30 The Persian Travels Book L 



have rub'd him to refrclh him, after a Combat fo courageoufly maintained , every 



and the chief Inhabitants of Kom, gave him lbme a Garment, others a Girdle. 

 Neither did the meaneft of the People fpare to lend or carry him Fruits , or other 

 things, according to their abilities. • 



The Kan was a Lord who was very civil, and there was no Stranger that did not 

 commend his behaviour, in regard he was fo obliging. 



So loon as I came to the place , whether it was that he perceiv'd mc with a Dutch- 

 man that I had brought along from Conftantinoplc , or whether any one had inform'd 

 him that there were Strangers near him , he fent for us, and after he had ask'd us 

 fome Queftions concerning the occafion of our Travelling, he lent for a Seat and 

 caused us to fit down. Then he ask'd us whence we came, and what we did at 

 Ifpahan ; to which when we had anfwer'd him , that we went to wait upon the King, 

 he approv'd our Intention , complaining that we had not given him advice of our 

 Arrival. In the Evening he lent us feveral Delicacies , among the reft , fix fair 

 Melons , and four Bottles of excellent Wine. 



He appear'd to me lb brave and generous a Perfon , that I was very much trou- 

 bled afterwards for his being in dis-favour with the King, and his death, which 

 enfu'd. For this Kan finding the Walls of the City, which were only of Earth, 

 and the Bridge over the River to be out of repair, without writing to the King , of 

 his own head, laid a flight Impofition upon every Basket of Fruit that was brought 

 into the City. Now there are in all the Cities of Perfia, perfons who arc hir'd to 

 take an account every Week what the Commodities may be worth, and to take 

 care that no more than fuch a Toll be laid upon any thing ; which they tax among 

 themielves , and when they have let the Rate , they caufe it to be cry'd at the 

 beginning of every \yeek. Sha-Scfi then reign'd , it being the year 1632. The 

 King being inform'd by thefe people of the Import which the Kan had let upon 

 Fruit without his knowledge, was lb enrag'd againft him, that he caus'd him to be 

 brought in Chains to Ifpahan , where he us'd him with a ftrange feverity. For at 

 that time the Son of the Kan flood at the King's Elbow, it being his Office to give 

 him his Pipe and his Tobacco, which is a very honourable Employment in Perfut. 

 When the Kan came, the King caus'd him to becarry'd to the Gate of the Palace, 

 in the prefencc of all the People , and then commanded his Son to pull the Hair 

 of his Father's Muftaches by the roots from his Skin. After that he commanded him 

 to cut offhisNofc and his Ears:, after that to put out his Eyes , and laftly to cut off 

 his Head. When he had done the Execution according to the King's plcafure, 

 he commanded him to go and take pofTeflion of his Father's Government , and 

 allowing him an experiene'd Old Man for his Lieutenant, he fent him to Kom with 

 thefe words ; If thou gevcrrfft no better than this dead Bog h.is done , / will put thee 

 to a more cruel death than this. 



Leaving Kom, for four hours you travel over a fair Champain Country, aftcr 

 which you come to a fair Village with five or fix Inns in it. beyond that is nothing 

 but Sand , till you come to a place call'd Abfchirim , or Frejh-water, where there 

 are three Inns at a diftance from any Villages. From Abfchirim to Cachan is fix 

 hours journey through a Corn Country , and ftor'd with great Villaoes. 



Cachan is a large City, well peopl'd , and furnifh'd with all things necefkry for 

 humane fubfiftan«e : There is an old Wall about it which is fain down in many 

 places , fo that there is no need of feeking for Gates to get into the City. On that 

 fide which looks toward Ifpahan the Soil is good, and produces great ftore of Fruit 

 and Wine , which the Jews take care to make. It is reckon'd that there are in 

 Cachan a thoufand Families of Jews ; in Ifpahan about fix hundred •, but in Kom there 

 are not above nine or ten. Not but that there are many Jews in Perfia , but thole 

 that live in Ifpahan , Cachan and Kom , boaft themielves particularly of the Tribe of 

 Jndah. 7 



There are an abundance of Silk-Weavers in Cachan that are very good Work- 

 men, which make all the beft purfl'd Sattins mix'd with Gold and Silver, that come 

 out of Perfia. There they alfo coyn Money, and make Copper-velfels , which they 

 vend in great quantities at a good diftance off. The Markct-houles are very fair 



ones. 



