Chap, XXI. of Monlieur Taverniel 24.7 



way to be levell'd out of the Rock about i j or 20 foot above the River, which 

 he iecur'd to the water-fide with a Wall three or four foot high. This way con- 

 tinues for half a league, and then you come to lye at a great Village in a Plain, 

 where you take Guides to (hew you the Fords of the River. 



Having paft the River,you crofs over feveral fertil Plains water'd with great ftore 

 of Rivers. Then you afcend a Mountain, from whence you have but a league 

 and a half to Tche-clminar. 



At the point of the Mountain, upon the right-hand of the great Road,are to be 

 feen twelve Pillars ftill (landing, that form a kind of a fquare. In the fpaces of 

 the Mountain are a great number of -Niches, that are oppofit to the Pillars, and 

 were certainly the places where ttie ancient Perjians put their Idols. Thence you 

 come to Tche-elminar 5 where are to be feen a great many old Columns, fome 

 ftanding, and fome lying upon the ground, and fome ill-fhap'd Statues, with little 

 four-fquare dark rooms. All which together, eafily perfwades me, who have well 

 confider'd the principal Pagods of India, that Tche-clminar was only a Temple 

 formerly dedicated to Idolatrous worfliip. And that which confirms ray opinion, 

 is, that there is no place more proper for an Idolatrous Temple then this, by rea- 

 fon of the abundance of water. Befides, that the dark Rooms could be no other 

 then the Chambers for the Priefts, ; and where the Rice and Fruits that were the 

 feigned nourifhment of the Idols, were the better fecur'd from gnats and 



Leaving Tche-ebmnar, you come to lye at a Village half a league farther, where 

 is very good Wine. From thence to Schiras is a hard days journey j efpecialty 

 when the Snow begins to melt : for then the Road looks like a little Sea. 



CHAP. XX r . 



Of the City of Schiras. 



THE City of Schiras lies in 78 degr. if min. of Longitude, and 29 deg. 36 

 min. of Latitude. -It is feated in a Plain that extends it felf about four 

 leagues from the North to the South, and from the Weft to the Eaft about five 

 leagues. Upon the South-eaft there is a Lake of fait water four leagues in corn- 

 pals : leaving the Plain as you travel to the South, you pafs between two Moun- 

 tains, which arc not fo clofe, but that they leave room for certain plealant Valleys 

 a league and a half wide. 



The Soil about Schtras is good, and fruitful ; and it is particularly famous tor 

 the molt excellent Wines of all Perfia. As for the City it felf, there is nothng 

 handlbme in it: for it looks rather like a Town half ruin'd then a City. For- 

 merly it was begirt with walls of Earth, which are now utterly decaid. The 

 Houfes are of the lame Earth dri'd in the Sun, and whiten'd over with lime ; fo 

 that when it happens to rain, when the Earth comes to be well moiiten'd, the 

 Houfes fall of themfelves. Only the Colledg which Iman-Konli-Kan built, and 

 Ibme of the Mofiuees are are of Brick : and the beft of thofe Mofyuces is call d 

 Sba-Shiratjke, which out of a particular devotion is Kept fomewhat better in re- 

 pair. However, there is nothing in it worth taking notice of. Upon the Is ort Il- 

 eal* fide, the City runs within a quarter of a league of the Mountain : and from 

 a Stone-bridg,as you go out of the City to the foot of the Mountain, is a Jong 

 Street in a ftreight line, where there ftands a Mofiuee, built by Iman-Kouh-Kan. 

 Without, it appears fair enough -, but within, it falls to ruine. There is an Otio- 

 gonal Piazza before the Gate, and in the middle of the Ptazx* an Otbogonal Vaje, 

 which is fill'd by a little dream that runs through the Street from the Mountain. 

 Both fides of the Street from the Mofiuec to the Mountain are walfd in : and at 

 certain fpaces are great Gates one againft another, with rooms over them ; the 

 Windows whereof open into the Gardens behind the walls j all along by which 

 runs a row of Cyprefs-trces in a direft line : and in the middle of the Street, 

 il about 



