Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/74
along with me, and complain'd to the Nazar: He testifi'd his sorrow for what had happen'd, and gave us evident Proofs thereof, by the blows which he caus'd to be laid upon those that had done me the injury.
Another time, Sha-Sefi being upon his return from Guilan, his Tents were set up near Zulfa in Armenia, where the King staid to hunt two or three days. Now among the rest of the Courtizans that follow'd the Court, to divertise the King with Dancing and Mummery, there was one who was perfectly handsom, to whom the King had already sent Presents; which could not be unknown to any Lord i'the Court. But the Nazar's Son, for all that, being in the heat of Youth, got this Courtizan to his Tent, and there lay with her: which came to his Father's Ears next day. The Nazar, whether out of his zeal to the King, or whether it were an effect of his prudence to prevent the King's anger, which would have certainly been the death of his Son, caus'd him to be drub'd, after the manner of the Country, and bastinado'd all over, till the Nails of his Toes dropt off, and that his Body was almost a perfect Gelly. Which when the King understood, together with the Young Man's Crime, he said no more, but that the Nazar had done wisely by punishing his Son himself, to prevent his Justice.
But to return to the Road from Kerman to Ispahan. The first day that I set out from Kerman, at my Stage in the Evening I met with a rich Moullah, who seeing I had Wine, civilly offer'd me some of his Ice to cool it. In retaliation, I gave him some of my Bottle. He invited me to his House, which was well built, with a handsom Garden with Water in it. He entertain'd me with Spoon-meat, according to the mode of the Country; and when I took my leave, he fill'd my Boracho with very good Wine.
The following days I saw nothing worthy observation; the Country being as I have already describ'd it.
Yezd lyes in the Road, almost in the mid-way between Kerman and Ispahan, in 93 Deg. 15 Min. of Longitude, and 13 Deg. 45 Min. of Latitude. It is a great Town in the middle of the Sands, that extend themselves for two Leagues round it: so that when you leave Yezd you must take a Guide, for upon the least Wind the Sand covers the Highway, whereby a man may be apt to fall into Holes, which seem to have been either old Cisterns, or the Ruines of ancient Buildings. Between the Town and the Sands there is a little good Soil, which produces excellent Fruits, but above all, Melons of several sorts: the Pulp of some is green, of others yellow and vermilion and some there are, the meat whereof is as hard as a Renneting. There are also very good Grapes, and good Wine; but the Governour will not permit the Inhabitants to make Wine. Some therefore they dry, and of the rest they make a kind of Confection to eat with Bread. There are also abundance of Figs, which are large and well tasted. They distil vast quantities of Rose-water, and another sort of Water with which they dye their Hands and Nails red, which they squeeze out of a certain Root call'd Hina. There are three Inns i'th' City, and several Bazaars or Market-places cover'd and vaulted, which are full of Merchants and Workmens Ware-houses. They also make at Yezd several Stuffs of Silk intermix'd with Gold and Silver, which they call Zerbaste; and another sort of Stuff of all pure Silk, call'd Daraï, like our smooth strip'd Taffata's. Other Stuffs they make, half Silk half Cotton; others all of Cotton, like our Fustians. They make also Serges of a particular Wool, which is so fine and delicate, that it looks handsomer, and is much better than Silk.
Though I had nothing to do, I staid in Yezd three days, because I met with some Armenians of my acquaintance. In which time I found the general Opinion to be true. For certainly the Women of Yezd are the handsomest Women in all Persia. There is no Feast made, but five or six of them come to divertise the Guests with Dancing, who are generally none of the meanest Beauties and Conversations among them. However it comes to pass, the Persian Proverb is, That to live happy, a Man must have a Wife of Yezd, eat the Bread of Yezdecas, and drink the Wine of Schiras.
CHAP.