Tourchiz, p. 265.]—This place occurs in the route of Forster, who mentions Mesched, as said to be one hundred miles north-west of Turshish. Vol. ii. p. 154. It was held at that time by Abedullah, an independant Persian chief, p. 165; but Forster, who spent above a fortnight in the town, does not allude to any wealth deposited there. In Mahomed Saduck’s journey, the capital of the district of Turshiz and Co Surkh, is called Sultania, which is probably the Sultanabad of Forster, another name for the old town of Turshiz. P. 165.
Miaunéh, p. 268.]—At this spot died the celebrated traveller Thevenot. See the note of his death, tom. v. Gardanne says, “Ses Papiers et ses livres furent, dit on, enlevés et gardés par le Cadi.” P. 41.
Number of oxen to a plough, p. 275.]—It is curious to trace in Tournefort the encrease in the number of cattle thus employed, as he advances into Georgia: near Arz-roum, they will yoke three or four pair to one plough, p. 213; near Cars, ten or twelve, p. 216. Still farther on, in Georgia itself, fourteen or fifteen pair, p. 224. Vol. ii. of the translation.
Prince Royal of Persia, p. 279.]—The character of Abbas Mirza, Prince of Tabriz, is so striking in Oriental history, that every support, which can be given to the accuracy of the description, is important. Gardanne confirms some of the more remarkable traits in the text: “Il veut relever sa nation, et il a l’ambition de la gloire militaire. S’il perd un General on un Guerrier, il dechire ses habits et donne les marqués de la plus vive douleur. Il a perda dernièrement des enfans, et n’a temoigné aucun chagrin. Pour expliquer cette indifference, il faut connaître les mœurs. Nous demandons à un grand Seigneur le nombre de ses enfans. Il répond naïvement qu’il n’en sait rien, se tourne du côté de son Secrétaire et le lui demande; celui ci répond: dix-sept.” p. 36. The following anecdote is connected with the French character; it occurs in the account of an entertainment given to the French Mission by the Prince’s Minister. “Après le repas, les danseurs font des tours de force. Le Vizir nous dit: mon maitre n’aime pas les danseurs, il les a tous chassès de Tauris. J’ai appellé ceux-cé des villages voisins, ayant appris de l’Ambassadeur de Perse, que ce divertessement était agréable a votre nation.” P. 37. See others, p. 38-9.
Ships on the Caspian, p. 287.]—Every reader of Hanway will recollect the extreme importance which Nadir attached to the formation of a fleet in the Caspian, where the famous John Elton was induced to become his Admiral. The dock-yards in the Persian Gulph must import all their timber from India; but the southern shore of the Caspian contains on the spot the amplest supplies. The turbulent character of the Arabs of the Gulph, induced Nadir Shah to meditate their removal from their own country; and their nautical skill and experience suggested to him the idea of transplanting them profitably into the provinces along the Caspian, and replacing them in their ancient seats by the people whom they thus dispossessed. But all his projects were overwhelmed in the confusion which followed his death; and the only naval power, (with the exception of a few small vessels against the Turcomans), which Persia had ever formed in the Caspian, was thus annihilated. Nadir Shah collected a fleet in the Gulph also; and made Bushire the port of Shiraz. Niebuhr, tom. ii. p. 75. Here he had assembled from twenty-two to twenty-five ships, built for him at Bombay and Surat, &c.; but these were all neglected and dispersed at his death.
Language of Ghilan, p. 288.]—Ghilan, the country of the ancient Gelæ, was, according to Ebn Haukal, p. 174, the level tract along the Caspian, of that province, which in its mountainous parts was called Dilem. Now Dilem was with Media Inferior, Mazanderan, and the countries between the Caspian and the Tigris, one of the original seats of the Pehlavie. Heeren. Act. Soc. Gotting. tom. xiii. Dilem was also a retreat of that language. In the breaking up of a great empire, the institutions of the conquered race always linger in the extremities. The Caucasus, the country of Derbend, Segestan, and Kerman, thus sheltered the ancient language and religion of Persia: and thus the mountains of Dilem retained till the tenth century, the worship of fire; and perhaps, therefore, the Pehlavie, with which that worship had been connected. Ebn Haukal observes of Taberistan, the adjoining tract, “they have a peculiar dialect, neither Arabick nor Persian: and in many parts of Deilman their language is not understood.” In a country separated by these circumstances, and by its local situation from the rest of Persia, it is not improbable that there may still exist some traces of a distinct language: and as to the imperfections incident to the want of written memorials, Sir Wm. Jones, in his Discourse on the Arabs, has prepared us to think that Dr. Johnson’s reasoning is too general.
The Cookery of the Turcomans, p. 290.]—Their cookery is something like that of the Arabs described by Capper. There is a full account of the two hordes, the Eastern and Western Turcomans, in a note by the French editor of the Genealogical History of the Tatars, p. 535-8. See also Tooke, ii. 93. Their wealth in money in every age has been very great; because, like the Arabs, and every other pastoral people on the confines of great civilized empires, they sell the necessaries of life, and will not buy the luxuries. La Roque, p. 157, remarks accordingly, that in the time of Pliny, the riches both of the Romans and of the Parthians were melted down among the Arabs. Harmer’s Observations, vol. i. p. 122. Chardin in his MSS. notes in Harmer, says, that they are like Abraham, “very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.”
Chap. XVI.]—The country from Tabriz and Arz-roum may almost be considered as new ground in European description. Gardanne is the only other traveller who has traced this route, (Journal, &c. p. 21-35); but the information which he collected in his passage is so limited, that he appears to know nothing of the Lake of Shahee; or rather in travelling along its shores, he confounds it with that of Van, which is at least one hundred miles from the spot where he places it; p. 35. The country between Arz-roum and Tocat is described by Tournefort, tom. ii. and by Tavernier, tom. i. p. 12-19: and as one of the great roads from Bagdad, &c. falls in at Tocat, the further progress to Constantinople is continued on Mr. Morier’s line, by Tavernier, i. 1-12. Otter ii. 330-357. Howell, p. 102-132. Jackson, p. 203-236. Aboo Taleb, ii. 256-264. Gardanne, p. 114-119; see also p. 1-13.
Khoi, p. 299.]—The singularity of the walls of Khoi, is noticed by Gardanne, with a more singular illustration: “Qu-oye est entouré de murailles et de tours, et ressemble exactement aux gravures de Jerico que l’on voit dans les Bibles.” P. 34.
Ararat, p. 306.]—The height of Ararat can best be understood by considering the distance at which it may be seen. Chardin mentions that it is visible at Marant: tom. i. p. 253; Bruce, that he saw it at Derbend, Memoirs, p. 282; Struys, whom Olivier well characterises as “Romanesque,” describes his ascent to visit a sick hermit at the top, p. 208, &c.; but Tournefort, one of the first of travellers, has stated so fully the difficulties of his own attempt, that probably they have never yet been overcome. The mountain is divided into three regions of different breadths; the first, composed of a short and slippery grass or sand “aussi facheux que les Syrtes d’Afrique,” is occupied by shepherds; the second, by tygers and crows; the remainder, which is half the mountain “est couverte de neige depuis que l’arch y arreta, et ces neiges sont cachées la moitié de l’année sous les nuages fort epais. Les tygres que nous apperçumes ne laissérent pas de nous faire peur,” p. 358. It was impossible to go forwards and penetrate to the third region; and not easy to go back: at length, utterly exhausted, they reached the bottom, “nous rendîmes graces au Seigneur d’en être revenus, car peut-être que nous serions perdus ou que nous serions morts de faim sur cette Montagne,” p. 371. If these were the sensations with which Tournefort regarded his enterprise, the common belief of the country may well be admitted, that no one ever yet ascended the Ararat of the Armenians.