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.