MANUFACTURES OF ISPAHAN. 
155 
either that of the chenar, mulberry, &c., is sold for about four shahees, or 
four-pence; and a maun of charcoal for half a real. The baths are 
heated with the dung of animals, (mixed up with earth, and dried in 
the sun,) old bones, fruit pealings, and any other thing that will 
ignite. The poor sell the produce of their latrince, which gives them a 
revenue of about one piastre for an ass’s load, whilst the rich generally 
dispose of their’s gratis. Melon grounds are manured with this, and 
evidently with success; for the crops of this fruit are greaterj and the 
qualities better at Ispahan, than any other city in Persia. The same 
manure is used for cucumbers. . ; . i : 
The richest manufacture of Ispahan is the zeri or brocade. We 
visited a house in which three looms were at work. The brocade 
which they were manufacturing had a rich appearance, but did not 
equal the kincobs of India, or the gold-stuffs of France. The rich Per¬ 
sians wear the zeri for their outer garment on gala-days ; and of this, 
the kalaats, or dresses of honour which the King and his sons con¬ 
fer, are made. A piece of brocade, three-fourths of a zer in breadth, 
and five zers in length*, is worth, according to the quality, from 
five to ten tomauns.i' We also visited a manufactory of satin, call¬ 
ed in Persian atlas, which appeared a very fine stuff, and which the 
Persians also use for their outward coat, the caba. Ispahan possesses 
many manufactories of silk, a commodity which is brought for the most 
part from Ghilan.^ The spinning-wheels of the Persians are constructed 
like those of Europe. We visited a house where fifty skanes of silk were 
spun in one day, and were then conducted to seven looms belonging to 
the same manufactory, where long black silk handkerchiefs, which the 
Persian women wear as turbans, were wove. These seven looms em¬ 
ployed thirty men. The weavers are paid by the piece, and not by 
the day ; and for completing one handkerchief, which is two zers and a 
quarter square, they receive two piastres, about three shillings and eight- 
pence. We were informed that they could finish one handkerchief in 
two days, but it seemed to us difficult to do so much. 
* A zer is equal to a cubit. 
f One tomaun is worth fifteen shillings. 
X 2 
