In one of the rooms, there was a painting of Ogurlu-
Mohammed, the kings eldest son, leading the sultan _Busech_, or Abu Said,
tied with a rope; and in another picture the decapitation of _Busech_ was
represented. We were again invited to an entertainment, at which many
different kinds of confections were served up. We remained at Ispahan
till the 25th of November, during which period we were frequently invited
to court. The city of Ispahan, like the rest of the Persian cities, is
surrounded by earthen-ramparts. It stands in a plain, and is abundantly
supplied with all the necessaries of life. Having rebelled against the
king, it was besieged and suffered much injury; for, being obstinately
defended, it was subjected to the resentment of the conqueror and the
fury of the soldiers.
Persia is a very flat and arid country, in many parts of which there are
salt lakes. In such parts as can be supplied with water, grain and other
fruits of the earth are produced in abundance, and there are plenty of
beasts of all kinds, as it is everywhere intersected and surrounded by
fertile mountains, but every thing is very dear. The Venetian quart of
wine is sold for three or four ducats; but bread is not so dear in
proportion. A camels load of wood costs a ducat. Flesh is dearer than
with us, and seven hens cost a ducat; but other articles of provisions
are cheaper. The Persians are a civil and humane people; and though
Mahometans, they do not hate the Christians. The women are very modestly
dressed, and ride on horseback with even more grace than the men; and,
judging from the good appearance of the men, the women are probably
handsome.
[1] Uzun-Hassan in the Turkish language signifies Hassan the long, which
prince was likewise named Hassan-beg, or Lord Hassan, and Ozun-Azembeg,
or the long lord Azem or Hassan. By different European writers his
name has been corrupted into Unsun Cassan, Uxun-Cassan, and Usum-
Chasan. He was a Turkman emir of the Ak-koyunla dynasty, or white
sheep tribe, whose ancestor, the governor of a province under the
descendants of Timor, had rendered himself independent in the north
and west of Persia. - E.
[2] This prince, whose real name was probably Abu Said, was the emir of
the Kara-koyunla dynasty, or black sheep tribe of the Turkmans, who
had risen to independence after the death of Timor, and who had long
contended with the prince of the white sheep tribe for ascendancy.
These two tribes derived their distinctive appellations of the black
and white weathers, from some peculiarity in their ensigns or dress,
equivalent to the distinguishing uniforms and banners of our European
armies. - E.
[3] Called Tebriz in modern times. - E.
[4] In the original this name is corrupted to Gurlumamech; but we learn
from the Modern Universal History, that his real name was that
expressed in the text of our translation. - E.
[5] The ruins supposed to be those of Persepolis are situated near Istakar,
about forty miles north from the modern city of Shiraz, in the
province of Fars or Persia proper; but the names in the original are
often so corrupted as to defy even conjecture. Sylas is probably meant
for Shiras. - E.
[6] Named Chali in the original; but it is to be noted that the _ch_ of
the Italian is pronounced as _k_ in English. - E.
[7] It is difficult to determine whether Contarini here means Maksud-beg
or Masih-beg, as Uzun-Hassan had two sons of these names; Maksad was
the elder, and may have been the person named in the text Masu. Bec or
Beg signifies Lord or Prince. - E.
[8] The person mentioned before by Contarini as a messenger from Venice,
and whom he met with at Kaffa, was named on that occasion Paulus
Omnibamus, totally dissimilar from the name in this part of the text.
- E.
[9] Assuredly the Sava of modern maps, a city of Irac-agemi, which stands
upon one of these extraordinary rivers, so numerous in Persia, which
lose themselves in the sands, after a short but useful run. - E.
[10] About sixty miles S. S. E. from Kom. I am disposed to think that
Contarini has slumpt his journey on the present occasion; as it is
hardly to be believed a person in the weak state he describes himself
could have travelled with so much rapidity. Besides, so far as we can
learn from his journal, he travelled always with the same set of
horses. Indeed the sequel immediately justifies this suspicion, as
the subsequent dates are more distant than the travelling days of the
text would warrant. - E.
[11] See Travels of Josaphat Barbaro to Asof in 1436, in our Collection,
Vol I. p. 501, in the introduction to which article, it will be seen
that he had been sent on an embassy from Venice to Uzun-Hassan in 1572,
two years before Contarini; and appears to have remained in the east
for fourteen years in that capacity, after the departure of Contarini
on his return to Venice. - E.
[12] This nowhere distinctly appears; but we may easily understand
incidentally, and from the history of the period, that the Venetian
republic endeavoured to stir up enemies to the Turkish empire in the
east, being unable to resist its power, now exerted against them in
the Morea and the Greek islands; and we may even surmise that Uzun-
Hassan was subsidized by the Venetians to make war upon the Turks. - E.
SECTION IV.
_Contarini accompanies Uzun-Hassan from Ispahan to Tauris, where he finds
Ambassadors from the Duke of Burgundy and the Prince of Muscovy, and gets
leave to return to Venice._
The king left Ispahan with all his court on the 25th of November for
Tauris, and we travelled along with him, passing through most of the
places which we had seen in going to Ispahan.
