corated in great finery; a cuftom diftinguished by the natives under the name of Gul Reazee, or the scattering of rofes. This commonly continues a week or ten days, during which time the guests are entertained with mufic, dancing, coffee, fherbet, &c.

The tomb of the admired Hafiz, one of the most celebrated Perfian poets, ftands about two miles diftant from Shirauz, towards the north-eaft. Here the late vakeel, Kerim Khan, has erected an elegant ivan, or hall, with apartments adjoining. This building is executed in the fame style as the Dewan Khana, nor has any coft been spared to make it agreeable.. It stands in the middle of a large garden: in front of the apartments is a ftone refervoir, in the centre of which is a fountain. In the garden are many cyprefs-trees of extraordinary fize and beauty, as well as of great antiquity, which our author imagines to be the fame as thofe defcribed by fir John Chardin, who visited this place in the last century. Under the shade of these trees is the tomb of Hafiz. It is of fine white marble from Tauris, eight feet in length, and four in breadth. This was built by the order of Kerim Khan, and covers the original one. On the top and fides of the tomb are felect pieces from the poet's own works, beautifully cat in the Perfian Nuftalack character. During the fpring and fummer season the inhabitants refort to this place, and amuse themfelves with fmoaking, playing at chefs, and other games, and reading the works of Hafiz; an elegant copy of which is kept upon the tomb for the purpose. They venerate this poet almoft to adoration, never speaking of him but in terms of rapture and enthusiasm: and the principal youth of the city show their respect for his memory, by making at his tomb plentiful libations of the delicious wine of Shirauz. Close by the gar. den runs the ftream of Rocknabad, much celebrated in the works of Hafiz. It is now dwindled into a small rivulet; but the water is clear and sweet, and is held in great admiration by the modern Perfians, who afcribe to it medicinal qualities; but with what juftice our author does not deter.mine.

A little to the northward of Hafiz's tomb, is a magnificent building, called by the Perfians Heft Tun, or the Seven Bodjes, on account of feven dervishes, or religious men, who coming from a great diftance to refide in this country, took up their abode on the spot where the building is erected, and there remained till they all died, each burying the other fucceffively, until the only furvivor, who was interred by the neighbours upon the fpot; and in memory of which event Kerim Khan has erected a beautiful hall, with adjoining apart

3

ments.

ments. Over the doors of this hall are placed the portraits. of the two celebrated poets, Hafiz and Sadi, done at full length; that of Hafiz habited in the old Perfian drefs. He is painted with a. freth rofy complexion, and a large pair of whifkers, and appears to be about fix and thirty years of age. The other of Sheick Sadi is the figure of a venerable old man, with a long beard turned white by age, dreffed in long flowing robes, in his right hand holding a fmall crooked ivory staff, and in the other a charger of incenfe. This poet, who was of the religious order, has likewife a tomb about two miles diftant, and it is vifited in the fame manner as that of Hafiz.

Our author informs us that the Perfians, with refpect to outward behaviour, are certainly the Parifians of the Eaft. While a haughty and infolent demeanour peculiarly marks the character of the Turkish nation towards foreigners and Chriftians, the behaviour of the Perfians would, on the contrary, do honour to the moft civilized nations. They are kind, courteous, and obliging to all ftrangers; and are fond of enquiring after the manners and cuftoms of Europe, very readily affording, in return, any information refpecting their own country. The practice of hofpitality is with them fo important a point, that a man thinks himself highly honoured if you will enter his houfe and partake of what the family affords; while going out of a houfe, without smoking a calean, or taking any other refreshment, is deemed, in Perfia, a high affront..

The Perfians, in their converfation, ufe extravagant and hyperbolical compliments on the most trifling accafions; but freedom of converfation is a thing totally unknown amongst them; that walls have ears,' being proverbially in the mouth of every one. They have univerfally a fixed belief in the efficacy of charms, omens, talismans, and other fuperftitions. They are, of all people, the most addicted to the idea of fortunate or aufpicious days and hours. They never undertake a journey without firft confulting a book of omens, each chapter of which begins with a particular letter of the alphabet, which is deemed fortunate or inaufpicious; and fhould they unluckily pitch upon one of the latter, the journey must be delayed until a more favourable opportunity. Entering a new houfe, the putting on of a new garment, with numberless other common and trifling occur rences, are determined by motions equally abfurd and frivolous. Those among them who are in good circumstances generally fend for an aftrologer, at the birth of a child, in order to calculate its horofcope with the utmost exactness.

Our author appears to have observed the manners and cuftoms of the Perfians with great attention; and, from what we have formerly read of this people, in the works of different travellers, we think he defcribes them faithfully.

From Shirauz Mr. Franklin made an excurfion to view the celebrated rains of Perfepolis, where he arrived at the end of two days. This ancient palace is fituated on a rifing-ground, and commands a view of the extenfive plain of Merdasht. The mountain Rehumut encircles the building in the form of an amphitheatre. The afcent to the columns is by a grand ftair-cafe of blue ftone, containing one hundred and four fteps. The first object that strikes the beholder on his entrance are two portals of fione, which our author judges to be about fifty feet in height each; the fides are embellished with two fphinxes of an immenfe fize, dressed out with a profufion of bead-work, and, contrary to the usual method, they are reprefented flanding. On the fides above are infcriptions in an ancient character, the meaning of which no perfon hitherto has been able to decypher.

Another flight of fteps leads to the grand hall of columns. The fides of this ftair-cafe are ornamented with a variety of figures in baffo relievo. Most of them have veffels in their hands here and there a camel appears, and at other times a kind of triumphal car, made after the Roman fashion. There are likewife feveral led horfes, oxen and rams, which intervene and diverfify the proceflion. At the head of the ftair-cafe is another baffo relievo, reprefenting a lion feizing a bull; and, clofe to this, are other infcriptions in ancient characters. At this place is the entrance to what was for merly a most magnificent hall: the natives have given it the name of Chehul Minar, or forty pillars; and though this name be often used to exprefs the whole of the building, it is more particularly appropriated to this part of it. Fifteen of the columns yet remain entire; they are from seventy to eighty feet in height, and are masterly pieces of masonry. Their pedeftals are curiously worked, and appear little injured by time. The shafts are enfluted up to the top, and the capitals are adorned with a profufion of fret-work.

Proceeding eastward from this hall, we arrive at the remains of a large fquare building, which is entered through a door of granite. Most of the doors and windows of this apartment are still ftanding; they are of black marble and polished like a mirror. On the fides of the doors, at the entrance, are bas-reliefs of two figures at full length: they reprefent a man in the attitude of ftabbing a goat. With one hand he feizes hold of the animal by the horn, and with the

other

other thrufts a dagger into his belly. One of the goat's feet refts upon the breast of the man, and the other upon his right. arm. This device is common throughout the palace. Over. another door of the fame apartment, is a representation of two men at full length: behind them stands a domestic, holding a spread umbrella; they are fupported by large round staffs, appear to be in years, have long beards, and a profufion of hair upon their heads.

At the fouth-weft entrance of this apartment are two large. pillars of ftone, upon which are carved four figures. They are dreffed in long garments, and hold in their hands fpears ten feet in length. At this entrance, likewise, the remains of a ftair-cafe of blue ftone are ftill visible. Vaft numbers of broken pieces of pillars, fhafts, and capitals, are scattered over a confiderable extent of ground, fome of them of fuch enormous fize that they excite the astonishment of the beholder. Indeed, all these noble ruins indicate the former grandeur of this palace, which was truly worthy of being the refidence of a magnificent fovereign.

There are yet other remains of this magnificent fabric de fcribed by our author; but we muft now, however reluctantly, take leave of the fubject, and only obferve, that the materials of which the palace is compofed, are chiefly hard blue ftone; but the doors and windows of the apartments are all of black marble, exquifitely polished. We fhould now conclude the account of Perfepolis, but are tempted to give our readers the few following obfervations on the Hall of Pillars.

This hall appears to have been detached from the rest of the palace, and to have had a communication with the other parts by hollow galleries of ftone. By the pedeftals of the pillars, which I counted very exactly, the hall feems originally to have confifted of nine diftinct rows of columns, each containing fix ; making confequently, in all, fifty-four. The fifteen that remain, are from feventy to eighty feet in height; the diameter at the bafe is twelve feet, at the distance between each column twenry-two. By the polition of the front pillars, the hall appears to have been open towards the plain; but four of the pillars, facing the mountain, and which are at fome distance from the reft, feem to have been intended for a portico, or entrance from the caft; they are alfo of a different ftyle of architecture. The materials of the columns are a mixed fort of red stone granular.

The hall, fituated on an eminence, and commanding an extenfive view of the plain of Merdafht, is ftrikingly grand, and conveys to the beholder the idea of an Hall of Audience of a powerful and warlike monarch.'

Mr. Francklin has fubjoined to his travels an account of the tranfactions in Perfia, from the death of Nadir Shah to the year 1788. The narrative is written with perspicuity, and fills up a chafm which has hitherto remained in the hiftorical detail of that ancient and celebrated kingdom; where the splendour of its former monarchy is funk into all the horrors of barbarifm, fucceffive ufurpations, and almost continual civil war. We cannot conclude without acknowledging that we have received much pleasure from the perufal of this agreeable work.

Letters chiefly from India; containing an Account of the Military Tranfactions on the Coast of Malabar, during the late War. Together with a short Description of the Religion, Manners, and Cuftoms of the Inhabitants of Hindoftan. By John Le Couteur, Efq. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. 65. Boards. Murray.

Τ

IT appears from the Tranflator's preface, that these Letters are the production of a young officer, a native of the island of Jersey, who ferved in India during the late war. To many of the tranfactions related in the prefent volume, he was himself an eye-witnefs; and of the reft he was enabled, from being on the spot, to collect the fullest and most authentic information. The first letter is dated from St. Jago, in April 1781, and contains an account of the foil, produce, and government of that ifland, which is one of the principal Cape de Verd Islands, and poffeffed by the Portuguefe. In the fecond, the author gives an account of the naval action at St. Jago, between commodore Johnstone and M. de Suffrein, and is very free in his animadverfions on the conduct of the former of those commanders.. The tranfaction in Saldina-bay forms the subject of the next letter, in which the author continues to blame the conduct of the commodore, particularly for his return to Europe after the capture of the four French Indiamen; but does justice to the fignal bravery displayed by Johnstone on this occafion.

Four of the fhips were preferved from the general conflagration, but we could not fucceed in faving the fifth. There was every reafon to fear that the flames from her would communicate to the others, and we durft not approach her on account of the powder fhe had on board. Our commodore, fenfibly touched at the profpect of fo great a treasure escaping, was for this time deaf to the voice of prudence, and daringly braved death to fnatch from the fea the immenfe riches ready to be fwallowed up. He flew like lightning, and rushed into the midst of the flames; he towed off the veffel with his own hands, encouraged the failors, and made astonishing exertions. His temerity

had