers, who find
it a great refrefhment to drink it with water.
Their Wine^ as all other things, is fold by weight and not by meafure.^ In the
year 1666, a mofi plentiful year for Wine, the Provifion of the King s Houfe
amounted to 50000 Mens of Keukr.e, or the ancient Mes containing nine pound
of ours, at fix teen ounces to the pound, (being the only weight-for W inej and the
King allows .as much to the Franks, zs for his own Houfhold. The Jews otSchi-
ras, who boaft themfelves of the Tribe of Levi, made above a hundefd and ten
thoufard Mens, it being their chiefett livelihood y but the Governour ci ScbirM
knows how to (hare with them in their profit. The whole account of Wine made
at Scbiras amounts to 20002 5 Mens, or 4125 Tuns, at three hunder’d pints to the
Xun.
In Scbiras is an ancient Mofquee, wherein is the Sepulcher of a Sadi, whom the
Terftans efieem the bell of their Poets. It has been a very fair one, accompanid
1 with a large Building, which was once a Colledgy but itrunstoruine> as do alio
many other Edifices within the City. Juft againft this Mofquee you defeend by a
pair cf Stairs into a large Well, at the fcottem wherec t is a Vafe full of Filh,
which no body dares to touch, it being Sacriledg torch the Sadioi whatbelongs
to him. A little beyond this Mofquee, upon a high Rock, ftand the mines of a
Gaftley and upon the top cf all the Reck is a fquare Well cut out of the Rock.
It is very deep, and ten or twelve foot broad : formerly, they told me, their
Adultercffes were all thrown into it. There is one wonderful Well in this City >
which is 15 years rifing, and 15 years falling y that is, the water is one fifteen
years rifing to the top, and another fifteen years finking to the bottom.
There are mSchiras two or three Bazars well built, through the midft whereo
the water runs in a Channel. ,, ,
To the South-weft, a good league frem the City, there is a little Hil)di vl e
from the great Mountain, upon which Hill are three Gates to befeen,the rerna ^“