The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-24
IHE.

At the season when the author Of this
boOk saw Shiraz the roses were dead and
the nightingales dumb. but even then. he
tells us. the glorious sunshine and electTi-
flying air. the curious fascination Of the
broad panorama OF plain. studded with
dark green patches OF garden and environed
by majestic hills. the clear, moonlight nights
with their Eastern harmonies OF silver and
black-all these material surroundings
driving home the traditions Of the place
and the memory Of its famous personages.
made a powerful appeal to the senses and
imagination. To the excellence Of h cli-
mate he was able to testify. In summer
no doubt the heal may be somewhat eH-
cessive. but in winter rain rarely falls. and
snow scarcely ever. Shiraz has another
claim to attention. in respect to the purity
with which the Persian language is there
spoken.
Above all other Persian cities Shiraz
is renowned for its bazaars Our author
found these imposing vaulted thorough
fares worthy OF admiration. The largest
Of them. the so-called Vakils Bazaar. is a
street extending about a quarter Of a mile,
lullt entirely OF brick and covered by q
lofty roof. Shorter streets cross the long
eVchuO nv NNkNg Hh4ACos EAACb VI huO nao
it's appointed section OF the bazaar. Each
individual shop In a little arched recess.
raised like the small dwelling inches
in a caravanserai. a few feet above the
level of the centre path. but leading Jack
into further recesses stored with goods
and odorous of the commodity in which
the merchant deals. Down the middle
Of the bazaar's long venue thronged q
II -.nsga.l-. -
rich and poor. seller Inc buyer jostle one
another. pushing. iabbering, and above
all haggling. It il Of course haggling
that separates by a wide gulf the COM
merce OF the Fast from that Of the West.
There are no price labels on the goods in
what answers for shop windows in Persia.
There are indeed no fixed prices for any
thing. The price OF an article is what
the seller will take and the buyer will give
and the process of sale is an endeavor
to make the two coincide. Our author
says that n purchase at Shiraz cost him
three weeks. We are told hat in Persia
IL il always necessary to divide by three,
and sometimes by five, the price asked
in order to ascertain in a commercial trans
action what a purchaser ought TO give.
The chief glory OF Shiraz is its gardens.
There is generally. it appears. in the centre
Of a garden a summer house"--not a mere
wooden shanty with creepers
but a solid stone edihce. which literally
takes the place Of a house in the summer
and In which during the hot months IL
il possible to live comfortably. This
summer GUS consists usually OF a large
central hall. hanked by smaller apartments.
In the centre Of the hall itself there will
probably be a clear pool Of water. and II
the owner is more than usually luxurious.
a playing fouTsain. Here. propped on
cushions and surrounded with the various
modern adjuncts which correspond to
Omar's book OF verses" and other para
phernalia. shaded from the heat Of tho
midday sun and soothed by the murmuring
Of running water. it is possible to cope
with the discomfoTts associated with the
summer in Eastern chimes.
Now that constitutional government has
been introduced in Persia it 10 conceivable
that even the Acknowledgement Of woman
may one day be attained. Our traveller
found that woman was still looked upon
as a mere chattel. BY the very religion
Of the country she has been doomed hitherto
to a perpetual position Of inferiority to
man. On earth she lie established as mans
plaything from the fact that a plurality
OF wives Ii permitted. while even in heaven.
however virtuous Inc long suffering she
may have been in this world, the imaRina-
ton Of the Persian credits her with but
half OF the reward attainable by the most
mediocre OF men who just manages to slip
into Paradise.