Traijels into, tbeh^vAii t. 
Part 11. 
V/hat a IQt- 
îaat properly 
Schaters or 
Foot-men. 
The mafter- 
piece of a 
Schaw. 
The People 
are forced to 
come to the 
Konrouk of 
the Schater. 
A T.ixof the 
Armenians for 
the Schater. 
a flowred Silk or Cbath of Gold Veft, which he commands them to carry- 
to fuch a Chan Vv'hom lie knows to be rich ; it is accompanied with a 
letter from the King, wherein he appoints that Governour to give the 
bearer of that Vefl: the fumm of fifty, a hundred, and fometimes two hun- 
dred Tcmavs^ according to the kindnefs he has for the Perfon : And 
though the King lets them bloud often in this manner, yet he who re- 
ceives thefe uneafie prefents, muft not fail to pay down the Summ in 
ready Money. But it cofts them a great deal more when the Kalaat is 
compleat, ( that's to fay, ) when there is an under Veft, upper veft, turban, 
drawers, (hoes, and a horfe with all his accoutrements ; for it is commonly 
a Perfon of Quality that comes with a prefent of this nature, and he 
muft have a great reward. The Verfians call all prefents made by a fiipe- 
riour to inferiour, Kalaat. The King's Kalaat is fometimes onely a Vefl: ; 
fometimes it is an under and upper Veft ; and fometimes, (as I have now 
faid,) the turban and accourered Horfe are added to it, but there is no rule 
for that : When the Kalaat is led, it is a bad fign ; for commonly when' 
the King fends a red Kalaat to a Governour, it is a fign he has a mind to 
put him to death; yet that is not infallible, for fometime before I came to 
Schiras, the Kingfent the Vifier of Schiras a compleat Kalaat^ of which all 
the parts were red, and this made all men think that he had fent for him to 
cut off his head, and neverthelefi it proved otherwife in the Sequel. 
Amongft the loweft Officers of the King, are the Schaters who are as 
the King's Foot-men : To be admitted into this Office, befides credit, one 
muft be an extraordinary good Foot-man, and give proofs of it ; and 
therefore when a man defires to be received into the King's Service, 
in quality of a Schater, and hath made intereft enough to be admit- 
ted to his tryal, he mnft run a race, which is to be his Eflay. He 
ftarts at Halt Cap, and twelve times in one day runs to a certain place 
towards the Hills, a long French League and a half diftant from Hali 
Capi. At the end of this Carrere there are men who have feveral Arrows 
ready, with little penons hanging at them ; and every time the Schater comes, 
they give him one of thefe Arrows, which he carries to Hali Capi, Co 
that coming and going twelve times, he brings with him twelve Arrows, 
and runs about fix and thirty French Leagues from Morning to Night. 
In the mean time there is Kourouk in the Meidan and all along the way 
he goes : The Elephants and a great many horfe-mcn are ranked in the 
Meidan , where there is a noife of trumpets and timbrels all day long. 
All the great men make prefents to the Schater, fome ten or twenty, and 
Ibme thirty Tomans, and all this to ingratiate themfelves at Court : They 
who have nothing to give, are neverchelefs prefent ; nay, the People are 
forced to come, in lb much that at Giulfa they drive all out of doors with 
Cudgels and oblige them to come to this fpeftacle ; none but old men, 
women and children are excufed. The Armenians are alfo taxed in a 
certain Summ which they are to prefent to the Schater : When I was at 
Ifpahan there was one of thofe races, and the Armenians were taxed in 
thirty Tomans. All bring their prefents to Halt Capi, whilft the Race is 
running. Some of the Countrey would needs have perfwaded me, that 
the prefents which are made to the Schater who runs, might amount in 
all fometimes to two thoufand Tomans ; but others who were more mo- 
derate, told me two or three hundred Tomans. This permilfton to run is 
earneftly follicited for, and he muft have favour that can obtain it : 
He that ran whilft I was at Ispahan had been fix Months in fuing out 
the permillion. Monfieur Diegre Mafter of the Dutch Faélory at IJpahan, 
a very knowing man, fo curious and exaâ:, that he omits not the fmalleft 
Circumftance, as much as poflibly he can, in defcribing all things pundtu- 
ally, meafuring even publick places, Mofques and Gardens almoft to 
half a foot, and more exadly too, if he can ; fet out one day from Hah 
Capi, which is the place where the Schaters ftart who are to perform 
their tryal, and went to that place where they take their Arrows, keep- 
ing 
