the crowd, had a linen vail over their faces, and wore great coats, like men; but the vails of the poorest covered their whole bodies. The Ufbeck Tartar women were not fo fcrupulous about hiding their faces as the Perfians. The females in the camp, except when on desperate enterprizes, are about one to ten males.

Nadir had four complete fets of horse furniture, one mounted with pearls, another with rubies, a third with emeralds, and a fourth with diamonds of a prodigious fize, many of them being of the bignefs of a pigeons egg. Mr. Hanway was equally furprized at their immenfe value, and the barbarous tafte in which they were fet. In a vifit he made to Mustapha Khan he mentioned to him the prodigious value of the Shah's horfe furniture, and obferved, that the jewels in Europe appear incomparably brighter and neater fet, and that if his Majefty would truft him with on of those bridles, he would procure a complete fet of horfe furniture to be made in Europe, which fhould exceed any thing that had yet appeared in the world: but the Khan replied, My "mafter has not patience enough to wait till "it could be finished."

The officers, and even the foldiers of rank, had the bridles of their horfes mounted with filver with a mane-piece of plate, and an ornimental chain; likewise the fword, belts, and leathern accoutrements were mounted with the fame metal. The handles of their battle-axes were generally ftudded or covered with thin filver plates. In their fafhes about their waist

they

they wore a knife, the handle and cafe of which were covered with filver. Some officers and perfons of distinction were obliged to wear goldcafed-knives, and fome of their great men had filver ftirrups. Thus Nadir endeavoured to keep them dependant by obliging them to expend their money in articles of vanity.

The refpect fhewn Mr. Hanway by Muftapha Khan, who was confidered as the most upright man in the Perfian court, induced that gentleman to make him a prefent of a gold repeating watch with fome fine cloth, and rich filk: this he feemed unwilling to receive; but Mr. Hanway infifting on his accepting it as a mark of his gratitude, he prefented him in return fome jewels which had once adorned the cap of fome unhappy Indian. The principal jewel confifted of a large faphire fet in gold, and encompaffed with diamonds; but these last were fmall, and bored through in the manner in which the Afiatics spoil their precious ftones: the reverse of this piece was enamelled with flowers.

CHAP.

CHA P. IX.

The Author's Journey from the Perfian Camp to Langarood. A Defcription of the Country: an Account of the Perfian Couriers. He is vifited at Langarood by a Perfian Mullah: an Account of the Perfian Women, their Marriages. and domeftic Slavery; with a Defcription of the Province of Ghilan.

IN the 27th of March Mr. Hanway set out from the camp, and befides his other attendants, had two foldiers given him by Mustapha Khan for his guard. Though he now took a different road from that he paffed before, he had every where the melancholy profpect of vaft tracts of excellent arable land lying wafte in one of the finest climates in the world: the houfes of the deferted villages fupplied only fuel, and he faw feveral maroders pulling them down for that purpose. The next day he paffed through a ruined village covered on the oppofite fide with an inacceffible mountain: he here difcovered five perfons, who as he approached ran to their horfes, which were ready faddled and tied to trees. These fellows took

to their arms as if they meant to attack him, while he prepared for his defence; but his two foldiers feemed to have his prefervation fo little at heart, that they loitered behind, and entered into a parley with them. This gave our VOL. XIV. Author

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Author fome uneasiness, and induced him to ftop upon an eminence attended by one fervant to fee the iffue of their conference, while the reft of his company were gone forward; but his interpreter foon rode back full speed, and blaming him for laying behind, declared that if they did not keep together they might all be cut off; for he had difcovered, that four of thofe men were gone round the hill, while one kept the foldiers in talk. His fears were not without foundation; for the foldiers, who foon came up, had purchased a stolen horse of these robbers, who acknowledged that the reputation the Europeans had acquired for their dexte rity in the ufe of fire-arms, had been their greateft fecurity.

On the 29th they afcended the mountain, and had no fooner reached the fummit, than they found the air fo extremely rarified, and the wind fo piercing, that it was with difficulty they drew their breath. In the valley they found a very different climate, and Abar ap peared before them in a delightful fituation. This city, however, was in much the fame circumftances as the others, and it was not without difficulty they obtained a lodging. The mountains, over which lay their direct road, being ftill covered with fnow, they were under the neceffity of going near three leagues about; and in the space of four leagues the road was fo formed that they were obliged to pass a branch of the Kizilazan 65 times; one of the company having the curiofity to count them. This river was about 30 feet wide, and two

or

three feet deep; the ftream was rapid, and the bottom covered with rocks and ftones. After a journey of ten hours, they arrived at a defolate caravanferai where they found nothing but water; they had however, provided themselves at a village on the road, where the inhabitants had entertained them with great hospitality.

On the 31ft they travelled near ten hours without finding any provifions, and on their approaching the mountains that cover Ghilan, they found the reflection of the fun fo ftrong, that it was with difficulty they defended themfelves from the fcorching heat. At length their drooping fpirits almoft exhausted with fatigue and hunger, were fupported by the fight of Arfevil, a fmall village; but they had the mortification to find only one narrow path to it, that was fenced up with large fir-trees, and a great bank of earth. This raised a fufpicion that the village was in a state of rebellion, and that it might be dangerous to force their way into it: neceffity however, filenced their fcruples, and they with much difficulty removed the impediment, when they found that the villagers had made ufe of this expedient from their fear of the Shah's couriers, who without pity take, and without mercy ride, the horses of the poor inhabitants. Upon our Author's entering into the village, he and his attendants were received with marks of hofpitality, for the peafants knew that they would pay for whatever they wanted but they had not been in the village two hours before eight couriers arrived, armed

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