78 Travels into the hE\- AH T. Part II/ 
Ponds and Fountains ; in thefe Gardens lovely Houfes and artificial Mounts, 
for taking the frefti Air, all covered with Flowers, with little Buildings on 
the top to repofe in : In a word, it is a very pleaiant place- And indeed, 
this is the onely lovely Province of all Perjïa, and yet it hath its inconve- 
The Air of niences, for in Winter it is very cold there^ and the ways very bad : In 
Ma^andaran. ^^ic Summer the Air is fo malignant, that moft of the Inhabitants are obli- 
ged to remove to other Places ; and all the People of that Countrey look 
Venomous yellowifh and tawny. The caufe of that bad Air is the vaft number of Ser- 
Creatures. pents and other infedts that fwarm there^which in the Summer-time dying for 
want of water, (becaufe moft Springs in that Seafon are dried up,) caufë a 
corruption and infedion which fills the Air with contagious Vapours. 
Of Vûhat hath been obferW/t in 
c H A P. iv: 
....... ^■r^r.rt 
Datt) veen otjjervea in iipahan. ■ 
îfpahan. TSfdhan is the Capitsfl City bf the Province bf Mir, fWhi'cfc is part of the 
X ancient Parthla ) and generally of the whole Kingdom of Terjia • for m ' 
this Town the King holds his ordinary refidence. The Air of it is extremely 
dry, therefore what the Earth produces for the food of jman is eafily pre- 
ferved there all the year round. I cannot tell but it may be attributed to 
this difpofition of the Air what commonly happens, that all the Bodies 
whether of Men or Beafts, an hour after they are dead, fwell extremely ; 
which may be occafioned by this fb dry an Air, that penetrating into the 
Bpdies drives out the humidity, which being extrava(ated betwixt the Flefli 
and Skin, endeavours to break out, and fo puffs them up until it hath found 
an IfTue when the parts of it have been fufficiently fubtilized :. The hands 
and feet likewifè fwell at the end of all Sicknefles, which continues fome 
weeks before the caufe of it be difeuffed. Nevertheleft in time of Rain, there 
are great damps, fo that the efFeéts of the hiimidity are to be feen on all 
things, not onely at Iffahan^ but alfb all over Perfia, • in fo much, that all In- 
ftruments of Iron ruft, where ever they may be kept, even keys in ones 
Pocket, as I lèverai times found by experience. The truth is, it rains there 
very feldom unlefs it be in Winter : And whilft I was there, the firft Rain 
that fell was on the eleventh of December -. But likewife when it rains the 
Houfes crumble and fall away in pieces, and the Snow rots the TerralTes 
if they be not paved with Bricks, and feeing moft of them are of Earth, tl^e^ 
Snow muft be thrown off affoon as it falls upon them. .' . ^ 
In the year one thoufand fix hundred fixty and five, there' was a great 
Rain in all that extent of Countrey, which reaches from Bender Ahaffi and^ 
Bender Com^o, till within three or four days Journey of Schiras, and that rain 
lafted from'ahe beginning of Augufi, untill the middle of Sepemher; fo that 
it feemed the Winter of the Indies had fhifted into that Countrey, but that 
was lookt upon as a thing extraordinary. 
The Walls (t" The City oïlffahan is walled round with Earthen Walls, which is fingu- 
ifiahM. j^j. for in Vcrfia moft part of the Towns have none at all. It requires a- 
The Circuit of bout four or five hours to make the round of this City ; but there are a great 
Ifpahan. many large Houfes that have but few living in them, and which take up a 
GrcatGardens, ^^^^ ^f fpace becaufe of the fpacioufnefs of the Gardens ; fome houfes. 
'taking up twenty Acres of ground ; nay it is not long fmce there was no- 
thing but Gardens, on the fide of the Fort : But now there are many Build- 
ings there, and that quarter is called the New Town, where the Air and 
The New Water are better than in the old Town. This City hath feven Gates, of 
Town, which thefe are the Names, Der-Vajal Lcmhm, Der-Deck, Der-Mark, Der- 
Tockh 'i^ Der-Cha Gerefim^ Der-Nafamhad ^î\d Der-Vflfakhah, which is not far 
from the Serraglio. 
The 
