The Persian Travels Book L 



have rub'd him to refrefh him , after a Combat fo courageoufly maintain'd , every 

 one lends him Preients, which are all the Tumblers profit. The Kan or Governour 

 of Kom, who was prefent with a hundred Horfes richly trap'd to behold the Sight, 

 lent the Bull a Prefent of 50 Tomans , or 750 Crowns. They who accompany 'd him, 

 and the chief Inhabitants of Kom, gave him fame a Garment, others a Girdle. 

 Neither did the meaneft of the People fpare to fend or carry him Fruits , or other 

 things, according to their abilities. 



The Kan was a Lord who was very civil , and there was no Stranger that did not 

 commend his behaviour , in regard he was fo obliging. 



So foon as I came to the place , whether it was that he perceiv'd me with a Dutch- 

 man that I had brought along from Confc antinomie , or whether any one had inform'd 

 him that there were Strangers near him , he fent for us, and after he had ask'd us 

 ibme Queftions concerning the occafion of our Travelling, he fent for a Seat and 

 caus'd us to fit down. Then he ask'd us whence we came, and what we did at 

 Ijpahan ; to which when we had anfwer'd him , that we went to wait upon the King, 

 he approv'd our Intention , complaining that we had not given him advice of our 

 Arrival. In the Evening he fent us feveral Delicacies , among the reft , fix fair 

 Melons , and four Bottles of excellent Wine. 



He appear'd to me fo brave and generous a Perfon , that I was very much trou- 

 bled afterwards for his being in dis-favour with the King, and his death, which 

 enfu'd. For this Kan finding the Walls of the City, which were only of Earth, 

 and the Bridge over the River to be out of repair, without writing to the King , of 

 his own head, laid a flight Impofition upon every Basket of Fruit that was brought 

 into the City. Noiv there are in all the Cities of Perfia , perfons who are hir'd to 

 take an account every Week what the Commodities may be worth , and to take 

 care that no more than fuch a Toll be laid upon any thing :, which they tax among 

 themfelves , and when they have let the Rate , they caufe it to be cry'd at the 

 beginning of every Week. ShaSefi then reign'd , it being the year 1632. The 

 King being inform'd by thefe people of the Impoft which the Kan had fet upon 

 Fruit without his knowledge , was fo enrag'd againft him, that he caus'd him to be 

 brought in Chains to Ijpahan , where he us'd him with a ftrange feverity. For at 

 that time the Son of the Kan flood at the King's Elbow, it being his Office to give 

 him his Pipe and His: Tobacco, which is a very honourable Employment in Perfia. 

 When the Kan.Qd.iht , the King caus'd him to be carry'd to the Gate of the Palace, 

 in the prefence of all the People, and then commanded his Son to pull the Hair 

 of his Father's Muftaches by the roots from his Skin. After that he commanded him 

 to cut off his Nofe and his Ears after that to put out his Eyes , and laftly to cut off 

 his Head. When he had done the Execution according to the King's pleafure, 

 he commanded him to go and take poffeffion of his Father's Government , and 

 allowing him an experienc'd Old Man for his Lieutenant , he fent him to Kom with 

 thefe words *, If thou govcnffi no better than this dead Dog has done , / will fut thee 

 to a more crnel death than this. 



Leaving Kom, for four hours you travel over a fair Champain Country, after 

 which you come to a fair Village with five or fix Inns in it. Beyond that is nothing 

 but Sand , till you come to a place call'd .Abfchirim, or Frejh-water, where there 

 are three Inns at a diftance from any Villages. From Abfchirim to Cachan is fix 

 hours journey through a Corn Country , and ftor'd with great Villages. 



Cachan is a large City, well peopl'd , and furnilh'd with all things necelfary for 

 humane fubfiftance : There is an old Wall about it which is fain down in many 

 places , fo that there is no need of feeking for Gates to get into the City. On that 

 fide which looks toward Ijpahan the Soil is good , and produces great ftore of Fruit 

 and Wine , which the Jews take care to make. It is reckon'd that there are in 

 Cachan a thoufand Families of Jews • in Ijpahan about fix hundred -, but in Kom there 

 are not above nine or ten. Not but that there are many Jews in Perfia , but thofe 

 that live in Ijpahan , Cachan and Kom , boaft themfelves particularly of the Tribe of 

 Judah. 



There are an abundance of Silk-Weavers in Cachan that are very good Work- 

 men , which make all the bed purfl'd Sattins mix'd with Gold and Silver , that come 

 out of Perfia. There they alfo coyn Money, and make Copper-vefîèls , which they 

 vend in great quantities at a good diftance off. The Market-houfes are very fair 



ones, 



