The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. II. Of the Flowers and Fruits of Persia, of Turquoises and Pearls.

THE Flowers of Persia are nothing comparable to our European Flowers, neither for variety nor beauty. For having pass'd the Tigris in the Road to Persia, you meet with nothing but Roses and Lillies, and some other Fruits peculiar to the Country.

As for Roses, they have great store, which they distil, as they do Orange-flowers, and transport the Waters into all the Eastern parts of Asia.

I never left the Court of Persia, but some of the Lords, especially four of the white Eunuchs, beg'd of me to bring them some Flowers out of France; for they have every one a Garden before their Chamber door: and happy is he that can present the King with a Posie of Flowers in a Crystal Flower-Pot.

There are in Persia Apples, Pears, Oranges, Granates, Prunes, Cherries, Apricots, Quinces, Chesnuts, Medlers, and other sorts of Fruit, which is not generally so well∣tasted as ours.

Their Apricots indeed, especially the lesser sort, are better than ours. When you op'n this Apricot, the Stone cleaves in two, and then the Kernel, which is only a small Skin, as white as Snow, is more pleasing to the tast than if it had been pre∣serv'd.

As for their Melons, they are most excellent, and very plentiful, neither is it so dangerous to eat them to excess, as ours. There have been some that have eat'n six and thirty pound in a day, and have never been the worse. There is a prodigious quantity of them sold in Ispahan; where they are brought to Market, from midnight 'till four a Clock in the afternoon. Those Melons which are first in season, and are call'd Guermez, are insipid, and tast of nothing but Water. However the Physicians advise you to eat them, saying that they plump up the Flesh, and renew the habit of the Body. The next to the Guermez, are better than they, and they increase in goodness 'till they come to be quite out of season; the last of which they keep all the Winter long.

Though they have such vast plenty, yet they never leave but one Melon upon a stalk, and when it is as big as a Nut, the Gard'ner, or his Wife, or his Children, lye down upon the ground and lick off the Down, which they say keeps the Melon from being sweet, and rip'ning kindly.

The Persians have also a particular sort of Quince-Pepin, but not so good as ours, which they fry unpar'd, casting great store of Salt in the Pan to excite thirst, and then present them to their Friends at their Collations. They have also Almonds and Figs, but few Small-nuts or Wall-nuts.

Oyl they have none, but in the Provinces of Mazandran and Guilan, which furnish all the rest of Persia; but the Olives are rotten, black, gravelly, and not worth any thing, compar'd with Provence-Olives.

Armenia, Mengrelia, Georgia, and Media abound in Vineyards. They bury their Vines all the Winter, and take them up again in the Spring by reason of the cold. In the hotter Countries they dress their Vines as we do, without any under-propping them. There are three sorts of Wines in Persia. That of Yesd is very delicate; that of Ispahan but ordinary: that of Yesd is transported to Lar, where there lives a great number of Jews, who care not to live but where they may have good Wine, and that at a cheap rate. It is also carry'd to Ormus, where it is sold half in half cheaper than the Wine of Schiras. As for the Wine of Schiras, it is made of one only Grape, sweet in tast, but which heats the Mouth extremely. This sort of Grape is call'd Kichmishé; it is a white Grape, without any stone, as vulgarly believ'd; but however it has a stone, though it be hardly to be perceiv'd; which nevertheless will appear in new Wine, when it frets like a little Ligament. They say that the Wine of Ispahan is cold upon the Stomach, but that it fumes into the Head. For its coldness upon the Stomach I can say little, but I know it will warm the Head, if a man takes too much of it. In Persia they never keep their Wine in Tuns, but in

great earthen Vessels bak'd in an Oven, either glaz'd, or else smear'd over with the fat of a Sheeps rump, stop'd up with wood'n Covers, cover'd over again with a great piece of red Calicut, that lyes over all the lids of the Pots.

The King and his Lords have other sorts of Cellars for magnificence, where they treat such as they invite. These are four square Rooms not above three or four steps deep, with a Well in the middle, the floor being spread with Turkie Carpets. Now at the four corners of the Well stand four great Bottles containing twenty Pints a piece, the one of White, the other of Claret. Between the great Bottles stands a row of lesser Bottles fill'd, a Bottle of White, and a Bottle of Red. In the Cellar-Wall are several niches one above another, and in every nich a Bottle, still vary'd Gules and Argent; a very pleasant sight to good Companions in a Room, which is as light as day.

As for Herbs and Roots they have very good in Persia, but above all, most excellent Roman Lettuce. But there is no sort of Pulse, nor can they find a way to make Pease grow among them. The Carmelites carry'd Asparagus, Artichoaks, and Succory, which were never seen there before, but now begin to thrive very well.

As for Turquoises and Pearls I shall speak thereof in my discourse of Jewels, to∣ward the end of my Indian Travels.