Travels into the'L-e.vk^ t. Part II. 
took us a compleat hour to mount it, and almoft three quarters of an iiour 
in coming down again on the other fide : ) After that, we went by a little 
houfè of Rahdars, where for every horfe there are two Cabeglois of Caffare to 
be payed. Then we marched above two hours and a half amongfi: Moun- 
tains, and there after came into a Plain, where having paft by a great many 
Villages, and crofled feveral Brooks ; and half an hour after five, having left a 
^aga- Town called Zaga to the left hand, two hours after, we arrived at Hamadan ^ 
where we lodged in a Ker'vanferai, and payed a Bifii, which is worth four 
Cabeghis, a day for a Room. We fliall fpeak of the money of Verfm in the 
defcription of Iffahan. 
C H A P. II. 
Of the Road from Hamadan to Ifpahan. 
H>A}nadan is a very large Town, but contains many void places. Gardens, 
and even ploughed Fields within it. The houfes are lovely and built 
onely of Bricks baked in the Sun : T here is no fair Street in it, but that 
where they fell Stuffs, Cloaths ready made, and fuch like Commodities. It 
is a ftreight, long and broad Street, and the ftiops of it are well furnifhed; 
' it lies near the BezeBein, which is little, but pretty well built. This is a 
confiderable Town of Traffick, and in former times was very ftrong; it had 
a fair Caftle, which was a long time agoe demolifhed by the Turks, who 
much ruined the Town alfb. The Air is very bad here, and fo is the Water 
too; there is no Wine to be found in this place, but onely Brandy. Many 
of our Caravan fell fick during the time we flayed there ; for my parr, I was 
taken with a loofèneft that foon after was followed by a Feaver, which I 
carried with me to Ifpaban^ where both held me above a Month, and the 
Watch-maker that went with me, fell into a Quartane-ague fliortly after he 
arrived at Ifpahan. The Armenians have a Church in Hamadan, but kept in 
bad order. There is comrrionly a Chan v/ho commands in that place ; but 
at that time there was none there, onely a Deroga, to whom the King fent 
The ceremo- a prefent of a Veft, while I was there. There was no other Ceremony in 
ny oïzj^alat it, but that the Deroga went out about eight or nine a Clock in the Morning 
or King's Veft. by the King's Gate, fo called, becaufe by that Gate they go to Ifpahan; and 
then advanced to a Houfè about a quarter of a French League diftant, where 
he put on the Veft which the King fent him, being of Cloath of Gold ; and 
prefently returned to the Town amidfl: a Body of fifty or fixty of the chief 
Inhabitants on Horfe-back, who marched almoft all a breafl without any 
order whilft they were in the Fields. 
Having fïayed eight days Hamadan we bargained with a Muletor^ for 
five Aba£is for every fàddle-Horfè, and for our Goods at the rate of eleven 
A hundred for the hundred Vatmans of Taur 'n ; the hundred Ratmans of Tauns, are near 
Patmans of f^x hundred weight, and that was a cheap bargain : But the Muleror, (who 
bout'fix'^hun P^'^^^P^ repented what he had done,J refblved to ftay for the Caravan with 
dred weight." which we came, and was not to depart till eight days after ; and we being 
told that there was an Aga come who guarded Butter and other Provifions 
that were going to the King; we. fent for his Muletor, who furnifhed us with 
Saddle-horfès for iixAbaJfis, and for our luggage we payed at the rate of fif- 
teen Abaffis for the hundred Patmans of Tattris. To this beginning of a Ca- 
ravan many others joyned who were as weary as we of ftaying at Hamadan ; 
fb that all together we made a Caravan ftrong enough not to be afraid of 
Robbers : For though they fay there are none in Rerfia, yet at that time there 
were feveral gangs of them abroad ; becaUfe the Lhan of that quarter being 
dead, there was.no other as yet fent in his place. 
We 
