was noted for its Hghtnefs. I t is remarkable that V hnj fays, that the
famous Murrhine vefiels of the ancients were b r ig h t from this identic
P » i y :pbrcbMn, if to g jd *
mineral be riot yet concealed in that country. The manufatees of
' nfi'ng the tin of Sumatra to line the; veffels. T h e bows of Perfia were
the moil efteemed of all in the eaft, and the faores; finely damafked, in
a manner -which Chardin thinks inimitable in Europe ; for* not content
witb their own mines of fteel, or carbonated iron ore, they imported it
from India, and wrought it in a particular manner defcribed by our author.
Their razors; and other works in fteel, were dfo laudable ; and
they excelled in cutting ;preciouS ftohes, and dying bright'and lafting
colours - the glafs manufactures» wéte óf an inferior defcnptiom - Their
coctoii and woollenblodisk And thofe inadë öffeoat^y tg f jg g g g g g
- with their filks, brocades, and velvets, were fuperior manul^aures.
The carpus;* as already mentioned, were chiefly fetfiThe ptoviiii^ Of
Segiftad ; ' ;and ChkrcHn adds, that cin his time%ey* weroealfêd Tiitkey
carpets, feaufe they were brought to Europe through that coun^y f and
werd-valued E y ’ thé numbed of threads in the inch, beingsfometrmes
fourteen or fifteen. The fluffs made of camels’ hair were chiefljrirom
Kerman, and thofe of goats’ hair from the mountains IctEMazendran ;
but the cotton cloths principally from Hindoftan: and the fabric >©1
broad cloth was unknown, and fupplïed by a kind of felt.
The king himfelf was engaged in merchandize; bfffilk, brocades, carpets,
and jewels; probably with as little .advantage to :the country as the.
royal- monopolies in Spain. The ftandard native merchandize |§ g | f *
ofvariöüs-cfüalitieé. • To Hindoftan. were, fent tobacco* preferyed fruits,
efpécially dates, wines, horfes, porcelain, and; leather, of different colours.
To Turkey, tobacco, kichen uterifils;; to Ruffia, manufadured filks.
Such were formerly the manufactures and commerce of this extenfive
country*
*s Lib. Jfrfcap. 2-
* The proper term is f i g r i n , fr o m the Perfian wor& Chard, iv. 346 .
C H A P T E R IV.
N A T U R A L * d s b ' o g A p l i l Y .
Climate.— Face ofihe Country.— Soil and Agficyllure.— Rivers.d-La&es.-*Moun~
tam. Defertj. Forejls.—Botany.—itfoofogyl— Mineralogy.— Mineral Watery.
-ANatural Curiöfüïeh— IJles.
P ^ S I A has héén laid to bë .'a‘éouötry of three oilrdates /b u t even
t in the fouth the high mountains'èonfribtité tb'aÜky 'ihe' ëxtreme
heat. ' T^ho li'OTthern provinces, on» the Cafpian, ar^c'ö^hpaVatiVely cblh
atid moift; the exhalations’ from that iéa'Being arrefled by the mountains
t° P|f|^outh Mqzendran. In the centre of the, kingdom'Chkrdin ob-
^fves "that the winter begins in November, and jeontiiiues till March,
commonly' fetterë, 'withIce and fnoik j j thpngh .tljk latter chiefly fallkoh-
the mourffa'ins, and fèttfams on thofe three days’ jcrarney\o jithe W.'of
Ifpahan for eight months of the year/ Fr ^ ^ a r c h l o 1 Wind®'
are frequent j but thence to September, thè ark is ferene‘,1 reffeihefl- by
breezes in the nighty Erom September to Isloyembér, fhe winds' again-
prevail. In' the centre -and fouth the air ^generally’chy, ’whencbJnun-
der otf lightmng are uncomm'bn, and a rainbow i/feldorp'feen/ Earthquakes
are almoft unknown j ,hpt hail is often lteftru<|jve in the lpringv
Near the Perfian gulf the hot wind called -Samiel fometimes flffocates
the unwary traveller!!; *, ' * 1 \ ^ f , ' '1” || | v V
According to .Chardin, Perfia may be called a country o f mountains j
and where great plains occur they are generally defers The moft remarkable
feature of the country is the want .of riversr in which .reCpeél it
yields to all the Afiatip ^regions, fave Arabia. Except in the-north, and
fonie parts of the weftern. mountains, evep t£eqsta,re uncQjtnpaon ; apH
'he ,refpe£t paid by the Perfian monarchs to planes, anfd other, trees of
diffufe fhade, is no matter of furprize. _ .Confider^d in a genera} feale,
Gl-i-matf*
F a c e o f diö
Csöntiy-.