Chap. III. of Monfieur T a ve rnier. 153 



(hoiceft Wares of Terjia. At the end of that Bazar ftands a fair Inn two Stories 

 high , which the Mother of Sha-Abas the fecond caus'd to be built. In the middle 

 ftaads a great Fountain with four great Gates, which lead into four other Inns. 

 Here bv the way let me. give a Traveller and a Trader in Terfia this advice-, that if 

 Jiis Goods be not very heavy , he never hire a low Chamber, as being three times 

 dearer than thofe above: For the Chambers which the Sun lies upon mod in the 

 Summer, are the Chambers which coft lead. Not but all the Chambers in the Inn 

 areTax'd at the fame ra{e by the King •, but the Hoft for his profit will find fbme pre- 

 tence or other to raife his price, pretending thole Chambers be hir'd already which 

 voudefire, especially if they be corner Chambers , which are the largeftand mod 

 commodious. And indeed without this collufion Chambers would be very eheap. 

 The bed convenience of thofe Inns is,that a man is more fecure in one of them then in a 

 private Houfe: For there if it happ'n that a piece of Goods be ftol'n -, or thatyouF 

 Chapman prove iniolvent for Goods bought,thc Inn-keeper is to make all good •, being 

 by the Law to receive fo many blows a day 'till he pays the fum demanded. The 

 Merchant alio gives two in the hundred for every thing that he fells, and when the 

 Market is done they prciently go to the Hoft, who lets down in his Book the qua- 

 lity of his Goods, and the names both of buyer and feller. If he knows not the 

 buyer, he is bound to go and enquire after him, and if he be not folvent, the 

 Merchant takes his Goods again. Sometimes the Merchant to favc the two m the 

 hundred , combines with the Purchafer to carry away fome of his Goods without the 

 knowledge of the Hoft, which is done by greafing his Deputies fift, who will prc- 

 fently (hut his Eyes. But then if the Purchafer proves infolvent , the Merchant 

 dares not complain , becaufe his Goods are not Regifter'd in the King's Book, whom 

 he has defrauded of his Cuitom. 



No lefs fecure are the Bazars or Market-places - , where the Merchants fhut up 

 their Shops very (lightly , the Bazaars being ftrongly guarded both within and with- 

 out all night long. As for the petty Stalls in the Meydan , every one puts up his 

 Ware in a Box Padlock'd up , and then lay them down at one end of the place one 

 by another. As for the courfc fort of Ware , as Tents , Cords, Ropes, and fuch 

 other things they only heap them under a large Coverlet faftcn'd at the fouf 

 corners by four fticks , for the Meydan alfo is as ftrongly guarded as the Bazar. 



Between Haly's Gate and that which leads to the Bazar where the Armenians keep 

 their Shops ,* live all thofe that deal in Rnffu Leather , making Boracbio's to tye under 

 the Horfcs Bellies, little Buckets , and Furniture for Horfe-mcn , as alfo Bowyers, 

 Fletchers, and Forbifhers. From the Jaft Gate to the end of the Gallery, live all 

 the Druggifts and Apothecaries. 



At the Angle upon' the two fronts upon the Eaft and North , there is a Gate that 

 leads to the Great Bazar \ next to that live only your Sails-men that fell whole Ha- 

 bits for men , as Shirts, Sheets, Hofe, and the like. There be alio thofe that icll 

 Leather Shooes for men and w r omen ; which Shooes are always worn by perfons of 

 quality. 



Out of this Bazar you go into another full of men that work in Copper, fuch as 

 make Pots, Plates, and other Utcnfils for the Kitchin. Here alfo live thofe that 

 make Files, and the blades of Svthes. The reft of the B tzar is pofTefj'd bv Dyers 

 of Calicut •, and at the end of the Bazar is a fair Inn , where all the Merchants live 

 that fell Musk , Raffia Leather, and Furrs. 



I have in another place obierv'd that the King has a great Revenue out of the Ba- 

 zars and Inns which he has caus'd to be built , which is particularly laid out in pro- 

 vifion for his Table. For the Law of Mahomet forbidding Princes to impofe Taxes 

 or Cuftoms upon the people, they do not believe that the money which arifes from 

 thence is fit to be employ 'd or laid out for the neceffaries of life, believing that their 

 food fo purchas'd would do themnogood. By virtue of this prohibition of Mahomet 

 it is,that the Merchants take all the liberty they can to deceive the King of his Cuftoms, 

 believing that they cannot offend the Prince,while they tranfgrefs not the Law. Befides, 

 that if they fhould pay all the King's Duties, the price of Goods would rife fo high,fo as 

 to fpoi! the whole Courfe of Trade and Commerce. Neither would the Revenue of 

 the Caravanfera's , Bazars , and Gardens fuffice for the Kings Kitchin , were not 

 the feveral ' Kans or Governours of Provinces oblig'd to fupply that expencc 

 every Week in their turns , whereby thofe cxpcnccs coft the King little or nothing. 



V Upon 



