94- 
Travels into Le v an t. Part IL 
What the 
Ferfim wo- 
men uncover. 
that except the Eyes they are covered all over with it. Within doors they 
have their face and breafts uncovered ; but the Armenian women in their 
Houles have always one half of their face covered with a Cloath that goes 
a thwart their Nofe, and hangs over their Chin and Breafts, except the 
Maids of that Nation, who within doors cover onely the Chin, until! they 
be martied. It is not to be thought ftrange that the women are fo hid, for 
all over Verfia as well as in Turky they obferve the cuftome of not fhewing 
themfelves to men, and that fo ftridtly, that when a man marries, he fees 
not his Bf ide untill the wedding-day at Night, and the Roman Catholuks ob- 
ferve the fame Cuftom. Whilft I was at ScMras, the Carmelites there married 
a Georgian Widow to a Roman Catholick a Native of Schiras, Nephew to the 
Signora Maani-Gioerida, thefirftWifeof Sigmr Pietro della 'valle ; the truth is, 
I was a little furprized to fee that woman prefent her felf before the Father 
that married her all veiled and covered over ; however {he was married in 
this manner: I cannot tellw hether this method will be liked by our Frenclf 
Ladies, who take as much pans to fhew themfelves, as the Ferjians do to hide 
themfelves. 
InPerjia as well as in the reft of the Levant, the Women put rings through 
their Nofès, which they pierce with Needles. When they travel, it is com- 
monly upon Camels, on which they are placed in Cafchaves^ that are a fort 
of covered Panniers, they put on each fide of a Camel or Mule; I have al- 
ready fpoken of that Engine in the relation of my firft travels, upon occafion 
of our going from Caire to yerufalem. 
Within doors women as well as men fit like the Turks and all the Levan- 
tins, in the fame manner as Taylers do in Europe. They lye alfo, (as all the 
Orientals do,) upon a quilt on the ground, without fheets ; they have always 
on a Smock and a pair of Drawers, and many times alfb an Jrcalick or Wait- 
coat ; they cover themfelves with a quilted Coverlet fèt withOilet-holes, and 
over it a Cloath painted with Flowers and other Trifles ; thefe they call 
dian Cloaths, becaufe moft of them are made in the Indies, neverthelefs, a 
great many are alfo made in Perjia, and the Flowers and other paints are 
ftamped upon them with a mould befmeared with Colours. 
Rings in the 
Nofes of the 
Perjjan wo- 
men. 
Their way of 
travelling. 
Cafchaves. 
Way of fit- 
ting. 
Night-cloaths, 
Bed-covering. 
Indian 
Cloaths. 
C H A P. X. 
The Continuation of the Oèfervationsof\{p3hm. 
Chiefly of Eating. 
A Perjîan 
Chimney. 
Courji. 
The way of 
warming. 
over Perjia they feldom warm themfelves by a Fire in the Chim- 
ney which is taken out of the wall, but fo little that it is hardly to be fèen. 
They have an Engine in their Rooms which they call the CourJi, which is 
more convenient for ufe ; and renders a milder heat than that of a Chimney. 
In the Floor of the Room ihey have a great fquare hole, a foot deep, and 
about three foot broad; into that they put clear burning Coals, and over them 
a little wooden Table, much of the fame bignefs, and a large foot high, 
which hath four feet that reft upon Stones purpofely fèt at the four Comers 
of the hole : They cover this Table with a large pinked Carpet, which on 
all fides trails on the ground ; fo that they fee no fire and yet receive a gen- 
tle heat through the Carpet : Now if they have a mind to have a greater heat 
to warm them all over of a fudden, they fit down on Cufhions round the 
Table, and put their feet a-crofs the frame of it, and then cover themfelves 
with the Carpet up to the Neck, fo that their whole body is under it, and 
nothing out but the Head ; which warms them all over without burning their 
Face, or breathing too hot an Air. Neither do they make ufe of Candle, 
bun 
