_ 99 _ a lathe; for almost everything is engraved on a lathe. Others make carved bows and arrows; and there is an infinite number of other crafts. There are many caravanserais in the city, houses sumptuously constructed in stone, where travellers and foreign merchants stay. There are many bath-houses, a separate one for travelling Jews and Christians; for there are no native Christians. They do not drink wine; and it is not drunk throughout Persia on pain of most severe punishments imposed a few years earlier by Shah Tamás because he had been given poison in wine. Formerly it was consumed publicly, and caravans loaded with it travelled all over Persia. Near the bazaars there is a large open space where every afternoon people gather to hear sermons and stories from their prophets read to them. Others play dice; and there are others who play xabepas all day from the flat roofs; they are like shawms. All the time I was here I never saw a woman of less than forty years of age on the street, and those one does see are servants. The others never go out and are seen by no one; even these old serving-women who go to buy necessities are entirely covered with large shawis which are tucked in around the lower edge; they wear cloths on their heads and white breeches which reach far down like drawers,
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