Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/183

where they usually train up the Hawk, they lay meat upon the head, or in the holes of the eyes, to the end the Bird may be sure to seize those parts at his down-come. Being accustom'd to feed in this manner for some days together, they fix the Beast upon a Plank with four Wheels, and cause it to be drawn with long Cords by certain men, that mend their pace ev'ry day, 'till at length it is drawn by a Horse at full speed, whereby the Bird is accustom'd by degrees not to forsake her prey. After the same manner they counterfeit all other sorts of Quarrys to enter their Hawks, as well wild Boars, wild Asses, as Hares and Foxes. Some there are that will order a Crow with the same industry as you would make a Hawk. They have have also a certain Beast which they call Once, which has a spotted skin like a Tiger, but which is nevertheless very gentle and tame; this a Horse-man will carry behind him, and when he sees a wild Goat, he sets down the Once, which is so nimble, that in three leaps he will be upon the back of the wild Goat; though the wild Goat be a very swift Creature. The Once immediately strangles him with his sharp teeth. But if by accident the wild Goat get from him, the Once will stand still in the same place abash'd and troubl'd, so that an Infant may take him and kill him, without the least resistance made in his own defence.

The Kings of Persia take great delight in Hunting, and in that sport it is that they love to shew themselves magnificent: Insomuch that Sha-Sefi desirous to treat all the Ambassadors then at his Court, which at that time were the Tartarian, Muscovite, and Indian, carry'd them along with him into the field, and having tak'n a great number of Harts, Fallow-dear, Hinds, and wild Boars, he caus'd them all to be made ready to be eat'n the same day: And while he was feasting, an Architect had order to raise a Pyramid of the heads of those Beasts in the middle of Ispahan, of which there are some remains to this day. When the Architect had rais'd it to a considerable height, he came very pleasantly to the King, and told him he wanted nothing but one head of some great Beast to finish the Work. The King, whether in his Wine, or to shew the Ambassadors how absolute he was over his Subjects, turning briskly toward the Architect; Thou say'st well, said he, nor do I know where to meet with a Head more proper than thy own. Thereupon the miserable Architect was forc'd to submit his own Head, the King's Command being presently put in execution.

In regard there is little Wood or Stone in Persia, all the Cities, except some Houses, are generally built of Earth; but of an earthen, or rather a kind of Potter's Clay, so well wrought, that you may cut it like Turf, being wrought to a just consistency. The Walls are made with lays of Earth, according to the proportion intended, and between every lay of Earth, three Foot high, two or three rows of Bricks bak'd in the Sun. These Bricks are made in a square Mold three fingers thick, and seven or eight inches broad: and for fear they should cleave with drying in the Sun, they lay over them pounded Straw to keep them from chopping in the heat. They never lay the second Lay 'till the first be dry, nor is the second Lay to be so broad as the lowermost. Those Buildings which are made of Brick bak'd in the Sun are very handsom; and after the Wall is rais'd, the Mason plaisters it over with a Morter made of Potter's Clay mingled with Straw; so that the defects of the Building being cover'd, the Wall appears very firm and close. Then the Work-man plaisters the Morter over again with a Lime mixt with Muscovy-Green, which he pounds with a certain Gum, to render the Lime more glutinous: and then rubbing the Wall over with a course Brush, it becomes as it were damask'd and silver'd, and looks like Marble. The poor are contented with only bare Walls, or some course daubing that costs little. The middle of the House consists of a large Portico, twenty or thirty Foot square; and in the middle of the Portico a Fountain full of Water. It is all open upon one side; and from the Portico to the Pond or Fountain