9**
Ól-TfÊSV
Shiraz.
realie'd K©u5Soîa/:r®-?ræiiSoôùtain in-trié:T©M' :öf ‘a ‘térraLêfe', arid alfo-Tag-
R^ftimV the- Rüftàn | This capkaR^eS|jöt; appear, to
be -inkke fiteéöfraky&lieieaï cky, ïÊottgh ■ D ’An^nleTöfm'daté that it i's
the Afpadana of B-tolemy, which be' placëéàn'Perfîs, and the pofitión
fomëwhat- eöincidesf?-but the, radical" fault of D’Ahvilïè’s arictenf geography
is.his' Implicit' truft in the rèfemblanee of nkiïiesf a'h'd bis in-
atteritïöir to tht'iUvbhitTons'óTthodér'n hiftory, and the eppchsépEthé
Fourtdâtiôh «of mbdëin cities f : as*'foré iriftaricé, he ' 'fihdb ^Bergèn in
Norway,' built A. D. 1070, in Pliny’s" natural hiftory. Thé environs
of Ifpàhan are pleafa'rit, and, like Tnoft other Pérfian; towns and cities,
diverfified by the -neighbourhood of mountains. This 'capital 'was
-greatly reduced,' infomuch that a Perfian merchant aflferted to Mr.
Hanway that not above- '-five thotffand houfes were inhabited, haying
been taken and plundered by the Afgans in 1722, who'were afterwards
repelléd to their eaftern mountains by Nadir.
The fécond Çityjfj | leak- i t fame, 'is Shiraz^.which has Been recently
vilited and defcriK^ by Mf. Franklin. This capital o f Farfiftan, or
Perfia, is fitriated' in a fertile, valley, about twentyrfix miles in length,
arid twelve in breadth, bounded pn: all fides by lofty mountains:
the circuit of thé city is about four miles, furrounded with a wall
twenty-five feethigh, and ten thick;-With round towers at thEdlfiaoeeof
eighly^pâcëi”'- 'Thé' citadel is built o f brick ; and before it is a great
Pqnàre, with a park of miférabk 'artillery.' Thé mofk of the late Kerim
is fplendid but ünfinifhéd ; arid the modern PerfiansTeem tb excel in
painting blue arid gold in a bright .and ‘durable manner. The tomb óf
Hafiz is bn the N, E. fide, about two miles" dift’anf front the walls,... and
it theJopt of the' mountains, pri the famtdireéfion, -is thé tomb. of.Sadi,
witli a remarkable chahtfél for ''water . höjldwéd in ‘ the- rock.' Many
■ fitnimer hbriféi* with gardens/in the vicinity of Shiraz, were' built by
the late regent'Kerim,- the. plantations' being1 ayénuéis óf çyprefs and
fycamorë, leading to parterres of flowers, : and refreshed-with fountains
o f ftpnê. ’ The pbïicéuö f this city is ‘ftriétlÿ, obfervetfi:'as it.is laid' to ,be
through: thefifowhs bPPérfia'. The neighbouring fields, are fertile in
rice, wheat, arid bailey, 'the -hirveft beginning in May, and ending
2 b I wmm &
in the'middle o f July.' Provifioris arc cheap, arid the mutton excellent.
The famous horfes of Paris now yield’grcatly to tbofè :bf Dulh.Tiftan, a
province, to the S W. At iShiraz there is, a glafs manufaétory j'. but
woollen goods and filks, are brought from .Yezd and Kerman, copper
from Tàuriz, fword blades from Kom. Abu -ShëhrirgéuBùfhèer, fup-
plies ïndian articles;"' The climate «of this celebrated*-city is'delicious,
particularly in the fpr'ing, when numerous flowers"' perfuine the air ;
and the Boolbul, 'otofiental riightingaléÿthe gbldfinch; lmuen and/othër
warblers, delight thé paré
Having thus bfririlydefcnbed the two uipft cekbratcd cities, the?others
fliail be mentioned in aigepgraphical prbgréfs frpinThe north, beginning
with thofe of weftern Perfia.- Teffliz, the.capital' pf'^ëöïgki*'has' been
defenbed and delineated by Toufriëfórt;^''Whô^Éÿs ’ tbàt it is a large and
populous town, butmçanljfibuilt,'., rifirig' from, the river Kurfllong thé'
fide; o f a hill.5 ^:Tfierç are fine Tp^ngs oO o t water, ' a favourite refort
of the inhabitants. , The chief trade is in furs, Tent to Turkey and the.
fouth. of Perfia. The prefènt .circuit istaf obt twp "Engfifli, miles, and it
iVfuppofed to contain 20,000 inhabitants, moré''than half being .Armenians.
6 It iriiift not ‘be fbig.bttëri' that riming the late' confuffbri'iri
Perfia, "Georgia has-effected-'at kaft a temporary incîepéndencè,. fup-
p'orted by Ruma4; fo that the dbmiriip'ri óKprméé Heràcïïris K éiiLy
riôininâl’ly iric'ludedt within the Perfian boundary; •
Bëfbént was formerly a; place ó f ripfèd ftrengtn'bih tlié' 'Gâfpian fea,
but wa‘s; taken by Péter the Great o f Rriflia, and aftfefwards by (iatlicr
rinè II in 178O.- Gmelin vifitèd' this city à;''few years' béfore,-arid :'de-
feribes it as fituated on the fide óf a mountain, extending -alrnoft 'tö the
feài whefè to thé weft àn ancient wall with to'Wers ap'peatri to 'have
paflbd'to' the Erixirië. P It'was'governed by a *Peifian khan, and m his
abfençé’by a naip- or lièüfenrinf^goVëfriPr;; The ffiores'-afe urifit/fbr an-
choragé, fó''that tfiére is little commerce, Except in làw 'with' Ghilan, to
which faffron, which wa§ greatly '■ cultivated, 1 was eépbfted. The gardens
near the. town are productive of excellent grapes', arid molt kinds
of Eurdpfean fruits. In the fame 'region, to 'the fouth, is the province
4 Frankliii,paffim. . s ÿ. 235» 6 Ellis-Memoir, p. 49Î
o f
Cities.
TeflliZ»
Dcrbent»