religious, and sell their
carpets, of which they have great abundance, at a cheap rate. The 23d,
three p. The 24th, five p. to _Choore,_ [Cors or Corra,] an old ruined
town. The 25th, three p. The 26th, seven p. when we had brackish
stinking water. The 27th we came to _Dehuge,_ [Teuke,] where is a
considerable stream of hot water, which becomes cool and pleasant after
standing some time in any vessel. The 28th we went seven p. to
_Dea-curma._

The 29th we went five p. to _Tobaz,_[156] where we had to pay half an
abacee for each camel. At this plce all caravans take four or five days
rest, the better to enable them to pass the adjoining salt desert, which
extends four long days journey, and in which many miscarry. We found
here a small caravan of an hundred camels, which set off the next day
after our arrival. Here, and in the former village, there is great store
of dates; and 3000 maunds of the finest silk in Persia are made here
yearly, and is carried to _Yades_, [Yezd,] a fair city, where likewise
they make much raw silk, and where it is manufactured into taffaties,
satins, and damasks. The king does not allow the exportation of raw
silk, especially into Turkey; but the Portuguese used to carry it to
Portugal. _Yades_, [Yezd,] is about twelve days journey from Ispahan,
and is twelve p. out of the way from the Indian route to the capital.

[Footnote 156: Tabaskili, or Tobas Kileke, in Cohestan, is probably the
place here meant, in which case the route appears to have passed from
Farra by the south of the inland sea or lake of Darrah, but which is not
noticed by our travellers. Our conjectural amendments of the names of
places on the route are placed within brackets.--E.]

The 30th of August we advanced nine p. into the desert, and lay on the
ground, having to send our beasts three miles out of the way for water,
which was very salt. The 31st, after travelling ten p. we came to water
which was not at all brackish. The 1st September we went five p. and had
to send two miles for water. The 2d we went nine p. to a small castle,
where we procured a small quantity of provisions. The 3d, five p. and
lay in the fields, having to send far for water. The 4th, ten p. to
_Seagan_. The 5th, four p. The 6th, ten p. to a castle called _Irabad_,
[Hirabad,] where we paid half an _abacee_ for each camel. The 7th, six
p. The 8th, eight p. to _Ardecan_, where we rested till the 10th, when
we went four p. to _Sellef_. The 11th, three p.