. 
, CHAR ACT ERS. 
paflions were violent, and confe- 
quently would have. been fhort- 
lived. Her heart was tender, and 
her fenfibility great; whilft her 
mind was poffeffed of a degree cf 
ftrength not always to be found 
amongft the fair fex; and her ta- 
lents in many points eclipfed thofe of 
her unfortunate rival. 
Defeription of Shirauz, and of the 
Manners of the Modern Perfians ; 
from Francklin’s Tour from Ben- 
gal to Perfia. P oebtan lp 
NS place in the world produces 
the neceffaries of life in great- 
er abundance and perfection than 
ay nor is there a more de- 
ghtful fpot in nature to be con- 
ceived, than the vale in which it is 
fituated, either for the falubrity of 
the air, or for the profufion of every 
thing neceflary to render life com- 
fortable and agreeable. ‘The fields 
yield plenty of rice, wheat, and 
barley, which they generally begin 
to reap in the month of May, and 
by the middle of July the harvett is 
completed. Moft of the European 
fruits are produced here, and many 
of them are fuperior in fize and 
flavour to what can be raifed in 
Europe, particularly the apricot and 
grape. Of the grape of Shirauz 
there are feveral forts, all of them 
very good, but two or three more 
articularly fo than the reft; one 
is the large white grape, called 
Reefh Baba, without feed, which is 
extremely lu{cious and agreeable to 
the tafte; the {mall white grape, 
called Afkeri, alfo without feed, and 
as {weet as fugar ; the black grape, 
of which the celebrated wine of 
Shirauz is made. ‘This wine is 
prefled by the Armenians and Jews, 
quality. 
39 
in the months of October and No- 
vember, and a vaft deal is exported 
annually to Abu Shehr, and other 
parts in the Perfian Gulph, for the 
fupply of the India market. ‘The 
wine of Shirauz is really delicious, 
and well-deferving of praife; fo 
much fo, that people who have 
drank it for a fpace of time, feldom 
care for any other, though at’ the 
firft tafte itis rather unpleafant to 
an European. They have another 
kind of large red grape, called Sa- 
hibi, the bunches of which weigh 
feven or eight pounds each: it is 
fharp and rough to the tafte, and 
makes vinegar of a very fuperior 
The cherries here are 
but indifferent; but apples, pears, 
melons, peaches, quinces, necta- 
rines, and the gage plums, are all 
very good, and in the greateft 
plenty. The pomegranate is good 
to a proverb; the Perfians call it 
the fruit of Paradife. 
The breed of horfes in the pro- 
vince of Fars is at-prefent very in- . 
different, owing to the ruinous ftate 
of the country; but in the province 
of Dufhtiftaan, lying to the fouth- 
weit, it is remarkably good. The 
fheep are of a iuperior flavour, 
owing to the excellence of the 
patturage in the néighbourhood of 
Shirauz, and are alfo celebrated 
for the finenefs of their fleece : they 
have tails of an extraordinary fize, 
fome of which I have feen weigh 
upwards of thirty pounds; but 
thofe which are fold in the markets 
do not weigh above fix or feven. 
Their oxen are large and flrong, 
but their fiefh is feldom eaten by 
the natives, who confine themfelves 
chiefly to that of fheep ‘and fowls. 
Provifions of all kinds are very 
cheap ; and the neighbouring moun- 
tains affording an ample fupply of 
4 fhow 
