of Ispahan, as is the region beyond the Tiber and
our city of Rome. This habitation of the Gaures has no other name that
I know of except Gauristan; that is to say, according to the Persians,
'the place of the infidels,' just as we call the quarters of the Jews,
Jewry. This place is very well built; the streets are wide and very
straight, and much finer than those of Ciolfa, for it was built later
with more design; but all the houses are low and one-storied, without
any ornament, quite consistent with the poverty of those that occupy
them, and in this respect very different from the houses of Ciolfa,
which are very magnificent and well planned; for the Gaures are
poor and miserable,--at least they show all possible signs of being
such; in fact, they are employed in no traffic; they are simply like
peasants,--people, in short, earning their livelihood with much labour
and difficulty. They are all dressed alike, and in the same colour
which resembles somewhat brick cement." (Voyages, French translation,
Paris, 1661, vol. ii. p. 104.)

About the same time (1618), Figueroa, the ambassador of Philip III. in
Persia, remarks as follows:

"In the most eastern part of Persia, and in the province of Kirman,
which forms its frontier to the east, there have remained some of
those ancient and true Persians, who, although they have mixed with
the others, and by uniting themselves to their conquerors, have become
like one people, all the same retain their primitive mode of living,
their customs and their religion. Thus, at this day, they adore the
sun as did the ancient Persians during the period their empire was
the first in this world, and, following their example, they invariably
keep in their houses a lighted fire, which they keep up unextinguished
with as much care as the Vestal Virgins of Rome did." (The Embassy
of Don Garcias de Silva de Figueroa in Persia. Trans. Wicquefort,
Paris, 1667, in 4to, p. 177.)

Thevenot (1664-67) declares that "there are in Persia, at the present
day, and particularly in Kerman, people who worship the fire like
the Persians of old, and these are the Guebres. They are recognised
by a dark yellow coloured material of which the men and women like
to have their dresses and veils made, these being the only ones who
wear this colour. Moreover, the Guebre women never cover their faces,
and generally speaking, they are very well formed. These Guebres have
a language which with its characters is understo