Volume Ix Part 16 (1/2)
to _Deabage_, a small _dea_ or village. The 25th in eight c. to _Cashecunna,_ a small castle in which the Mogul has a garrison, being the utmost boundary of his dominions westwards, and confining with Persia. The 26th we travelled seventeen c. and lodged in the open fields by the side of a river. The 27th, after four c. we came to a castle called _Greece_, the first belonging to the king of Persia. Here we delivered to the governor the letter we had got from the Persian amba.s.sador at Lah.o.r.e, and presented him a mirror and three knives. He would take nothing for our camels, while the others had to pay five _abacees_ for each camel. He promised to give us a safe conduct under an escort of horse to the next governor, but we saw none; neither were we sorry for the omission, for he was little better than a rebel, and all his people were thieves.
[Footnote 153: We here lose the almost infallible guide of Arrowsmith's excellent map of Hindoostan, and are reduced to much inferior helps in following the route through Persia.--E.]
The 28th we departed at night, going two _parasangs_, and lodged at a _dea_ or village called _Malgee_. A _farcing_ or parasang is equal to two Indian cosses and a half.[154] The 29th we went ten p. and lodged in the open fields, where we could get nothing but water. The 30th we went five p. to a small castle named _Gazikhan_. The 31st other five p. to an old ruined fort, where we could get nothing but water, and that was stinking. The 1st August we proceeded other five p. to an old fort called _Dilaram_, where we paid an _abacee_ and a half for each camel.
We staid here one day to rest our cattle, which was termed making _mochoane_; and on the 3d we went seven p. to an old castle called _Bacon_. The 4th four p. and lodged in the open fields, where we found nothing but water. The 5th four p. and the 6th five p. to _Farra_.[155]
[Footnote 154: In a side-note, Purchas says a parasang consists of sixty furlongs. This is a most egregious error, as the parasang or farsang is exactly equal to 2.78 English miles, or twenty-two two-5ths furlongs.--E.]
[Footnote 155: Farra, the capital of a district of the same name in the north of Segistan, is in lat 33 40' N. long. 62 40' E.--E.]
_Farra_ is a small town, surrounded by a high wall of bricks dried in the sun, as are all the castles and most of the buildings in this country, and is of a square form, about a mile in circuit. It has a handsome bazar or market-place, vaulted over head to keep out the rain, and in which all kinds of necessaries and commodities are sold. It is situated in a fertile soil, having plenty of water, without which nothing can be raised in this country; and it is wonderful to see with what labour and ingenious industry they bring water to every spot of good ground, which is but seldom to be found here, often carrying it three or four miles in trenches under ground. At this town, all merchants going into Persia must remain for seven, eight, or ten days; and here the king's treasurer sees all their packs weighed, estimating the value of their commodities at so much the maund, as he thinks fit, and exacts a duty of three per cent. ad valorem on that estimate. On their way into Persia, merchants are used with much favour, lest they should make complaints to the king, who will have merchants kindly treated; but on their return into India, they are treated with extreme rigour, being searched to the very skin for money, as it is death to transport any gold or silver coin from Persia, except that of the reigning king. They likewise look narrowly for horses and slaves, neither of which are allowed to be taken out of the country.
We remained here two days waiting for certain Armenians, with whom we travelled the rest of the journey, leaving our former companions. The 9th of August we went only one parasang to a river. The 10th we travelled seven p. and lodged in the open fields. The 11th, four p. to a small village, where we had plenty of provisions. The 12th, four p.
where we had to dig for water. The 13th, eight p. and the 14th five p.
to a village named _Draw,_ [Durra,] where we remained a day, as it is the custom of those who travel with camels to rest once in four or five days. The 16th, we advanced three p. The 17th, four p. The 18th, five p.
to _Zaide-basha,_ [Sarbishe,] where abundance of carpets are to be had.
The 19th we came to a village named _Mude,_ [Moti,] where also are carpets. The 20th, five p. to _Birchen,_ [Berdjan,] where are manufactured great quant.i.ties of fine felts, and carpets of camels hair, which are sold at the rates of from two to five abacees the _maund._ At this place we rested a day. The 22d, we went to _Dea-zaide,_ [Descaden,]
where all the inhabitants pretend to be very religious, and sell their carpets, of which they have great abundance, at a cheap rate. The 23d, three p. The 24th, five p. to _Choore,_ [Cors or Corra,] an old ruined town. The 25th, three p. The 26th, seven p. when we had brackish stinking water. The 27th we came to _Dehuge,_ [Teuke,] where is a considerable stream of hot water, which becomes cool and pleasant after standing some time in any vessel. The 28th we went seven p. to _Dea-curma._
The 29th we went five p. to _Tobaz,_[156] where we had to pay half an abacee for each camel. At this plce all caravans take four or five days rest, the better to enable them to pa.s.s the adjoining salt desert, which extends four long days journey, and in which many miscarry. We found here a small caravan of an hundred camels, which set off the next day after our arrival. Here, and in the former village, there is great store of dates; and 3000 maunds of the finest silk in Persia are made here yearly, and is carried to _Yades_, [Yezd,] a fair city, where likewise they make much raw silk, and where it is manufactured into taffaties, satins, and damasks. The king does not allow the exportation of raw silk, especially into Turkey; but the Portuguese used to carry it to Portugal. _Yades_, [Yezd,] is about twelve days journey from Ispahan, and is twelve p. out of the way from the Indian route to the capital.
[Footnote 156: Tabaskili, or Tobas Kileke, in Cohestan, is probably the place here meant, in which case the route appears to have pa.s.sed from Farra by the south of the inland sea or lake of Darrah, but which is not noticed by our travellers. Our conjectural amendments of the names of places on the route are placed within brackets.--E.]
The 30th of August we advanced nine p. into the desert, and lay on the ground, having to send our beasts three miles out of the way for water, which was very salt. The 31st, after travelling ten p. we came to water which was not at all brackish. The 1st September we went five p. and had to send two miles for water. The 2d we went nine p. to a small castle, where we procured a small quant.i.ty of provisions. The 3d, five p. and lay in the fields, having to send far for water. The 4th, ten p. to _Seagan_. The 5th, four p. The 6th, ten p. to a castle called _Irabad_, [Hirabad,] where we paid half an _abacee_ for each camel. The 7th, six p. The 8th, eight p. to _Ardecan_, where we rested till the 10th, when we went four p. to _Sellef_. The 11th, three p. to a small castle named _Agea Gaurume_. The 12th, nine p. to a spring in the fields. The 13th, three p. to _Beavas_. The 14th, four p. to _Goolabad_, whence Richard Steel rode on to Ispahan, without waiting for the caravan. The 15th we came to _Morea Shahabad_, five p. The 16th, to _Coopa_, five p. The 17th, to _Dea Sabs_, five p. The 18th, four p. and lay in the fields.
And on the 19th, after three p. we came to _Ispahan_.
Richard Steel reached this city on the 15th, at noon, and found Sir Robert s.h.i.+rley already provided with his dispatches from the king of Persia as amba.s.sador to the king of Spain. Sir Robert, attended by his lady, a bare-footed friar as his chaplain, together with fifty-five Portuguese prisoners, and his own followers, were preparing in all haste to go to Ormus, and to embark thence for Lisbon. The purpose is, that seeing the Portuguese not able to stand, the Spaniards may be brought in.[157] Six friars remain as hostages for his safe return to Ispahan, as otherwise the king has vowed to cut them all in pieces, which he is likely enough to do, having put his own son to death, and committed a thousand other severities.
[Footnote 157: The meaning of this pa.s.sage is quite obscure in the Pilgrims, and the editor does not presume upon clearing the obscurity.--E.]
On his arrival at Ispahan, Richard Steel delivered his letters to Sir Robert,[158] who durst hardly read them, except now and then, as by stealth, fearing lest the Portuguese should know of them. He afterwards said it was now too late to engage in the business of our nation, and seemed much dissatisfied with the company, and with the merchants and mariners who brought him out. But at length he said he was a true-hearted Englishman, and promised to effect our desires. On the 19th, the friars being absent, he carried both of us to the master of the ceremonies, or _Maimondare,_ and took us along with him to the Grand Vizier, _Sarek Hogea_, who immediately called his scribes or secretaries, and made draughts of what we desired: namely, three _firmauns_, one of which John Crowther has to carry to Surat, one for Richard Steel to carry to England, and the third to be sent to the governor of _Jasques_, all sealed with the great seal of the king. The same day that these firmauns were procured, being the last of September, Sir Robert s.h.i.+rley set out for s.h.i.+ras in great pomp, and very honourably attended.
[Footnote 158: Of the landing of Sir Robert s.h.i.+rley, see Peyton's first voyage before; and of the rest of his journey see the second voyage of Peyton, in the sequel.--_Purch._]
_Copy of the Firmaun granted by the King of Persia._
”Firmaun or command given unto all our subjects, from the highest to the lowest, and directed to the _Souf-basha_, or constable of our country, kindly to receive and entertain the _English Franks_[159] or nation, when any of their s.h.i.+ps may arrive at Jasques, or any other of the ports in our kingdom, to conduct them and their merchandize to what place or places they may desire, and to see them safely defended upon our coasts from any other Franks whomsoever. This I will and command you to do, as you shall answer in the contrary. Given at our royal city, this 12th of _Rama.s.san_, in the year of our _Tareag_, 1024. [October, 1615.]”
The chief commodities of Persia are raw silks, of which it yields, according to the king's books, 7700 _batmans_ yearly. Rhubarb grows in Chora.s.san, where also worm-seed grows.
[Footnote 159: Frank is a name given in the East to all western Christians, ever since the expedition to the Holy Land, because the French were the chief nation on that occasion, and because the French council at Clermont was the cause of that event.--Purch.]
Carpets of all sorts, some of silk and gold, silk and silver, half silk, half cotton, &c. The silver monies of Persia are the _abacee, mahamoody, shakee_, and _biftee_, the rest being of copper, like the _tangas_ and _pisos_ of India. The _abacee_ weighs two _meticals_, the _mahmoody_ is half an abacee, and the _shahee_ is half a _mahamoody_. In the dollar or rial of eight there are thirteen shahees.[160] In a shahee there are two _biftees_ and a half, or ten cashbegs, one _biftee_ being four _cashbegs_, or two _tangs_. The weights differ in different places; two _mahans_ of Tauris being only one of Ispahan, and so of the _batman_.
The measure of length, for silks and other stuffs, is the same with the pike of Aleppo, which we judge to be twenty-seven English inches.
[Footnote 160: a.s.suming the Spanish dollar at 4s. 6d. sterling, the shahee ought therefore to be worth about 4d. 1-6, the mahamoody,8d. 1-3, and the abecee, 1s. 4d. 2-3.--E.]
John Crowther returned into India, and Richard Steel went to England by way of Turkey, by the following route. Leaving Ispahan on the 2d December, 1615, he went five p. to a serail. The 3d, eight p. to another serail. The 4th, six p. to a village. The 5th, seven p. to _Dreag_. The 6th, seven p. to a serail. The 7th, eight p. to _Golpigan_, [Chulpaigan.] The 8th, seven p. to _Curouan_. The 9th, seven p. to _Showgot_. The 10th, six p. to _Saro_, [Sari.] The 11th, eight p. to _Dissabad_. The 12th, twelve p. to a fair town called _Tossarkhan_, where he rested some days, because the country was covered deep with snow. The 15th, six p. to _Kindaner_. The 16th, eight p. to _Sano_. The 17th to _Shar nuovo_, where I was stopped by the _daiga_; but on shewing him letters from the vizier, he bade me depart in the name of G.o.d and of Ali. The 18th we pa.s.sed a bridge where all travellers have to give an account of themselves, and to pay a tax of two _shakees_ for each camel.
The 19th we came to _Ka.s.sam-Khan_, the last place under the Persian government, and made a present to the governor, that he might give me a guard to protect me from the Turkomans, which he not only did, but gave me a licence to procure provisions free at his villages without payment, which yet I did not avail myself of.