CHAPTER III.
CUST
Mariners and Cujtomr.
" G iv l i . G e o g r a p h y .
^Language'-—lkeramh.^Educdtibn^<Mee -Z-Manu-\
faftures a n d Cpjnnterce.
r p H E m'a5J jl3 ' cuttoms of the Perf.ans, in S y K
1 tury have’ been fo amply, detailed by Ohardip,: : Thevenot,
Sanfon, and other traveller,, that the theme has, become trmal, and
foil of unneoeffary repetition,,,,One pf the moft | § | g SW « f tg | ,t s contained
in a French work bailed Le, A
private life and debaucheries of the reigning Sefi are defcrihed.
M o r e modern ideas of Perfian manners may be • derived from g g
travels !of- Gmelin in Ghihn.*,, S ® g ® B B P l l j » 3p § '
univerlal polkenelfl, and « . JpfeMUe,.
pedation of prefents in ,return. They.feem to cpofider « W f l v M
„ „ r e wife and f e l o n s . than other, nations, ^ and.
the recent commotions have impartecU " f f i f M « l S | r W
rharaaer.“ Of a fimguine temperament,', both, fifth a j i ;
generally gay ; and immoderate mirth j | | U K | £ 3 n § g g f si § t e
Quarrels, a They are extremely attached to .the fair avene
to wine The general completion is .fair,. fomewhat tinged with
olive - but thole in the fouth about Shiraz, o f Candahar,. and the provinces
towards India, are of a dark brown. '. They are:commppf fat,
with black hair, high forehead, aquiline nofe, H I cheeks>.and S ® g
chin, the form, of the countenance being
* By Deflandes, Paris 1673, 4t0- page 38. , M fi 4v „ r j / | t l p |5
* H ilk ir ' d s, D ecouvertes fa it« p a r d iv ers Ja va n s Vnyageurs dans !L Ru£
s B N m s as™ ' »otmtain» ! This | perhaps one of the ftrangeft errors « the whole circle of bibliography.
? Decouv. Ruff. li. *7®* . ■ * | ' ■ .... tO
'~XO our.t-ra^feLIJpfPei<fii.m beauty is moft efteemed when of middle Manners
ftature, with*dohg' - b t e c k ' ‘tttfwsj long eye Customs
Jafties, fair compIeMdof with very 1-i^' red,' Iraall 1 1™ mouth, ' and '
'chin, wdiite teeth, long neck, firea-ft. not full, fmall ■ feet and hands,
.flende-r . ffiape, and fkin extremely finooth. In the- purchafe o f
"Georgian and Circaffitah’ flaves It prebablePtKdff tbefe ^marts' ah
familiar as thofe ;of,a beautiful borfefkfio-rtg bu f’j^ kie s .'.'T h e men are ,
generally ffroiig and robuft, and inclined to ifaatfti'd’ exdrdife, ■ b'u't they ",
Are particularly fubje'Q: ’to difordersof the eyes. fi'-They; generally f h i r i k
|be head^ > .and wear high crimfdri bonrietbv but life beard is facred, and
tended with great;' care/ They often wear three or four‘light &e|§f|
:one above, the other, ’’faflenedlwith a hekfabdbf^fh and th'ey/a'reTdbd
o f Jaffger,»l|!^kfi'o£tlijck c lo t h .T h e women wrap'}aife!f£d.'i’fhgi’r heads
pjeees/of filk of different colours ,, and their.robes-.,are rather -ftiorter
than thpfe o f the men, but th'eite: isvan .uujilgafant fimilarity irtfOther
refpefts.,, Thfe Perfians eat twice or thrice ,a day, dining about poon,
chief re-pall is. the fupper, as withkhe 1 ancierittSfeeks/ andl
Rffmaas/ -The moft u-fual dilh •%hb®iled rice variotaflyrprgpJaEgffpam!
their manner of eating is difguftirig to: European delicacy. The^mteat
IS bftlffd tff §xcefs, and the »meal is* enlarged with ’pet" herbs«, roote,- and51
fej*lt^ i®tes,r'h4rd eggs, and “above all iweetmeaCSy o f whrdh they are
e^ti'emely.fond.: but they fpeafc. little, ’ and the repaft mekei: .exceeds an
tP^byl iThey. 3ie leniaifk»^ fo«Sb^ffip'efs,* Sbdtfiiin theifopSifons and-
babkat-Jons^i'and; the vulgar ;are given to infult fffahgers; '■ whom they
consider las impure. ■
Cji QUiiffifion dsh-nei fdrmSbdi bv. ai Iuep eon, fometri^giwi tn injVen^Wyl^
a,fter tbe ^irthy /and’afenthers ,ten years ; hut .that? bfdgirte1is5'ufikno.W'ih, N
and 'confined to the .Arabs; ' Marriagei are jedoduidted b y fethate tnediff-1
tipp; and the pomp and ceremonies fomewhat?1 «'refcriiMe fhe Ruffian.'
Pdiygaitny is. allowed'5 but the firff ''m'arriecf/is the-GMef vy'ife'i;' Burials
«mc®nidu&ed-«W^. lml@/^ldhdhhr, and the d’ay^tf d8a?W il^Gitom^nly
thati of-fep'ulttiih. . Yeti .the fp iahslof. the. rich: ace often grand^FaS^Fe-the'
(3ehofaphs!o£the:itwelyeSm,a'ms,« .or ;Vicar's ;o£i «the'Brophetf iegai’dedlby)
the1 Ghihs ^ ' W K - i p i w y i ■ They beUeye that'a particular
x x 2 [angel'll