Chap. XIV. of Monfieur Tave r. nier. 237 



Baths after they have been with their Wives ; and there are fonre fo (uperftitious 

 as to go there every day. Thefe Baths are round Chambers, (6 clofe, that there 

 is no îighr but what comes from little round windows made in the top of the 

 roof. In the fi rit place, there is the Ktafine, which is a Chamber (even or eight 

 foot fquare ; where, in the middle of the Room, is a great Copper-plate, in the 

 form of a flat Bafon, and underneath they make a (ire of Brumes or Horfe-dung : 

 lb that the Plate heats all the water which is in the Chamber : When it is hot 

 enough, a fervant belonging to the Bath goes up to the Terras, and winds a horn, 

 to give notice to them that have a mind to come. Should a Verfian or a Mahn- 

 metan mifs once in eight days, he would feel an itching all over his body not to be 

 endur'd. For the pores, which the ht at of the Bath had open'd, coming to be 

 jfhut, the vapours of the body not able to get out, prick and tickle the skin. The 

 Men go early in the morning, and ftay till two hours after Sun-rifing : At the en- 

 try of the Bath is the place where they undrels ; and when they are ftript all 

 but the fecret parts, which they cover with a napkin, they pour hot water upon 

 their moulders ; and then comes a man and rubs off all the fweat and filth of the 

 Body with a coarfe Cloath 5 after which they plunge themjèlves into a Relèrvato- 

 ry of hot water, which they call Kollttam. But thefe common Baths are very 

 dangerous, and many people of both Sexes have got the fowl Difèafè., who were 

 never addidted to impurity. 



There are alfo in Ter fia hir'd people, which they call Saul's, whole bufinefs it is 

 to give water to the people as they go along the Streets. Their Barbers are very 

 neat, and furpafs ours for lightnefs of hand ; for a man can hardly feel their Ra- 

 fors. They have alfo a Knife to pare the nails of the hands and feet, which they 

 do very dextroufly. As for their Beards, thole that belong to the Law cut it with 

 SchTers, but they leave it not fo long as the Turks do, by much. But the Courtiers 

 and Souldiers (have all otf, except from their upper-lips, where they take it for a 

 mark of great honour to wear long Muftaches, which they lay is the ornament of 

 the face. 



The habit of the Ver fions is a Robe which they call Cabaje, that comes down 

 a little below their knees. This is of very fine quilted Cloath, well cotton'd in 

 the Winter, but much thinner in the Summer.. Thefe Linnens would be very 

 cheap, but that the Perlons of Quality change their Robes every day. Their 

 Sleeves are long, and clofe to their arms., and reaching as far as the wrilt. The 

 Robe is fit to their Bodies as far as the Walt 5 but then it is made wide and loofe. 

 Over this they wear a noble Girdle of Silk, adorn'd at the end with flowers of 

 Gold, over which they were another Girdle of fine Kerman-wool. The richer 

 fort arelo vain as to wear three Girdles, two of Silk, and one of Kerman-wool, 

 which is ty'd uppermolt. Under the Robe or Veit they wear a fhort Waftcoat of 

 flower d Fuftian quilted, their Shirts being of Silk of divers colours. They ufe 

 as little Soap in Ver fia, as they can ; for Soap is very rare m.Verfia. When we 

 come out of the Indies, we are fore d to bring with us Linnen enough to ferve us 

 for fix months, and then to carry it back again ; for they wafh much better in In- 

 dia, then in Perfia. Their breeches being of Silk, come down to their Ankles, 

 without any codpieces. Their Sefie 3 or Bonner, which we call a Turban, is made 

 of a piece of fine Silk mingl'd with Gold, being in form much like our large 

 Pompions : the top thereof is a little flat; and here it is that the end of the 

 Silk being garniftYd with flowers of Gold and Silver, ends in a kind of Pofie. 

 Thefe Bonnets are very heavy, efpecially thofe that are for the molt part nothing 

 but Gold and Silver. The meaneft of thofe is worth 200 Crowns ; but there are 

 fbme which the King and the great Lords wear, that are worth four or five 

 hundred. You fhall iieldom meet an Officer of any Quality that does not wear a 

 rich Jewel in his Bonnet. The Courtiers and Souldiery wear their Daggers upon 

 their ftomachs, ftuck in their girdles. The meaneft Souldier inlays the handle and 

 iheath of his Dagger ; but the Grandees have them all befet with Pearls. There 

 was in the handle of S h a- Abbas the Second's Dagger, a Diamond of above fixty 

 Carats, which, with fome other Stones that belong'd to ir, was valu'd at 13000 

 Tomans, or 200000 Crowns. Over their Velt they wear a Jufticoar, much like 

 ours. It is faften'd at the. top with a button : and molt ufually they have nine 

 tufted buttons before fet by three and three at an equal diftance : but they only 



F f 2 ferve 



