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m ' — 



The Persian Travels Book I. 



deep Snows , wherein yoa (hall find them almoft buried the next mor- 

 ning. 



When the Car. wan comes near the place where it intends to flop , every Mer- 

 chant rides before to take up a convenient place for himfelf and his Goods, for 

 which he covets a riling Ground , that if it ihould happen to rain , the Water may 

 run from the Bale?. They alio in that cafe lay Stones under the Bales , and a Cloth 

 over them ^ and the Servants make a Ditch about the Tent for the Water to run 

 into. But if it be fair weather , there is no care tak'n to fet up the Tent : or 

 if it be, 'tis folded up after Supper :, to the end the Owners may have the more 

 liberty to look about them, and may be in a better condition to look alter the 

 Thieves. But if there be any likelihood of foul weather , the Tent is let (land till 

 the firft Cry of the Sbaoux. The Hoi fes are ty'd before the Tent with Cords fattened 

 to a Nail , and their hinder Legs are ty'd with other Cords , to the end they may 

 not ftir out of their places. If it be not feafonable for them to eat Grafs, you 

 muft buy Barley and Straw of the Country-men that come to ferve the Caravan 

 there being no Oats , neither in Turkic nor Perfia. 



In drcfling your Viftuals , you muft follow thecuftom of the Country, which is, 

 to make a Hole in the Ground, and then kindling a Fire in it, to let the Pot 

 over it. 



But the greatcft inconvenience which Travellers fufTer with the Caravans , is 

 this , that when they come to Waters, which are only Wells, or Cifterns, or Spring-, 

 where only two or three can lade up Water at a time. For after the Caravan is 

 Iodg'd, the Merchants fhall be fore'd to (lay for Water two or three hours together :, 

 for they that belong to the Beafts of Carriage, will not fufifer any pcrfon to take 

 any Water, till the Camels, Horics, AfTes, and Mules are all ferv'd. Nor is there 

 any contending with thefe Camel-drivers and Muleters •, for as they are a rude fort 

 of people, a Man runs the hazard of his Life by contefting alone; of which one 

 Example may fuffice for all. 



Setting out one day from Bander-Abaffi , for Ifpahan , with a Merchant of Babylon, 

 as we came to the Inn where we fay the firft night, which was call'd Gttetchy , the 

 Merchant commanded one of his Slaves who was a Cafcr of Mo^.mbi'jne , to fetch 

 him fomefrefh Water, at the Ciftern , to drink: The Cafcr went thither, and 

 returned without any Water, telling his Maftcr, that the Camel-drivers and Mu- 

 leters threaten'd to beat him, and would not let him come near the Ciftern. The 

 Merchant either ill advis'd , or not knowing the cuftom, bid him go back, and 

 kick thole that refus'd him. Whereupon the Cafcr returning , and finding the 

 fame refiftance as before, began to give ill language to the Camel-drivers, lb that 

 one of them happen'd to ftrike him. Upon that the Cafer drawing his Sword, 

 ran him into the Belly, fo that he fell down dead : Thereupon the whole Rabble 

 fell upon him, bound him, and carry 'd him back to Bander- Aba (Jl for the Governour 

 to put him to death. The Mafter of the Cafer, accompany'd by ieveral Merchants, 

 went to the Governour and reprefented to him the iniblcnce of thofe people, and 

 how the bufinefs had happen'd. Upon which the Governour took the poor fellow out of 

 their hands, and caus'd him to be kept fafe^ after that, he caus'd ten or a dozen 

 of thofe Muleters to be feiz'd, and order'd them to be loundly baftinado'd, for 

 hind'ring a Merchant's Servant from fetching Water for his Mafter. He alfo put 

 others in Priibn •, who had not been releas'd fo foon , but at the rcqueft of thofe 

 Merchants whofe Goods they carry'd , and who ftood in need of their fervice. 

 The Governour fpun out the bufinefs , on purpofe that the reft might be gone : but 

 as foon as they were all departed except the two Brothers of the party Main , he told 

 them, he could not do them Jufticc, becaufe their Brother bclong'd to Schirai ; fo 

 that all that he could do, was to fend the Criminal thither. The Maftcr of the Cafcr 

 being rich , and loving the Slave, made haft to Schiras , to tell his Story firft to the 

 Kan. And I remember, two days journey on this fide Scbirat , we met in the High- 

 way abundance of poor people , the kindred of the party flain , who were Maying 

 for the Cafer , to carry him before the Kan , and to demand Jufticc. Two or 

 three Leagues alio from Schira* I met the Father and Mother, together with the 

 Wife and Children of the deccas'd , who feeing me pafs along , fell at my Feet and 

 recounted to me their Grievances. I told them by mv Kahnachi , that their beft 

 and fureft way was to take a piece of Money of the Cafer** Mafter , and fo to put up 



the 



