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Dec. 6, 1872.]
A PERSIAN MAP OF THE WORLD.
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369
Filled with shame she hides her face, So to cover her disgrace.
12 Listen then to what I say,
Think how miserable they, Captives in Zenana drear,
Lowest thralls, and crushed by fear. 13 Still the same, we Irag along,
Ignorant of right and wrong, Knowledge and religion, none !
Life a dreary monot ne! 14 Thou art not a slave always;
Thou but comest a few days, Just to look on misery ;
Then away thy sorrows flee. 15 But the heart will die, before
Half our trials it count o'er; Oh were I a dove like thee, Then, methinks, I'd blessed be!
17 Shall I speak to God on high ?
But I tremble as I try! We are not Toy daughters, sure,
Who must woes like these endure ! 18 All untrained in truth, the soul
Swayed alone by harsh control On, like purchased slaves, we go : Ah ! dost Thou then mean it so ?
19 Still, although the heart is broken,
Must the pang remain unspoken: Veil the face, and hide the woe! Ah ! dost Thou then mean it so?
20 Wretched custom's helpless slaves
Whelmed in superstition's waves - Thus our precious life doth go : Ah ! dost Thou then mean it so ?
16 Bird ! thy happier lot to see
Makes a woman envy thee;
FAC-SIMILE OF A PERSIAN MAP OF THE WORLD, WITH AN ENGLISH
TRANSLATION.
BY EDWARD REHATSEK, M.C.E. In ancient times our globe was divided into vari- ones, and thus made the whole world to extend from ous portions, and as early as the Vendidad, (Fargard the equator 64 degrees northwards and 20 southwards, XIX. 43.) "The earth consisting of seven Kesh- according to our present reckoning. The subjoinwars" is inentioned. These divisions the Greeks ed table shows the first 17 climates, with the breadth named climates (from 'klima'inclination) the number of each and also the degrees of geographical northof which was also considered by them to amount ern or southern Latitude answering to each to seven. Muhammadan writers do not agree on the breadth of the climates. Zakryah Qazviny in his Ajáyb-ulbuldan or “Wonders of countries" Climates. Longest day. Latitude. Breadth. assumes every climate to be 235 Farsakhs broad; making 1 farsakh 12,000 cubits, 1 cubit - 24 fingers, 1 finger - 7 barley-grains, whilst other writers agree with occidental geographers in assuming exactly half an hour's difference of time between each climate. The number of climates has gradually beer so much increased, that we bave at present 24 horary and six mensual climates on each side of the equator. In the absence of more accurate means to ascertain the Latitude of a place, it was sufficient to know its longest day, to tell immediately to what climate it belonged. Thus for instance, supposing the longest day of a town to be 15 hours, and subtracting 12 from this number, we have three hours, and as the difference between each climate is 30 minutes, the town will be situated in the 6th climate.
This Persian Map of the world (of which I The ancient geographers who believed only have made a fac-simile, keeping everything exthat portion of the earth to be inbabited which actly as it was drawn in the original, and transwas known to themselves, were quite content- lating only the writing or transcribing it in Roinan ed with seven climates; but Ptolemy during the characters) was in a dilapidated state and is of no great second century of our era added seven more, northern value except as a curiosity, since documents of this
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