Chap. XXI of Monfieur Tavernier. 24.7 



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

 he fecur'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-elminar. 



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

 feen twelve Pillars ftill ftanding, that form a kind of a fquare. In the fpaces of .V , r , - < r 

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

 werf certainly the places where the ancient Perfians put their Idols. Thence you 

 come to Tche-elminar ; 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-elminar was only a Temple 

 formerly dedicated to Idolatrous worfhip. And that which confirms my opinion, 

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

 fbn 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 nourifliment of the Idols, were the better fecur'd from gnats and 

 flies. 



Leaving Tche-elminar, 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 efpecially 

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



CKAP. XXr. 

 Of the City of Schiras. 



THE City of Schiras lies in 78 degr. 15- 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 com- 

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

 tains, which are not fo clofe, but that they leave room for certain pleafant Valleys 

 a league and a half wide. 



The Soil about Schiras is good, and fruitful } and it is particularly famous fpr 

 the moft excellent Wines of all Perjia. As for the City it felf, there is nothng 

 handfbme 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 fame 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 moiften'd, the 

 Houfes fall of themfelves. Only the Colledg which Ii^^oHU-Kanb^At^ and 

 fome of the Mofquees are are of Brick"Tand the beft of thofe Mofquees is call'd 

 Sha-Shiragtie , which out of a particular devotion is kept fomewhat better in re- 

 pair. However, there is nothing in it worth taking notice of. /lipon the North- 

 eaft 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 long 

 Street in a ftreight line, where there Itands a Mofawe, built by Iman-Kouli-Kan. 

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

 gonal Piaz.z.a before the Gate, and in the middle of the Ptaz,z.a an Otlogonal Vafes 

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

 Both fides of the Street from the Mofyuee to the Mountain are wall'd 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 ; all along by which 

 runs a row of Cyprefs-trees in a direcTt line : and in the middle of the Street^ 



about 



