Nova, Town in Persia

1638. Some yeares travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique by Thomas Herbert.

East of Damoans high peak is a Towne call'd Nova, in it a hundred families. A young man (sonne to Hodge-Suare the Persian Merchant that dyed in London, Anno Domini 1625, and brother to Mahomet, whom we buried at sea) hearing of our passing by, accompanied with all his loving kindred, came to invite us to his home; he was apparelled in a long robe of cloth of gold, his head was wreath'd with a huge Shash or Tulipant of silk and gold, he bestowed a banquet and hearty welcome, with an invitation of longer time: but after mutuall thanks and ceremony, we return'd a long farewell, and thence hastned towards Damoan: where, as wee descended a steep hill, wee past by a large black Tent, stuft with above thirty antick women, & as many men; I thought they had been solemnizing their Taurilia and Boalia, but it prov'd a wedding; the bride was of ten yeeres, the groome of thirty; she a Venus, he a Vulcan: many bride-maids came out to admire at us, wee staid awhile no lesse wondring at them: their faces, hands, and feet were painted in divers formes of birds, beasts, castles, and flowers, resembling our predecessors in Brittaine in Caesars time; their leggs were chain'd with voluntarie fetters of brasse and silver, which in their Morisco Pastorall made them appeare more excellent in that sport than any description of the Arcadian Sheepheardesses; wee gave them a a small offering and so left them, that night making Damoan our Manzeil or Lodging.