Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/60

have rub'd him to refresh him, after a Combat so courageously maintain'd, every one sends him Presents, which are all the Tumblers profit. The Kan or Governour of Kom, who was present with a hundred Horses richly trap'd to behold the Sight, sent the Bull a Present of 50 Tomans, or 750 Crowns. They who accompany'd him, and the chief Inhabitants of Kom, gave him some a Garment, others a Girdle. Neither did the meanest of the People spare to send or carry him Fruits, or other things, according to their abilities.

The Kan was a Lord who was very civil, and there was no Stranger that did not commend his behaviour, in regard he was so obliging.

So soon as I came to the place, whether it was that he perceiv'd me with a Dutchman that I had brought along from Constantinople, or whether any one had inform'd him that there were Strangers near him, he sent for us, and after he had ask'd us some Questions concerning the occasion of our Travelling, he sent for a Seat and caus'd us to sit down. Then he ask'd us whence we came, and what we did at Ispahan; to which when we had answer'd him, that we went to wait upon the King, he approv'd our Intention, complaining that we had not given him advice of our Arrival. In the Evening he sent us several Delicacies, among the rest, six fair Melons, and four Bottles of excellent Wine.

He appear'd to me so brave and generous a Person, that I was very much troubled afterwards for his being in dis-favour with the King, and his death, which ensu'd. For this Kan finding the Walls of the City, which were only of Earth, and the Bridge over the River to be out of repair, without writing to the King, of his own head, laid a slight Imposition upon every Basket of Fruit that was brought into the City. Now there are in all the Cities of Persia, persons who are hir'd to take an account every Week what the Commodities may be worth, and to take care that no more than such a Toll be laid upon any thing, which they tax among themselves, and when they have set the Rate, they cause it to be cry'd at the beginning of every Week. Sha-Sefi then reign'd, it being the year 1632. The King being inform'd by these people of the Impost which the Kan had set upon Fruit without his knowledge, was so enrag'd against him, that he caus'd him to be brought in Chains to Ispahan, where he us'd him with a strange severity. For at that time the Son of the Kan stood at the King's Elbow, it being his Office to give him his Pipe and his Tobacco, which is a very honourable Employment in Persia. When the Kan came, the King caus'd him to be carry'd to the Gate of the Palace, in the presence of all the People, and then commanded his Son to pull the Hair of his Father's Mustaches by the roots from his Skin. After that he commanded him to cut off his Nose and his Ears; after that to put out his Eyes, and lastly to cut off his Head. When he had done the Execution according to the King's pleasure, he commanded him to go and take possession of his Father's Government, and allowing him an experienc'd Old Man for his Lieutenant, he sent him to Kom with these words; If thou goven'st no better than this dead Dog has done, I will put thee to a more cruel death than this.

Leaving Kom, for four hours you travel over a fair Champain Country, after which you come to a fair Village with five or six Inns in it. Beyond that is nothing but Sand, till you come to a place call'd Abschirim, or Fresh-water, where there are three Inns at a distance from any Villages. From Abschirim to Cachan is six hours journey through a Corn Country, and stor'd with great Villages.

Cachan is a large City, well peopl'd, and furnish'd with all things necessary for humane subsistance: There is an old Wall about it which is faln down in many places, so that there is no need of seeking for Gates to get into the City. On that side which looks toward Ispahan the Soil is good, and produces great store of Fruit and Wine, which the Jews take care to make. It is reckon'd that there are in Cachan a thousand Families of Jews; in Ispahan about six hundred but in Kom there are not above nine or ten. Not but that there are many Jews in Persia, but those that live in Ispahan, Cachan and Kom, boast themselves particularly of the Tribe of Judah.

There are an abundance of Silk-Weavers in Cachan that are very good Workmen, which make all the best purfl'd Sattins mix'd with Gold and Silver, that come out of Persia. There they also coyn Money, and make Copper-vessels, which they vend in great quantities at a good distance off. The Market-houses are very fairones,