very coarsely dressed. I have never seen anything
showing such bad grace, nor anything further removed from
galanterie....

"The dress of the Guebres so greatly resembles the Arab dress that one
would think the Arabs copied it from them when they conquered their
country. They work either as ploughmen or as labourers, or fullers and
workers in wool. They make carpets, caps and very fine woollen stuffs.

"... Their chief occupation is agriculture; ... they regard it,
not only as a fine and innocent employment, but also as a noble and
meritorious one ...

"These Ancient Persians are gentle and simple in manners, and live
very peacefully under the guidance of their elders, who are also their
magistrates, and who are confirmed in their authority by the Persian
Government." Then follow numerous details concerning their manners,
beliefs and temples. The chief temple was then near Yezd, and the
high priest, the Dastoor Dastooran, resided there. (Ed. of Amsterdam,
J. L. Delorme, MDCCXI.)

Ker-Porter (1818-1820) speaks also of the Guebres: "Some of them,"
he says, "poor and faithful to their religion, not having the means of
gaining a distant shelter, remained slaves on their native soil, their
souls raised to Heaven, their eyes bent to the ground, weeping over
their profaned sanctuaries. While the wealthier ones were flying to
the mountainous regions of the frontiers, or to the shores of India,
these few faithful ones ended in finding comparative security in
their extreme poverty, and took refuge in Yezd and Kirman, far from
the eye of the conquerors. Yezd, even now, contains from four to five
thousand of their descendants; and on account of their relatively
large number they are allowed to practise their faith in a more open
manner than in the smaller localities. In general they are excellent
cultivators, gardeners and artisans, &c." (Travels in Georgia, Persia,
&c., vol. ii. p. 46, London, 1821-1822.)

The census of the Guebre population, taken towards the end of this
century, gives an absurd figure. We find no vestige of them anywhere
except in Yezd, and in the neighbourhood of Teheran, in Kaschan, Shiraz
and Bushire. In 1854, according to the information furnished to the
Persian Amelioration Society of Bombay, and quoted by Mr. Dosabhai
Framji Karaka, [38] the total came to 7,200 individuals, viz., 6,658
at Yezd (3,310 men and 3,348 women); 450 in Kirman, 50 in Teheran,
and some at Shiraz. [39]

According to the cens