The Persian Travels Book I. 



from one fide to the other: and the Foot of every Pillar, which is of white Marble, 

 is hollow'd into little Niches equal with the Floor, where the People put their 

 Shooes , when they go farther to their Devotions. The infide of the Walls is 

 varnifh'd in Squares of feveral Colours, with Flowers, Cifers, and Arabian Letters 

 intermixed , and wrought in Embofs'd-work , lb well painted , lb well gilded, 

 that it feems to he but one piece of Work, cut out with a pair of ScifTars. From this 

 Duomo you pafs to another leflcr , but more beautiful in its kind. The lower 

 part is of tranfparent white Stone , of the fame nature with that in the Front, cut 

 in great Panes like a Door that never opens. This Duomo has no Pillars , but eight 

 Foot high , it is all of white Marble , where are to be feen Stones of a prodigious 

 length and bredth : The infide of the Vault is a violet Enamel , painted with all 

 forts of Flowers in Flat-work , but the outfide of both theDuomo's iscover'd with 

 vernifh'd Brick-work , and Flowers embofs'd A la Morefcjue. Upon the firft the 

 Flowers are black upon greeny upon the fecond , white Stars upon black: which 

 diverfity of Colours is very pleafing to the Eye. 



Near the Door out of which you enter into the IefTcr Duomo , on the left hand.; 

 ftands a Chair of Walnut-tree curioufly carv'd, and faften'd to the Wall ^ it ftands 

 upon a Platform rais'd fix fteps high, without any Canopy. On the right hand 

 ftands another Chair of the fame Wood, and an exquifite piece of Workmanfhip; 

 with a kind of State over it of the fame Wood, faften'd to the Wall. There is 

 a little Rail about if, and the Platform is four fteps high. On the South-fide of 

 the Mofquee there are two white tranfparent Stones , which when the Sun (nines 

 upon them look red : And fometimes after the Sun is fet, you may read at thole 

 Stones by the reflexion of the Sun-beams. 



Juft againft the Molquee on the other fide is another Front , which is the only 

 Remain of a ruin'd Building. It was the abode of the Sheepman, or the Chief Prieft. 

 There had been large Baths which belonging to it , but they are all deftroy'd -, 

 fome others there were of lefs note , which are not lookt after. 



In the great Piazza of Tauris and in the parts adjoyning , ftands a fair Mofquee, 

 a Colledge, and a Caftle, which fall to decays thefe Buildings being forfaken } 

 by reafon they were made ufe of by the SonnnPs, which were followers of Om.ir. Near 

 the fame Church is a ruin'd Church of the Armenians , whether they lay St. Helena 

 fent the true Crofs. There is another Mofquee , which was formerly a Church 

 dedicated to St. John Baptift , where they fay one of his Hands was preferv'd a long 

 time. 



The Capuchins have a very convenient Houfe at Tawis ; for Mima-Ibrahim Go- 

 vemour of the Province, whole credit is equal to the Kan of Tauris , which is 

 the chiefeft Command in Perfta, favours him very much with his protection. This 

 Governour has made himfelr very confidcrable at Court , and very much refpefted 

 by the King for his indefatigable pains, and his extraordinary agility in augmenting 

 the King's Revenue : having found out fueh ways for that purpofe as never entred 

 into the thoughts of any that preceded him in the fame Employment. He is very 

 curious to learn all the Noble Sciences,which is a quality very rare among the Per fans • 

 He alio takes great delight in the Mathematicks and Philofophy, difcourfing often 

 with Gabriel de Chinon , Governour of the Capuchins Covent in Tauris. But the 

 great defire which Mirz.a-Ibrahint had to have his two Sons taught by the laid 

 Cjabriel , was the chief motive that made him fo favourable to that Covent. He 

 bought the Friers a place to build their Houfe, and liberally furnifh'd them for the 

 Expence of the Work. 



When the Sun lets and rifes , there are a certain Company of People who are 

 oblig'd to make a hideous noife with Drums and Trumpets in the Meidan, or great 

 Piazza of the City. They ftand upon one fide of the Piazza in a Gallery fomewhat 

 rais'd , which is a Cuftom obferv'd in all the Cities under the Per/ian Government. 



As you go out of Tauris upon the North-fide , there is a Mountain clofe by, 

 tkre being only the River between it. The name of it is Einali-Zeinali, and for- 

 merly there flood upon the top of it a fair Hermitage of the Armenians , which the 

 Mahometans have converted into a Mofquee. At the bottom of the Mountain 

 ftands a Fortrefs and a Mofquee, which they letgo toruine, becaufe they were builr 

 by the Ottomans. A little farther upon the brink of the Precipice ftands a Mona- 

 ftery,near to which are two Caves, where are certain Sepulchers and Marble Pillars 



lying 



