# The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier/Persian Travels/Book 1/Chapter 9

CHAP. IX.
Of the Road from Kerman to Ispahan; and the Fortune of Nazar Mahomet-Ali-Beg.
From Kerman to Ispahan is no less than five and twenty days on Horseback. In those places where there is any Water, the Country is very good; but those places are very rare; for the Road is generally Sandy, and offensive to the Eyes. The chiefest comfort to a Traveller is, that every Evening he meets with an Inn, where there are Cisterns, which is a great refreshment in those desert Countries. The most part of those Inns were built some Years since by the special care of Mahomet-Ali-Beg, Nazar, or Grand Master of the King's House and Treasury; a Person the most Virtuous of any that Persia can boast of for many Years. He was Generous, and favour'd the Franks in all things, for he lov'd them exceedingly. He faithfully serv'd his King, and defended the People against the Oppression and Insolencies of the Great ones; which drew upon him the hatred of many: but still he preserv'd himself by his sincerity and prudence; as by the following Story will remarkably appear.
The Great Sha-Abas the First, being one day a Hunting in the Mountains far out of sight from his followers, met a young Lad playing upon a Pipe by an Herd of Goats. The King asking him some Questions, he answer'd him to the purpose to every one, not knowing who he was. The King surpriz'd at his Reparti's, made a sign to Iman-couli-Kan Governour of Schiras, who was just come up to him, not to tell the Goat-herd who he was. After that he proceeded to ask him other Questions; to which the young Man answer'd so smartly, that the King could not choose but stand in an amaze. Thereupon the King ask'd the Kan what he thought of the Goat-herds Wit? Who answer'd, that he believ'd if the Boy were taught to Write and Read, he might do good service to his Majesty. Upon that the King immediately caus'd him to be sent to School, where the young Lad being naturally of a solid Wit, clear Judgment, and happy Memory, grew so accomplish'd, and so well acquitted himself of several Employments which his Majesty bestow'd upon him, that the King advanc'd him to the Office of Nazar, or Grand Master of the House, and did him the Honour to call him Mahomet-Ali-Beg. The King observing his fidelity, and good management of all things, sent him twice Ambassador to the Great Mogul, and both times was extremely pleas'd with his Negotiation. Mahomet lov'd Justice, and would not stoop to be corrupted by Presents: A thing which is very rare among the Mahometans. This great Integrity of his made all the Lords of the Court his Enemies, especially the Eunuchs and the Women, who have always the King's Ear. But while Sha-Abas liv'd, there was no person that durst open his lips against the Nazar, so much was he in favour, and that justly, with the King. Sha-Sefi succeeding his Grandfather Sha-Abas, and being very young, the Nazar's Adversaries thought they had now a fair Game to play. Thereupon the ​Eunuchs, who are always at the King's Ear, suggested to him many things to the disadvantage of the Grand Master; but whatever they said, the King gave little heed to their Tales. At length, one day when the King was looking upon certain Skains and Daggers set with precious Stones, one of the Eunuchs told him those were trifles, and then desir'd his Majesty to send for a Scimitar that the Grand Signor had sent Sha-Abas, all over set with Diamonds. True it is, that the Grand Signor had sent a rich Scimitar to Sha-Abas; but Sha-Abas had defac'd it long before Mahomet's time, and had made a noble Jewel of the Stones that adorn'd it. Thereupon this Scimitar was sought for in the Treasury, where Mahomet was chief Officer; but not being to be found, the King was troubl'd, finding it registred in the Book of Presents. Then certain Eunuchs and Grandees of the Court took their opportunity to rip up Mahomet's Life; they represented to the King how many Inns, Bridges, and Dikes Mahomet had built at his own charge; what a House he had rear'd for himself, fitting for his Majesty to live in: and aggravated withal, that he could not do such great things as those, without purloining notably from the Publick Stock; for which he should do well to call him to an account. As they were thus discoursing, Mahomet came into the Presence, to whom the King (not receiving him as he was wont to do) spoke some hard words about the Scimitar that could not be found: telling him withal, that he would see if all the rest of the things in the Treasury were agreeable to the Register, and then gave him fifteen days time to give in his Account. Mahomet not at all mov'd, reply'd to the King, that if his Majesty pleas'd he might come to the Treasury to morrow: and withal besought him so to do, though the King a second time gave him fifteen days. Thereupon the King did go to the Treasury next morning, according to Mahomet's desire, and found all things in good order; having heard before what became of the Scimitar. From thence he went to Mahomet's House, who made the King a mean Present: For it is the custom, that he whom the King honours with a Visit, must make a Present to his Majesty. After the King had receiv'd it, he walk'd up and down, and view'd the Chambers, Halls, Parlours and Rooms of State; and wonder'd to see them so ill set out with plain Felts, and course Carpets; whereas in other Lords Houses a man could not set his Foot upon any thing but Cloth of Gold and Silk. For the King, as they had set the Nazar out, expected to have found other things; which made him admire at so great a Moderation in so high a degree of Honour. Now at the end of a Gallery there was a Door lockt with three great Padlocks. Of this the King took no notice: whereupon the Meter, who is the White Eunuch, and chief of his Chamber, as he came back, shew'd the King the Door that was so strongly Padlock'd; which made the King curious to have it open'd: withal, asking Mahomet what he had got there lock'd up with so much care? Oh Sir, said he, it behoves me to keep that lockt, for there is all the Estate I have in the World. All that your Majesty has seen in this House is yours, but all that is in that Chamber is mine, and I dare assure my self, your Majesty will be so gracious as never to take it from me. Those words inflam'd the King's curiosity so, that he commanded the Door to be open'd: But he was strangely surpriz'd, when he saw nothing more within than Mahomet's Sheep-hook, that lay upon two Nails, his Scrip wherein he us'd to put his Victuals, his Bottle for his Water, his Pipe, and his Shepherd's Weeds, all hanging against the Wall. The Nazar beholding the King's astonishment at such a Sight, Sir, said he, when the King Sha-Abas found me in the Mountain keeping Goats, then that was all I had, and he took nothing from me: I beseech your Majesty that you would not deprive me of these things neither but rather, if you please, let me resume them again, and fall to my old Calling. The King touch'd at so high a piece of Virtue, caus'd himself to be disapparel'd, and gave his Habit to the Nazar, which is the greatest Honour that the King of Persia can bestow upon a Subject. Thus Mahomet continu'd, and dy'd honourably in his Employment. This brave Person was the Protector of all the Franks in Persia: and if any one had done them wrong, upon complaint he did them Justice immediately. One day as I was shooting Ducks, upon the River of Ispahan near the Nazar's Gardens, with two Servants, some of the Nazar's people that did not know me set upon me, and would have taken away my Gun; which I would not let go till I had broke the Stock about the Shoulders of the one, and flung the Barrel at the other's Head. Thereupon I took some of the Franks ​along with me, and complain'd to the Nazar: He testifi'd his sorrow for what had happen'd, and gave us evident Proofs thereof, by the blows which he caus'd to be laid upon those that had done me the injury.
Another time, Sha-Sefi being upon his return from Guilan, his Tents were set up near Zulfa in Armenia, where the King staid to hunt two or three days. Now among the rest of the Courtizans that follow'd the Court, to divertise the King with Dancing and Mummery, there was one who was perfectly handsom, to whom the King had already sent Presents; which could not be unknown to any Lord i'the Court. But the Nazar's Son, for all that, being in the heat of Youth, got this Courtizan to his Tent, and there lay with her: which came to his Father's Ears next day. The Nazar, whether out of his zeal to the King, or whether it were an effect of his prudence to prevent the King's anger, which would have certainly been the death of his Son, caus'd him to be drub'd, after the manner of the Country, and bastinado'd all over, till the Nails of his Toes dropt off, and that his Body was almost a perfect Gelly. Which when the King understood, together with the Young Man's Crime, he said no more, but that the Nazar had done wisely by punishing his Son himself, to prevent his Justice.
But to return to the Road from Kerman to Ispahan. The first day that I set out from Kerman, at my Stage in the Evening I met with a rich Moullah, who seeing I had Wine, civilly offer'd me some of his Ice to cool it. In retaliation, I gave him some of my Bottle. He invited me to his House, which was well built, with a handsom Garden with Water in it. He entertain'd me with Spoon-meat, according to the mode of the Country; and when I took my leave, he fill'd my Boracho with very good Wine.
The following days I saw nothing worthy observation; the Country being as I have already describ'd it.
Yezd lyes in the Road, almost in the mid-way between Kerman and Ispahan, in 93 Deg. 15 Min. of Longitude, and 13 Deg. 45 Min. of Latitude. It is a great Town in the middle of the Sands, that extend themselves for two Leagues round it: so that when you leave Yezd you must take a Guide, for upon the least Wind the Sand covers the Highway, whereby a man may be apt to fall into Holes, which seem to have been either old Cisterns, or the Ruines of ancient Buildings. Between the Town and the Sands there is a little good Soil, which produces excellent Fruits, but above all, Melons of several sorts: the Pulp of some is green, of others yellow and vermilion and some there are, the meat whereof is as hard as a Renneting. There are also very good Grapes, and good Wine; but the Governour will not permit the Inhabitants to make Wine. Some therefore they dry, and of the rest they make a kind of Confection to eat with Bread. There are also abundance of Figs, which are large and well tasted. They distil vast quantities of Rose-water, and another sort of Water with which they dye their Hands and Nails red, which they squeeze out of a certain Root call'd Hina. There are three Inns i'th' City, and several Bazaars or Market-places cover'd and vaulted, which are full of Merchants and Workmens Ware-houses. They also make at Yezd several Stuffs of Silk intermix'd with Gold and Silver, which they call Zerbaste; and another sort of Stuff of all pure Silk, call'd Daraï, like our smooth strip'd Taffata's. Other Stuffs they make, half Silk half Cotton; others all of Cotton, like our Fustians. They make also Serges of a particular Wool, which is so fine and delicate, that it looks handsomer, and is much better than Silk.
Though I had nothing to do, I staid in Yezd three days, because I met with some Armenians of my acquaintance. In which time I found the general Opinion to be true. For certainly the Women of Yezd are the handsomest Women in all Persia. There is no Feast made, but five or six of them come to divertise the Guests with Dancing, who are generally none of the meanest Beauties and Conversations among them. However it comes to pass, the Persian Proverb is, That to live happy, a Man must have a Wife of Yezd, eat the Bread of Yezdecas, and drink the Wine of Schiras.