Chapter VIII.

OF THE COUNTRY OF PERSIA, THE CITY OF JASDI, THE CITY OF CERMAN, OF THE TOWN OF CAMANDU, AND OF THE COUNTRY WHERE RHUBARB GROWS.

Tauris is a great city in the province of Hircania, and is a most populous place. The inhabitants live by the exercise of arts and merchandise; they make stuffs of gold and silk. Foreign merchants residing there make very great gain, but the inhabitants are generally poor. They are a mixed people, of Nestorians, Armenians, Jacobites, Georgians, Persians, and Mohammedans. These last are perfidious and treacherous, thinking all well gotten which they steal from men of other religions; and this wickedness of the Saracens had converted many Tartars thereto. If the Christians kill them in their robbery, they are reputed martyrs. From Tauris into Persia are twelve days’ journey. In the confines is the monastery of St. Barasam, the monks whereof are like Carmelites; they make girdles which they lay on the altar, and give to their friends, who devoutly esteem them. Persia containeth eight kingdoms, whereof the first is called Casbin, the second Curdistan, the third Lor, the fourth Susistan, the fifth Spahan, the sixth Shiras, the seventh Soncara, the eighth Timochaim, which is near Arboresecco towards the north. They have fine horses here, whence they are sold into India; there are also very excellent asses sold dearer than the horses, because they eat little, carry much, and travel far. They have camels, but not so swift. These are necessary in those countries, which sometimes for a long way yield no grass.

The people of those countries are very wicked, covetous, thieves, and murderers, professing the faith of Mohammed. Merchants are everywhere slain by those thieves, unless they travel in caravans. There are excellent artificers in the cities, who make wonderful things in gold, silk, and embroidery. The countries abound with silkworms, wheat, barley, millet, and other kinds of corn, and plenty of wine and fruits; and though their law forbids wine, yet they have a gloss to correct or corrupt the text, that if they boil it then it changeth the taste, and therefore the name also, of wine, and may be drank. Iasdi is a great city in the confines of Persia, where there is great trade; it hath also many manufactures in silk. Chaiman is a kingdom in the confines of Persia to the east, subject to the Tartars. In veins of the mountains stones are found, commonly called turquoises, and other jewels. There also are made all sorts of arms and ammunition for war, and by the women excellent needleworks in silks, with all sorts of creatures very admirably wrought therein. There are the best falcons in the world, very swift of flight, red-breasted, and under the train less than those of other countries. Proceeding further, you go through a great plain, and having ended eight days’ journey, you come to a certain descent. In the plain are many castles and towns, but in that steep descent are many trees, and those fruitful, but no habitation, except a few shepherds’ huts. This country in winter time is intolerably cold. After this you come into a large open plain, where a certain city is seated, which is called Camandu, heretofore large and populous, but now destroyed by the Tartars, and the country is called Reobarle. There grow pomegranates, quinces, peaches, and other fruits, which grow not in our cold countries. It hath also very great oxen, and all white, thin haired with thick, short, blunt horns, with a camel’s bunch on the back, accustomed to bear great burthens; and when the pack-saddles are set upon the bunch, they bow their knee like camels, and having received the burthen, rise again, being so taught. The sheep of that country are as big as asses, having so long and broad tails that they weigh thirty pounds weight. They are very fair, and fat, and good meat.

Moreover, in the plain of this country are many cities and towns, with high walls of earth to defend them from the Caraons, that is, Mestizos, that is a mixed sort of people between Indian women and Tartars, ten thousand of which are commanded by one Nugodar, the nephew of Zagathai, who formerly ruled in Turkestan. This Nugodar, hearing of the Malabars subject to Soldan Asiden, without his uncle’s knowledge, went and took Dely with other cities, erected a new seigniory, and mixing with the Indian women, raised these Caraons, which go up and down to rob and spoil in Roobarle and other countries. The plain whereof I now speak is five days’ journey, extending towards the south, but at the end thereof the way begins by little and little to descend for twenty miles together, and the road itself is very bad, and not without danger by reason of thieves. At length you come to very good plains, which extend themselves two days’ journey in length, and the place itself is called Ormus.

That country abounds with rivers and palm-trees; there is also plenty of divers fowls, especially popinjays, which are not like ours. From hence you come unto the ocean, wherein an island is seated called Ormus, to which many merchants resort, bringing spices, pearls, precious stones, cloth of gold and silver, elephants’ teeth, and all other precious things from India. That city is a great mart, having cities and castles under it, and is head of the kingdom of Chermain. The king is called Ruchined Ben Achomach, who yields obedience to the King of Chermain. He makes himself heir, if any merchant dies there. In summer, by reason of the heat, they betake themselves to their summer-houses, built in the waters; and from nine till noon there blows a wind with such extreme heat from the sands, that it swallows a man’s breath, and stifleth him, which makes them lie in the water. The King of Chermain sent an army of sixteen hundred horse, and five thousand foot, against the Lord of Ormus, for not paying his tribute, which were all surprised, and stifled with that wind. The inhabitants of the place eat no bread made of corn or flesh, but feed upon dates, salt fish, and onions. They have not very stout ships, for they do not fasten them with iron nails, by reason the wood is brittle and would cleave; but with wooden pins, with certain threads made of the shells of Indian nuts. These shells are dressed after the manner of leather, out of which threads are cut, of which threads exceeding strong cords are made, which are able to endure the force and violence of the waters, and are not easily corrupted thereby. Those ships have one mast, one sail, one beam, and are covered but with one deck. They are not calked with pitch, but with the oil and fat of fishes; and when they cross the sea to India, carrying horses and other freight with them, they lose many ships, because that sea is very tempestuous, and the ships are not strengthened with iron. The inhabitants of that country are black, and have embraced the law of Mohammed. It is the custom of this country, when any master of a family dies, that the wife left behind him should mourn for him four years, once a day. They have women which profess the practice of mourning, and are therefore hired to mourn daily for their dead. Returning from Ormus to Chermain, is a fertile plain, but the bread made there cannot be eaten but by such as are accustomed thereto, it is so bitter, by reason of the water put therein: here are excellent hot baths, which cure many diseases.