Chap. IL ' into P e 
ing of about two thoufand five hundred Houfes, and 
which has lb many Gardens as take up as much Ground 
as the Houfes. It is feated at the Bottom of a Moun- 
tain, at the End of a Plain, watered by the little Ri- 
ver Zelou-lou, from which the People have drawn feveral 
Cuts into their Grounds and Gardens. 
In the Places adjoining grow Plenty of Fruits, the 
beft in all Media ; but that which is mofl peculiar to 
thefe Parts, is this, that here they gather Cochineal, 
though in no great Quantities, nor for any longer Time 
than only eight Days in Summer, when the Sun is in 
Leo for before that Time, the People fay, it doth not 
come to Maturity ; and after the Worm, from which 
they draw the Cochineal, makes an Hole in the Leaf 
in which it grows, it is loft; The Perfians call Cochi- 
neal Kermis, from Kenn, which fignifies a Worm, be- 
caufe it is extraded out of Worms. The Armenians 
have a Tradition, that Noah lies buried here; 
17. From thence he travelled among the Mountains 
to Sophian, a little Village full of Rivulets and Gardens, 
and fruitful to a Wonder, and fo he went to Lauris, 
which is fifty three Perftan Leagues from Erivan. This 
City is very large and potent, being the fecond in Per- 
in Dignity, Grandeur, Riches, Trade, and Number 
of Inhabitants. It is neither walled nor fortified, and 
the little River Spingtcha runsa-crofs it, which fometimes 
carries away the Houfes on the Side of it, and makes 
dreadful Havock. On the North-fide runs the River 
Agi, or the Salt River, whofe Water is made fait by the 
little Rivulets, which paffing through the Salt Marfhes, 
fall into it, and fo can nourifh noFifh. It is divided 
into nine Wards, and has fifteen thoufand Houfes, and 
as many Shops in their Market-places, among which 
are three hundred Inns, and fome fo large, as to lodge 
. three hundred People, and many Cabarets for Coffee, 
Tobacco^ and ftrong Liquors. There are three hun- 
dred and fifty Mofques, three Hofpitals, which relieve 
the Poor with Vidtuals twice a Day ; and a fair Hermi- 
called Halv‘d Eye. 
The Inhabitants have been formerly computed to be five 
hundred and fifty thoufand. This City is full of Stran- 
gers, who come hither to trade from all Parts of Afta, 
becaufe it is full of all Sorts of Merchandizes, and a- 
bounds with Artifts in Cotton, Silk, and Gold. The 
fairefl Turbans in Perfia are made here ; and it is faid, 
there are fix thoufand Bales of Silk confumed in this 
Manufadlure. The Air of is good, healthy, and 
dry, but the Cold continues long, becaufe it is expo fed 
to the North, and the Snow lies nine Months in the Year 
upon the Mountains ; the Winds blow every Day, 
Morning and Evening, and Rains often fall. 
It abounds with all Things neceffary for human Sup- 
port, as Corn, Filh from the CafpianScz, Venifon, and 
other wild Beafts. Bread may be bought there for three 
Pound a Penny, and Flefh at three half Pence a Pound. 
There are faid to grow no lefs than 60 Sorts of Grapes in 
and about Pauris. Near it is a Quarry of white Marble, 
a Mine of Gold, and another of Salt. There are feve- 
ral Mineral Waters, all fulphureous, of which fome are 
cold, and others boiling hot. Mod of our Geogra- 
phers of beft Note, as Ortelius, Ananias, Molets, &c. 
are of Opinion, that this City is the ancient and cele- 
brated Echatana, fo frequently mentioned in holy Writ, 
and in the ancient Hiftory of Afta, but there are no 
Remains of the magnificent Palace of Ecbatan, where 
the Monarchs of Afta kept their Courts in Summer, nor 
of DanieV%, to juftify this Notion. 
From Pauris he travelled firft to Vafpinge, a great 
Borough, furrounded with Gardens and Groves of Pop- 
lars and Tylets, and watered with feveral Brooks, which 
make it very pleafant *, then to Agi-agach, by which are 
the Plains which afford the beft Paftures in all Media, 
and perhaps in the whole World, where the choiceft 
Horfes in the whole Province are put to Grafs from 
April to June, to purge, refrefli, fatten and ftrengthen 
them. Thefe Plains are the Hippopothon of the An- 
cients, of which they write, that the Kings of Media 
kept here a Breed of fifty thoufand Horfes. 
The Road from hence leads by feveral Circles of 
large hewn Stones, which the Perftans affirm to be the 
RSI A. 071 
Places where the Caous or Giants, when they made 
Wars in M.edia, held their Councils, it being a Cuf- 
tom among thefe People, that every Officer that came 
to the Council brought with him a Stone^ to ferve him 
inftead of a Chair, and fo carries you over fclills and 
Dales, all fruitful and delightful, fo Admiration, 
through Purimaft, fo called, beCaufe that in the Fields 
about it there is a great Number of Shepherds 
with their Flocks, that are called by that Name, to 
Purvare, an handfome large Village at the Bottom or 
an Hill, and upon the Banks of a little River. 
From thence he proceeded in his Journey, and crof- 
fing the River Miana feveral Times, by Reafon of its 
Windings, paffed through the Town of the fame Name 
adjoining, both fo called becaufe they part Media from 
Parthia, and afcended a Ridge of Mountains, which 
are a Branch of Mount Paurus, at the Top of which 
ftands a Caftle, call’d the Virgin’^ Cajile., becaufe Arta~ 
xerxes is Lid to have built it on Purpofe to imprifon a 
Princefs of the Blood. 
As foon as you have paffed thefe Mountains, and the 
River Keftl-huefe, which is at the Foot of them, you 
perceive a Change of the Air ; for whereas Media is 
moift and cloudy, fubjedt to high Winds and much 
Rain, the Parthian Air is dry to the higheft Degree, 
without Clouds of Rain for fix Months fometimes, and the 
Soil fandy, fo that nothing will thrive without good 
Hufbandry and Pains. 
f 8. Parthia, which was fo long the Seat of the Em- 
pire of AJta, is now a large Province of the Perftan 
Monarchy. It is the proper Demeans of the Shah, and 
therefore has no Governor, as the reft of the Provinces. 
It is extended 200 Leagues in Length, and 150 in 
Breadth, being bounded by the Province of Chorajfan 
on the Eaft ; by Ears, which is properly Perjia, on the 
South, by Azarbeyan or Media on the Weft, and Guilan 
or Mezanderan, which compofe the Province of Hyr~ 
cania, on the North. 
The Air is dry, and though the Mountains produce 
nothing but Thiftles and Briers, yet the Plains are fruit- 
ful and pleafant, where there is Water. This Province 
has above forty Cities, which is much in Perjia, be- 
caufe it is not peopled according to its Extent. The 
Parthians took their Original from the Scythians, who’ 
were the Partars, who now inhabit the North of Perjia, 
called Uzbecs, and formerly Babirians, The firft Vil- 
lage you come at is Zerigan, which is fam’d for its 
Antiquity, being founded, according to the Perftan 
Records, in the Reign of Ardechif-babez,on, feveral Ages 
before Chrijl, and then paffing over delightful Plains, 
you come to Sidtany* 
This City is feated at the Foot of a Mountain. It 
feems afar off a very neat well-built Place, but does not 
appear fo v/hen you are within it ; yet fome of the pub- 
lick Buildings are very remarkable, both for the Mate- 
rials and Architeftbre. It contains about three thoufand 
Floufes, and befides, there are very vaft Ruins, which 
makes it probable, that it was once the large ft City of 
the Kingdom, as their Hiftories relate. Provifions are 
very plentiful and cheap there, and the Air wholfome, 
though very changeable, the Mornings, Evenings, and 
Nights being very cold, and Days hot. It is Lid to be 
the moft ancient City' in Parthia. I'he Predeceffors of 
IJhmael Sophi, and the laft Armenian Kings, refided 
there, and then it is Lid that it contained four hun» 
dred Chriftian Churches *, but being demolifhed by Pa- 
merlane, and feveral other Purkijh and Partarian Princes, 
the Chriftians have deferred it. 
From hence he travelled through a lovely Country, 
and paffing through feveral Villages, furrounded with 
Meadows, and Groves of Willow and Poplar, he came 
to Ebher, a fmall City for the Buildings, as containing 
not above 2500 Houfes, but taking up a large Extent 
of Ground, Becaufe they have fo many large Gardens, 
A fmall River runs through the Midft of it. It is 
thought to be anciently called Bafontha. The Situation 
is delightful, the Air wholfome, and Soil plentiful. It 
is govern’d by a Darogue, or Mayor 5 and the Mirtjhe^ 
ki-BaJhi has his Pahvil, or Salary, charged upon the 
Revenue of this City. The Perftan Geographers affert, 
that 
