Chap. II. of the Inhabitants of 
Skins with Liinc, and ufe no Bark, but Sait and Galls 
indead of it. 
The making Earthen Ware is another Manufaflure 
the PcTjidfis excel in ; it is much beyond xX\q Dulc and 
fome fay almoft ec]ual to China \Vare. The Places 
where it is chiefly made, are, ShsTax^ Ivlctjco^ and 
at ICcTtfian : And mending or Glals and Earthen Ware, 
is a particular Trade in Perjia •, they will drill Holes 
through them, and fafien the Pieces together, fo that a 
brokcTn Bowl or Plate will hold Liquids, as well as it 
did at firft. Their Gold Wire-drawers, and Thread- 
twifters are Artifts alfo in their Way ; they will draw a 
piece weighing a Drachm, to the i.engrh of three hun- 
dred Perjtan Ells. Their Lapidaries underlband the 
Grinding of loft Stones, and cutting theni pretty well. 
Their Dying is preferred to any Thing ot that Kind in 
Europe which is not aferibed fo much to the Artift, as 
to the Air, v^hich being dry and clear, gives a Liveli- 
nefs to the Colours, and fixes them. 
The Perfian Taylors work very neatly ; and as the 
Men’s Clothes are made of the richefl; flower’d and bro- 
caded Silks, they are fitted exadfly to their Bodies with- 
out the leaft Wrinkle, and their Sowing is incomparably 
beyond that of our Workmen, as the fine Materials 
they work on require it fhould. They work Flowers 
alio upon their Carpets, Cufhions and Window- Curtains, 
fo very nicely, that they look as if they were painted. 
With Taylors, we muft not forget to mention their 
Barbers, who are no lefs excellent in their Way •, for 
they will fliave the Head almoft at half a Dozen Strokes, 
and have fo light a Hand, that you can fcarce feel them ; 
they ufe only cold Water, and hold no Bafon under 
your Chin as with us, but have their Water in a Cup, 
about the Bignefs of a little China-Difli : After they 
have fliaved a Man, they cut the Nails oi his Feet and 
Hands, with a little Iron Inftrument like a Bodkin, 
fharp at the End •, then they ftretch his Arms, and rub 
and chafe his Flefh, which is an Amufement, that the 
Europeans as well as the Natives are pleafed with, in 
thefe hot Countries. But notwithftanding this, thefe 
Artifts are nothing comparable in their Way to thofe of 
India, and thefe again fall as fliort of the Chinefe Barbers. 
8. V/e are now to proceed to the more material 
Parts of the Perfian Commerce, from whence their na- 
tional Riches flow, and by which they draw to themfelves 
the Wealth of other Countries ; for as we before oblerv- 
ed, Gold and Silver are no longer the Produce of 
Perjia, but are brought thither in Payment for 
their Commodities, Silks are the principal Manufafture 
of the Country, fuch as Taffaties, Tabbies, Sattins and 
Silk mixed with Cotton or Camel and Goats-hair, Bro- 
cades and Gold Tiffue, of the fingle Brocade there are a 
hundred Sorts, the double are called Duroy or Two-faces, 
becaufe both Sides are equally good ; they are the richefl 
that are to be met with any where ; and the Gold Vel- 
vet which is wrought in Perfta is admirable •, all their 
rich Stuffs are very durable *, the Gold or Silver does 
no*' wear off or tarnifli while the Work lafls, but keeps 
its Colour and Brightnefs. The fineft Looms for thefe 
Stuffs are at Ifpahan, Cafhan and Tefd. Thofe for Car- 
pets are chie% made in the Province of Kirman, what 
are commonly called Eurkey Carpets are indeed Perfian 
but obtained that Name from being brought to us by 
Way of Turkey. 
I'he Camel Hair Stuffs are made in Carmania, it is 
mighty foft and fmooth, and almoft as fine as Beaver 
Wool, but the Stuffs they make with it are not very 
ftrong. Camblets and Silk, and worffed Druggets are 
made in the fame Province. Goats-hair Stuffs are 
made in Hyrcania, and near the Gulp of Bajjhra. There 
is fome Callico-Cloth made in Perjia, and they know 
how to paint and ftain it, but it is not comparable to 
the Indian Callicoes. A Merchant is a very honourable 
Profeffion in Perfia, and the more fo, becaufe there is 
no fuch Thing as hereditary Nobility, which defeends 
from Father to Son •, as to thofe in great Pofts, their 
Honour and their Profits terminate with the Office ; 
and their Lives and Fortunes are both in perpetual 
Hazards, efpecially under a weak and cruel Prince. 
The Trader feems more independant than any other 
the Empire V P E R s i A. 895 
Subjeff, and notwithftanding the Government be defpo^ 
tick, they are ufually encouraged, becaufe they bring in 
a confiderable Revenue to the Crown ; and another 
'Thing is, the greateft Minifters do not think the Bufi- 
nefs of a Merchant beneath themycven the Shah himfelf, 
within our Remembrance, has had his Factors and 
Agents in the neighbouring Kingdoms, and exported 
Silks, Brocades, Carpets, and other rich Goods, and 
his Agents at the Mogul’s Court, and elfewhere, have 
frequently had the Chara6ler of Ambaffadors conferred 
upon them, v/hen indeed their Bufinefs was chiefly 
Commerce. 
All Bufinefs of Confequence is carried on in Perfia 
by Brokers, who are very cunning ; after they have 
agreed and talked over the Matter at the Sellers-houfe, 
they agree about the Price upon their Fingers, putting 
their Hands under a Cloth' ; the Finger’s End it 
feems ftand for one, the bent Finger for Five, and the 
flraic for ten, the Hand open for a hundred, and if 
fhut a thoufand ; and they keep fo even a Countenance 
all the while they are tranfacling the Affair, that it is 
impofiiblc for a Scander-By to gather any Thing from 
the Circumftances. But notwithftanding the Mahome- 
tans are the governing Part of the Country, they are not 
the greateft foreign Traders. T\\q Armenian Chriftians, 
and Banians of India, have much the largeft Share. 
The Mahometan Perfians trade from one Province 
of their own Country to another, and to India pretty 
much, but the Armenians manage the wdiole European 
Trade : One Reafon whereof is, that the Mahometans 
do not Care to go into Chriftian Countries, becaufe they 
cannot there obferve the Ciiftoms their Religion pre- 
fer! bes, for their Law it feems forbid them to eat Flefli 
killed or dreffed by a Man of a different Religion, or 
drink out of the fame Cup with him, and even prohibits 
the touching of Perfons in fome Circumftances, whom 
they look upon to be polluted. Another Thing, which 
is a Difrdvantage to their Trade is, that the taking no 
Money at Intereft is unlawful, though they are at Li- 
berty to make what Advantage they can in buying 
and felling. It appears from hence, that from the 
very Nature of their Religion, all Mahometan Powers 
ftand excluded from Commerce, and this is the true 
Secret of the Dedenfion of their Governments *, for as 
Trade produces Shipping, as Shipping in Procefs of 
Time begets Naval Power, and as it is a Maxim, jufti- 
fied by Experience, as well as founded in Reafon, that 
naval Power will in the End get the better of all other 
Power ; it follows that the Mahometans wanting this, 
can only prey upon each other by Land, from whence 
Revolutions in Power, but no Acceffion of Power can 
ever arife. Whereas if Chriftians fhould turn their 
Arms upon the Mahometans, fo as to make Conquefts, 
and come into Poffcffion of their Countries, the Cafe 
would, be altered, their Commerce would follow them, 
and the new ereded Principalities would in a ffiorc 
Space of Time acquire a Naval Power, and fo be in a 
Condition to extend their Conquefts at the Expence 
of their Mahometan Neighbours. 
9. We are indebted to "SAwLockyer for the beft, 
indeed for the only tolerable Account we have of the 
Method Trade is carried on in Perfta, and therefore 
from him we muft borrow what is neceffary for the 
Reader’s Information upon that Subje6l. Their great 
Weights are Maunds only, and thefe differ according to 
the Nature of the Commodities to be delivered by them. 
Sugar, Copper, Tutanague, all Sorts of Drugs, (Ac. 
are fold by the Maund Fabrees ; which in the Fadory 
and the Cuftom-houfe is neareft fix Pounds and three 
Quarters, Averdupois ; but in the Bazar it is not above 
fix Pounds and a Qtiarter, which one ought to have Re- 
gard to in buying out of the Shops. 
Eatables and all Sorts of Fruit, as Rice, Raifins, 
Prunelles, Almonds, Onions, (Ac. are fold by the 
Maund Copara of feven Pounds and three Quarters in 
the Fadory, and from feven Pounds and a Qiiarter to 
feven Pounds and a half in the Bazar. Fine Goods, 
as. Gold, Silver, Musk, Acheen, Camphir, Bezoai\ 
Coral, Amber, Cloves and Cinnamon, Oils, dried 
China, Silk, (Ac. are fold by the Mifcal, fix of which 
arq 
