Chap. III. of Monfieur Tavernier. 



choiceft Wares of Terfia. At the end of that Bazar ftands a fair Inn two Stories 

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

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

 Here by the Way let me give a Traveller and a Trader in 'Perfa this advice -, that if 

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

 dearer than thole above: For the Chambers which the Sun lies upon moft in the 

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

 areTax'd at the lame rate by the King but the H oft for his profit will find fonte pre- 

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

 you defire, efpecially if they be corner Chambers , which are the largeil and mod 

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

 The beft 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 that your 

 Chapman prove infolvent for Goods bought,the Inn-keeper is to make all good being 

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

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

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

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

 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 lave the tw r o in the 

 hundred , combines with the Purchaler to carry away foitie of his Goods without the 

 knowledge of theHoft, which is done by greafing his Deputies flft, who will pre- 

 fently fhut his Eyes. But then if the Purchaler 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 Cuftom. 



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

 their Shops very flightly , the Bazars 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 fucll 

 other things they only heap them under a large Coverlet faftcn'd at the four 1 

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



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

 their Shops , live all thofe that deal in Ritjfia Leather , making Borachio's to tye under 

 the Horles 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 lei) whole Ha- 

 bits for men , as Shirts , Sheets , Hole , and the like. There be alio thole that lcU 

 Leather Shooes for men and w 7 omen; which Shooes areahvays worn by perlons of 

 quality. 



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

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

 make Files, and the blades of Sythes. The reft of the Bazar is pofTefs'd by Dyers 

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

 that fell Musk , Rujfia Leather, and Furrs. 



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

 z.ars 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 neceflaries of life , believing that their 

 food fo purchas'd would do them no good. 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 fpoil the whole Courle of Trade and Commerce. Neither would the Revenue of 

 the CKravanfera's , Bazars , and Gajdens fuffice for the Kings Kitchin , were not 

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

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



V Upon 



