ut rose-water, shawls, and carpets are the
staples of the place now. Polo says nothing that points to shawl-making,
but it would seem from Edrisi that some such manufacture already existed
in the adjoining district of Bamm. It is possible that the "hangings"
spoken of by Polo may refer to the carpets. I have seen a genuine Kerman
carpet in the house of my friend, Sir Bartle Frere. It is of very short
pile, very even and dense; the design, a combination of vases, birds, and
floral tracery, closely resembling the illuminated frontispiece of some
Persian MSS.

The shawls are inferior to those of Kashmir in exquisite softness, but
scarcely in delicacy of texture and beauty of design. In 1850, their
highest quality did not exceed 30 _tomans_ (14_l._) in price. About 2200
looms were employed on the fabric. A good deal of Kerman wool called
_Kurk_, goes via Bandar Abbasi and Karachi to Amritsar, where it is mixed
with the genuine Tibetan wool in the shawl manufacture. Several of the
articles named in the text, including _pardahs_ ("cortines") are woven in
shawl-fabric. I scarcely think, however, that Marco would have confounded
woven shawl with needle embroidery. And Mr. Khanikoff states that the silk
embroidery, of which Marco speaks, is still performed with great skill and
beauty at Kerman. Our cut illustrates the textures figured with animals,
already noticed at p. 66.

The Guebers were numerous here at the end of last century, but they are
rapidly disappearing now. The Musulman of Kerman is, according to
Khanikoff, an epicurean gentleman, and even in regard to wine, which is
strong and plentiful, his divines are liberal. "In other parts of Persia
you find the scribblings on the walls of Serais to consist of
philosophical axioms, texts from the Koran, or abuse of local authorities.
From Kerman to Yezd you find only rhymes in praise of fair ladies or good
wine."

(_Pottinger's Travels_; _Khanik. Mem._ 186 seqq., and _Notice_, p. 21;
_Major Smith's Report_; _Abbott's MS. Report_ in F. O.; _Notes by Major O.
St. John_, R.E.)

NOTE 5.--Parez is famous for its falcons still, and so are the districts
of Aktur and Sirjan. Both Mr. Abbott and Major Smith were entertained with
hawking by Persian hosts in this neighbourhood. The late Sir O. St. John
identifies the bird described as the _Shahin_ (Falco _Peregrinator_), one
variety of which, the _Farsi_, is abundant in the higher mountains of S.
Persia. It is now little used in tha