jp The Pers i an TtWj Book V; 



the Cuftome-houfe in the night, it has bin fince enelos'd with walls. To this place 

 come all the fhips that bring Commodities from India for Fsrfia, Tarkje , or any 

 part of Afia or Europe. And indeed it would be much more frequented by the 

 Merchants from all Regions and Countries. 



But the Air of Bander is fo unwholefome and fo hot, that no ftrangers can live 

 there, in probability of health, unlefs k be in the months of &ecmbtr t J*nudry > F+. 

 brnary and March j though tire Natives of the Country may perhaps itif without 

 prejudice to the end of April. After that they retire to the cooler Mountains, 

 two or three days journey off, for rive or fix months where they eat what they 

 gain'd before. They that venture to ftav at Gpmon during the hot weather, gee 

 a malignant Fever, which if they (cape death, is hardly ever cur'd. However it 

 bequeaths the yellow Jaundies during life to the party. Marco being pafs'd the 

 . wind changes, and blowing at weft fbuth weft, in a ftort time it growtfb hot 

 and Co -ftifling, that it almoit takes away a mans breath. Tliis wind is by the Ara- 

 bians call d El-S.tmiel, or the poyfonou* wind, by the fr/fiam Bad -S hour , be- 

 caufe it fuffocates and kills prefently. The fle(h of them that are thus ftifl'd feels 

 like a glewie fat , and as if they had been dead a monh before. 



In the year 1632. riding from Ifpahan to Baudot, I and four more Perfian Mer- 

 chants had bin itifl'd but for fome Arabians that were in our Company. For 

 when they perceiv'd the wind, they caus'd us to light, lye down upon put bellies 

 and cover our (elves with our Cloaks. We lay fo for half an hour, and then riling 

 we faw our horfes were in fuch a fweat, that they were hardly able to carry us. 

 This happened to us two days journey from Bagdat. But this is obfervable, that 

 if a man be in a Boat upon the water when the lame wind blows, it dues no harm 

 though he were naked at the fame time. Sometimes the wind is ib hot that it 

 burns like Lightning. 



And as the Air oi'Gomron is fo bad and dangerous: the foil is worth nothing: 

 For it is nothing but Sand, nor is the water in the Cifterns very good. They that 

 will be at the charge fetch their water* from a fountain three leagues from B under % 

 calPd the water of IJfta. Formerly there was nor an herb to be fi en : but by often 

 Watering the ground, Lettice, Radifh and Onions have begun to grow. 



The People are fwarthy, and wear nothing about them but only a fingle (hirr. 

 Their ufual dyet is dates and rifh. Which is almoft the dyet of their Cattel, for 

 when they come home from browfing the barren bufhes , they give them the 

 heads and guts of their fifh boyl'd, with the kernels of the Dates which they ear. 



The Sea of Bander produces good Soles, good Smelts and Pilchards. They that 

 will haveoyfters muft have 'em caught on purpofe/or the people eat none. 



Upon Land they want neither for wine ot&jriras nor Ttfilj nor for Mutton, Pi- 

 geons and Partridge,which are their ordinary dver. 



There are two Fortreffes, one upon the f.alr, the other toward the Weft. , The 

 Town increafes in trade and building, and tills with inhabitants, who build their 

 houfes with the remaining ruins of Otmw. 



The reafon why the Trade is fettl'd rather at Bandtr Abafli, then at Bander Con- 

 go, where the Air is good and the Water evcellenr,is becaufe that between Ormm 

 ' ar\6 Congo lie feveral Iflands, which make the [tallage for (hips dangerous, befides 

 that the often change and veering of the wind is reqffir'd : neither indeed is there 

 water enough for a Veffel of 20 or 2c guns. Then the way from Congo to Lar is 

 very bad. YxomBanda Abaffi to Lar it is very good, and provided with good 

 Inns. 



From the day that a Merchant takes up monv at Gomrcn, he is bound to return 

 it in three months, and the change goes from fix to .twelve per Cent. When the 

 Goods come to Ifpxhan or any other place, the Merchant is not to touch them, 

 rill he has pay 'd the money which he borrow'd, unlefs the Creditor will truft 

 him farther. Some Turkjjh and Armenian Merchants take up monay at Qomron to 

 • pay it at Snratt ; where they take up other money for Jfpahan ; at Ifpahan for 



Erz.erom or Bagdat, paying the old debt with the new fums, which they take up 

 in each place. The money taken up at Er^erom is pai'd at Burfa, Constantinople or 

 Smyrna. Money taken up at Bagdat is pai'd at Aleppo. 



I always made accompt,that to take up money at Golconda for Ltgorn or Venice •, 

 at change for change,the money returns at the cheapeft rate, to 95" per Cent, but 

 more oftentimes it amounts to a bunder'd. CHAP. 



