Khanikoff, on the road
between Kerman and Yezd, not far west of that which I suppose Marco to be
travelling, says: "At the fifteen inhabited spots marked upon the map,
they have water which has been brought from a great distance, and at
considerable cost, by means of subterranean galleries, to which you
descend by large and deep wells. Although the water flows at some depth,
its course is tracked upon the surface by a line of more abundant
vegetation." (Ib. p. 200.) Elphinstone says he has heard of such
subterranean conduits 36 miles in length. (I. 398.) Polybius speaks of
them: "There is no sign of water on the surface; but there are many
underground channels, and these supply tanks in the desert, that are known
only to the initiated.... At the time when the Persians got the upper hand
in Asia, they used to concede to such persons as brought spring-water to
places previously destitute of irrigation, the usufruct for five
generations. And Taurus being rife with springs, they incurred all the
expense and trouble that was needed to form these underground channels to
great distances, insomuch that in these days even the people who make use
of the water don't know where the channels begin, or whence the water
comes." (X. 28.)
CHAPTER XXI.
CONCERNING THE CITY OF COBINAN AND THE THINGS THAT ARE MADE THERE.
Cobinan is a large town.[NOTE 1] The people worship Mahommet. There is
much Iron and Steel and Ondanique, and they make steel mirrors of great
size and beauty. They also prepare both Tutia (a thing very good for the
eyes) and Spodium; and I will tell you the process.
They have a vein of a certain earth which has the required quality, and
this they put into a great flaming furnace, whilst over the furnace there
is an iron grating. The smoke and moisture, expelled from the earth of
which I speak, adhere to the iron grating, and thus form Tutia, whilst
the slag that is left after burning is the Spodium.[NOTE 2]
NOTE 1. - KUH-BANAN is mentioned by Mokaddasi (A.D. 985) as one of the
cities of Bardesir, the most northerly of the five circles into which he
divides Kerman. (See Sprenger, Post- und Reise-routen des Orients, p.
77.) It is the subject of an article in the Geog. Dictionary of Yakut,
though it has been there mistranscribed into Kubiyan and Kukiyan. (See
Leipzig ed. 1869, iv. p. 316, and Barbier de Meynard, Dict. de la
Perse, p. 498.) And it is also indicated by Mr. Abbott (J. R. G. S.
XXV. 25) as the name of a district of Kerman, lying some distance to the
east of his route when somewhat less than half-way between Yezd and
Kerman.
