34^
ClWfSM
Ear.
P E R S I A,
the middle called the mountain of the Talifman, from fome fingular appearance
which it affiimes,- He repfefents Kom as a confiderable city,
at the foot, of high' mountains, and near a confiderable river, which is
loft-in the great, fait defert. The houfes' were computed at fifteen thou-
fand; and the chief manufaftiires were white earthen ware, foap, and
iwor-d blades. Here are the fuperb toiiiftsiof Sefi land Abas II. ^Galhaix
is another confiderable city: on this route, to Ifpahan.
„ Towards the Turkifh frontier, one of the largeft rivers of Perfia, the
Ahwaz, or ancient Clioafpes, flows into the~Tigris j b u t though the an»
cient Sufa decorated its banks, the modern towns of Kiab and Ahwaz
are of final! account; nor is Toftar, or more properly Shufter, of mtfth
confequence, though the capital of a province. p t '<(*' -t»,» i ||
In the proximity of the Perfian gulf, Kazerun, Hruzabad,-and Jarun,
or in theruriental pronuncktina .Yaarun* barely deferve mention. Lar is
the capital of a province, formerly a kingdom, conquered by^ Abagin
i 6 i 2, and deferibed by Chardin lnhis Ifpahan to Bander-
Abaffi*" The fituation is fandy, arnidft barren mountains-*, but,the
gardens abounded with dates, an excellent fruit, which; particularly
profpers in this part of Perfia.; The houfes were only.4 >put two hum-
dred; and the independence of this petty kingdom is a ftriking proof,
among many others, of the complete; inattention .of the Pe^fi^ps to ttiheft
coafts, as well as to maritime affairs. Were a,Peter the Great evep to
arife among them, he would firft dired his efforts to .remove theftftpgq-
lar prejudices againft the fea; an important ftep towards rendering Perfia
a great and united empire.
The celebrated Perfian gulf has been always more remarkable fpr the
fkaories of foreigners, than for native eftablifhments. Bandef-Ajsajfi
was a port oppofite to the ifle of Ormus, ©r rather on the coaft between
Ormus and Kifhmifh, or Kifhma, and is now more commonly known by
the name of Gombroon. The trade, onee confiderable, is now. greatly
declined ; and even the Dutch left it, and fettled in the ifle of Karek or
Garak. The French Indian commerce has failed ; and the Englifh
ftaple is Buffora. But Bulheer, and Rik, or Bundarik, are alfo fometimes
frequented.
In
C HA P. H H L GE O G RA BH Y . 347
. - I n ‘'the-Imall ffiel’bflOfmuSj.'&tfbe entrance ó f the Perfian gulf, Vfas Cnm.
fotmeirfy à fcdtebfatéd 'mart 'ofPortugüefe-;trad’es,'éfl;aWifhèd there by cen- 0rmw*
fent of thé"’ petty king o f the' ëcînhtry, àlfè: pbflelfed fome- diftri&s
(ân* th é ;bpjiofttê''cba(ft:* But th eT ó f t aguefe'*' were expelled by Abas the
Greafj w ith th e àfliftaifee ot tfte'Td^Hfh, A. D.' 1*622. -
; T h é exténfivb ëoafl: of Mekrarn only prefents two femblances o f ports,
a tT iz f tn d G u a d a lv 'h in b f n b mnîfteKt in thetófëlves, and'placed in dif-
ad’vanligboust pftfîtioriè*,1 th e r'widê' 'defferts obftruéting, the inland inter-
çourfe. Nor '^regthe towns m that'province o f fufficient importante for
the confideratibn 'ör genè/àl gebgra’phÿ.
jT h e prqyingepf K erman contains a city f tf th e fame name.; but fome
laté authorsfleprefeht Yezctas the' capital, though, generally fuppofed to Yezd.
belong to the pr’ovipce o'f Fars. ' This .city is celebrated‘for the mahù-
ft&uî'e o f carpets, and“ fluffs made o f camel haft : b ut the chief manu-
fajftures-. of .carpets are in tlie, fertile valejof Sëgiftan, in eâftern Perfia,
T o the i n o r th ,p f Yezd Hands Hirabad, a .ço nm e raQ e town, n e a r th ç
mountain o f Elburz,, pnd.not far from the fqtijfteip lirpits,. o f the great
fait (déièrt ; -pvhich if n p t th e defeat -of| M argiana, plaçpftby/ fttp lem y o n
the n ! W . o f th e AfiaHklus or ft a o f Zprra^ ftge^fcThaVe been unknown
to tfte.anciepts. . tTh ep th sr,p itie s. o f welftrjgPer/ja.ftarcely de-
ftrye commemqça.ftqir.;,
In paffipg tp^he eaftern diyifton,. or kingdom of jGapda,h^r, it may be Eifter»
proper to pbftnve that Çaftuft the metropolis,,is fÿuated.wfthfn ffc ç limits Clties‘
o f Hindoftan ;• h u t C andaharf is by D ’Anvilft apd. to;?£mckhar.
Perfia, being however, alcity ,of im a ftitze ^ and fcjiftfty -p^eapKaf ft, the
^rand fbaffage between'ihefe extfenfive '.empires,* T h e prsolvhiûe p f
^ f ta n . f t in general liftte knpwö îiksmodern txayèlsipiandjjit is tpybe regretted
that :M rT F ö rfl^ ^ a® tdw itftï& e tó -x ^ id i^ apft d iftn p tfslfib the
......* The envious refter may 'corifult TeiAieira’s hiftory of Pëiîià; for' that .of Ormus, .written by .
•Toran. Shah,Ting of the country.. .The kings were Arabs,ys !were probaWy .thofcof Lar, ■and
entertained confiant iiitercouvfe with the oppofite coaft of Arabia. .
' f Mr. Forfter, ii. 102., informs us that;Candahar is o fa fq.uare form; about ftrefyndes in cir- I
eumference, fituated in an extenfive-plain, th&fupp&fed mountains .being,merely; interfpêrfed hills.
But to the W. there is a confiderable. defert, extending'néarly to Herat,. .<v.hich co.nfihliYej the real
difficulty in puffing from Perfia to Hindoftan.
! I v 2 Ü I I I ■ ; - vale