154 ©• Persian Travels Book IV, 



Upon the North-Front of the Mcydan , arc made under the Porticos reparations 

 for Chambers, that look upon the Piazza, where people go to fmoak Tobacco and 

 drink Coffee. The Seats of thole Rooms are plac'd as in lb many Amphitheaters 

 and in the midft of every one Hands a large Veflel full of running Water, wherewith 

 the ir Pipes be cleans'd when they are over-fowl All thcPcrfians that haveany fpare time 

 fail not every day to refort to thole places between leven and eight in the Morning' 

 where the Owner of the Room presently brings them every one their Pipe and 

 their Diih of Coffee. But the Great Sha-Abu, who was a man of a great undfcr- 

 (landing, finding thole pUces were only fo many Meeting-houfes , where men afTem, 

 bl'd to talk and prattle of State-affairs , a thing which no way pleas'd him ^ to break 

 the neck of thofe petty Cabals , he order'd that a MoaHah fhould be lure to be 

 betimes at every place before the reft of the people came thither, and that he fhould 

 entertain thofe Tobacco-whiffers, and Coffee-quaffers, fometimes with a Point of the 

 Law, (bmetimes with Hiftory, lbmetimes with Poetry. This cuftom is ftill oblerv'd : fo 

 that after this entertainment has lafted two or three hours , the Moullah riling up 

 crys to every one in the Coffee-Room , Come my Mafters , /';/ good time , lei's all mw 

 retire every man to his bufinefi. Straight every one retires upon the Moullah\ words, 

 who is liberally entertain'd all the while by the Society. 



In the midft of the North-Front ftandsa great Portal, with a large Dial over it, 

 which Sb.i-Abu brought from Ormtu when he took it from the Portngals. But the Dial 

 is of no ule, nor is ever like to be. Round the Tower of that Portal runs an opa 

 Gallery, with a kind of a Cieling over head fupported with Pillars j from whence 

 every Evening about Sun-fet, and at Midnight , a noife of Drums and Trumpets is 

 to be heard through the whole City. Though the truth is , the Mufick would never 

 charm a curious Ear. Out of fome parts of the Gallery are contriv'd little Dormi- 

 tories , where the chiefeft of the Court lye. In all the Cities where the Kans refide 

 is the cuftom of making this ratling noife of Drums and Trumpets obferv'd , and 

 not elfewhere. 



On each tide of the Portal, under the Horologe, are five or fix Banks of Jewellers, 

 who there put to fale certain parcels of Pearls , Emralds, Granats, and Turquoifes^ 

 which are not of any great value : every parcel being fet by it felf in a Dim , and 

 the whole Stall cover'd with a filk Net , to preferve the Stones from being ftoln. 



Juft againft the. fame Portal, going toward the South-Front, you meet with two 

 little Goals five or fix Foot high, and fev'n or eight diftant one from the other. Here 

 the men play at Pall-mall on horfe-back , the Horfe-man being to ftrike the Bail run- 

 ning at lull fpeed , between the two Goals. 



Through that Portal you enter into an Enclofure much like the place where the 

 Fair of St: Germans is kept , and there it is that the Merchants of Gold and Silver- 

 Tiffues and other rich Stuffs, with all your fineft forts of Calicuts and Linnens , keep 

 their Shops. 



The Court fide of the Meydan, which is upon the Eaft, and which anfwers to the 

 grand Front where the King's Houfe ftands , is thus appointed. In the middle (lands 

 a Buomo cover'd with a kind of bak'd Earth , and as well the Duoroo as the Portal, 

 which is very high , are all varniuYd over. You afcend nine or ten fteps , the Port 

 of Haly facing it on the other fide of the Piazza. From the end of the Portico's 

 that touch the North fide of the Mofquee , live the Shop-keepers that fell fowing- 

 Silk, and fmall Manufactures of Silk., as Ribands, Laces, Garters, and other things 

 of the fame nature. From the Mefyuee to the other end, are all Turners , that make 

 Cradles for Children, and Spinning-Wheels. There are alfo fome Cotton-beaters, 

 that make quilted Coverlets. Without the Portico's are none but Smiths , that make 

 Scy ths, Hammers, Pincers, Nails, and fuch like things •, with fome few Cutlers 



Thisisallthatcanbefaidof/^^, and that great Piazza, which fome perhaps 

 have let out m better colours. But I have reprefented all things as they are, as 

 being one that have feen them oftner, and beheld them a longer time than ever any 

 Franf^ that TravePd into Apa. 



CHAR 



