A IL

PERSONAL NARRATIVE
OF A
JOURNEY FROM
INDIA TO ENGLAND,
BY BUSSORAH, BAGDAD, THE RUINS OF BABYLON,
CURDISTAN, THE COURT OF PERSIA,
THE WESTERN SHORE OF THE CASPIAN SEA, ASTRAKHAN,
NISHNEY NOVOGOBOD, MOSCOW, AND ST. PETERSBURGH,
IN THE YEAR 1824.

• CAPTAIN, THE HON. GEORGE KEPPEL.
C M -e-drl of frlde-ry^y/

SECOND EDITION.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON-STREET.
1827.

Ee..SX^b

LONDON
f HINTED BY' S. AND K. BENTJ.EY, DORSET STREET.

CONTENTS
OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.
An Illyaut Breakfast — Beautiful Female — One of the
King's Wives — Town of Harounabad — Beauty of the
Women — Mahidesht — Escorted into Kermanshah^— De
scription of the Town — An Order of Knighthood — Cha
racter of Mohumud Ali Meerza, the late Prince of Ker-
manshah — Anecdote of His Highness and Gaspar Khan
— Visit from the Prince of Kermanshah. Page 1—28.
CHAPTER II.
Three Arab Visitors — A Chieftain — An Astrologer — A
Moolah — Ancient Sculptures at Tank Bostaun — Chosroes,
Shereen, and Furhaud — Persian Dance — Equestrian Evo
lutions — Turcoman breed of Horses — Persian mode of
clearing the way for a great Man — Funeral Procession of
Mohumud Ali Meerza — The Moolahi Bashee — Suleiman
Khan Kuruzungeer, and the Sect of Illahi. Page 29—62.

IV CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IIL
Misunderstanding between Messrs. Court and De Veailx
— Conduct of Senor Oms — Reconciliation between our
Hosts — Moolah All's opinion of Duelling — Second inter
view with the Prince — Departure from Kermanshah — Un
successful Expedition into the Mountains — Pic-nic Break
fast — We take leave of Messrs. Court and De Veaux — Be-
sitoon — Bas-reliefs — Sahanah — Concobar — Visit the Go
vernor — Temple of Diana. Page 63 — 92.
CHAPTER IV.
Sadawar — Our Host and his two Wives — Hamadan —
A Chupper, or Courier — Hajee Abbas, the Prince's
Mehmaundaur^Dispensation from the Fast — Ancient
Inscription — Elwund — Morning Visitors — The Prince's
Physician — His Eulogium on Sir John Malcolm — The
Ra]jbi of the Jews — Chief of the Armenisms — A Persian
in pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone — High respect for
the English Character. Page 93—115.
CHAPTER V.
Departure for Teheraun — The Prince's arrival pre
vented by the Astrologers — The March of Alexander —
Our Persian Costume — Advice to Travellers — Beebee
Rubaut— Fatiguing March to Kujur Minar — Plain of
Rubaut — Rubaut Kereem — Bukhtiari Banditti — Arrival
at Teheraun^Persian Bath— Dyeing Beards — Nigauris-
toon — Persian Flowers — Rhages— Visit Meerza Abool
Hassan Khan — Kissera Kajar — Levee of the Ameen ed
Dowlah— The Palace— Court Dress— The Prince Go
vernor of Teheraun -Presentation to the King— Basti-
^ado" Page 116—148.

CONTENTS. V
CHAPTER VI.
Summer Palace of Ali Khan Meerza — Gypsies — Sooli-
manea, Sougherabad, and Sufur Khojah — Casbin — Serah
Dahn — Aubhaur — Saingula — Curious Animals — Ruins of
Sultanieh — Tomb of Sultan Khodabundah — King's Sum
mer Palace — Zingaun — Town, Bazaar, Mosque — Ar-
maghanah — Auk-kend — Kaufilan Koh — Mountain of
Tigers — Kizil Oozan — Bridge — Rude Scenery — Murder
of Mr. Brown — Superstitions — Kurz Kula — Causeway —
Oppression of Drowsiness — Arrive at Maeana — Curious
Exhibition — Description of Maeana — Extraordinary Bug
and Earth Louse — Turcoman Sha-ee — Tikhmadash —
Wasmitch — Arrival at Tabriz — Departure of Messrs.
Lamb and Hart— Introduction to the Prince Royal.
Page 149—171.
CHAPTER VII.
Dinner wiih Colonel Mazerowitch — Projected Route —
Arrangements for the Journey — Departure from Tabriz
— Appearance of the Country — Shehruk — Golijah — Aher
— New Mehmaundaur — Hoja Kishlaukh — Arabshehr —
Beautiful Scenery — Yokhari Perasewaun — Gulakundee —
Wheat Harvest — Venomous Serpent — Illustration of Plu
tarch — Cross the Araxes — Illyaut Encampment — Arrival
in Russian Territory — Meralian — Karabaugh, the Coun
try of the Sacaseni — Peerhumud— Luxuriant Foliage-^
Cossacks Haymaking— Khanakhi— Armenian Villages-
Arrival at Sheesha — Appearance of the Town —Russian
Officers' Quarters— Aga Beg, Chief of the Armenians,
and his Brothers— Two Missionaries— Visit to the Com
mandant—Tomb of Nartuck— Sheesha, its Population,
Trade, Climate, and Costume— Prescribe for my Host's
Brother— My Fame as a Physician. Page 172—197-

VI CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
Cgssack Posts, Horses, Cheer — Mode of making Tea —
Ruins of Berda — Abundance of Game — Lug — River Kur,
the Ancient Cyrus — Koordameer — The Na-ib — Shumakhi
— Interview with the Commandant — Town of Bakoo —
Bazaar — Productions — Population — Military Force —
Fire-Temple of Indian Pilgrims — A Brahmin — A Viragee
— A Naphtha Well — My Servant knocked up — Cossack
Officer — His quarters — Breakfast — Town of Kuba — Kula-
noo — Fall asleep on Horseback — Flooded state of the river
Samur — Lesguy Tartars — Russian Notion of English Ra
dicalism — Major of Cossacks — City of Durbund — Ancient
Walls — Population — Extensive Barracks — Russian Salu
tation — Dinner — My new Servant — His Appearance and
Dress — His easy Manners — Polite Attention of my Host —
Departure from Durbund — Nervous Irritability — Vexa
tious Delays — My Servant a Catcher of Tartars — His de
sisting from Sleep. Page 198^ — 244.
CHAPTER IX.
District of Shamkhaul — The Shamkhaul— Tarkee — A
little Amazon — River Koi Soui — Extraordinary Flight of
Locusts — Nogai Tartars — Quarantine-house — Arrive at
KizUar ; am the guest of a friend of my Servant's— The
Town, Population, and Produce — My new Servant, a Jew
boy — Anecdote — Departure from Kizliar — My new Equip
age — Post-horses, Cossack and Kalmuck Drivers — Locusts
in the Desert— Quarantine — Arrival at Astrakhan — Scotch
Missionary-house— Alexander Cassim Beg — Obstacles to
the Missionaries— Their Privileges— City of Astrakhan —
Population — Variety of Costume — Prisoner begging — Rus
sian Charity— Trade— Salt— Productions— Indecent Cus
tom—Sturgeon Fishery. Page 245—273.

CONTENTS. Vll
CHAPTER X.
Departure from Astrakhan — Mode of dispersing Locusts
— Colony of Sarepta — Modern Hippophagi — German
Colonies — Russian travelling — SaratofF — Penza — Nish-
ney Novogorod — Effect of an Uniform — A Cossack Sentry
— Rascolnicks — Horsemanship — Theatre — Russian Dance.
Page 274—295.
CHAPTER XI.
Arrival at Mo.scow — Messrs. Hart and Lamb — Go
vernor-General — Militarv Honours — Gallitsin Hospital —
Burning of Moscow — The Kremlin — The Diligence-
State Prisoner — Arrival in England. Page 296 — 306.
INDEX. Page 307-

NARRATIVE,
8fc. Sfc.

CHAPTER I.
An Illyaut Breakfast— Beautiful Female— One of the
King's Wives — Town of Harounabad — Beauty of the
Women — Mahidesht — Escorted into Kermanshah — De
scription of the Town — An Order of Knighthood —
Character of Mohumud Ali Meerza, the late Prince of
Kermanshah — Anecdote of His Highness and Gaspar
Khan — Visit from the Prince of Kermanshah.
April 20. — Our scolding yesterday had due
effect with the muleteer, and we got away
very expeditiously. We commenced our
march at the rising of the moon, by which
our movements were regulated. The road
was in general good, though in some parts
VOL. II B

2 BEAUTIFUL SCENERY.
exceedingly stony. We continued ascend
ing till day-break, when we reached a small
plain. As the sun rose, it reflected its rays on
a scene as beautiful as it was varied. On
one side was a succession of thickly -wooded
hills, exhibiting an almost endless variety of
foliage ; on the other an extensive plain, at
the base of rude and craggy mountains,
covered with the brightest verdure, the
uniformity of which was relieved by the
numerous black encampments of the Coor-
dish wanderers, and by the occasional patches
of cultivation observable in the immediate
neighbourhood of their tents. The lofty
Elwund, raising its snowy head, seemed to
peer in towering majesty over the surround
ing landscape, and formed a beautiful back
ground to the scene ; while a numerous ca
ravan, tracing its way through the mazy
windings of the road, added not a little to
the living part of the picture.

CIVILITY OF THE PERSIANS. 3
The chief person of the caravan was ad
justing his dress by a small looking glass,
and rode up to us with it in his hand. After
the usual salutations, he enquired whence
we came and what were our names, which
he noted down in a memorandum-book. The
caravan consisted of a number of families,
apparently of good condition. Among them
were some females, all closely veiled, riding
in couples in covered baskets, with the ex
ception of some few who rode astride . on
mules. Since entering the Persian dominions we
have been much struck with the marked
civility of all ranks of people, who have al
ways saluted us in passing. We passed nu
merous Illyaut encampments, scattered over
the valley in every direction.
On this march we observed a number of
carcase-shells, and broken gun-carriages, &c.
Pursuing our journey, we were addressed
by some Illyauts, who, pointing to their tents,
B 2

4 ILLYAUT ENCAMPMENT.
situate at some little distance, in the ascent
of the mountains, invited us to breakfast with
them. Messrs. Lamb and Hart, being much
oppressed by the heat, declined the invita
tion ; but Mr. Hamilton and myself, relying
on their proverbial reverence for the rites
of hospitality, went with them to their tents,
taking with us only two servants.
The tents of these Coords were ranged in
one long street, and disposed as booths at a
fair : there appeared to be abundance of cat
tle, but arranged in no kind of order; horses,
cows, and sheep, being indiscriminately
mixed with men, women, and children. We
were shown into a spacious tent. A carpet
was spread for us, on a raised platform
about three feet high, where, after taking off
our capacious red travelling-boots, we were
desired to seat ourselves in the manner most
convenient. A breakfast of warm milk,
eggs, and bread, was placed before us ; and

ILLYAUT BREAKFAST. 5
the whole camp turned out to see the Fe-
runghees at their meal, which, to amuse
them, we ate in the English fashion.
Delighted as aU around us appeared to be
with the novelty of our costume, we were
hot less gratified than they, in beholding
the varied group of heads, forming an amphi
theatre in front of us ; the children standing
in the foreground, behind them the women,
and, towering over all, the bearded faces of
the men, exhibiting a collection of counte
nances lighted up with a variety of expres
sion, in which curiosity was predominant.
Our hosts talked much of the excellent
sporting the mountains afforded, I asked
them if they busied themselves much in cul
tivating the land ; to which they replied, that
they only tiUed just sufficient for their own
immediate wants. Mr. Hamilton's servant,
Mohumud Ali, who never lost an opportunity
of becoming the spokesman, finished the sen-

6 BEAUTIFUL FEMALE.
fence by saying, " What do they care for
cultivation, when their principal trade is rob
bery ?" a remark to which the Coords smil
ingly nodded assent.
Our attention to the general group was
suddenly arrested by the appearance of a
young female, about seventeen years of age,
whom we thought the most beautiful woman
we had ever seen. She was leaning against
the pole of the tent, with her head supported
by her left arm, a,nd was gazing at us with
the most fixed attention : her jet black hair
flowed about her in uncon fined luxuriance ;
the brilliancy of her eyes, heightened by the
dark stain of the surmeJi, seemed riveted
with a curiosity not the less gratifying to
us from knowing that 'We excited it ; her
half-closed moutli displayed teeth of the
most regular form and perfect whiteness.
Her person, almost entirely exposed by the
opening of her loose shirt, (the only covering

HAROUNABAD. 7
she wore,) displayed a form of the most per
fect symmetry : no sculptor could do justice
to such a model.
We reached Harounabad in half an hour's
ride, crossed a small bridge, and found our
tents ready pitched on the opposite side, near
the bank of a rapid stream.
We were advised most strongly by the in
habitants of the town to lodge in the cara
vanserai, on account of the numerous hordes
of Illyauts, who, they said, would be likely
to attack us in the night. As we were
more in dread of vermin than of robbers,
we said that we preferred remaining where
we were, as we were well able to protect
ourselves — a boast we thought it necessary
frequently to repeat, thinking our safety
depended considerably on confirming these
banditti in the high notions we knew they
entertained of European prowess.
In the course of the morning, one of the

8 ONE OF THE KINGS WIVES.
khanums, wives of the King of Persia, en
camped close to us : she had just arrived
from Tabriz, the court of Abbas Meerza, the
Prince Royal of Persia, and was proceeding
to Kerbela on a pilgrimage. She had only
three small tents ; her establishment, though
inferior to ours, was sufficiently large for
one of fifteen hundred partakers of the royal
bed. As the lady belonged to the court of
the Prince Royal of Persia, who has always
been very attentive to our countrymen,
we sent to inform her that we were going
to Tabriz, and should be happy to execute
any commission with which she might ho
nour us. This message produced a visit from
two of the principal persons with her ; and
shortly after, her confidential eunuch came
to thank us for our civility. He was a
handsome young man of about two and
twenty, very lively, and remarkably courte
ous in his manners ; he stayed for about a

Her eunuch. 9
quarter of an hour ; and spoke in very high
terms of our countrymen at Tabriz, particu
larly Dr. Cormick, the prince's physician,
who is deservedly a favourite, not only with
the Persians, but with all who have the
pleasure of his acquaintance. The eunuch
spoke also with much friendship of our
late shipmate, Futteh Ali Khan, who, to
have merited the encomiums bestowed on
him, must have behaved much better at
Tabriz as the dependant of a prince, than
in India, when a prince himself.
Before dusk, we strolled into the town,
and, as usual, collected a crowd about us : we
were by this time so accustomed to the gaze
of the inhabitants, that we rather courted
communication than otherwise, with a view
to lose no opportunity of becoming acquaint
ed with the disposition and habits of the peo
ple. We found them very civil, and instead
of objecting to our visit, they seemed mvich

10 THE TOWN OF HAROUNABAD.
pleased with us for observing them. The
women were without veils, and for the most
part occupied in making those beautiful car
pets, for which this country is so celebrated.
Many of these were offered us as presents ; a
mode adopted in the East for disposing of
goods for double their value, inasmuch as
those who tender the gift expect a sum in
return, correspondent to the consequence
they are pleased to assign the party to whom
they make the offering.
Harounabad is built on a gradual slope ;
the houses are very low, with fiat connecting
roofs, in successive lines one above the other :
as the backs are level with the ground, the
principal communication is in many places
along the roofs, and we were frequently sur
prised in finding ourselves walking on the
tops of inhabited dwellings, when we thought
we were traversing the sohd ground.
This town, as its name implies, was form-

BEAUTY OF ITS WOMEN. 11
erly a residence of the faimous Caliph Haroun,
but we could not trace any remains of a
palace fit to receive so magnificent a mon
arch. The town is small, and may contain
about a thousand souls. It is remarkable
for the beauty of its women, probably on
account of the nearly perpetual Spring of
the climate. To judge from some we saw
washing clothes in the river, the fame of this
place has not been ill bestowed. Independent,
therefore, of the temperature of Harounabad,
the luxuriant beauty of the women might
have induced so gay a monarch to take up
his occasional abode in this mountainous
retreat. April 21. — We left Harounabad at three in
the morning; and continued ascending, for the
first four hours, a circuitous road : we after
wards passed through two deep basins formed
by the surrounding mountains, having a con
siderable descent to the East. At ten o'clock

12 MAHIDESHT.
we reached Mahidesht, situate in an ejiten-
sive plain of an oval form, with numerous
small villages scattered over it. The snow
was still lying on the surrounding hills.
Notwithstanding our dislike to a caravan
serai, we were obliged to take up our quar
ters there, as well on account of the robbers,
who Avere said to be very numerous, as that
there Avas no encamping ground in the vici
nity. We established ourselves over the
gateway, the post of honour in these build
ings. By this arrangement we were more
commodiously accommodated, and avoided
the necessity of coming in contact with the
numerous badly embalmed corpses, with
which the other parts of the caravanserai
were promiscuously strewed.
As we were only one stage from Kerman
shah, we sent forward by a servant the letters
with which we had been entrusted : one was
from Aga Saikeis to Meerza Ahedy, the

KERMANSHAH. 1.3
minister of war to the prince; and the others
from the Chief of artillery to Messieurs Court
and De Veaux, two French officers in the
service of his Highness. With the recollec
tion of the inconveniences attendant on the
hospitality of the British agent, we sent
to beg that we might either be allowed to
occupy a vacant house, or to pitch our tents
in any of the gardens adjoining the town.
April 22. — At three this morning we
started for Kermanshah, distant from the
caravanserai fourteen miles. The plain of
Mahidesht is ten miles in breadth, four of
which we traversed yesterday, and the re
maining six this morning. Thence, after
ascending for a little way, we went through
a small valley between two mountains. The
remainder of the road led over a succession
of low hills. The morning was very fine.
In rounding a mountain, we came somewhat
suddenly in sight of the smiling and fruitful

14 GAY CAVALCADE.
valley of Kermanshah ; a numerous caravan
of pilgrims passed us, on its road to Kerbela.
Three miles from the town, as we were de
scending a hill, we saw marshalled at a short
distance a gay party on horseback, equipped in
the Persian dress. As soon as we came in sight,
they met us at full speed: as they approached,
two of the party galloped forward and threw
the jereed. It was easy to perceive that this
gaily caparisoned cavalcade had assembled in
compliment to us. We were for a moment
in doubt who they were; for we looked
in vain for the European costume : our con
jectures were soon set at rest by one of the
company, with a long beard, saluting us in
the European military fashion, and in the
French language, bidding us welcome to
Kermanshah. The party consisted of the
European residents of the city, together
with their united trains of servants and follow
ers : of these there were Messieurs De Veaux
and Court, the two French officers, to whom

DESCRIPTION OF KERMANSHAH. 15
we had letters; two Italians; and another
person, calling himself a Spaniard, of whom
more hereafter.
We did not come within sight of the
town till we had entered a deep and broad
ravine, at the top of which it is situated.
Kermanshah is encompassed with gardens,
and decked with numerous small kiosks
(pleasure-houses). It is laid out in walks,
canals, and reservoirs of water, all of which
have a picturesque effect on the approach.
The Kurasou, a river, or rather a mountain
torrent, runs through the centre of the
town : the overflowing of its banks, which
occasionally happens, is attended with very
serious injury. Three years ago an event
of this description occurred, in which the
lower parts of the town and a considerable
portion of the inhabitants were entirely
swept away. We were conducted by Mes
sieurs Court and De Veaux to their house,
and pressed so much to remain there

16 MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCE.
during our stay, that we could not help
yielding to their solicitations, though oppos
ed to the resolution we had formed of not
becoming the guests of any one. Soon
after our arrival, Hassan Khan, the governor,
came on the part of the Prince to tell us
that a house had been prepared for our re
ception, and that his Highness desired we
would consider ourselves as his guests ; an
invitation we declined, with due acknow
ledgments for the Prince's hospitahty and
condescension. We passed the remainder of the morn
ing in conversation with our new acquaint
ances, who related many interesting parti
culars of the late war with the Pasha of
Bagdad, in Avhich they appear to have
borne a very conspicuous part. These
gentlemen and the Spanish officer, Senor
Oms, are all khans (lords) of Persia, and
knights of the lion and sun, as well as of
another order, the insignia of which are a

PERSIAN ORDER OF KNIGHTHOOD. 17
star, with the curious device of two lions
fighting for the Persian croAvn. This order
was instituted by the king's eldest son,^ Mo
humud Ali Meerza (the late prince governor
of this country), and derives its origin from
the following circumstance : —
Some years since, the present King, in con
formity to one of the most ancient laws of
Persia,* assembled his sons for the purpose
of nominating a successor to the throne, on
the event of his death. Abbas Meerza, the
king's second son, was promised this high
dignity.. All the princes present bowed in
obedience to the declaration of the royal will,
with the exception of Mohumud Ali Meerza,
who alone stood erect. Unawed by the pre
sence of his father and sovereign, he refused
to acknowledge the decree. His resistance
to the royal mandate was conveyed in the
* In the same manner Cyrus, previous to his expedition
against the Massageta;, appointed Cambyses his successor
to the Persian throne.
VOh. II. C

18 PERSIAN ORDER OF KNIGHTHOOD.
following bold and energetic language : " May
God preserve the King of Kings ; but if my
brother and myself should have the misfor
tune to survive your Majesty," (and he half
unsheathed his sword as he finished the sen
tence,) " this shall decide the accession to
the throne." The tAvo warhke brothers nod
ded mutual defiance, and were, up to the
period of Mohumud All's death, open and
avowed enemies.
On the return of the French officers from
some successful expedition against the Turks,
they asked the Prince to institute some order
of knighthood as a reward for their services.
Mohumud Ali acceded ; and not forgetting
his oath of enmity to his brother, founded
an order having the appropriate device of
two lions fighting for the croAvn, in allusion
to the circumstance related. It is remarkable
that these insignia of opposition to the des
potic AvUl of the sovereign were openly
sanctioned by the King himself ; while Mo-

CHARACTER OF MOHUMUD. 19
humud Ali, heretofore ignorant of the value
attached to ribands in Europe, was surprised
and gratified to find that his European aux
iliaries were content with so cheap a remu
neration for their many and important ser
vices. Mohumud Ah is generally considered to
have been the most warlike prince of the
present (kajar) dynasty. His memory is
held in the highest veneration by the tribes
over whom he ruled. A man who could
lead his followers to conquest and plunder
must have been acceptable to these Avild
mountaineers, who had inherited a thirst for
rapine from a long line of predatory ances
tors. The French officers too are equally
enthusiastic with the Coords in praise of their
late commander ; his daring spirit appearing
to have found a congenial feeling in men
whose love of military adventure has made
war the highest enjoyment of life. In 1814,
when the reverses of Napoleon appeared to
c 2

20 EUROPEAN AUXILIARIES.
have completely closed the prospects of a
soldier in Europe, they sought and found in
the troubled regions of the East an ample
field for the gratification of their darling
passion. As mention has been incidentally made of
the pursuits of these officers, it may not be
amiss to state a fact, perhaps not generally
known, that a number of mihtary men, of dif
ferent nations of Europe, are at this moment
wandering over Asia, offering their services
to the Asiatic princes. Seven or eight Euro
pean officers were at one time employed in
this remote province (Kermanshah), the
greater part of whom are now dispersed over
the East. To what point they have shaped
their course, Messrs. Court and De Veaux
could give us no account, though of them
selves, their past history, and their future
prospects, they scrupled not to talk in the
most unreserved manner. They had at one
time, they said, intended to have gone up

ANECDOTE OF MOHUMUD ALI. 21
the Indus, for the purpose of offering their
services to an Indian prince, who, they un
derstood, wanted European officers to con
duct his forces against the English; but they
had been induced to abandon their design on
hearing of the great impediments likely to be
thrown in their way by our Indian govern
ment. Among other anecdotes, our hosts related
one respecting the late prince and our Bag
dad acquaintance Gaspar Khan, which may
be worth inserting, as it serves to illustrate a
mode of punishment common at Kerman
shah — of burying a man ahve, with his head
downwards and his legs in the air.
A short time ago, Gaspar Khan, who is
employed by the King in commercial trans
actions, was passing from the court of Per
sia through Kermanshah, where he was re
ceived with much civihty by INIohumud
AH Meerza, who took him round one of his
gardens. In the course of the walk, his

22 PERSIAN REPAST.
Highness asked Gaspar, if the garden was
not deficient in something. The Khan, as in
duty bound, rephed, that the garden was
quite perfect, and required no addition.
Mohumud Ah rephed, " Yes, there is a
tree that I have long wanted : it is called
Gaspar Khan, and it shall be planted imme
diately." Then changing his tone, he said,
" You have been prejudicing the King's
mind against me, so prepare for instant
death." The Khan begged hard for life,
which the fear of ill treating a king's agent
most probably induced him to grant.
At 12 o'clock, the Persian hour of morn
ing repast, we were summoned to a plentiful
meal, combining a happy mixture of Euro
pean and Asiatic cookery. We had neither
chairs nor tables, the cloth being spread on
the floor, and we seated in the oriental fash
ion. Our distress in this uneasy posture pre
sented a singularly striking contrast to the
obvious comfort enjoyed by our hosts, to

VISIT TO THE PRINCE. 23
whose muscles habit had given a flexibi
lity certainly unknown to ours. The feast
was seasoned by some excellent wine, made
from the fine grapes of the neighbour
hood, which was cooled by frozen snow
brought from the mountain, the silver sum
mit of which was visible from the apart
ment. A long abstinence from wine had
made us more than usually subject to the
powerful influence of the generous beverage ;
and after a few quickly repeated bumpers,
our heads felt the effect of the potations so
strongly, as to suggest the advantage, if not
the absolute necessity, of taking a siesta.
April 23. — We went this morning to pay
our respects to Mohumud Hosein Meerza,
the prince governor. His Highness seemed
disposed to treat us with more than ordinary
civility ; for he told the French officers that
he should allow us to be seated in his pre
sence, and, as this is an honour never granted
to any of his court, he would adAdse them

24 THE PRINCE GOVERNOR:
not to be present at the interview. These
preliminaries settled, we set out in full uni
form to the palace, where we found Hassan
Khan, the governor, in waiting to conduct
us to the Prince. We passed, in our way to
the haU of audience, through a number of
passages, not remarkable for cleanliness, and
arrived at an oblong court, in the centre of
which a fountain played. At the top of this
court, the Prince was seated near an open
window. At stated intervals, the Governor
made profound obeisances ; but as every
thing military is in vogue in this country,
we saluted his Highness merely by putting
our hands to our hats. In conformity to
Persian etiquette, he took no notice of the
compliment, and even seemed to be uncon
scious of our presence. On our nearer ap
proach, he bade us welcome; so leaving our
slippers in the court, we entered the hall ;
and, following the directions of the Gover
nor, seated ourselves near the doorway.

MOHUMUD HOSIEN MEERZA. 25
A few minutes before our interview.
Monsieur De Veaux had been with the
Prince, to receive his instructions relative to
the issue of some clothing to those troops
who were to escort the body of his father to
Meshed Ah ; and also, respecting some other
matters connected with the order of the fu
neral from Kermanshah, a ceremony which
was . to take place in two days. As the
inspection of these arrangements was made
in the pubhc square, the Prince thought it
necessary to play the mourner on the occa
sion. No sooner did he come in sight of the
coffin which contained the remains of his
father, than he threw off his cap, coA^ered his
head with ashes, and, rolling himself on the
ground, bitterly bewailed the loss of so illus
trious a prince and so good a father. Having
performed this ceremonial of grief Avith aU
the usual Eastern decorum, he re-adjvisted his
cap, clothed himself in a scarlet robe, and in
the short interval between the inspection and

26 CONVERSATION WITH
our visit, laid down the part of the mourner,
and re-assumed that of the prince, so speedily
indeed, that if we had not had a peep behind
the curtain, we could not have beheved that
one actor could so speedily have performed
two such different parts.
His Highness, hearing I spoke Persian,
put a number of questions, with such a rapi
dity that I often felt puzzled to give suit
able answers. His first interrogatories were,
why we had not accepted his hospitahty,
and whether we were satisfied with the
Governor, at the same time casting an inqui
sitive glance at that personage. By a prompt
answer in the affirmative, I in all probabihty
saved the soles of the Governor's feet from
the bastinado, a cheap comphment, and,
though at the expense of as high a func
tionary, not unusually conferred on a guest
whom an Eastern prince " dehghteth to
honour." Having enquired our respective
ages, he wished to know the numbers of our

THE PRINCE GOVERNOR. 27
wives and children ; but when he found we
were totaUy unprovided in both these neces
saries of hfe, he urged us ah to marry the
moment we returned to Europe. As he
repeated this injunction often, I thought to
escape from the oppressiveness of his re
iterated advice by briefly observing, that
in our country we were deemed too young
to enter on so serious a state as matri
mony. I could not have stumbled on
a more inappropriate excuse. His High
ness immediately informed us, that though
younger by three years than either Mr.
Hart or myself, he had been married
some years, and, as I afterwards heard, had
eighteen Avives, a proportionate number of
children, and was daily adding to both these
branches of his establishment. The last,
though, in his opinion, not the least import
ant observation of this sapient Prince, was
directed to the scantiness of hair which our
faces exhibited, each of us having only

28 THE PRINCE GOVERNOR.
mujstaches, which are indispensable in
this country; b\it this scanty aUowance not
corresponding with his idea of the toilette,
he strongly urged our wearing long beards,
at the same time, with much complacency,
stroking his own, which, for a youth of two
and twenty, was of most precocious growth.
I endeavoured to apologize for our want of
whiskers by observing, that it was not the
fashion of our country ; though I should
have been scarcely justified in urging such a
plea, had I seen the present " men about
town," whose hairy cheeks would almost
excite the envy of the great Shah himself.

THREE ARAB VISITORS. 29

CHAPTER 11.
Three Arab Visitors — A Chieftain — An Astrologer —
A Moolah — Ancient Sculptures at Tank Bostaup —
Chosroes, Shereen, and Furhaud — Persian Dance —
Equestrian Evolutions — Turcoman breed of Horses —
Persian mode of clearing the way for a great Man — Fu-
n&ral Procession of Mohumud Ali Meerza — The Moo
lahi Bashee — Suleiman Khan Kuruzungeer, and the
Sect of Illahi.
On returning to our quarters, we found
Messieurs Court and De Veaux seated in
the garden, in company with three Arabs,
all of whom had lately fled for protection
from the present Pasha of Bagdad.
One of these was the young Arab Chief-

30 ARAB CHIEFTAIN.
tain, to whom we were indebted for our
information respecting the Calor banditti.
This young man's father had, a few months
back, with only forty men, defended a for
tress against Davoud Pasha, but had ulti
mately been induced to surrender, on a
solemn assurance of protection. In the in-
terAdew that followed the capitidation, the
Pasha, unmindful of his promise, caused
his head to be struck off, and packed up in
a parcel, as a present to the Grand Signior,
to adorn one of the spikes at Constantinople.
The second victim of oppression, in some
measure, deserved his fate. He was, by pro
fession, an astrologer, and might have pur
sued his divinations undisturbed, had he
not interfered in the domestic concerns of
Davoud Pasha, a man little likely to alloAV
such conduct to pass with impunity. It
appears that one of the Pasha's wives, who
had for a time held a considerable sway
over his affections, Avas obliged to resign

ARAB ASTROLOGER. 31
it in favour of some more youthful beauty.
The discarded lady, in a fit of jealousy,
apphed to this dealer in occult sciences to
exert his supernatural influence, either in
ahenating the affection of Davoud from her
rival, or in sowing dissension amongst the
whole establishment, in revenge for her neg
lected charms. Whether by magic influence
or not, certain it is, he so far succeeded in
the latter request, that he set the whole
haram in an uproar. The Pasha, on disco
vering the destroyer of his peace, immedi
ately issued orders for his apprehension. A
timely ffight saved the head of the Magi
cian, though he left behind him property
to the amount of ten thousand piasters, which
has, in aU probability, consoled the Pasha
in his domestic afflictions.
The third person in this group had no
claims whatever on our commiseration. His
name was Moolah Ah, an Arab, though he
wore the Persian dress ; one with whom

32 THE MOOLAH.
murder and every other crime had long been
familiar. There was nothing, however, in his
appearance to justify this supposition, nor in
his features could there be distinguished any
of those marks with which our romance-wri
ters are wont to stamp the countenance of a
murderer. On the contrary, his mild eye
beamed Avith intelhgence Avhen he spoke,
and his mouth was lighted up with so
pleasing a smile, that the diabohcal matter
of his speech was often lost in attending to
the pleasing manner of his delivery. Like
many an Asiatic I have seen, his counte
nance was so entirely at variance with his
conduct, as to set at nought aU the boasted
science of a physiognomist; liis manners were
remarkably captivating, and possessed that
easy polish for Avhich the natives of these
countries are so remarkable. His consci
ence never troubled him Avith " air-drawn
daggers ;" he had a real one in his girdle, to
be used as inclination prompted.

THE MOOLAH. 33
Not many weeks before we saw this
Moolah, he was one of the principal per
sons of Mendah, a Turkish town near the
frontier. In those days he was the bosom
friend of Davoud Pasha, " his best of cut
throats" and most wilhng instrument of as
sassination. It was during his intimacy with
the Pasha that, on the day of some rehgious
festival, he invited sixteen persons to a feast,
and placing a confidential agent between each
guest, caused every one of them to be put to
death, himself giving the signal of slaughter
by plunging a dagger into the breast of the
person beside him. Such feats as these we
may find in the histories of savage countries.
Among aU barbarians, the virtue of hospi
tality, so vaunted, has rarely, if ever, with
stood the excitement of revenge or avarice.
It is natural to suppose, that a friendship
between two such persons as the Moolah
and the Pasha, cemented as it was by guUt,
could not be of long duration ; accordingly
A'OL. II. D

34 THE MOOLAH.
we soon find these brethren in iniquity the
most deadly foes ; each beginning to exer
cise on the kindred, what he could not effect
on the head of the family. Seventy of the
Moolah's relations have faUen victims to the
revenge of the Pasha ; his father is chained
in a prison in Bagdad, and ten thousand pias
ters are set upon his own head. In the mean
time, he has not been backward in retaha-
tion. Leaving the town of Mendah, attend
ed by several of his tribe, he salhed forth in
to the Desert, attacked the Turkish caravans,
and (to use his own expression) struck off,
at every opportunity, the heads of all those
wearing turbans.* The women of the party
fell victims to the hcentious passions of hinfi-
self and followers, and other brutal excesses
were committed by these ruffians, that would
scarcely be credited in our own country.
Observing us hsten with much interest to
• The turban distinguishes the Turks from the Persians,
who wear sheepskin caps.

THE MOOLAH. 35
this detail of crime, and taking for granted
that our attention was a mark of sympathy,
he said, with an air of gratitude, " How
kind it is of you to enter so warmly into my
pursuits !"
During our stay at Kermanshah we were
in daily intercourse with this accomplished
villain, who upon most subjects possessed a
degree of information far beyond the gene
rality of his countrymen. Of his deeds and
projects he always spoke with the most
unblushing effrontery, teUing us that his
schemes of plunder were only suspended tiU
the remains of Mohumud Ali Meerza should
be safely deposited in the holy burying-
ground. Any act of hostihty committed by
him while a retainer of the court, would pro
bably be retaliated by some insult to the
corpse; and this would make the Prince
his enemy, Avith whom it was so much his in
terest to keep on good terms ; " but," added
he, " that business once settled, Allah grant
D 2

36 THE MOOLAH.
that the Pasha may fall into my hands, and
then I wiU tear out his heart and drink his
blood." On our first salutation in a morning
he would always repeat the words, " Inshal-
lah Pasha," (God wiUing, the Pasha,) supply
ing the rest of the sentence by significantly
passing his finger across his throat.*
We one day asked the Moolah how he
generaUy deprived his enemies of hfe ?
" That," rephed he, " is as I can catch
them. Some I have killed in battle, others
I have stabbed sleeping." Another time we
had the curiosity to examine his pistols,
which, we had often remarked, were studded
with several red nails. On enquiring the
reason, he told us that each naU was to com
memorate the death of some enemy who had
fallen by that weapon.
April 25. — We went this morning to exa
mine the celebrated ancient sculptures in this
* In allusion to the Turkish form of passing a sentence
of death on a criminal.

TAUK BOSTAUN. 37
neighbourhood, at a place called Tauk Bos
taun, distant six miles from the town. We
paid another visit to these antiquities the day
before our departure from Kermanshah. They
are situated in two recesses, excavated in the
Avest side of the mountain, the principal of
which is twenty-four feet seven inches wide,
and twenty feet four inches deep. The en
trance is a handsome semicircular arch, ornar-
mented with weU-executed sculpture. The
pillars to the spring of the arch have elegant
flower ornaments in pannels. Above these,
on each side, are winged female figures, in
Grecian drapery, holding in their right hands,
which are stretched towards each other, cir
cular fillets of jewels, and in their left, bowls
of an Etruscan shape, apparently containing
wreaths of flowers, similar to Avhat are used
in India on occasions of ceremony. These
figures are dressed in loose floAving robes,
with jackets fitting close to the body, dis
tinctly displaying the upper part of the

38 EQUESTRIAN COLOSSAL FIGURE.
shape : round the waist of the entire figure
is a band, fastened with a clasp of jewels.
The features appeared to be Abyssinian ;
the hair is in regular curls on each side of
the face. Between these figures, oh the top
of the arch, is a winged crescent ; the sides
of the recess are wholly covered Avith sculp
tures. Facing the entrance is a colosiSal
figure on horseback, in such high rehef,
that only the left shoulder of the horse and
horseman adhere to the rock. This is said
to be Rustam, the most celebrated hero of
Persian romance. He is clad in chain ar
mour, similar to that worn by Enghsh war
riors in the early times of the Crusades, and
by the Coords of the present day. He car
ries in the right hand a poised spear ; in the
left, a circular shield ; and a quiver of ar
rows are bound on the right thigh. The
horse is richly caparisoned, after the man
ner common in India at this time. The
right hand of Rustam is broken, as are part
of the head, and the off hind-leg of the horse.

ANCIENT SCULPTURES. 39
Immediately above the statue are three
figures, dressed in rich robes, said to be King
Khosro, or Chosroes, with his wife, She
reen, on his right, and her lover, Fur
haud, on his left hand. Both these last
have circular Avreaths in their right hands,
which they are holding up to Chosroes,
whose right hand is stretched to receive them
from Furhaud, and whose left rests on a
large double-handed sword. On the head
costume of Chosroes is a sort o£ ball, ob
servable on the coins of the Sassanian kings.
Shereen appears to be holding an Etruscan
pitcher, from which a fluid is issuing, ap
parently in the act of hbation. This is thought
to have some allusion to the neighbouring
stream. The faces of these figures were mu
tilated by order of Nadir Shah, who wished
to destroy the whole group. On each side
of the recess, are two fluted pillars with
flowered capitals, somewhat resembhng the
Corinthian order. On the right side of the
recess is the representation of a boar-hunt

40 ANCIENT SCULPTURES.
with elephants, in which are several hundred
figures of men, women, and animals. This
side exhibits the appearance of a large jungle
full of game. In the centre is a lake, on the
surface of which are observed swans and
four boats. In the two largest boats are
two figures of a size superior to the others,
and armed with a bow, an eastern mark of
sovereignty. The two monarchs are attend
ed with a band of female harpers. The boats
are of a peculiar construction, dissimilar to any
I have seen in these countries, but propeUed,
after the ancient as weU as modern manner,
by two men, one at the prow, and the other
at the stern. Two sides of the jungle are
lined with men on elephants, which animals
(as is common in Indian boar-hunting) appear
to be driving them towards the sportsmen,
who with their bows and arrows seem to do
considerable execution. A small portion to
wards the corner is appropriated to those men
and elephants disposing of the dead game.

ANCIENT SCULPTURES. 41
The human figures here are in the Grecian
costume. On the opposite side to this group
is a deer-hunt, which evidently was never
finished. In this portion there are three royal
personages mounted on horseback, all armed
with bows ; but one appears of superior rank
to the others, as he has a parasol held over
his head. On the top, at this side, is a band
of musicians playing on various instruments,
amongst which may be recognized the tam
tam, the trurapet, the harp, and the flute.
I cannot close the description of this beau
tiful specimen of ancient workmanship with
out giving a short account of a more modern
production of the chisel, which was intended
to eclipse the ancient sculpture.
Above the boar-hunt, executed in very
high relief, are three figures of colossal sta
ture, but executed AAdth true Persian disre
gard to symmetry or proportion. They are
intended to represent the late Prince Mohu
mud Ah Meerza, his son the present Gover-

42 ANCIENT SCULPTURES.
nor of Kermanshah, and the Khojahi Bashee
(chief of the eunuchs), to whom the arts are
indebted for this superlative piece of barba
rous sculpture.
The figures are clothed in the fuU costume
of the Persian court, the princes wearing
their royal tiaras, and the chief of the eu
nuchs himself, in his dress of state, standing
by in attendance. This personage, being of
opinion that the mere stone gave too faint a
delineation of real life, resolved to press into
the service of statuary, her sister Painting.
The sculpture is daubed and gilded in such a
manner, as to echpse, in the opinion of the
natives, the more unpretending performance
of the ancients.
A short distance to the left of this exca
vation is situated the second. In it are two
figures holding in their hands a circular
wreath : a figure stands behind that on the
right with a baton in his hand, and is ur^ng
or enforcing some counsel. The two figures

ANCIENT PERSIC INSCRIPTION. 43
appear to be cementing a treaty of peace over
the body of a fallen enemy. On each side of
the figures is an inscription in the ancient
Persic language, which has been translated
by M. de Sacy to the following effect: " This
is the figure of the adorer of Ormusd, the
excellent Shapoor, King of Kings of Iran
and Aniran, sprung from the celestial race of
Gods, son of the adorer of Ormusd, of the ex
cellent Hoomuz, King of Kings of Iran and
AnirAn, of the celestial race of Gods, grand
son of the exceUent Narses, King of Kings."
On the other side, the words are — " This
is the figure of the adorer of Ormusd, the
excellent Baraham, King of Kings of Iran
and Aniran, sprung from the celestial race
of Gods, son of the adorer of Ormusd, of
the excellent Shapoor, King of Kings of
Iran and Aniran, of the celestial race of Gods,
grandson of the excellent Ormuz, King of
Kings." These inscriptions fix almost precisely the

44 ANCIENT EXCAVATIONS.
£era of this excavation, and tend in some de
gree to give a date to the larger portion of
the sculptures. The inscription to the right
alludes to Shapoor, a king of the Sassanian
dynasty, who died in the latter end of the
fourth century : that to the left is to Bara
ham the Fourth, who, succeeding his elder
brother, Shapoor the Third, was sumamed
Kermanshah (Shah or King of Kerman), from
having formerly been Viceroy of that pro
vince : - by him the city of Kermanshah Avas
founded. These two excavations appear to be so re
lated to each other, that they may be consi
dered as belonging to the same dynasty of
kings: but I should be inclined to consider
them as the productions of different periods,
because the principal excavation, in which
there is no inscription, is executed in a style
infinitely superior to the other. Both are so
much beyond the workmanship of the na
tive artists in the Sassanian aera, that they

CHOSROES, SHEREEN, AND FURHAUD. 45
must be productions of Grecian sculptors,
many of whom were retained in the Persian
court after the overthrow of the Seleucian
dynasty in the East. The ball, or globular
appearance observable in the head costume
of the figures, in both excavations, belongs
evidently to the race of the Sassanidge, as
may be seen by referring to the coins of that
race of kings.
The larger excaA'ation is said to have been
made in the reign of the celebrated Chosroes,
or Khosro Puviz, as he is called in Persian
history ; and, in the absence of more avithentic
information, I see no reason to doubt the
accuracy of the tradition, as far as regards the
period of the sculpture. Our guides attri
bute it to Furhaud, an Indian prince, Avho,
they say, became so enamoured of the beauti
ful Shereen, that, unable to conquer his pas
sion, he communicated the state of his feel
ings to her husband, Chosroes, and modestly
requested that the king Avould jield up his

46 SINGULAR TRADITION.
lovely wife. Strange to say, though Chosroes
was the most uxorious husband that ever
flourished in Persian story, so great was his
friendship for the young prince, that he con
sented to grant him his request, accompanied
with this single condition, that, in testimony
of his disinterested friendship, Furhaud
would produce these specimens of art which
I have endeavoured to describe.
There is a striking similitude in this rela
tion and that of La Nouvehe Heloise. Here,
as in the French tale, the love of Furhaud for
this Oriental Juhe is sanctioned by the hus
band. A slight discrepancy, however, occurs
in this story, which puts in a much more
generous light the sacrifice of the Persian,
than that of the Swiss husband. Monsieur de
Wolmar, who acquiesced in the affection of
St.Preux for his lady, upon the understanding
that it was to be conducted Avifh the strictest
regard to Platonic rules ; while Chosroes,
ignorant that such an individual, or his doc-

A PERSIAN DANCE. 47
trine, ever existed, or doubtful of its efficacy,
imposed only the conditions I have stated,
before he would consent to resign the partner
of his bosom to the arms of his friend.
The neighbourhood of the excavations is
held in high veneration by the natives, as
having been the retreat of Hajee Ibrahim
Shah Zada, a royal hermit of great sanctity.
A small low hut was pointed out to us as
his cell. In the interior we saw a stone with
a Cufic inscription. At a short distance were
large heaps of stones, said to be the remains
of an ancient city and temple of fire worship-
pets, but we could gain no further informa
tion respecting them.
After visiting the sculptures we retired to
a tent, where we found a Persian breakfast
prepared for us by Senor Oms. During the
meal, a Persian dance was exhibited. The
performer was supposed to personate a bride,
though, in conformity to the depraved taste
of the country, a boy twelve years old was

48 EQUESTRIAN EVOLUTIONS.
her representative. Three musicians, Avith
instruments more capable of making noise
than producing melody, beat time to the dan
cer, whose motions were neither decent nor
graceful, though our host and his native
visitors seemed enraptured with the per
formance, and evinced their approbation by
loud shouts of encouragement and clapping
their hands. A hunch-backed player on the
tambourine got so drunk that he was unable
to proceed ; so he was hoisted on a horse, be
hind one of the servants, and with his de
parture ended this disgusting performance.
We were witnesses to a more pleasing
exhibition, in returning homeward : a mount
ed servant of Nasir Ali Meerza, one of the
Prince's brothers, went past us at full gallop,
and vaulting completely over the high peak
of his Persian saddle, seated himself on the
horse's neck, with his face towards its tail ;
then seizing his gun, which was slung at his
back, he threAV doAvn his cap and fired at it ;

TURCOMAN BREED OF HORSES. 49
the horse all the time going at full speed over
uneven ground, strewed with loose stones and
pieces of rock. The horse this man rode was
of the Turcoman breed, which is here pre
ferred to the Arabian. It is much taller than
the Arab, standing generaUy from fifteen to
sixteen hands ; and in comparison with that
beautiful animal appears to great disadvan
tage, both with respect to symmetry, and
promise of strength or action. It has little
bone, long legs, a spare carcase, and a large
head out of all proportion with its body.
Notwithstanding this unpromising appear
ance, the Turcoman is said to be capable of
enduring very great fatigue, and the facility
with which it ascends the most rugged
eminences is astonishing. The plains in
the neighbourhood of Kermanshah are sup
posed to be the same as those mentioned by
Arrian* and Herodotus, as the country of the
» Arrian, Lib. 7, cap. l.S.
VOL. II. E

50 RIDE THROUGH THE TOWN.
Nissei, famous for its breed of horses. Here,
according to Herodotus, one hundred and
fifty thousand horses were accustomed to
graze ; but Arrian says that there were only
five thousand when Alexander the Great came
here, nearly all the rest having been stolen
away. As there is no tale, however fabulous,
in the Arabian Nights that has not some re
ference or aUusion to reahty, the fame of the
cattle of this neighbourhood may have sug
gested to the mind of the author the story of
the Winged Horse of Coordistan.
April 26. — The French officers accompanied
us this morning on horseback, to make a sur
vey of the town. We were attended by a
considerable number of servants, armed Avith
sticks, who led us through a succession of
narroAv streets, and at length brought us into
the bazaar, which was at that time exceed
ingly crowded : here w^e Avere shocked to
observe the use to which these batons were
apphed. ^Vhenever our progress was in the

MODE OF CLEARING THE WAY. 51
least impeded by the crowd, the\ servants
called out, " Make way for the GenneBaen !"
and enforced their desire with the unremit
ting application of the stick, regardless of
whom they struck, or Avhere the blows fell.
As we had reason to beheve that this bar
barous ceremony of Oriental despotism was
intended as a comphment to us, we earnestly
begged that the practice might be dispensed
with on our account, as we could not but
feel distressed at being the innocent instru
ments of such wanton barbarity. Our hosts
ridiculed our scruples, upon the plea that it
was the custom of the country, and our pre
cursors continued to belabour the unresisting
multitude as before. In the course of the
ride, our consequence suffered a shght inter
ruption. In turning one of the comers of the
bazaar, we came suddenly on the retinue of
the young Prince Tamas (Thomas) Meerza,
governor of Hamadun, and a brother of Mo
humud Hosein Meerza, who were pursuing the
E 2

52 RENCONTRE WITH PRINCE TAMAS.
same measures to clear the way for his Highr
ness ; but so blind was the zeaLof our lictors
for the consequence of their masters, that the
presence of royalty failed to arrest their at
tention, and the foremost of the Prince's
attendants were favoured by a few marks of
their unsparing regard. Our servants were
thunderstruck on discovering their error ; but
out manifestations of respect to the Prince
superseded the necessity of an explanation.
The passengers enjoyed a momentary truce
from this rencontre; the operation of clubs on
both sides were suspended for the time ; but
the parties had no sooner got clear of each
other, than hostihties upon the unfortunate
crowd were again commenced with redoubled
vigour. April 27. — For the last two days, guns had
been fired at intervals, preparatory to the
removal of the late Prince's corpse for inter
ment at Meshed Ali. This morning being

INTERMENT OF THE LATE PRINCE. 53
appointed for the setting out of the cortege,
we put crape on our left arms and sAvord-
hilts, and mounting our horses, set off at an
early hour, anxious to witness the n( vel cere
mony of a Prince's funeral procession two
years after his decease.
As our eagerness to be in time brought us
out much sooner than was necessary, we dis
mounted in a garden near the road-side, and
whiled away a couple of hours in observing
the various chatting parties around us, all
dressed in black, their merry faces being
somewhat curiously contrasted with their
mournful garb.
Our attention to these groups was diverted
by the appearance of a blind horseman of
about sixty years of age ; he was attended
by a train of servants, one of whom held
the rein of his bridle: upon inquiry we
learned that he was a counseUor of the
Prince's, by name Hassan Khan, to which

54 HASSAN KHAN.
was added the epithet of Khoord (the Bhnd),
to distinguish him from the numerous cour
tiers of the same name.
In the brief interval of anarchy that, accord-!-
ing to custom, followed the death of the late
King, — Hassan Khan, at the head of what
forces he could coUect, became a competitor
for the crown ; but being conquered, was de
prived of sight by order of his more success-:
ful rival.
A sudden discharge of cannon, followed
by loud shrieks and lamentations, announced
to us that the Prince had left the palace Avith
the body of his father. We took our station
near the gates of the town, ready to fall
in with the procession. Near this place,
riding a handsome charger, was Nasir Ah
Meerza, the youngest son of the late Prince,
a pretty boy of about five years old. His
little Highness was attended by a pigmy train
of courtiers of his own age and size, who
seemed as well versed in the ai-t of rendering

NASIR ALI MEERZA. 55
homage, as their little lord and master was in
receiving it ; as for himself, he appeared to be
quite indifferent either to the noise of the
crowd or the occasion of it, all the time pre
serving a serious and dignified demeanour ;
and, as we approached him, he returned our
salute with the easy air of one long accus
tomed to this sort of attention. But — httle
Highnesses are always great people. The Due
de Bourdeaux, a boy of the same age as the
young Persian, when he reviewed his troops,
was graciously pleased to compliment them on
their skiU in military evolutions ; and the King
of Rome, just escaped from the go-cart, re
viewed the Marshals of France with that pre
cocious dignity so inherent in royal progenies.
In the mean whUe the procession issued
slowly out of the town, led by the artisans:
each craft had with it a black banner, and
a horse equipped in the same mournful
trappings. Next came two men renowned
for their strength, carrying a large brass or-

56 FUNERAL PROCESSION.
nament representing a palm-tree. After thein
tAA^o hundred Coordish soldiers, Avho were to
escort the corpse to Meshed Ah : they wore
blue jackets, cut in the European fashion, and
the rest of their dress was according to the
costume of the country. The escort was pre
ceded by a corps of drums and fifes playing
a variety of tunes, principally Enghsh : " Rule
Britannia" was one ; and there were several
country dances. After the military, came the
representatives of the Church — a large body
of mounted Moolahs (priests), headed by their
Bashee (chief), a joUy drunken-looking fel
low, who, with a voice amounting to a scream,
recited verses from a Koran, in which he was
joined by his followers, who made the air
resound with their vociferous lamentations.
Behind them Avas the corpse of Mohumud
Ali Meerza, borne by two mules, in that sort
of covered fitter called in Persian a tukhte
ruwaun. Immediately behind the corpse were IMohu-

FUNERAL PROCESSION. 57
mud Hosein, the ruhng Prince, and two of
his brothers ; the principal officers of the
court closed the procession.
At intervals the cavalcade stopped, when
every one, baring his breast, struck it so vio
lently with his hand, that the flesh bore visi
ble marks of the severity of the disciphne :
at these times the shouts were redoubled, and
tears flowed copiously from every eye. Large
groups of women, veiled from head to foot,
and huddled together almost into shapeless
heaps, were seated on each side of the road,
and were by no means the least silent mourn
ers of the party.
We fell in with the French officers in rear
" of the troops ; two or three chiefs were in the
same hne with us. Immediately on my right
was a handsome yovmg man, whose eyes were
red with weeping. He had been a favourite
follower of the late Prince, for whom he
had entertained a most sincere attachment ;
and I was beginning tO sympathise with him

58 FUNERAL CEREMONIAL.
in his sorrows, when it was insinuated that
it was just possible wine, and not grief, had
caused his tears to flow — a surmise that his
subsequent behaviour in some degree war
ranted. After proceeding about a mile, we quitted
the procession, and halting on one side of the
road, waited till the Prince had given us the
murukhus, or permission to depart. His eyes
were much inflamed, and tears chased each
other down his cheeks. Thus far the cere
monial of grief had been conducted Avith the
greatest propriety ; and any one Avitnessing
the mournful demeanour of the Prince this
morning, would have been impressed with
a high opinion of his fihal piety. The
day closed on a scene of a very different
description. The funeral procession arrived
at Mahidesht near sunset, when his High
ness ordered the caravanserai to be cleared
of its inmates, and, taking with him several
boon companions, this sorrowing son passed

THE MOOLAHI BASHEE. 59
the night in drinking and singing, deter
mined to keep his father's walee in the true
Irish fashion, and, if any grief or care re
mained, to drown it in the bowl. The fol
lowing morning, these merry mourners re
mounted their horses, and reached Kerman
shah without accident ; though the Prince
was so intoxicated, that on arriving at the
palace-gate he fell off his horse into the
arms of his attendants, and was by them
conveyed to his own apartment in a state
of drunken insensibility.
Foremost on the list of persons selected by
his Highness to assist him in the celebration
of these fvmeral orgies, was the Moolahi
Bashee, once his tutor, and now his asso
ciate in every species of debauchery. He
who as chief of the religion had, in the day,
Avith weeping eyes and melancholy howl,
sung the requiem to the soul of the father,
Avas, in the night, administering spij-itual cow-
solation to that of the son. He who, in the

60 SULEIMAN KHAN,
morning, chaunted verses from that book
which inculcates wine as an abomination, was,
in the evening, so overcome by its influence,
as to be scarcely able to hiccup out the hcen
tious songs* of his country.
The person from whom we received this
information was likewise one of the party ; no
other than Suleiman Khan, the chieftain
whose grief had attracted my attention at the
funeral. We were sitting after dinner in
the evening, when this person, ia the same
" suit of solemn black" as of the preceding
day, staggered into the room. Interrupting
his relation here and there with an occasional
roar of laughter, he described to us those
scenes of revelry of which he had been so
willing a participator.
Suleiman Khan, surnamed Kuruzungeer,
* Some Persian love-songs have been elegantly translat
ed into English by one of the most flowery poets of the
last century ; but the reader would throw down the verses
with disgust, if he was aware of the objects to whom these
amatory effusions are generally addressed.

SECT OF ILLAHI, 61
is chief of a tribe of twelve thousand
Coords, the best foot-soldiers in the Per
sian dominions. They are not Mahome
tans, but of a peculiar sect called Ah Illahi,
that is, Ali is of God. They acknowledge
Christ as the Messiah, but believe that he
appeared on earth a second time in the person
of Ali. They practise circumcision, but not
as a religious rite. As dissenters from the
estabhshed religion of a country are generaUy
viewed with more dislike than those who
deny its tenets altogether, so these behevers
in Ali are held in greater abhorrence, by
his other disciples, than either Jews or
Christians. Our anxiety to proceed home
wards induced us to decline a very pressing
solicitation from Suleiman, to visit him in his
own covin try ; which I now much regret, as
this tribe is described as having many curious
customs that would have amply repaid our
inquiries. Althovigh Suleiman Khan holds a despotic

62 SULEIMAN KHAN.
sway over his own tribe, it has not exempted
him from the casualties incidental to the fol
lower of a Persian court. By Mohumvid
Ali Meerza he was condemned to death for
an unsuccessful attack on a fort, and only
pardoned at the intercession of Monsieur De
Veaux. By order of the ruling Prince he
was so severely bastinadoed as to be unable
to walk for six weeks. Thus, with the vicis
situdes of an Oriental life, this mighty despot
of a tribe becomes the unfortunate Adctun of
a torture, inflicted at the will or caprice of
one who, the moment before, was the social
partner of his revels.

A MISUNDERSTANDING. 63

CHAPTER III.
Misunderstanding between Messrs. Court and De Veaux —
Conduct of Senor Oms — Reconciliation between our
Hosts — Moolah All's opinion of Duelling — Second in
terview with the Prince — Departure from Kermanshah
— Unsuccessful Expedition into the Mountains — Pic-nic
Breakfast — We take leave of Messrs. Court and De
Veaux — Be-sitoon — Bas-reliefs — Sahanah— Concobar —
Visit the Governor — Temple of Diana.
April 30 — May 1. — We were now all
ready to proceed on our journey. The pre
parations for the funeral of the late Prince,
which had for some days past put a stop to
aU pubhc business, had prevented our pro
curing a rukum, or order, from the Prince, to
proceed unmolested, and to be supplied with
whatever we might require on the road ; the

64 QUARREL OF THE FRENCH OFFICERS.
whole population between Kermanshah and
Hamadan consisting, equally with that through
which we had passed, of hordes of robbers.
With the assistance of Moolah Ali, we ob
tained this document ; and our arrangements
being completed, we intended to have resumed
our journey on the following morning, when
a circumstance occurred which occasioned a
farther delay.
In the course of conversation after supper
this evening, a misunderstanding took place
between our hosts. In consequence of this,
Monsieur De Veaux left the house at day-
hght the next morning (May 1), and at eight
o'clock a chaUenge had been offered and ac
cepted in due form by the parties, who agreed
to meet with pistols the morning after our
departure. As we had been present at the whole
transaction, we drew up a letter, declaring
it our opinion that nothing had occurred

CONDUCT OF SENOR OMS. 65
to justify the proceeding. We were at a loss
where to send our dispatch, as M. De Veaux,
conjecturing our interference, had concealed
his abode from us. In this dilemma, Senor
Oms, under pretence of becoming a mediator,
took charge of our letter : which he sup
pressed, and instead of attempting a recon
ciliation, did every thing to foment the quar
rel between Monsieur De Veaux and his
former friend. The motives for this conduct
were as diabolical as they were dastardly — a
most inveterate hatred towards both parties,
which, in case of either faUing, would have
been gratified.
Failing in his attempt, and fearing the
effect of our endeavours at a reconciliation,
he tried to perpetrate with his own hand,
what he had hoped would have been done
by t}iat of another. In the evening, as we
were seated at dinner, this Spanish ruffian,
attended by a body of soldiers, rushed into
VOL. II. F

66 RECONCILIATION EFFECTED.
the room, uttered the most dreadful impreca
tions, and drawing his dagger, motioned
his men to advance. As his object was evi
dently assassination, we deemed it high time
to interfere, so, making a charge towards
the door, we succeeded in routing the
enemy, many of whom we obhged to go the
shortest way down stairs, but, owing to the
crowd beneath, without detrirnent to a single
neck. As for the leader, he was content to
walk out of the door, particularly as we in
timated, that, if he demurred, the Avindow
would be the exit we should select for
him. May 2. — Early in the morning, we went
to Monsieur De Veaux, whom we found en
camped two miles from the town. We re
capitulated the events of the evening, and at
last succeeded in bringing him home with us,
and effecting a reconcihation between himself
and Monsieur Court ; a matter of some diffi
culty, as each had been successfvd in more

DUELLING DISCOURAGED. 67
than one fatal rencontre, and had, under
Napoleon, imbibed those absurd prejudices
so prevalent in that army, and which, half
a century ago, was the bane of society in
England and the sister kingdom ; but which
have now happily given place to better feel
ings, and truer notions of honour.
The pitch to which duelhng had at one
time been carried, by the European officers
in the service of the late Prince of Kerman
shah, at once excited his astonishment and
alarm. It was in vain that he threatened
the survivor with death, or tried by ridicule
to do away with a custom which threatened
to leave his little army entirely without
officers. We were considerably amused by the ob
servations on the subject of dueUing of our
friend Moolah Ah, whose notions of honour
somewhat resembled those set down in Fal-
staff's catechism.
" How foohsh," said he, " is it for a man
F 2

68 SENOR OMS ACCUSED.
who Avishes to kill his enemy, to expose
his own life, when he can accomphsh his
purpose with so much greater safety, by
shooting at him from behind a rock !"
Our hosts being determined to represent
the conduct of Senor Oms to the Prince, re
quested us to accompany them, to give evi
dence if it should be necessary. As the
French officers have at aU times access to
his Highness, we were admitted without
scruple into the garden of the palace, and an
officer of the household went to inform
his Highness of our wish to have an audi
ence. While here, our attention was arrest
ed by hearing some one, at a short distance,
singing, or rather screaming a song with ah
the power of his lungs. In spite of the
drunken hiccup, which occasionally inter
rupted the harmony, we thought we could
recognize the voice of the Moolahi Bashee,
occupied, when last we heard it, in chaunting
the requiem of the Prince's father : we were

INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCE. 69
not mistaken, his Highness, not liking the
rigours of the solemn fast of Ramazan, had
invited a few friends to partake of a social
bowl, and, among others, this holy man, who
doubtless procured them a dispensation. The
sudden silence of the chorister proved to us
that our arrival had been announced; and as
we were admitted to the presence, we observed
him, with two or three effeminate-looking
boys, steahng down one of the avenues.
The Prince was standing with his back
against a tree, and, supported by a stick, was
trying to conceal the impression the wine
had made on his brain. Senor Oms had been
sent for, and arrived shortly after. There
were present at the interview, Assiz Khan, a
young Coordish nobleman, and Hassan Khan
Khoord, the bhnd counseUor whom we had
seen at the funeral. Messieurs Court and De
Veaux having related aU the circumstances
of the case, Senor Oms attempted a justifica
tion, but was interrupted by Hassan Khan

70 SENOR OMS IMPRISONED.
Khoord, who used the expression Koor
Khoordeed, a Persian term of reproach, for
which the propriety of our language has no
synonym. During this interview, we were
frequently appealed to, respecting the truth
of the French officers' statement, and just as
we concluded in confirmation of what they
had said, we were somewhat startled at the
Prince's saying to us, " Eedn keh Gqfteed
deroogh neest ?" — Is not that which you have
told me a lie ? — a harsh sound to an Enghsh
ear, but in this land of falsehood, a mere
idiomatical phrase of inquiry. Our confe
rence ended with Senor Oms being sent to
prison, and the Prince resuming those enjoy
ments which we had so unseasonably inter
rupted. May 3. — Our negotiations between the
beUigerent powers having been brought to a
happy termination, we had nothing now to
detain us at Kermanshah, so, having our
mules laden, we bade adieu to this city, and
once more found ourseh^es on the road. The

TAUK BOSTAUN. 71
next halting-place was Hamadan, four days'
journey hence, and the seat of government
of Tamas Meerza, brother to the Prince of
Kermanshah. The country lying between
these two towns is the most mountainous of
aU Irak. It is caUed by the natives II Jebal
(the mountainous), and is supposed to be the
Matiene mentioned by Greek and Roman
authors. Wishing to give another day to the exa
mination of the sculptures at Tauk Bos
taun, we proceeded thither in company with
our friends Messrs. Court and De Veaux,
and two or three Persians. In the evening,
we aU dined together on the banks of the
stream, which supplied us plentifuUy with
fish, and we passed the time in high
glee tiU a late hour; when the excava
tion furnished us with a classical night's
lodging: and, with a rock for a piUow,
we slept soundly tiU the bright light of the
sun warned us of the return of day.
May 4. — We devoted this day to an un-

72 CAVERN IN THE MOUNTAINS.
successful expedition into the mountains,
having been deluded into a hope of find
ing some antiquities by the account given
us, that four mUes hence was a cave fuU
of statues and inhabited by genii, who
suffered no person to return ahve, who dared
to penetrate their enchanted abode. After an
hour's painful climbing up a steep and rug
ged mountain, we came to the mouth of the
dreaded cavern, which we entered, having
been provided with lights. It was very spa
cious, and composed entirely of stalactites,
produced by infiltration, which would ex
hibit the appearance of statues, when viewed
from without ; but fear had so long predomi
nated over curiosity, that no native had ever
dared to solve the mystery, though tradition
had long given a celebrity to this place.
A good pic-nic breakfast compensated in
some measure for our disappointment. A
Persian, who was of the party, regardless
of the solemn fast ordained by his creed, or
the interdiction of wine, ate much, and drank

KINDNESS FROM EUROPEANS. 73
more; but we had seen too many vota
ries of Bacchus among the Mussulmans to be
any longer astonished at their debaucheries ;
being now fuUy convinced that a true be
liever may be as great a toper as any Chris
tian infidel.
May 5.— This day's march Avas to Be-
sitoon, a place celebrated for ancient sculp
tures, and supposed to be the Bagistana of
Diodorus Siculvis and Isidorus of Charax.
Having sent forward our servants and bag
gage two hours before us, we stayed to
breakfast with our kind European friends,
who accompanied us half way on our day's
march. We cannot speak in too high terms
of the kindness and hospitahty we experi
enced from these officers. During our stay
at Kermanshah, every wish had been antici
pated, and for the time we remained under
their roof, they seemed to have forgotten
their own pursuits, and to have studied only
what would be most conducive to our inte^
rests and comforts.

74 PILLARS NEAR BE-SITOON.
We traversed the base of the mountain
for eight mUes in an easterly direction,
after which, we turned to the north; here we
met a numerous tribe of lUyauts marching
with their tents and mules : they had just
arrived from Arabia, and were about to take
up their quarters for the summer season in
this neighbourhood.
Six miles from Be-sitoon, at a short dis
tance on our right, we saw the capitals
and bases of some piUars, which may be
weU worthy the attention of any traveUer
following the same track : indeed it was much
to be regretted that our time did not permit
us to examine them more minutely, as we
might have ascertained the order of their
architecture, and have given a clue, that
should fix some era to the antiquities of
Be-sitoon, which, up to the present moment,
are matters of doubtful speculation.
Mr. Macdonald Kinneir supposes the word
Be-sitoon to be derived from the Persian

BE-SITOON. 75
negative particle be, and the word sitoon,
signifying no pillars ; but it is possible that
the pillars seen by us, might have given the
name to the city, as Beest-sitoon, signify
twenty pillars : in the same manner the ruins
of Persepolis are caUed Chehel-sitoon, or forty
piUars. We reached our destination at five o'clock
in the afternoon, passed the caravanserai and
viUages, and pitched our tents on the banks of
a riAoilet, at the base of the stupendous rock
of Be-sitoon, which forms an abrupt termina
tion to the mountain chain bounding the val
ley of Kermanshah to the north.
According to Diodorus Siculus, Semiramis,
in her march from Babylon to Ecbatana, the
capital of Media, halted at the foot of a high
mountain called Bagistan,* and there made a
* Dio. Sic. Wess. Lib. i. p. 126. In the Byzantian
History, mention is made of the city as well as of the moun
tain of Bagistana, Baytorava iroKi<; rijg Mtjhai icai opyoQ
BayKTravov. to cQvikov Baytoravoc.
Bagistan is derived from the Persian words lag and
stati, signifying a region of gardens.

76 BE-SITOON.
garden twelve furlongs in circumference,
Avhich was watered by a large fountain. Be-
sitoon will answer in most respects to this
description : it is situated in the direct road
from Babylon to Hamadan, the supposed site
of Ecbatana ; the high mountain of Be-sitoon
wiU correspond with Bagistan, which is de
scribed as seventeen furlongs in height. The
plain is weU capable of cultivation, and is
watered by a stream which issues from the
rock. The same author informs us, that a
piece was cut out of the lower part of the
rock, where Semiramis caused to be sculp
tured her OAvn image, surrounded by a hun
dred of her guards. An immense portion of
the rock has evidently been scarped out, qut,
after the most minute examination, we are
of opinion that no figures can ever have
existed, though this has evidently been the
commencement of some great undertaking.
As Diodorus Siculus did not see the sculp
ture he describes, may it not be possible that

BE-SITOON. 77
it was never farther advanced than the scarp
ed portion of the rock before us? Indeed
scepticism may fairly be aUowed to exist on
any subject concerning Semiramis, when eight
authors, who have written respecting this
famous queen, differ as to the time in which
she hved, upwards of fifteen hundred years.
But, putting the sculpture of Semiramis out
of the question, the works at Be-sitoon bear
marks of the most remote antiquity.
At the foot of the mountain is an extensive
burying-ground, a proof of the former exist
ence of population in this neighbourhood ;
many of the tomb-stones are of Avhite marble,
having inscriptions beautifuUy cut in the Sy-
riac and Cufic characters. We found among
them the fragment of a white marble piUar ;
the shaft appears to have been formed of one
stone ; the base and capital were in different
parts of the burying ground, both richly
sculptured. On the capital is the figure of a
king, in rich robes ; and I would willingly, in

78 CAPITAL OF A PILLAR.
the absence of her hundred guards, have attri
buted this beautiful piUar to Semiramis, who,
according to Isidorus of Charax, erected one
at Bagistan ; but candour obhges me to add,
that from the resemblance of the ornaments
to those on the Tauk Bostaun sculptures, I
cannot fix a more ancient date than the Sas
sanian era.

May 6 — We devoted this day to the exa
mination of the sculptures, commencing from

GREEK INSCRIPTION. 79
the west. The first object that arrested our
attention was a large tablet, with an Arabic
inscription, on the face of the rock, at about
the height of twenty feet. On approaching
this for examination, our interest was strongly
excited by the appearance of two lines in
Greek characters, forming part of an inscrip
tion, which we were mortified to find had
been nearly obhterated to make way for this
modern record, relating to a grant of land to
the neighbouring caravanserai. In the im
perfect record before us, we thought we could
decypher the name of a person called Gotars,
or Gobars, who was probably a Satrap, as that
word twice occurs in the imperfect relic spared
to us by the Arab barbarian. Who this
Satrap was, whose deeds were thought worthy
of such a memorial, it is difficult to deter
mine.

80 GREEK INSCRIPTION.
Quintus Curtivis mentions that a prefect of
Persagada, by name Gobares, delivered up
that city to Alexander the Great.* Had
Gobares been at Bagistan, he might have
helped us out in the apphcation of the in
scription. As a second conjecture I may add, that
among the Kings of Persia I find the name
of the third of the second dynasty of the
Parthian race was Goters : nothing more i^
recorded of him — stat nominis umbra.
Below the inscription, we found the re
mains of a grovip of figures in low rehef : after
repeated examination at different periods of
the day, and avaihng ourselves of the most
favourable hghts, we discovered (what appears
to have escaped the notice of preceding tra-
veUers) a winged female figure, hovering in
the air, in the act of crowning with a wreath
an armed horseman, engaged in fierce contest
* Cyrus Persagadam urbem condiderat, quam Alexandre
prajfectus ejus Gobares tradidit- Q. Curt. Lib. v. cap. 6.

ANCIENT SCULPTURES. 81
with another simUarly accoutred and mounted.
Both have their spears in rest, on the point of
attack. On the left, some animal appears
to be running away. The figures of the bas-
relief were so much in proportion, and the
general outline was so good, that, without
the inscription, I should have attributed the
work to Grecian artists.
Proceeding eastward, we saw in a chasm
of the mountain, at a great height, another
bas-relief; Avhich, from its general resemblance
to the sculptures of Persepolis, may be con
sidered as coeval with those splendid speci
mens of ancient workmanship. This our
guides called the Dervisham (Dervishes), but
were not as usual prepared with a tradition
respecting it : not so a certain French travel
ler, who has pubhshed an account of this
sculpture, and gravely asserts it to represent
our Saviour and the twelve Apostles.
It consists of a group of thirteen figures,
appearing to represent tAvo attendants pre-
VOL. II. G

82 ANCIENT SCULPTURES,
senting ten captives to their king, who is
seated above in robes of state : one prisoner
is lying on his back with his hands raised, in
the act of imploring mercy, Vi^hUe a female
figure, who stands near, is looking with a most
piteous aspect, apparently seconding the sup
phcation of the faUen captive. The general
has his right foot standing on the prisoner's
breast. The remaining nine figures, among
which is the female, have their hands tied he-
hind their backs, and they are fastened by the
necks to each other with a rope. The figures,
at the distance from whence we viewed them,
appeared about two feet high ; the captiA^es
are dressed apparently in the costume of dif
ferent tribes, and the last in the string has the
high Coordish cap. On each side of the
group, and immediately beloAv it, are eight
large compartments, covered with writing in
the Babylonian character, which proves, be
yond the slightest shadow of a doubt, theh
antiquity. Sir Robert Porter thinks that this

ROUTE TOWARDS SAHANAH. 83
bas-relief aUudes to the Babylonish captivity.
But for the female captive, I should be of
the same opinion. In many particulars, the
Scripture account of Esther pleading before
Ahasuerus, in behalf of her Jewish brethren,
is strongly iUustrated in this sculpture.
We started for Sahanah, a distance of six
teen miles, at eight o'clock in the evening.
A quarter of a mile from Be-sitoon, on our
left hand, we saw, by the light of the moon,
some mounds which we were told had been
a field fortification thrown up by Nadir
Shah : the works appeared to be extensive,
but we were too full of ancient rehcs to in
terest ourselves in the works of this modern
conqueror. The road led through a fertile and weU
irrigated vaUey, flooded in many parts from
the overflowings of the water-courses. An
hour after midnight we reached our destina
tion ; and not liking the wretched appearance
G 2

84 SAHANAH.
of the caravanserai, encamped outside the
walls of the town.
Sahanah is situate at the base of one of
the lofty ranges of mountains. As in most
Persian toAvns, its houses are in a dilapidated
state. It is somewhat larger than the gene
rality of those through which we have pass
ed ; and the surrounding gardens give an
agreeable appearance, which does not corre
spond with the actual state of the place.
Curiosity brought numbers of the inhabit
ants round us this morning. They were
inoffensive, and seated themselves in pic
turesque groups in the neighbourhood of
the tents. Like the natives of aU this coun
try, they are professional robbers.
We commenced our march to Concovar,
another sixteen mile stage, at half-past
three in the afternoon ; having been induced
to travel by dayhght, at the suggestion of
the French officers, who had adAdsed us to
reach a narrow defile in the mountains be-

CONCOVAR. 85
fore dark, as it was a place where robbers
were in the habit of issuing forth and at
tacking the caravans. We continued for two
hours traversing a spacious plain, in a S. E.
direction. This brought us to the ascent
of a steep and stony mountain. At six
o'clock, we passed the narrow defile in the
mountains, without an adventure. To judge
from the appearances of the pass, it is weU
adapted for the purposes to which robbers
appropriate it.
After descending for an hour, we entered
a weU-cultivated vaUey ; and, at ten, arrived
at the town of Concovar. By the imper
fect light of the moon, we observed the re
mains of a splendid temple, supposed to
have been dedicated to Diana. Our chief
muleteer, not liking the trouble of unpack-
infif the tents, assured us the caravanserais
were very comfortable ; but, as our ideas of
comfort differed materially from his, we fixed
upon a field near the Governor's house for

86 THE GOVERNOR.
our encampment. We had scarcely begun
to unload our mules, when we received a
peremptory order from the Governor to go
into the town, on account of the robbers ;
though I know not whether his command
proceeded from the fear that we were of the
fraternity, or that he was anxious for our
safety. In this dUemma we produced the
Prince's rukum, and, instead of being obliged
to comply with the injunction, we were fur
nished by the Governor with a guard of
ten men.
We had intended to have resumed our
journey this afternoon, but Baba Khan, the
Governor, sent his Mehmaundaur to say that
he would not aUow us to travel, except by
day, as numerous hordes of banditti infested
the road we were to pass, and that, in com
pliance with the Prince's rukum, he was
obhged to provide for our safety, whether
we liked or not. After breakfast we caUed
upon this personage : he Avas attended by a

VISIT TO THE GOVERNOR. 87
numerous suite, dressed, for the most part,
in the Persian costume ; though we observed
one or two young men whose turbans show
ed they were Turks, detained probably as
pledges for the good behaviour of some of
their relations, who, like the hostages at Ker
manshah, may have sought the precarious
protection, of Persia from the persecution of
their own tyrants.
In the interview with the Governor, we
had no reason to be flattered with the cor
diality of our reception. After coldly bid
ding us welcome, a silence of some minutes
elapsed, unbroken by his attendants; he then
stammered out some common-place compli
ment, and fell to muttering to himself a
string of prayers, it being deemed an act high
ly meritorious for a Mussulman to invoke the
deity in the presence of infidels. We had
neither pipes nor coffee, on account of the
Ramazan ; and we were not sorry to shorten
our visit, after obtaining a promise that a

88 TEMPLE OP DIANA.
person should be sent with us to show us the
temple, and to protect us from insult ; but
as this man never came, we set out accom
panied by two of our own servants.
This temple is of the Doric order of archi
tecture, comprising a square of two hundred
and fifty paces. To the West, the bases
of ten, and a portion of the shafts of eight
piUars remain standing ; these are from six to
seven feet high : the pillars measure from four
feet eight to four feet nine inches in diame
ter, and fourteen feet eleven inches in cir
cumference ; the basement is formed of large
blocks from six to nine feet in length. The
whole building is of greyish white veined
marble ; huge fragments of piUars lay scat
tered in every direction, and the stones seem
marked as if to prevent their being displaced.
The natives, who attribute this temple to the
work of Genii, say that it had once four
hvmdred piUars ; but they have no tradition
that covild lead to its history ; hoAvever, its

ILL-TREATED BY THE POPULACE. 89
name Concovar, or, as it might be pronounced
with equal propriety, Concobar,* is con
clusive evidence, that here is the site of the
ancient town of that name, mentioned by
Isidorus of Charax, and that these are the
ruins of the celebrated temple sacred to
Diana. While we were taking the dimensions
of the temple, a crowd of four or five
hundred people had coUected and began
hooting us ; caUing us dogs, shebres, infi
dels, and many untranslateable epithets of
abuse, in which their language is very copi
ous. Not content with this, they pelted us
with stones, and showed every mark of hosti
lity. Our Turkish attendants, being both
dressed in the garb of then- country, and con
sequently equal objects of hatred with our-
* The b and v in Persian, are constantly used for each
other : one instance will sulfice — the plural of the word
na-eeb, a viceroy, is equally pronounced nu-vaub, and nu-
baub, or, according to our pronunciation, nabob.

90 THE RABBLE DISPERSED.
selves, came in for a share of the attack. These,
not so patient as we were, rushed in amongst
the crowd, and used their large sticks, with
a rancour which a religious difference of
opinion unfortunately but too often gene
rates for ourselves ; we continued our mea
surements, though the counting paces was
occasionally interrupted by fragments of
the temple being unceremoniously roUed at
our feet. On returning to our tents, we
were foUowed by the croAvd, now consi
derably encreased ; when one of the Gover
nor's people came forward, and caUed out to
them to disperse, — an order which was imme
diately obeyed; and a sudden sUence suc
ceeded to the unpleasant discord with which
we had been regaled for the last hour. As aU
our annoyances had arisen from the Gover
nor's not having sent the person he promised,
we intimated to him that we should make a
representation of his conduct to the King,
who he well knew would have been happy for

CONCOVAR. 91
a pretext to extort money. This message
brought his Mehmaundaur, with a submis
sive apology ; so we sent Ijim some tea, for
which he had begged, as an earnest of our
forgiveness, and here the matter ended : we
were assured, however, that the fear of in
juring persons travelling with the Prince's
rukum, alone prevented the inhabitants from
assassinating the whole party.
ConcoA^ar is the frontier town of a tribe,
and forms a kind of head-quarters to one of
the most desperate gangs which infest these
mountains ; so, aU things considered, Ave have
reason to congratulate ourselves on having
got so weU out of the adventure.
May 9. — After aU our troubles in the in
hospitable neighbourhood of Concovar, we
were not sorry to quit the sulky Governor
and his riotous adherents ; but, as every one
here seemed determined to thwart us, we
Avere delayed an hour by the impertinence
of the master of the caravanserai, who re-

92 IMPOSITION RESISTED.
fused to let our mules go tiU we sent him a
present. We once more sent to the Gover
nor, and begged he would send one of his
attendants with our servants, and cause the
master of the caravanserai to be brought
before us and bastinadoed in our presence ;
but this feUow no sooner perceived the Go
vernor's servant, than, as many a man has
done before him, off he scampered, to escape
the fangs of justice.

SADAWAR. 93

CHAPTER IV.
Sadawar — Our Host and his two Wives — Hamadan — A
Chupper, or Courier— Hajee Abbas, the Prince's
Mehmaundaur — Dispensation from the Fast — Ancient
Inscription — Elwund — Morning Visitors — The Prince's
Physician — His Eulogium on Sir John Malcolm — The
Rabbi of the Jews — Chief of the Armenians — A Per
sian in pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone — High re
spect for the English Character.
At seven in the morning we commenced
our march to Sadawar. We first ascended a
stony pass, which led into an extensive plain
of an oval form to the North. We then passed
through one of the numerous viUages which
lie scattered over the valley ; and three hours
from the pass in the mountains, reached the
viUage of Sadawar, seated at the base of the
Elwund mountain, which forms the northern

94 OUR HOST AND HIS TWO WIVES.
boundary of the valley. This vUlage, or
rather town, contains four hundred houses,
and has a governor appointed by the King.
WhUe looking at the Serai, which we found
to be very inconvenient, we accepted the
offer of one of the inhabitants to take up our
quarters with him, and took possession of
the verandah of his house. Our new host
was a man about sixty years of age : he had
two wives — one a comely woman of eighteen
years of age, and the other ten ; they looked
cheerful and contented, and, if we may judge
from the manner in which they performed
their domestic duties, seemed not to regard
the disparity of years between themselves
and their joint husband.
May 10. — We set out this morning at six
for Hamadan, haA'ing a high mouritain to
cross, and a long march before us. In three
quarters of an hour we reached the base of
the Elwund, the Mount Orontes of Dio
dorus Siculus. The ascent, Avhich is very

MOUNT ELWUND. 95
steep and circuitous, occupied an hour, and
proved very distressing to our cattle ; large
masses of snow lay in ravines near the top
in every direction, over which the wind blew
painfully cold. The western face of the
mountain was covered with aromatic shrubs,
which wafted a delightful fragrance through
the air. The descent on the eastern side is
gradual, but the road is much broken by
streams of water supplied by the melting
of the snow. Near the base of the moun
tain we passed a caravanserai ; the centre
was roofed in at the top, different from these
buildings in general, and a very necessary
protection against the severe cold in this
mountainous region during the winter sea
son. Bands of robbers have at different
times occupied the building, and converted
into a place of molestation to the traveUer
what had been built for his protection. We
passed a fountain at the bottom of the pass,
which the muleteer informed us Avas a com-

96 MOUNT ELAVUND.
mon post for robbers to waylay passengers ;
they sometimes coUected together to the
number of thirty or forty, and laid the
largest caravans under contribution. We
had noAv been long accustomed to be in a
state of readiness for attack, and our httle
band preserved as good an order of march as
the nature of its force admitted ; though we
had occasion to regret the loss of our former
inteUigent muleteer, Avho, when any danger
Avas to be apprehended, evinced a foresight
and circumspection that in a great measure
relieved us from the trouble of caution on
our own part. At present, our attention
was constantly employed to prevent the
muleteer from allowing the cattle to stray.
The whole mountain to the summit was
clothed with rich verdure, chiefly aromatic
herbs of great variety, to gather Avhich, peo
ple come from all quarters, and even from
India. We met here two natives of that
country, Avho had travelled thus far to cull

ANCIENT TOMBSTONES. 97
the simples, which they apply to medical
purposes. After descending the mountain, we tra
versed along its base in a S. E. direction,
crossing numerous rills, the waters of which
assist in irrigating the fruitful vaUey of
Hamadan. Immediately on quitting the
precipices of the mountain, we entered upon
well-cultivated land, which extended to the
city. Two miles from Hamadan, we passed
a considerable stream of water, by a neat
stone bridge. Near it were many marble
tombstones, elegantly sculptured in flowers
and inscriptions in the Cufic and Arabic
characters. Hence the road led through
gardens surrounded by waUs, extending to
the town. We had sent a servant in ad
vance with the rukum to the Vizier, and
made the same request as on entering
Kermanshah— to be aUowed to occupy a
garden or empty house within the waUs of
the town. Awaiting his return, we entered
A'OL. II. H

98 HAMADAN.
a garden by the road-side. Numbers of peo
ple were at work in the different fields
around us, chiefly employed in manuring
and dressing the vine. After remaining a
considerable time, we became impatient, and
proceeded onwards.
Fragments of ancient buUdings met our
view as we entered upon the site of the once
renowned capital of Media ; but we felt too
much fatigued, from a long march of eleven
hours, the greater part of the time under the
influence of a burning sun, to bestow much
attention on antiquities. As our servant had
taken a different direction from that by which
we entered, we had to wander about for a con
siderable time without any person to direct
us, and were at the same time obhged to en
counter the impertinent scrutmy of nearly the
whole population, whom curiosity had ga
thered in crowds around us. Our servant at
length returned ; and from him we learned
that, instead of an empty house, Tamas Meer-

THE MEHMAUN KHONEH. 99
za, the Prince of Hamadan, had ordered his
Vizier to have the Mehmaun Khoneh prepar
ed for our reception, and had desired that his
Mehmandaur, Hajee Abbas, should Avait upon
us, to see that we were supplied with whatever
we might require, his Highness wishing
that we should be considered as his guests
during our stay.
Our new quarters are comprised in a build
ing within a large enclosed space, protected
by a square waU, which is flanked at each
angle by protruding bastions ; the interior
of the dwelling is fitted up with nummuds
and carpets, the usual articles of furniture
in a Persian apartment. I must not except
a large chafing-dish, with a sparkling fire, in
the centre of the room, round which Ave were
glad to assemble ; for the evening was as cold
as the day had been hot, and reminded us
that this elevated spot had been selected,
from the coolness of the atmosphere, as the
summer residence of the Assyrian Kings.
H 2

100 CHUPPER, OR COURIER.
Besides our own party, there was another
public guest in the Mehmaun Khonah, Mo
humud Hassan, one of the King's chuppers or
messengers : this man had left Kermanshah
only the morning before, and arrived a short
time before us at this place, — a journey of
one hundred and twenty miles, over a very
mountainous country, on one horse. As there
are no relays, or post-houses, in this part of
the Persian territories, the next morning, he
mounted on the same animal, and resumed his
journey to Teheraun, two hundred mUes dis
tant, expecting to reach it on the second day.
Till within these few years, the only modes
of communication between the capital of Per
sia and her provinces, were either by one of
these mounted couriers, or by cassids, foot-
messengers. A chupper seldom changes his
horse; generally going a steady amble at the
rate of about four or five miles an hour : some
have been known to go from Teheraun to Bu-
shire, a distance of seven hundred miles, in

OUR SEPARATION. 101
the space of ten days. Of late, a post estab
lishment has been formed between Teheraun
and the frontier of Russia; but, like many
other royal establishments, it is farmed out to
some noblemen of the court, and has conse
quently been subject to very great abuses.
As Messrs. Hart and Lamb wished to
continue their journey to Tabriz by the
mountains of Curdistan, and as Mr. Hamilton
and myself were anxious to visit the court of
Persia, we agreed to separate at this place, and
to meet again at Tabriz, whence we thought
to resume our journey together. Leaving
Messrs. Hart and Lamb to make their own
arrangements, Mr. HamUton and myself
availed ourselves of the assistance of Mohu
mud Hassan, and by him dispatched a letter
that had been given us by the Governor of
Bombay to Major Willock, the British
charge-d'affaires, together with a few lines
from ourselves, informing him of our intended
visit to the Capital.

102 HA.JEE ABBAS.
May 11. — It was our intention to have
paid our respects to the Vizier, but he was
unweU ; and as he could not see us himself,
he sent the Mehmaundaur Hajee Abbas with
a message, welcoming us to Hamadan, in the
name of the Prince. We found Hajee Abbas
an agreeable man, and tolerably weU versed
in the literature of his country. Of this he
gave us abundant proofs; for we could scarcely
ask any question, to which Ave did not receive
in answer a quotation of some dozen lines
from Hafiz or Sadi. The Hajee was at this
time suffering from a stomachic complaint,
brought on by an excessive use of opium;
this he felt the more severely on account of
Ramazan, which did not permit him to eat
or drink whUe the sun was above the horizon.
To soften the rigours of fasting, he had been
in the habit of spending the day in bed ; but
he hoped that the English physician would
give him instant relief. Mr. Lamb answer
ed, that a disease of several years' standing

DISPENSATION FROM THE FAST. 103
could not be cured in a day ; and, as prehmi-
nary to recovery, he must not fast so much.
This advice was no sooner given, than off
went the Hajee to order something for din
ner ; first taking the precaution to caU his
servant to witness the agreeable order given
by the Hakeem. The success of Hajee Ab
bas in eluding the law of the Koran, brought
a number of apphcants for medical adAice,
apparently for the sole purpose of procuring
a similar dispensation.
We made an excursion to the Elwund
this afternoon, to see an inscription on
the face of the mountain, an hour's ride
from the town, in a southerly direction,
along a road leading to Kermanshah. The
inscription is cut in a large mass of coarse
grained granite, on the face of the hill to
the West of the road, whence it is visible.
There are two separate tablets, each divided
into three compartments: one containing
twenty, and the other tAventy-one lines of

104 ANCIENT INSCRIPTION.
writing, in the simplest form of the Babylo
nian character. From being in a sheltered
situation, the inscription has undergone little
change from the weather : but we did not
take a copy of it, which wovild have occupied
a considerable time ; understanding from our
guides, that one had been already made by Sir
John Malcolm. This inscription is called by
the natives Gunge Namah, the history of the
treasure which they say is buried near this
spot; but that it wiU never be discovered
tiU some one shall be fortvnate enough to
decypher the mysterious writing. Then, hke
the magic " Sesame," which afforded entrance
to the den of the Forty Thieves, this moun
tain wiU reveal to the translator its hidden
treasures. Our guides informed us, that
there were some remains of an ancient struc
ture on the top of this mountain^ built by a
son of Solomon, who, they say, gave name to
the mountain.
The Orontes is celebrated over all the

ELAVUND, THE ANCIENT ORONTES. 105
East, for its natural as weU as supernatural
properties. Many of the natives told us that
there were several ores of silver and gold
in the mountain, but that no one would take
the trouble to work them, as the produce
of their labours would go either to the
King, or to the Prince Governor of Ha
madan. Its vegetable productions are, as I
said before, so good, that people from every
country come to gather them ; and the be
hef is general here, that there is a certain
grass which has the power of changing
every metal into gold ; added to which,
this mountain is supposed to contain that
long sought object of cupidity, the philo
sopher's stone.
May 12. — AU our morning Avas occupied
in receiving visitors. Amongst them was the
Prince's physician, a respectable-looking old
man, of very amiable manners, possessing a
degree of liberality of opinion and general
information rarelv to be met Avith in one

106 THE prince's physician.
of the shallow pretenders to medicine in this
country. His visit was principaUy directed
to Mr. Lamb, whose fame as a physician
had travelled before him to this place. Our
visitor sat with us nearly the whole morn
ing ; but he was so intelligent and entertain
ing, that we could not find fault with the
length of his stay. As a proof of his mo
desty, he acknowledged the superiority of
European medical knowledge, by consulting
Mr. Lamb on the state of his own health,
and by receiving medicine from him ; but
Avhat pleased us most, was the honourable
mention he made of Sir John Malcolm, with
whom he appears to have been well ac
quainted ; and our national vanity Avas much
gratified by the admiration he professed for
our highly gifted countryman.
Perhaps no man ever employed on a
foreign mission has done more to exalt the
character of his country than has this dis
tinguished individual. The name of Mai-

a .JEWISH RABBI. 107
colm is famUiar to every one in the countries
through Avhich he has traveUed, and aU per
sons express the same vinbounded respect for
his talents and character ; his name, indeed,
secures kindness for his countrymen through
out Persia.
In the course of the morning a Rabbi of
the Jews came to pay us a visit. From him
we heard a most affecting detaU of the per
secution exercised by the Mahometans to
wards his unhappy people : the whole tenor
of his language was that of bitter lamenta
tion ; and he spoke of their suffering with a
degree of freedom, before the Mussulman doc
tor, that despair only could have dictated.
It is not, said he, of the oppression of one
tyrant alone that we complain ; for we are
subject not only to the iron grasp of the go
vernment, but, on account of our religious
tenets, are exposed to the avarice and cruelty
of every petty professor of authority.
The Rabbi informed us that the num-

108 ecbatana.
ber of his people amounted to four hun
dred houses. The tombs of Mordecai
and Esther are cherished here, amidst their
misery ; and the expectation of the promised
Messiah is the hope that enables them to
sustain the load of oppression which Avould
be otherwise insupportable.
Every circumstance connected with the
state of the Jews of this place is of impor
tant interest. Ecbatana is mentioned in
Scripture as one of the cities in which the
Jews were placed at the time of the capti
vity, and it is possible that the present inha
bitants may be the descendants of the tribe
who occupied the city under the Babylonian
yoke. While our interest was strongly excited
by this account of a scattered remnant of
Israel, the chief of the Armenians came
with an offering of two large flasks of wine,
which this Eastern Christian had brought to
ensure a favourable reception from his more

THE philosopher's STONE. 109
fortunate brethren. His detail was equally
affecting with that of the Rabbi ; here the
unbelieving Jew and Christian dog are alike
subject to the oppression of the intolerant
Mussulman. Our next visitor was a native of rank,
who had expended the greater part of his
fortune in search of the philosopher's stone :
the ill- success he had hitherto met with, so
far from discouraging him in his pursuit,
seemed only to have encreased his ardour.
The object of his present visit was to consult
Mr. Lamb, whom he believed to be in pos
session of the secret. He entertained this
opinion, in consequence of being told by
some one who had been with us, that the
learned Englishman was examining stones,
and subjecting them to a chemical process.
This was true enough ; Mr. Lamb being a
geologist had been so employed, and the
stones and chemical tests lying still upon
the table served thoroughly to confhni

110 THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE.
our visitor in this conviction, which no assu
rances we could at first give had the power
of removing. Finding Mr. Lamb what he
deemed obdurate in withholding the desired
information, he seized a bottle of acid, with
which he had seen him produce effervescence
with limestone ; and thinking this phial
would open to him the wished-for treasure,
implored in the most piteous accent that it
might be given him.
We gathered from his conversation, that
he had been made the dupe of one of those
artful impostors common in this country,
who go about preying on the credulity and
weakness of those whose avarice make them
easy victims. We informed him that many
years ago, the principal philosophers of Eu
rope had been engaged in this visionary pur
suit, which had now for upwards of a cen
tury been abandoned, from a conviction of
its being unattainable ; and we strongly ad
vised him, on the next visit he received from

POPULAR PREJUDICES. Ill
his phUosopher, to satisfy all further de
mands by a vigorous application of the bas
tinado. After an hour's conversation we
appeared to have succeeded in somewhat
staggering his behef j and his countenance
on leaving us conveyed the impression that
he would attend to our suggestion.
The belief, universally entertained through-
out the East, in the existence of hidden trea
sures, and that Europeans possess the know
ledge of discovering them, renders the inha
bitants exceedingly jealous of our exploring
ancient ruins, as they cannot comprehend
any other object we can have in the pursuit
than that of wishing to carry off these secret
stores of wealth. Some also entertain a con
viction, that there are magic qualities ex
isting in ancient relics, which we have the
power of converting to use ; and the high
price we frequently give for objects of this
description serves to countenance their opi
nion.

112 PERSIAN MONEY CHANGER.
May IS. — We had a curious proof this
morning of the respect in which the Eng
lish character is held in this country. Mr.
Lamb, wishing to draw a biU upon Bagdad
for the sum of one hundred tomauns, for our
common expenditure, sent a servant into the
town to know whether any of the shraufs
(merchants) would be wUling to give him
money for it. After a short time, a miserable
half-starved looking Avretch made his appear
ance, and said he should be wiUing to advance
us any sum we might reqviire : at first we
were inclined to laugh at his proposal, think
ing, from his appearance and garb, that he was
more like an object of charity than a lender
of money. He soon undeceived us ; for dis
encumbering himself of a few of his rags, he
unstrapped from his body a black leathern
belt, and having cut it open, counted out the
hundred tomauns in gold. Mr. Lamb AATote a
draft, in English, upon a merchant in Bagdad,
which this man took in lieu of his money.

ENGLISH REPUTATION. 113
contenting himself with merely asking the
name of the merchant on whom the biU was
draAATi, and declaring himself to be the party
obliged ; " for," said he, " if I am robbed, I
shaU at least be spared this piece of paper."
While we were Avondering both at his abUity
to serve us, and his confidence in our honesty
(for we could easUy have deceived him), he
said he had had too many proofs of Enghsh
probity to entertain any alarm on that head.
" The Feringhees (Franks) are not so worthy
of being trusted, but the Ingreez (English
men) have never been known to deceive."
This circumstance reflects not a httle on
the general good conduct of our countrymen
in Persia ; for in this, as weU as in many other
examples, it might be shown that it is to Eng
lishmen only that this confidence is extended.
Of the Feringhees, as it is their custom to dis
tinguish other Europeans from us the In-
green, they are as distrustful as they are of each
other. Why we should have so exceUent a
VOL. II. I

114 AMERICAN REPUTATION.
character, I know not, though I have heard
it somewhat oddly accounted for. It is said,
that some time ago, an American vessel, in
a trading voyage up the Red Sea, bought a
considerable quantity of coffee, and paid for
it in Spanish doUars, but the ship had not
long sailed, when it was discovered that the
money was counterfeit, and the merchants,
in their indignation, vowed they would have
no dealings with the Enghsh, for (as these
sailors spoke our language) such they sup
posed them to be. Some one said that they
were not Enghsh, but Feringhee dooneaine
noo, " Franks of the New World," by which
name the Americans are designated in
these countries. As the mart where this
transaction occurred, was on the road to
Mecca, the story rapidly spread, and nume
rous pUgrims, on their return home, were
of course glad to promulgate any story
detrimental to the Christian character. It is
not to be supposed that our countrymen are

A CASSID. 115
always immaculate ; but now, if an Eng-
¦lishman misbehaves, he is not designated
a native of England, but a " Frank of the
New World." This is rather hard upon
Brother .Jonathan, who is to the fuU as
honest as John Bull ; but, as in many other
cases, the roguery of an individual is often
times felt by a multitude.
I have, in a preceding page, brought a
Chupper or mounted messenger to notice. I
now beg to introduce this money-changer,
Ishmael by name, as a Cassid, or foot mes
senger, showing the other channel through
which the inhabitants of one city communi
cate with another. Ishmael was at this time
on his way from Teheraun to Bagdad, having
business to transact at Hamadan and Ker
manshah, with probably nearly all the mer
chants of these cities.

I 2

116 DEPARTURE FOR TEHERAUN.

CHAPTER V.
Departure for Teheraun — The Prince's arrival prevented
by the Astrologers — The March of Alexander — Our
Persian Costume — Advice to Travellers — Beebee Ru
baut — Fatiguing March to Kujur Minar — Plain of
Rubaut — Rubaut Kereem — Bukhtiari Banditti — Arri
val at Teheraun — Persian Bath — Dyeing beards — Ni-
gauristoon — Persian Flowers — Rhages — Visit Meerza
Abool Hassan Khan — Kissera Kajar — Levee of the
' Ameen ed Dowlah — The Palace — Court Dress — The
Prince Governor of Teheraun — Presentation to the
King — Bastinado.
Mr. Hamilton and myself had been
waiting for some days past for a rukum,
before we commenced our march to Tehe
raun ; but the vizier informed us that it

INFLUENCE OF ASTROLOGERS. 117
could not be granted tiU the return of Tamas
Meerza, as his royal signet was necessary to
the document. The Prince's arrival had
been daUy expected, and our patience was
nearly exhausted, when we heard that his
Highness had been on the eve of setting out
for Hamadan, but had been prevented by
the astrologers telling him that some misfor
tune would befall him, if he returned to his
capital till after the Ramazan. This intelli
gence decided our movements. Being too
much pressed for time to be influenced by
the stars, we set out at an early hour this
morning for the capital.
According to Arrian, Alexander the Great,
having failed in overtaking Darius at Ec
batana, continued the pursuit to Rhaga2,
at which city, after many difficulties, he ar
rived on the eleventh day. If, as is gene
raUy believed, Hamadan is the site of Ecba
tana, we must have pursued the same, or a

118 MODE OF TRAVELLING.
parallel route with Alexander ; as the ruins
of RhagEe are only three miles distant from
Teheraun. Having now had some experience in the
Eastern mode of travelling, and expedition
being the order of the day, we disburdened
ourselves of every superfluous article, and
sallied forth, equipped in light marching
order. Leaving our tents behind us, and our
heavy baggage with our friends, who Avere to
travel more at their leisure to Tabriz, we
reserved to ourselves six changes of hnen,
and our fuU uniforms. Instead of a number
of mules, which had always occupied an
hour on every day's journey in the lading,
we had each our own two horses, one for
riding, and the other for baggage, on the top
of which a servant rode.
Up to this time we had always appeared
in the honourable garb of British soldiers, of
which we were sufficiently proud not to

HINTS RESPECTING DRESS. 119 •
wish a change ; but, to avoid a recurrence of
such an adventure as that at Concobar, Ave
thought it expedient to adopt the Persian
dress : not as a disguise, but because we
thought that it was not so much to our
selves as Europeans, as to the singularity of
our costume, that the impertinence and
importunity of the mob had been generaUy
directed. The British officers at Tabriz advise tra
vellers to wear the English dress. It is cer
tainly best for the direct road through Persia,
where it is known and respected ; but the
dress of the country is strongly recommend
ed to any one pursuing our less frequented
route. Our head-dress was a black sheep-skin cap,
pinched into a peak behind, and fitting the
head rather closely before. A pale blue gown,
which extended to the calf of the leg, was
neatly crimped, and decorated with innu
merable httle sugar-loaf buttons doAvn each

120 PERSIAN COSTUME.
side of the chest, . and from the elbow to
the wrist. This gown was open in many
parts, and discovered beneath it, what I fear
must be called a petticoat, ornamented with
a pine-apple pattern on a bright purple
ground ; over this was bound loosely round
the waist a scarlet shawl. A capacious pair
of silk troAvsers, of a pale pink, covered the
lower extremities. It is hoped that scarlet
Hessian boots, in size equal to those in
which Hogarth has drawn Hudibras, sabres
by our sides, our pistols and dagger in our
girdles, and our formidable mustaches, wiU
in some degree redeem the effeminacy of
our garb.
After quitting the town we, traversed the
fertile vaUey of Hamadan, and passed over a
low mountain, on the brow of which wUd
flowers of every hue combined their fragrance
Avith innumerable aromatic shrubs. We then
came into a spacious plain, and foUowed the

THE SAHARAUB. 121
most beaten track till the road diverged into
several branches. Being; without a guide, we
took the path which appeared to lead to a
large town. Here we thought we could
distinctly see the trees, the domes of the
mosques, and the bastions of the walls ; but
after proceeding in the same direction for
nearly three miles, it vanished, and we now
discovered that we had been led astray by
that curious optical delusion so common in
the East, called the Saharaub, literaUy,
" water of the desert." We were the
more surprised at being deceived by this
phenomenon, as from the day we landed
we had been daily witnesses to its curious
properties. At one in the afternoon, we arrived at
Beebee Rubaut, a smaU untenanted viUage.
We had intended, after a few hours' rest, to
have proceeded onwards, but were dissuaded
by one of the King's Shatirs (footmen), who
with three other servants were proceeding to

122 PROGRESS TO KUJAR MINAR,
Teheraun the next day. As not one of our
party had ever been this road, which was
described as very intricate, we put ourselves
under the convoy of these men, and agreed
to accompany them the next morning.
May 15.— This stage, which could not
have been less than sixty mUes, was the
most painful, and the least interesting, we
had yet made. We commenced our march
at the rising, and finished it at the setting
of the sun, having had the fuU benefit of
its scorching rays, which became every mo
ment more intense as the snow-capped moun
tains of Hamadan receded from our view.
Our road lay either through sterUe and de
solate mountains, or stony valleys formed
by the beds of torrents. With the excep
tion of a miserable viUage twelve miles from
Beebee Rubaut, where we breakfasted, we
did not see a single building : not a traveUer
passed to diversify the dull uniformity of the
scene; and we reached Kujur Minar, our

AND TO CHUMMURUM, 123
destination, so dispirited and feverish, that
though our lodging was good, and our
dinner tolerable, we could scarcely eat or
sleep. May 16.-— After a few hours of imperfect
rest, we started at three in the morning for
the vUlage of Chummurum, distant twenty
miles. For the first six hours we traversed
a country of the same appearance as that
of yesterday : at nine Ave crossed a fordable
river, which divides the districts of Hama
dan and Teheraun, and entered upon a
fruitful and well cultivated A^aUey, the
banks of the stream being strongly con
trasted with that we had just quitted.
Except in spots where extensive crops were
growing, the whole valley looked like one
vast meadow. There was also an appear
ance of extensive population, as numerous
viUages seemed to deck the plain : but this
in Persia is an " optical delusion,'" as com
mon as the Saharaub; for on our nearer

124 JOURNEY TO ZERUN.
approach we found they were the ruins of
deserted villages.
Leaning our backs against one of the
waUs, as a protection against the heat of
the sun, we .made a hasty breakfast, and,
resuming our march, reached Chummurum
at mid-day.
May 17. — At three A. m. we started for
Zerun, a long march of fifty-two miles.
The morning Avas very dark ; and after
wandering an hour, we had the bad for
tune to lose our way : chance directed us
to a village, Avhere we procured a guide,
and were led through a narrow pass of the
mountains into the direct road.
The pasture with which these wild moun
tains are somewhat sparingly covered, afforded
subsistence to numbers of the King's camels,
on the ungraceful forms of which, in the ab
sence of all other living creatures, we gazed
with satisfaction.
We continued winding through successive

PLAIN OF RUBAUT. 125
ranges of hiUs tiU we came on to the spa
cious plain of Rubaut. It appears to be
about forty miles in length, and twelve or
fourteen in breadth. Hence we could discern
the mountains immediately behind Tehe
raun. Half way across this plain stood the village
of Zerun, where a small narrow apartment
was allotted for our accommodation. On
the ceihng of our new dwelhng was a cir
cular hole, which, though intended only for
the admission of light and air, did not
exempt rain : of this we became aAvare
in the middle of the night, being awoke
by a smart shower, which, before we could
make our escape, had completely drenched
us to the skin.
May 18. — We resumed our march over
the plain at five in the morning; and saAv at
some distance a smaU palace, to which the
King goes every winter for the pleasures
of the chase : here antelopes and various

126 ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
other kinds of game, are said to be very
abundant. We halted half an hour on the plain to
enable our Persian fellow-traveUers to eat
their breakfast ; but as no water was procur
able, we deferred our own meal till we arrived
at our stage : indeed, we acted thus on the
whole march from Hamadan to Teheraun.
The scarcity of water here brings to mind
the anecdote related by Plutarch of Alex
ander the Great, while on the same road : —
Being one day overcome with heat and
thirst, he met some Macedonians carrying
water on mules in sheep-skins for their
children. These men, on witnessing the ex
hausted appearance of the king, fiUed a
helmet with water, and brought it to him to
drink ; but he, observing the eager looks with
which his soldiers regarded the Avater, re
turned it to the Macedonians, and by this act
so captivated his followers, that they said
they were neither tired nor thirsty, and con-

BUKHTIARI BANDITTI. 127
sidered themselves immortal, whilst they had
such a man for a king.
Four miles from Rubaut Kereem, we
passed a succession of hiUocks, which were
pointed out to us as being much infested with
banditti of the Bukhtiari tribe. We arrived
at the town at one o'clock, and, being now
only twenty-four miles from Teheraun, des
patched a villager forward to give Major
WiUock notice of our arrival.
May 19. — An hour after midnight we re
mounted our horses, being anxious to con
clude this Avretched journey. Six mUes from
Rubaut Kereem, the Shatir pointed out to
us several viUages, a short distance from the
road, as being entirely inhabited by Bukh
tiari banditti ; but we saw none of them, nor,
indeed, any one else on this solitary road.
The sun rose in fiery splendour over the
mountains of Teheraun, but the city itself is
in so low a situation, that we could not dis
tinguish it tiU we were not more than two

128 HUMMAUM, OR BATH.
mUes distant. Here we were met by Major
WiUock and Dr. Macneil, who, being dressed
in the English fashion, made us feel ashamed
of our foreign disguise. We were conducted
by our countrymen to the Enghsh residency,
and by their care and attentions soon lost
the unpleasant recoUection of our miserable
march. In the afternoon we went to the Hum-
mavim. In addition to the usual process of
an eastern bath, the barber had dyed my
mustaches before I was aware of his inten
tion. GeneraUy speaking, there are two sorts
of dye used ; they are made vlp in the form of
a paste : one is henna, the other indigo. If
the hair is dark, the henna is first put on,
which turns the hair quite red. When dry
this is washed off, indigo is substituted, and
a jet black is soon produced. As my hair
was light, the indigo only was used. This
being the first time of wearing a dye, the
skin became slightly affected, but it soon

GARDEN OF PICTURES. 129
recovered. In the course of a few hours, my
mustaches, after undergoing the alarming
transitions from green to purple, settled at
last into a fine auburn.
We employed the ten days of our stay at
Teheraun in visiting every thing remark
able in and about the city. On the 21st,
Major Willock took us to see one of the
King's palaces, caUed Nigauristoon, or Gar
den of Pictures. It is an oblong enclosure,
containing three summer-houses. In the up
permost of these, at the top of the room, are
painted on the waU fresco portraits of the
King and several of his sons. His Majesty is
seated on his throne, and the princes stand
beside him. The sides of the apartment are
decorated with the figures of aU the ambassa
dors that have at different periods appeared
at the Persian court. To these the king is
(with a poetic licence) supposed to be giving
audience at the same time. On one side of
the waU this motley assemblage is headed
A'^OL, II. K

130 GARDEN OF PICTURES.
by the three English ambassadors. Sir John
Malcolm, Sir Gore Ouseley, and Sir Harford
Jones. On the other, for the sake of uni
formity, there are three French ambassadors,
though only one ever came to Persia. The
European portraits, as may be supposed, are
complete caricatures, but in the dehneation
of Asiatic dresses and features, the artist has
been more successful. The other summer-
houses are hardly worthy of notice : though
newly erected, they have the usual Persian
marks of dirt and decay. A stream of water,
running in a channel of masonry, supphes a
jet-d'eau in the centre buUding. On each
side of the garden are a few formal rows of
poplar; behind them are some cypress and
some fruit-trees. There are also a variety of
shrubs, some flowers, and no scarcity of
weeds. It is let by the King for two hun
dred tomauns a-year, to one of the courtiers ;
who is obliged to keep it in repair. As the
tenant has no taste either for beauty or neat-

PERSIAN FLOWERS. 131
ness, he sows that which will yield him most
profit : a clover-stubble marks his last crop.
Notwithstanding their poetic admiration
of flowers, the Persians treat them with much
neglect ; stiU there are many which are beau
tiful and weU worthy of notice. I am no
botanist, so I must content myself with men
tioning those which attracted my attention.
The most remarkable in appearance is a large
rose-tree, caUed the Nasteraun : it grows
to the height of twenty feet ; the trunk
is nearly two feet in circumference; the
flower, though larger, resembles the English
hedge-rose, and has five leaves ; the calix is
in the form of a bell. The leaf of the tree
is small, smooth, and shining. The branches
droop gracefully to the ground, and the
flowers are so abundant as completely to
conceal the stem of the tree. Numbers of
this species are to be seen in every garden in
Teheraun. The next is the Durukhti Ubrishoom, a
K 2

132 PERSIAN FLOWERS.
species of Mimosa, resembling the Arborea
of that genus. It droops like the wiUow;
the flower has silky fibres, of a delicate pink
colour, and would resemble a swansdown
puff, tinged Avith rouge. It sends forth a
most fragrant perfume, and its name, " Du
rukhti Ubrishoom," the Silk-tree,— bespeaks
its appearance. This flower thrives in Tehe
raun in the open air ; the thermometer
ranging between 16" and 110°, Farenheit;
but it does not succeed so AveU at Tabriz,
where the temperature is colder and more
variable. It grows wild in the forests bor
dering on the Caspian Sea. There is one
in the garden of the Prince Royal at Tabriz,
and another in possession of the English
officers resident there, who are obhged to
protect it from the winter cold.
The Zunjeed is also a species of wiUow.
The leaves are of a silvery hue, and the
flowers, which are of a deep scarlet, send
forth a most delicious perfume. When in

CITY OF RHAGES. 133
blossom, the Zunjeed is viewed with a jea
lous eye by the Persians, from the belief
that it has a strong tendency to excite the
passions of the females. The Persian who
was describing the curious properties of this
tree, told me that twelve fursungs north of
Teheraun, the men lock up their women
while the floAver is in blow.
May 22. — Five miles south of Teheraun
are the ruins of the ancient City of Rhages,
mentioned in the book of Tobit, as also by
Arrian and Diodorus Siculus. To this city
Alexander came in pursuit of the unfortu
nate Darius, and halted here five days pre
vious to his expedition into Parthia.
Rhages continued to flourish till the time
of Jenghiz Khan, whose general destroyed
it, and Teheraun, the modern capital, arose
from out of its ruins. It has met with the
usual fate of old brick buildings; it has
crumbled into dust, and a few shapeless
heaps are nearly aU the memorials of this

134 MEERZA ABOOL HASSAN KHAN.
once populous city. I should except a
weU-built tower, which I had not time to
examine, and the commencement of a bas-
relief cut in the rock, representing two
warriors in the act of combat.
May 23. — We accompanied Major WU-
lock this morning on a visit to Meerza
Abool Hassan Khan, the late Persian Am
bassador to the English Court. This gentle
man is more portly than he was in London,
and may be said to have grown fat on the
pension which the India Company has granted
him — for what services the Meerza probably
knows as little as any one else ; for, if com
mon report be true, there are few men more
hostile to our interests than himself. Not
withstanding all this, he is a very agree
able companion, and received us Avith much
pohteness. After smoking a pipe in the common hall
of audience, the Meerza conducted us into
one of the rooms of his haram. The women

KISSERA KAJAR. 135
had been prcAdoiisly warned to withdraw
themselves ; but whether by accident or
from design, one or two lingered so long
that we had a good view of their faces.
They wore large turbans, and one of them
seemed a pretty girl. The room Ave now
entered partook of the European and Asiatic
styles. The walls were hung with prints,
which, for the honour of my own country,
I am glad to say were not English. If the
Meerza speak true, he has not been unsuc
cessful with the English ladies ; if not, then-
civihties to him have been shamefuUy misin
terpreted. Our next visit was to the Kissera Kajar,
the Palace of the Kajar or Royal Tribe of
Persia. It stands two miles north-east of
the town. When viewed from a distance,
it has the appearance of a buUding several
stories high ; on approaching nearer, it
proves to be a succession of terraces, built
on the slope of a mountain. It is in-

136 KISSERA KAJAR.
tended for a summer retreat, and is tra
versed in all directions by streams of water,
which render it cool and pleasant. On the
fifth terrace, we enter upon the principal
part of the building : here are several pic
tures, some representing the ancient Kings
of Persia, and all executed in a style greatly
superior to any other specimens of the art I
saw in this country. On the summit of the
palace is a small but beautiful chamber ; the
windows and doors are inlaid with ebony and
ivory, describing Persian characters : there
are also several fine samples of Mosaic work,
and some curious enamel paintings. The
female apartments comprise a succession of
smaU chambers, twelve or fourteen feet
square : in each of these is a high wooden
bedstead, occupying nearly the whole space,
and said to contain a family : if so, the ladies
of the royal haram must be stowed almost as
close as negroes on board a slave-ship. The
walls are whitewashed, but in a dhty state :

ATISIT TO THE MINISTER. 137
they are without decoration, if I except the
poetical effusions of their fair inmates, whose
writings may be traced in every apartment.
At ten at night. Major WUlock, Dr. Mac
neil, Meerza Abool Hassan Khan, Mr. Ha
milton, and myself, attended the public levee
of the Ameen ed Dowlah, Lord Treasurer,
who performed the duties of Prince Vizier,
that office being vacant. The reception-
room was spacious and unadorned. The
minister, who was seated in a corner, rose
to bid us welcome ; a comphment he does
not pay to his own countrymen. The
visitors all sate with their backs to the
wall : four or five thick candles in low
tin candlesticks stood in the middle of the
room : several Meerzas (Secretaries) were
seated in a semicircle opposite the minis
ter, and upon papers held in the palm of
the left hand were Avriting from his dicta
tion. The company in general had no
particular business ; those who had, went

138 VISIT TO THE MINISTER.
up by turns to the minister, made their
statement in a whisper, and retired with a
low bow. Servants came in at intervals
with culaoons, which were rapidly passed
from mouth to mouth. Every person in
this assembly sate according to his rank.
On our arriving, a place was immediately
given to us near the minister : in other
parts of the room such a concession was
not so wiUingly made, and an amusing
struggle for precedence ensued at the
arrival of every new comer, who was ex
cluded from a seat tiU the humUity or
good-humour of some one made room for
him. As soon as we had settled the ob
ject of our visit, — a presentation to the
King, which was fixed for twelve o'clock
on the day after, we made our bows to the
minister and retired.
May 26. — At twelve o'clock Ave accom
panied Major WiUock to the palace; but
by mistake his Majesty was not apprised of
our arrival tiU it was too late ; so he sent a

DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE. 139
message to desire our attendance at four in
the afternoon. We saw here several cour
tiers retiring from the daily levee, at which
the King, whether in sickness or in health, is
obhged to be present, — one of the taxes le
vied upon despotic power.
The court-dress is simple, but rich ; the
common sheep-skin cap is covered with a
superb Cachemire shawl. Over the homely
cotton gown, ordinarUy worn by all ranks, is
a scarlet cloth robe : a pair of boots of the
same materials completes the costume.
We spent an hour in examining the pa
lace. The outward gate opens into a spacious
court-yard, in which are several cannons of
various dimensions. In the centre is a large
gun, which was taken from Lootf Ali Khan,
the last Persian king of the Zund famUy.
Over each of the four gateways is a large
drawing formed of glazed tUes, and executed
in a truly grotesque manner. In one of these,
Rustam, the Persian Hercules, is engaged
in fierce contest with the Deevee Safeed,

140 DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE.
the celebrated White Demon of Ferdousi's
poem. This court leads to a second. In the
centre of this is a piece of water surrounded
by poplars. The Dewan Khoneh is at the
further end. In this chamber is a large
marble throne, on which his Majesty sits on
extraordinary occasions. The waUs and
wainscoting are of the finest mosaic. There
is a great profusion of ornamental glass of aU
colours, describing flowers. The ceiling of
this room is a succession of looking-glasses
divided by flowered ornaments. In every
recess or panel there is some picture : in
one is a hunting piece, in another a battle,
in others portraits of the King. I was much
amused at the style of some of the smaUer
paintings. One professes to represent Nadir
Shah returning the crown to the Indian
king, after having wrested it from him ;
the right hand of Nadir grasps the club
of state, the left rests on the crown ; but

ALI KHAN MEERZA. 141
SO fierce is the expression of the conqueror,
and so peculiar his attitude, that it seems as
if he intended to knock down the Indian
monarch. A second exhibits Noorsheer-
van giving avidience to the Grand Signior,
the artist forgetting that the Persian mo
narch, having died before IVIahomet, could
not have been a contemporary with one of
his successors. In a third picture we have
Iskunder (Alexander the Great) listening to
the discourse of Ufflatoon and Aristo (Plato
and Aristotle). The Macedonian hero is
dressed in the modern Persian fashion, and
the two great philosophers are habited like
common dervishes.
In the course of the morning we paid our
respects to Ali Khan Meerza, a favourite
son of the king's, governor of Teheraun, and
designated by the title of Zilli Sultan,
(ShadoAV of the Sultan,) as the king is called
ZU lUah, (the Shadow of God). This prince
is born of the same mother as Abbas INIeerza,

142 ALI KHAN MEERZA.
with whom it is thought, after the death of
the King, he wiU have a contest for the
crown. His Highness is very handsome, and
very vain. We made a profound bow on
entering, and were graciously invited to sit
down, an honour granted to no Persians
except princes of the blood. Five of these
were present at our visit. One, a boy about
ten years old, was dressed in a gown of hght
blue cloth richly embroidered, and was the
handsomest lad I ever saw. In fact, the
present royal tribe of Persia is unrivaUed
in pei-sonal beauty. Ah Khan Meerza had
several trinkets by him — a string of beads,
and a small crutch to support him in a sitting
jposture; but what seemed to give him most
satisfaction was a hand mirror, at which, ever
and anon, he gazed with much complacency.
At the appointed hour, Meerza Abool
Hassan Khan, Major Willock, Mr. HamU
ton, and myself, set out for our intervieAV
with his Majesty. The Persian was in his

PRESENTATION TO THE KING. 143
court-dress, we were in full uniform ; and we
all wore green slippers, and the court boots
of red cloth, without which no one can ap
proach His Majesty.
The King received us in a small palace in
the middle of a garden, called the Gulestan
— Rose Garden. When arrived at the top of
the avenue which led to it, we imitated the
motions of the Meerza, and bowed several
times, our hands touching our knees at each
reverence. We had, at this time, a good
side-view of the King, who, apparently from
estabhshed etiquette, took no notice of us.
We repeated our bows at intervals. When
within twenty yards of the palace, we left
our slippers behind us, and the King, turning
towards us for the fhst time, caUed out, " Bee-
avi-bala" — Ascend. A narrow flight of steps
brought us to the presence-chamber. It is
an elegant apartment, open at two opposite
sides, where it is supported by spiral piUars
painted white and red ; a large carpet is

144 INTERVIEAV AVITH THE KING.
spread on the floor ; the walls and ceUing are
completely covered with looking-glass. One
or tAvo European clocks stand in different
parts of the room ; but the accumulation of
dust upon them shows that they are consi
dered useless lumber.
On entering this chamber, we walked side
ways to the most remote corner from that
which the King occupied. After the usual
compliments of welcome. His Majesty asked
several questions respecting our journey, and
surprised us not a little at his geographical
knowledge, both with regard to the country
we had quitted, and that Avhich we purposed
to visit. The audience lasted twenty mi
nutes ; his Majesty was in high good-hu
mour, and conversed with unaffected ease on
a variety of subjects. The titles used at the in
terview were " Kubla-hi-Aulim and Shah-in-
Shahi"^ — Attraction of the World, and King
of Kings. He was seated on his heels on
some doubled nummuds, the Persians prid-

INTERA^IEAV WITH THE KING. 145
ing themselves on this hard seat, in contra
distinction to their enemies the Turks, whom
they charge with effeminacy for their use of
cushions. The King had a variety of toys, which
gave employment to his hands, and assisted
his gestures in conversation, One of these
trinkets was a Chinese ivory hand at the end
of a thin stick, called by us in India a scratch-
back, a name which faithfuUy denotes its
office : another was a crutch, three feet long,
the shaft of ebony, and the head of crystal.
His Majesty has the appearance of a younger
man than he really is, but his voice, which
is hollow from the loss of teeth, is a better
indication of his age. I should have known
him from his strong resemblance to the
prints I had seen of him in London. I
think, however, they hardly do justice to his
beard, which is so large that it conceals aU the
face but the forehead and eyes, and extends
down to the girdle. He Avas very plainly
A'OL. II. L

146 DRESS OF THE PERSIANS.
dressed, wearing a cotton gown of a dark
colour, and the common sheep-skin cap. In
his girdle was a dagger, superbly studded
with jewels of an extraordinary size.
The dress of the modern Persian has un
dergone so complete a change, that much
resemblance to the ancient costume is not to
be expected ; stiU there are some marks of
decoration, which remind one of the ancient
monarchs. The eyelids of the king, stained
with surmeh, brovight to our recoUection the
surprise of the young and hardy Cyrus,
when he viewed for the first time a similar
embeUishment in his effeminate uncle, Asty-
ages; and in that extraordinary chapter of
Ezekiel, wherein Jerusalem is reproached for
her imitation of Babylonian manners, the
prophet alludes to this custom, when he
says, " Thou paintedst thine eyes." *
A bracelet, consisting of a ruby and
* Ez. xxiii. 40.

THE BASTINADO. 147
emerald, worn by the king on his arm, is
a mark of ancient sovereignty. It wiU be
recollected that the Amalekites brought
David the bracelet found on Saul's arm, as a
proof of his rank ; and Herodotus mentions a
bracelet of gold as a present from Cambyses,
King of Persia, to the King of Ethiopia.
I must not omit the mention of a cir
cumstance connected with our interview,
as it iUustrates a piece of etiquette at the
court of a despotic monarch. A few mi
nutes before we were presented, we observed
two men carrying a long pole and a bundle
of sticks towards the audience chamber.
Curiosity led us to ask the Meerza what was
the meaning of this. " That machine," said
he, " is the bastinado ; it is for you, if you
misbehave. Those men are carrying it to
the King, who never grants a private au
dience Avithout having it by him, in case of
accidents." The pole we saw was about
eight feet long : Avhen , the punishment is
L 2

148 THE BASTINADO.
inflicted, the cvdprit is thrown on his back,
his feet are secured by cords bound round
the ankles, and made fast to the pole with
the soles uppermost ; the pole is held by a
man at both ends, and two men, one on each
side, armed with sticks, strike Avith such
force that the toe-naUs frequently drop off.
This punishment is infhcted by order of the
King upon men of the highest rank, gene
raUy for the purpose of extorting money.
If Persia was not so fond of Ulustrating the
use of this emblem of power, she would have
as much right to the " Bastinado," as we
have to the « Black Rod."

PALACE OF ALI KHAN MEERZA. 149

CHAPTER VI.
Summer Palace of Ali Khan Meerza — Gypsies — Sooli-
manea, Sougherabad, and Sufur Khojah — Casbin —
Serah Dahn — Aubhaur — Saingula — Curious Animals —
Ruins of Sultanieh — Tomb of Sultan Khodabundah—
King's Summer Palace — Zingaun — Town, Bazaar,
Mosque — Armaghanah — Auk-kend — Kaufilan Koh—
Mountain of Tigers — Kizil Oozan — Bridge — Rude
Scenery — Murder of Mr. Brown — Superstitions— Kurz
Kula — Causeway — Oppression of Drowsiness — Arrive
at Maeana — Curious Exhibition — Description of Maeana
—Extraordinary Bug' and Earth Louse— Turcoman
Sha-ee — Tikhmadash— Wasmitch— Arrival at Tabriz
 Departure of Messrs. Lamb and Hart — Introduction
to the Prince Royal.
May 27. — We made an excursion of ten
miles to the Demawund Mountains, and
stopped to breakfast at a summer palace of
Ah Khan Meerza, a true picture of a Per-

150 ENCAMPMENT OF GYPSIES.
sian residence, whether belonging to prince or
peasant — dirty chambers, broken windows,
and dilapidated waUs. In the garden Avhich
surrounded it, weeds had usurped the place
of flowers. Luckily for us the nightingales
did not sympathize with the proprietor's
neglect, but warbled delightfuUy during our
repast. Close to this place was an encampment of
gypsies. They are called in Persian, Girau-
chee. There is nothing to distinguish them
from the other wandering tribes, who, it is
said, hold them in low estimation.
The valley at the base of this mountain is
called Shuma Iroon, the Light of Persia. It
is celebrated for the salubrity of the air, and
the beauty of its situation. It is richly
wooded. The numerous pleasure-houses,
mosques, and viUages peeping from out the
branches, form a pleasing contrast to the
various shades of the verdant fohage. A
large waterfall rushes down the rock, and

CASBIN. 151
breaking into several channels, traverses the
habitations, and fertilizes the plain below.
May 28. — One of my horses dying, I ob
tained an order for three of the King's post-
horses. We started from Teheraun in the
evening, and arrived at a caravanserai in the
course of the night.
May 29—30. — June 1. — Nothing worthy
of notice occurred in the first three days of
our march. Soohmanea, our first stage, was
twenty-four miles, Sougherabad twelve, and
Sufur Khojah thirty. The country through-
ovit is intersected by channels for irrigation,
the land is weU cultivated, and the harvest
abundant. The population here is greater
than in any place we have yet seen in Persia.
June 2. — On the morning of the 2nd, we
came to Casbin, the seat of a Prince Governor.
Our first quarters were in a stable, Avhere we
were nearly driven mad by the musquitos ;
but the King's order soon procured us an
apartment in the palace.

152 CASBIN.
This city, once the capital of the king
dom, is stiU sufficiently populous to carry on
an extensive trade with Ghilaun, but it is a
Persian town, and therefore in ruins. Some
remains of the buUdings of the Abbacidaa
may yet be seen. The gardens of Casbin
produce abundance of fruit, and the grapes
of the surrounding vineyards are unequaUed
in Persia.
At ten at night I obtained an interview
of the Prince. He was seated in the veranda
of a circular summer-house, situate in a
pretty garden. Aided by the bright hght
of an Eastern moon, I could almost fancy
this residence a fairy habitation. It was
hung round with Chinese lanterns, the va
riegated light of which was reflected on the
group of surrounding courtiers, and tinged
with a silvery hue the neighbouring foun
tain. This was the outline — imagination
filled up the picture.
I did not stipulate for my privilege as an

INTERVIEAV AVITH THE PRINCE. 153
Englishman, to be seated in the Prince's
presence, fearing that, if I did, I should not
obtain an interview ; so I was obhged to stand
before him. I was presented by his Meh
maundaur, whose motions of reverence I imi
tated. His Highness's manner was haughty,
but it seemed habitual and not assumed. He
asked me several questions, mostly respecting
himself : to these I ahvays tried to give a rea
sonable answer ; but the Mehmaundaur, pre
tending to attributemy plainness of language
to ignorance of idiom, turned every thing I
said into an extravagant compliment to the
Prince, and then asked me if that was not
what I intended to say. To dissent was im
possible ; so I let him have his own way, and
thus aU parties were pleased.
June 3. — We reached Serah Dahn, a march
of twenty-two miles, in seven hours. The
village is small, but surrounded by extensive
fields of corn ready for the sickle.
June 4. — From Serah Dahn to Aubhaur,

154 AUBHAUR.
thirty-one miles, was an uninteresting march,
over a succession of low hUls. Aubhaur
stands in the midst of a clump of trees, and
is surrounded by a well-cultivated tract of
land. The Persians assign it a high anti
quity. As we devoted the few hours of our
stay to rest, we did not ascertain whether
there were any ancient ruins. From the
coincidences in the sound of the name, and
from the geographical relation of the place
to others, it is supposed to be " Habor, by
the river Gozan," where Hoshea, King of
Assyria, carried Israel away captive. The
Kizzel Ozan, the reputed Gozan of Scripture,
which we crossed three days afterwards, is
forty-five mUes from Aubhaur.
June 5, — We left our quarters before dusk,
marched sixteen mUes, and halted for a few
hours at the viUage of Saingula ; we then pro
ceeded to Sultanieh, eighteen mUes distant.
We passed over a plain swarming with
animals resembling rats, which live in bur-

RUINS OF SULTANIEH. 155
rows, and are so tame that they will hardly
get out of the way of the passing traveUer.
June 6. — In the middle of the plain is
Sultanieh, a city founded six hundred years
ago by Sultan Khodabundah, but noAV com
pletely in ruins. Amidst the heaps of faUen
houses, the only buUding worthy of notice
is the tomb of the founder. It is a noble
structure, consisting of a beautifully shaped
cupola on an octangular base, and is a hun
dred feet high. The outside has been co
vered with a sort of glazed tile, observable
in many old Eastern buildings. In the in
terior are the remains of some fine Arabesque
workmanship ; but time, aided by the more
active operations of destructive man, has
made it difficult to trace the original beau
ties. There are several Arabic and Cufic
inscriptions painted in fresco on the waUs,
but these are daily becoming more obhte
rated, as workmen are taking aAvay the ma
terials of the tomb for other buildings.

156 king's SUMMER PALACE.
The King comes to Sultanieh every sum
mer, to avoid the heat of Teheraun. When
we left the capital, His Majesty was to set
out in a fortnight.
We visited the palace this afternoon ; the
ascent to it is up a steep and narrow staircase.
It is a mean and ill-built dweUing, and the
rooms are extremely filthy. The doorway
of one of the apartments was bricked up, but
opened to allow us to enter. This is a
private apartment of the King's. At the
bottom of the room, is a farcical representa
tion of his Majesty on horseback, in the act
of spearing a wild ass. In all the panels
are full-length fresco portraits of different
sons of the King. The Dewan Khoneh, or
haU of audience, leads on to a terrace. The
King sits in the most elevated part ; a httle
below is a place for the Princes and nobles ;
and another, lower still, for the inferior classes.
The plain of Sultanieh cannot boast a single
tree ; we saw no birds, and, instead of the

ZINJAUN. 157
melody of nightingales, Ave heard only the
croaking of frogs.
June 7. — On arriving at Zinjaun, a jour
ney of twenty -six miles, we heard that Messrs.
Lamb and Hart had passed through a few
days before ; that they had been overtaken
by a violent thunder-storm, and that some of
their baggage-mules had been carried away
by the mountain torrent.
Zinjaun is the capital of the district of
Khumseh, and is governed by Abdoolah
Meerza one of the King's sons, who resides
here. The town is large and populous ; it is
enclosed in a mud waU, in good repair. The
bazaar is superior to those at Hamadan and
Kermanshah, and almost equal to that at
Bagdad. It extends from the eastern to the
western gate, and is covered over the whole
way with hght thatch. The shops are
weU stored with all the visual articles of
consumption. A new bazaar, not yet finish
ed, branches off into the great one, and

158 BAZAAR. — MOSQUE.
terminates in the square in front of the
palace. One portion is finished, and the
shops are occupied ; the other part is incom
plete, and apparently going to ruin. It
is vaulted throughout, and upon the whole
is well built. Adjoining the bazaar, and
fronting the palace, a superb mosque is erect
ing ; the front is covered with enamelled
bricks in the form of Mosaic. It is complete
to the first story ; and the principal arch,
which is formed of hewn stone, has a solid
and handsome appearance. The Mehmaun
Khoneh is situate close to the eastern gate, in
a fortified suburb.
June 8. — We passed along the outside of
the city wall to the south ; we then entered
on a stony plain, thinly covered with ver
dure. Our road foUowed the direction of a
river to the N. W., along a hoUow bounded
on each side by high banks, which the stream
has excavated in the course of ages. This
hollow, formed of rich aUuvial soU, is

AUK-KEND. 159^
weU cultivated, and covered with luxuriant
crops of wheat. The country throughout
is populous and cultivated. A fursukh
from Zinjaun, we passed a large viUage on
the banks of a river, with extensive gardens
and groves of trees. Several other villages,
surrounded by gardens, were visible, both on
the banks of the stream and in the hoUows of
mountains, which bound the vaUey on both
sides. In a march of twenty-four miles we
reached the smaU town of Armaghanah, in
the bosom of a verdant valley.
June 9.— Our next day's journey was to
Auk-kend, a distance of twenty-eight miles,
over a hilly uninteresting country.
The following night at nine we set out
for Mseanah. We continued traversing hills
till we arrived at the range of mountains
caUed Kaufilan Koh, Mountain of Tigers.
At the top of this range we first saw the
Kizil Oozan, the Golden Stream.
The moon, which had been shining brightly.

160 KIZIL OOZAN.
became at length partially obscured by a cloud,
and showed to effect the bold outline of
these black and craggy mountains, and at the
same time reflecting on the river beneath,
gave it the appearance of some vast shining
serpent creeping through the dark and lone
some vaUey. According to RenneU, the Kizil
Oozan is the Gozan of Scripture. We crossed
it at one in the morning, over a handsome
brick bridge ; and by so doing quitted Irak,
and entered upon the district of Azerbijan,
the government of Abbas Meerza, the Prince
Royal of Persia.
In former times, Azerbijan was caUed At-
ropatena, from the Satrap Atropates, who,
after the death of Alexander, assumed the
title of King of this country, and transmitted
it to his posterity, who retained it for seA^eral
generations. The structure of this bridge, as far as we
could judge, indicates both skill and taste in
the architect. It consists of three large

RUDE SCENERY. 161
arches, the centre the largest : the arches
are lofty, to aUow a passage for the water
at the highest floods : the piers, which are
very massy at the base, are relieved from the
spring of the arches by a smaUer arch, which
gives a lightness of appearance and dimi
nishes the pressure. Part of the sides are
faUen in, and the bridge itself stands a fair
chance of soon becoming impassable, when
the communication of this road Avill be stop
ped for many months in the year. The sce
nery here is exceedingly wild. Immediately
below the bridge, the river passes by a nar
row channel between lofty precipitous moun
tains, that rise almost perpendicular in rude
rugged masses. By the bright light of the
moon, we saw down the river, at a little dis
tance from the bridge, and at a considerable
elevation, the remains of an ancient fort,
standing on a detached rock of an irregular
form. This rises nearly perpendicular on all
sides, and is said to be the haunt of robbers,
AOL. II. M

162 SUPERSTITIONS.
Our Mehmaundaur spoke of the danger of
traveUing here without an officer appoint
ed by the King. It was not far hence
that Mr. Brown, the African traveUer, was
murdered, whose misfortune may be attri
buted to his not taking with him a Meh
maundaur. Numerous tales are cvirrent regarding this
desolate spot. It is said to be the scene of
many extraordinary occurrences, both of
an earthly and supernatural kind. Remote
from human habitation, this is not surprising
in a country where robbers are plenty, and
superstition prevalent. The fort is caUed
Kurz Kula, Daughter's Fort, said to have
been built by the daughter of a king, but at
what time is unknoAvn : the bridge has pro
bably been erected at the same time.
Crossing the bridge, we commenced the
ascent of a steep mountain, which took us an
hour. About half way up, we saw the re
mains of a caviscAvay, which, we Avere told, can

OPPRESSION OF DROAVSINESS. 163
be traced to the top. It appears to have
been continvied throughout the whole extent
of the mountain. In some parts it is entire.
The descent on the opposite side, towards
Masana, is very steep. Mr. Hamilton and
myself suffered much from the intense op
pression of drowsiness : to complete the
matter, my horse was seized with the gripes,
and continued every half mile to he down
with me in the midst of the precipitous de
clivity. This sensation of Avanting to sleep
on a march is the most distressing inconve
nience' of an over-land journey.
We were nearly two hours in reaching
the bottom. Beyond this is an open plain
of considerable extent. About a mile from the
foot of the mountain, we crossed a river, run
ning to the S. W., by a flat bridge of twenty-
three equal arches, two miles beyond Masana.
June 10. — On entering the town we were
witnesses to rather a curious exhibition. I
should first mention that the Persians are in
]\r 2

164 DESCRIPTION OF M^ANA.
the habit of sleeping on the flat roofs of their
houses during the summer months. Day was
just breaking when we arrived. As the houses
of the poorer classes are generaUy not more
than eight feet high, we had a fuU view of
nearly the whole population in bed. Mapy
were asleep ; some few had awoke ; others
were getting out of bed, to make their morn
ing toilette. The scene was highly enter
taining, and brought to mind the story of Le
Diable Boiteux unroofing the houses for the
gratification of Don Cleofas.
Meeana stands on the site of the Atropa-
tena of ancient history, the capital of Atro-
patia, the modern Azerbijan. Both town and
district derived their names from Atropates.
It is situate on a low swampy plain.
Though half in ruins, it is stiU large and
populous. It has numerous gardens, and is
extensively cultivated. A large palace and
garden, belonging to the Prince Royal, stand
only a few hundred yards from the town ; a

BUG OF M^ANA. 165
situation in which one would scarcely expect
to find a royal residence. We saw the
remains of an ancient building, apparently
the waU of a fort, buUt of large hewn stones
regularly squared, but we could not learn
any thing respecting it. Meeana is cele
brated for the manufacture of carpets. It is
said to be the head-quarters of a savage tribe
caUed Chedaughee.
We were regaled here with a story of
an extraordinary bug caUed a muUah, a
native of Mseana. This inhospitable insect,
the bite of which is mortal, is said to leave
the natives unmolested, and only to attack
the stranger. It inhabits the crevices of old
waUs. If a hght is burning, it comes not
forth, but Avhen all is dark, this midnight
assassin stalks from its concealment, and slays
the way-worn traveUer.
This story, absurd as it is, has gained
credit with more than one person. For
ourselves, Ave are inchned to acquit the

166 EARTH-LOUSE OF 31^ ANA.
mullah of murderous habits, and are at least
grateful to it for letting us live to teU the
tale. We cannot so easily absolve from blame
another species of insect, which accompanied
us from Maeana to Tabriz. It is of a dia
mond shape, small, white and flat. The
bite produces an intolerable itching. At
first, we could not imagine what caused our
uneasiness, but on examining our clothes Ave
found this animal. We observed that, after
having feasted on us for a little while, a
black mark appeared down its back. We un
derstand this insect is generated in the earth,
and is of the same description as the lovise
mentioned in Scripture as one of the plagnies of
Egypt ; though it agrees in description with
the common body-louse of our own country.
June 11. — We left Mseana in the night,
travelled twenty-one miles over a hiUy
country, and arrived in the morning at the
village of Turcoman Sha-ee, the neighbour-

WASMITCH. 167
hood of which is in a good state of culti
vation. June 12. — The next day's march was to
Tikhmadash, twenty -four miles, road N. W.
and hilly as usual. We passed two caravan
serais in ruins, and saw several viUages. In
the latter part of the stage, the country was
well cultivated.
Tikhmadash is a considerable vUlage, on
the brow of an eminence a mUe to the west
of the road. The situation is very much
exposed. June 13. — We next came to the village
of Wasmitch ; a laborious journey, though
the distance was not more than twenty-six
miles. In two hours we passed the viUage
of Oojoon. After crossing a low bottom
of marshy ground, we saw a number of
oblong tomb-stones, about six feet long,
and two wide and thick. The country was
hiUy, and presented the usvial defect of
Persian scenery — a total absence of wood.

168 ARRIVAL AT TABRIZ.
This remark is applicable to almost every
day's march since we left Bussorah. Once
or twice in our route we might fall in with
a few trees, but they were always scrupu
lously noted down as objects of curiosity.
In towns, and in their immediate neighbour
hood, there was generally a small collection,
but these Avere mostly poplars, and rather
added to the naked appearance of the
country. June 14. — We set out at daylight. Was
mitch being only nine miles from Tabriz,
we had written to inform the English resi
dents of our approach, but by the delay of
our messenger the note arrived almost at
the same time with us. We met Major
Monteith, at the entrance of the town, riding
full gallop to meet us, it being a customary
compliment for the English residents in
Persia to receive the strangers at the gates,
and to accompany them into the toAvn.
We were highly gratified at sitting down

ENGLISH RESIDENTS. 169
to an exceUent breakfast with a party of our
own countrymen : after which, Mr. Hamil
ton became the guest of Dr. Cormick, and I
of Major Monteith. The English residents
at Tabriz are. Major Monteith, who is em
ployed by the India Government in a survey
of Georgia ; Captain Hart, the commander
of the Prince's guard ; and Dr. Cormick,
physician to his Royal Highness. There
Avere besides. Major Walker and Mr. Edward
Bootle Wilbraham, travellers from England ;
and our friends Messrs. Lamb and Hart, v.^hom
we were delighted to meet again. They
had arrived at Tabriz six days before us, and
being anxious to proceed to England with
all possible dispatch, had intended to set out
the same evening. In consequence of our
arrival, they were kind enough to defer their
journey tiU the following day.
June 15. — The next day we took our fare
well dinner with Messrs. Hart and Lamb,
who started at ten at night. They were

170 INTRODUCTION TO
accompanied by aU the English outside the
waUs of the town. As they expected to be
in England six weeks before me, I sent let
ters by them to my friends.
June 16. — The foUowmg morning Major
Walker, Mr. Hamilton, and myself, were
presented to the Abbas Meerza, the Prince
Royal, by Dr. Cormick. We were received
in the Dewan Khoneh, and were seated op
posite the Prince. His Royal Highness ad
dressed us with the greatest civUity and
kindness. In the room was a picture repre
senting one of his successful expeditions
aaainst the Turks. This naturally intro
duced the subject of his wars, on which we
of course made some common comphments.
His Royal Highness disclaimed aU credit to
himself, attributing his victories entirely to
the assistance of our countrymen.
I was surprised to find that his Royal
Highness immediately recognized the Wa
terloo medal which I wore, asking me if it

THE PRINCE ROYAL. 171
had not been given for having been present
at the last decisive battle the English fought
with Napoleon. A reply in the affirmative
produced numerous civil speeches relative to
that event, and the compliments we had
given were repaid with interest.
Among the expressions of civility used by
his Royal Highness, was " JBe-dillum, nu%deek
mee-aeed," " You approach near to my heart;"
which phrase he continually repeated till we
took our leave.

172 DINNER AVITH COL. MAZEROWITCH.

CHAPTER VII.
Dinner with Colonel Mazerowitch— Projected Route —
Arrangements for the Journey — Departure from
Tabriz — Appearance of the Country — Shehruk — Goli
jah — Aher— New Mehmaundaur — Hoja Kishlaukh —
Arabshehr — Beautiful Scenery — Yokhari Perase
waun — Gulakundee — Wheat Harvest — Venomous Ser
pent — Illustration of Plutarch — Cross the Araxes —
Illyaut Encampment — Arrival in Russian Territory —
Meralian — Karabaugh, the country of the Sacaseni —
Peerhumud — Luxuriant Foliage — Cossacks Hay
making — Khanakhi — Armenian Villages — Arrival at
Sheesha — Appearance of the Town — Russian Officers'
Quarters — Aga Beg, Chief of the Armenians, and his
Brothers — Two Missionaries — Visit to the Command
ant — Tomb of Nartuck — Sheesha, its Population,
Trade, Climate, and Costume — Prescribe for my Host's
Brother — My fame as a Physician.
We one day dined with Colonel Mazero
witch, the Russian Chargd-d'affaires. Though

ROUTE DETERMINED ON. 173
all the party were Christians, and did not ex
ceed twenty, there were present, natives of
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland,
Russia, England, Greece, Sclavonia, Arme
nia, Georgia, Arabia, and Persia. Amongst
the servants in attendance were, a Russian,
Persian, Indian, Turk, and Kalmuk Tartar.
June 18. — Mr. Hamilton wishing to pro
ceed to England by Poland, Austria, and
Germany, remained at Tabriz with Mr. Wil
braham, who purposed taking the same
route. They set out together about a fort
night after me, and reached home a month
later. My future road being left to my own
choice, I had recourse to the map, and se
lected that Avhich seemed to offer the most
novelty. My mind made up, I immediately went to
the Russian Charge-d'affaires for advice and
assistance. He tried to dissuade me from my
scheme; but, seeing me determined, gave me

174 TRAVELLING ARRANGEMENTS.
a letter to a relation at Astrakhan, and coun
tersigned the passport which had been given
me by Major Willock. I discharged my old
servant, a Turk, and substituted a native
of Ghilaun, who could speak Persian and
Turkish. I engaged five horses to carry my
baggage and servants, and obtained from
the Prince Royal a Mehmaundaur, with the
usual rukum.
As the remainder of my route through
Asia differs from that of nearly every pre
ceding traveller, a short notice of it wUl be
necessary. I quitted the Persian, and entered the
Russian territory, by crossing the river Arras,
the Araxes of Plutarch. Between this river
and the Kur (the ancient Cyrus or Cyrnus),
is the beautiful province of Karabaugh,
formerly the country of the Sacas or Sacaseni,
a warlike tribe of Scythians mentioned by
Pliny and Strabo, and supposed to be the
same people as our early ancestors the Saxons.

ROUTE TOWARDS EUROPE. 175
On quitting Karabaugh, I proceeded east
ward through the province of Shirvan, the
Albania of the Ancients,* the scene of many
of the actions of Cyrus, and subsequently of
Pompey the Great. The capital of this
country is Nova Shumakhia, through which
I passed on my road to 'Bakoo, a sea-port
town in the same province on the western
shore of the Caspian, the Casiphian sea of
Scripture history. Hence I went north
along the sea-shore through Daghestan, or
" Region of Mountains," Avhich name suffi
ciently denotes its character. Daghestan in
cludes the states of I^ezguistan, Shamkhaul,
Durbund, and Tabasseran. The most im
portant of these divisions is Lezguistan, a
country inhabited by the most warlike tribe
of Mount Caucasus, and which till within
these few years Avas considered invincible.
From Daghestan I passed through the pro-
• Vide Solin., Dionys. Hal,, Justin, Strabo, Pliny,
Pomp. Mela, Plutarch.

176 DEPARTURE FROM TABRIZ.
vince of Kumuk to Astrakhan, and entered
Europe at the Russian town of Saritzin.
After this preamble I resume my daily
narrative. I left Tabriz in the evening of the anni
versary of Waterloo, for Sheesha, the capital
of Karabaugh. Major Monteith, Monsieur de
Ambourger (Secretary to the Russian mis
sion), and my old friend and feUow traveller
Mr. Hamilton, accompanied me the first
four miles ; after which we commenced the
ascent of a mountain, which led through so
steep a defile as to oblige us frequently to
dismount. The appearance of the country for the first
three days was a. continuation of that de
scription of scenery to which I had so long
been accustomed — a succession of rugged
eminences, intersected with vaUeys partiaUy
cultivated, but without a tree to relieve the
dreary prospect.
After traveUing sixteen miles, I felt an in-

FEMALES OF GOLIJAH. 177
clination to sleep, and, being now entirely my
own master, I threw myself on my mattress,
and in a moment was in a profound sleep by
the road side.
June 19. — At seven we arrived af a small
viUage on an eminence, called Shehruk, where
we breakfasted, and halted for a few hours.
In this neighbourhood the inhabitants were
ploughing ; though the soil was light and
sandy, each plough was attended by two men
and drawn by four oxen.
At 3 p. M. we set out, and in a distance
of sixteen miles reached the viUage of Go
lijah, containing about forty huts. We soon
coUected a crowd about us ; and the inhabit
ants, but especiaUy the women, seemed to
vie with each other in offering their assist
ance. The females wore no veUs ; they were
handsome black-eyed damsels, low in stature,
but of exceUent proportion ; their extreme
plumpness was weU set off by their large
turbans, loose jackets, and capacious trowsers.
VOL. II. N

178 RUSSIAN DESERTERS.
Ji.ne 20. — After a sleepless night, Avelcome
daylight at length arrived, to relieve me from
the myriads of bugs, fleas, and other vermin.
In a march of eight miles we reached Aher,
a fortified town, commanded by Yusuf Khan,
and garrisoned by three thousand Persians,
who are organized on the European military
system, by Russian deserters, fifty-seven of
whom are at present in the town. One of
them told me that the greater part of his
countrymen had been here since the battle of
Kertch, which took place in 1812, when the
Persians gained a victory over the Russians
on the banks of the Araxes.
At this place the Governor dismissed my
old Mehmaundaur, and substituted one of
his own foUowers. We left Aher at two in
the afternoon, and halted for the night at
a yiUage called Hoja Kishlaukh, containing
about ten wretched huts. I took up my
quarters in a buUock-shed, in company aa ith

ARABSHEHR. 179
my horses ; but this was a paradise compared
to last night's lodging.
The road Avas, as usual, over a succession of
movmtains : a gentle breeze springing up at
sunrise, rendered the morning cool and plea
sant. We Avere now approaching the Rus
sian frontier ; and the Mehmaundaur particu
larly desired me to keep close to the baggage,
on account of the banditti, who, he said, in
habited these mountains. We stopt to break
fast at Arabshehr, fiA^e miles distant from the
last stage ; a very pretty viUage, situate in a
small but fruitful valley, and overhung with
craggy mountains. My mat was spread in a
cherry orchard; the boys climbed the trees
for fruit, and the women brought bowls
of milk, bread, and butter. We continued
ascending till mid-day, when, arriving at
the summit of the highest range of hUls, a
most beautiful scene suddenly and unexpect
edly burst upon my a iew, rendered doubly
N 2

180 BEAUTll'UL SCENERY.
interesting from having so long traversed a
barren waste.
The sloping declivity of the mountain was
beautifully covered with all kinds of forest
trees ; a rich underwood, the woodbine in
terwoven with the varied colours of other
creepers, roses, aromatic shrubs and Avild-
flowers, rendered the scene sweet to the
sense and grateful to the eve. From this
point, might be seen successive ranges of
mountains, decreasing in height until they
marked the nearly level banks of the river
Araxes. Abruptly rising on the extreme
and broken line of the horizon, were the
black and lofty mountains of the fruitful
province of Karabaugh : large masses of
rock in the foreground, appearing as if
thrown up by some great convulsion of
nature, completed the splendid variety of
the scene. ^ — We continued marching for
several miles under the shade of a natu
ral arbour, which, formed by the meeting

VENOMOUS SERPENT. 181
of the trees, was sufficiently thick to pro
tect us from the heat of the sun. The
descent of this mountain was exceedingly
steep, and not always devoid of danger ;
two of the horses feU twice.
In the course of the day we passed the
beautiful little village of Yokhari Perase
waun, sitviate in the midst of corn-fields; and
at sunset arrived at Gulakundee, a village
in the mountain heights, where I bivouacked
for the night on the roof of a house.
June 23. — I was again consigned to another
Mehmaundaur. The road for seven miles led
along the ridge of a mountain, overlooking
a pleasant valley with abundant cultivation.
The inhabitants were at this time busy in
gathering in the wheat, which was in sheaves
placed horizontaUy, and not vertically as in
England. As the cattle proceeded slowly,
I got off my horse to shoot, and in my
walk was near treading on a snake. Upon
describing it to the Mehmaundaur, he told

182 ILLUSTRATION OF PLUTARCH.
me that it was probably a very venomous
serpent caUed a tulkha, of which species
there were numbers in the neighbourhood.
The natives speak also of a spider, the bite
of Avhich is mortal, probably ihe phalangium
arenoides of Linnaeus. In the course of the
day I saw three large snakes, and a smaU one
resembling a cobra di capello.
The abundance of these venomous crea
tures illustrates the account given by Plutarch
of Pompey the Great, who, after having over
come the Albanians between the Araxes and
Cyrus, (consequently at a short distance
hence,) Avished to pursue the enemy to the
banks of the Caspian Sea, but was compeUed
to abandon his design in consequence of the
vast number of snakes and other reptiles
which occupied the plains through Avhich
he would have been obliged to pass.*
* Gibbon doubts Pliny's account of the existence of
venomous reptiles in this country. — Vide Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire, vol. iv. chap. xlvi. note 5.

CROSS THE ARAXES. Ic>3
As we descended towards the Araxes, the
atmosphere became exceedingly sultry. The
Mehmaundaur, to beguile the time, sang the
" Loves of Furhaud and the Fair Shereen ;''
and that fertile theme of Persian songs, the
Nightingale, the note of which he imitated
with great correctness.
We reached the banks of the river at
three in the afternoon, and proceeded to
an encampment of the Laurijaumee tribe,
whom Ave found occupied in manufacturing
carpets and winding raw silk. We remained
here till the cool of the evening, when Ave
crossed the river Araxes (or, according to
the present appellation, the Arras), which
here separates the Persian from the Russian
dominion. The Araxes at this point is about one
hundred yards wide: the rapidity of its
course is much augmented by the confluence
of mountain torrents, which, here rendering
their tributary streams, throw up large iso-

184 ILLYAUT ENCAMPMENT.
lated heaps of stone, and cause it to sweep
along — "pontem indignatus Araxes." With
motives probably similar to those Avhich in
duced a noble poet to cross the HeUespont,
I tried, but not with the same success, to
swim over a river once celebrated as
" The proud Araxes whom no bridge could bind."
In the mean whUe my servant and a party
of Illyauts were transporting the baggage in
a boat made of the hollow trunk of a tree,
the fibres of which formed a rope to secure
it to the bank. In this fraU bark we crossed
the river in perfect safety, at the same time
that my horses, which had been made to
swim over, had also arrived on the opposite
shore, though one was nearly drowned by
the rapidity of the current.
Some lUyauts, of the same tribe as those
we had just left, occupied this bank of the
river. 1 was here shown to the best tent,

MERALIAN. 185
and a fine new carpet was spread for my
accommodation. The cattle had just been brought in for
the night, and the promiscuous assemblage
of man and beast was highly amusing. Bcr
fore each tent the women were busUy and
variously employed, some in manufacturing
carpets, others in mUking cattle, and others
in making bread of the same description as
that mentioned in Scripture, as having been
made by Sarah for the three Angels.
As I had now arrived in Russian territory,
my Mehmaundaur dehvered me formally
over to the Chief of the encampment, from
whom he took a written receipt for the safe
consignment of my person.
The place occupied by this camp is a
marshy swamp, extending several miles, called
Merahan : myriads of musquitoes visited
me as I retired to rest, but I slept soundly
in spite of them, and at daylight set out for

186 COUNTRY OF THE SACASENI.
Sheesha, the capital of Karabaugh. The in
habitants of this province, which in ancient
maps is laid down as the country of the
Sacasejii, the learned have tried to prove
are from the same stock as the Anglo-
Saxons.* In a march of twelve miles we reached
Peerhumud, a Tartar encampment, contain
ing forty tents. We remained here two
hours. Though the thermometer was 88 in
the shade, and 122 in the sun, I felt but
little inconvenience from the heat.
We put up vast numbers of partridges
on our march, saw herds of antelopes, and
swarms of locusts. We continued traveUing
till evening, when we feU in with a large
body of Tartars, who had struck their tents
for the summer season.
June 24. — We started at three in the
morning. The appearance of the country
has gradually improved, since we left the
* Turner's History of the Anglo Saxons, vol. i. p. 114.

COSSACK STATION. 187
marsh on the banks of the river. We tra
veUed for several mUes this morning com
pletely protected from the heat of the sun
by the luxuriant foliage of the trees. We
passed a Cossack station to our left. A few
straw huts comprised the barracks. The
soldiers were employed in hay-msiking. As
I passed, they aU faced towards me, and stood
at attention, with their heads uncovered, in
compliment to my military dress. The coun
try people also observed the European cere
mony, by taking off their caps, which, dis
covering then- shorn heads, had a curious
appearance. At some distance on the left hand we saw
Khanakhi, a weU-built town, in which is a
Russian force. We passed several Arme
nian viUages, all remarkable for their cleanly
appearance. The cattle were now so knocked
up that I almost despaired of reaching my
destination. One of the horses, which was
vmable to proceed, was consigned to the

188 RUSSIAN OFFICERS' QUARTERS.
care of an Armenian, and died shortly
after. On arriving at the summit of a moun
tain I came in sight of Sheesha. The town
is built on a huge mass of sloping rock of
great height. The ascent is so precipitous
that the houses appear to be hanging on it
hke bird-cages. I was upwards of two hours
in reaching the top. All the horses but tAvo
were completely knocked up. I took the
least laden of these, and my servant and I
rode by turns tUl we arrived at the gate.
Unluckily I had left my passport with the
baggage, which occasioned the sentinel to
give me in charge of a corporal and a fUe of
men, by whom I was conducted to the
Russian officers' quarters, and afterwards to
the house of the commanding officer of the
regiment, where I remained for two hours
in arrest.
My casual stay at the barracks gave me
no great idea of the comfort of Russian

AGA BEG. 189
subalterns. In a small dark dirty room I
saw four beds : on each of which an officer
was snoring as I entered.
It was now three o'clock in the afternoon :
I had been for twelve hours employed in a
laborious march, and for nineteen had not
tasted food. I was ahnost worn out with
heat, hunger and fatigue, and with but a
faint hope of release, when something was
said about assigning me a quarter. At this
moment, a jolly fat-looking gentleman step
ped forward, and begged for me as his guest.
His name was Aga Beg ; he was chief of
the Armenians. With so fine a promise of
good cheer as his appearance gave, I eagerly
accepted his hospitality, and accompanied
him home. A plentiful repast was spread
on the floor. As soon as it was ready, two
brothers of my host, the counterparts of him
self, came in; and to judge by their appe
tites had, like myself, arrived half starved
from a journey.

190 VISIT TO THE COMMANDANT.
In the evening, two Missionaries carae
to call upon me ; one a Swiss, the other a
Pole. The latter was a Polish nobleman:
his motive for leaA'ing his own country was
two-fold : the first was the laudable object
of preaching the Gospel of Christ; the other
was to atterapt to establish liberty and equa
lity wherever he went. He gave rae a spe-
ciraen of this .visionary scherae, in inviting
me to dinner the next day, and desiring
to know whether I would object to sit at
table with his servant, an Armenian of
the lowest description. I told him I shovild
be happy to dine with him, provided his
servant should be behind a chair, and not in
one. June 25. — I dined with the Missionaries
at one o'clock, and afterwards paid my re
spects to Colonel Tsichikoff, the Coraraandant
of the district, who had just returned frora
visiting the different posts of the district
under his command. Several officers were

WHIMSICAL ALTERCATION. 191
present during our interview, but, agreeably
to Russian discipline, none sate in the pre
sence of their superior officer. As neither
the Colonel nor rayself spoke any European
language which the other understood, we
were obliged to call in the aid of two Asiatic
languages ; he spoke Turkish, I Persian, and
ray servant acted as interpreter between us.
June 26. — The Coraraandant returned my
visit the next morning, was very civil, and
promised to do every thing in his power to
facilitate ray journey. He had not long-
taken his leave, when Aga Beg and his
brother entered the room in high alterca
tion, because the latter had aUowed the
Coraraandant to leave the house without
partaking of a feast that had been prepared
for him : this he considered a great affront ;
and so indignant was he at it, that he was
very near going to the Colonel to persuade
him to pay me another visit, solely for the
purpose of making him eat sorae of the good
cheer.

192 TOMB OF NARTUCK.
In the afternoon I accompanied one of the
Missionaries over the town and the suburbs :
in returning, he took me to the Arraenian
burying-ground. A boy who was with us
ran forward, and kneeling doAvn kissed one
of the tomb-stones. Upon asking to whose
tomb such honours were paid, I Avas told that
it was that of a man naraed Nartuck, who is
dignified with the title of Martyr, and re
specting whom the following story is told
and almost universally believed.
Forty years ago, when the Tartar Khans
(Princes) were in possession of Sheesha, Nar
tuck, a Christian of Georgia, was the pro
perty of a Mahometan, whom he killed in
atterapting to commit a brutal assault upon
his person. The brother of the deceased
seized Nartuck, and gave him the usual
alternative of suffering death or embra
cing Mahoraetanisra. His belief in our Sa
viour and the Trinity was the only answer
he raade to the often-repeated proposal.

SHEESHA. 193
After undergoing the most dreadful tor
tures, he expired, and his body was con
veyed to this spot, At night, a large flame
appeared over the tomb, which was seen by
both Mussulraans and Christians : one said it
was fire from heaven, as a mark of divine
wrath at an infidel having kiUed a Mussul
man, and the others hailed it as a sign of
the Deity's approbation of the conduct of
the deceased : aU parties, however, are agreed
as to the fact. One with whora I conversed
said he saw the flame, and described the size
of it to rae. Such an appearance might
easily present itself without supernatural aid,
in a country so abounding in bituminous
productions. Sheesha contains two thousand houses :
three parts of the inhabitants are Tartars,
and the reraainder Arraenians. The Tar
tars of the town, as well as of the whole
province of Karabaugh, are of the Shiah
AOL. II. o

194 SHEESHA.
sect of Mahometans, The present town
was built eighty years ago by a Tartar
prince : the remains of the old town are vi
sible at the foot of the opposite hill. The
lower parts of the houses are built of stone,
with roofs, which are shelving, of shingle.
The town and fort are surrounded by a waU ;
but the natural advantages of the situation,
on the top of an almost inaccessible rock,
have left little occasion for artificial defence.
The language is a dialect of the Turkish ;
but the inhabitants, with the exception of
the Armenians, generaUy read and write
Persian. The trade is carried on princi
paUy by the Armenians, between the towns
of Shekhi, Nakhshevan, Khoi, and Tabriz.
The population was formerly greater than
at present ; but it is beginning to increase,
as numbers of the inhabitants who fled from
the oppressions of the Khans, are attracted
back again by the milder yoke of Russia.

MY host's BROTHER. 195
During my stay, the thermometer in the
daytime ranged from 68'^ to 76*^ ; the atmo
sphere in the town is 12 or 14 degrees cooler
than the valley below.
The costume is much the same as the
Persian ; the greatest difference is in the
head-dress. Instead of the small Persian
cap, sorae of the Karabaughians have one
as large as that worn by a French drviin-
raajor ; others have a cap fitting close to the
head, and bound round with fur.
June 27. — One of ray host's brothers,
whose inordinate addiction to eating and
drinking had brought on a violent fit of in
digestion, had applied to an Arraenian doctor,
who had recoraraended a double aUowance
of the strong bitter brandy he had been
taking, and which was, no doubt, the original
cause of his complaint. This prescription, as
might be supposed, had only added fuel to
the flame, and the poor fellow, gradually be-
o 2

196 FAME AS A PHYSICIAN.
coming worse, was at last in a burning
fever. In this dUemma, as Enghshraan and doc
tor are synonyraous terms, he applied to
me for assistance, which I gaA^e by adminis
tering calomel, with the reckless profusion
of an Indian operator. The dose was fortu
nately attended with most complete success ;
and so grateful was my patient for the relief
I had occasioned, that instead of a fee he
presented rae with a Georgian silk hand
kerchief, a snuff-box, and a curiously wrovight
purse. This cure soon spread ray farae through
the town, and brought numerous apphcants
for professional assistance. Defects of sight
and hearing, and various other difficult
cases, were laid before me, in the fuU confi
dence of obtaining instant rehef. Amongst
those willing to become my patients was a
handsome young married woman, who began

FAME AS A PHYSICIAN. 197
stating her ailments with such minuteness,
that had I not interrupted her detail, I should
soon have acquired raore professional infor
raation from her, than I could have had the
opportunity of coraraunicating in return.

198 COSSACK POSTS.

CHAPTER VIII.
Cossack Posts, Horses, Cheer — Mode of making Tea —
Ruins of Berda — Abundance of Game — Lug — River
Kur, the Ancient Cyrus — Koordameer — The Na-ib —
Shumakhi — Interview with the Commandant — Town
of Bakoo — Bazaar — Productions — Population — Military
Force — Fire-Temple of Indian Pilgrims — A Brahmin
— A Viragee — A Naphtha Well — My Servant knocked
up — Cossack Officer — his Quarters — Breakfast — Town
of Kuba — Kula noo — Fall asleep on Horseback — Flood
ed state of the river Samur— -Lesguy Tartars — Russian
Notion of English Radicalism— Major of Cossacks —
City of Durbund — Ancient Walls — Population — Ex
tensive Barracks — Russian Salutation — Dinner — My
new Servant — His Appearance and Dress — His easy
Manners — Polite Attention of my Host — Departure
from Durbund— Nervous Irritability — Vexatious De
lays—My Servant a Catcher of Tartars — His desisting
from Sleep.
At the distance of every eight or ten
miles, detachments of mounted Cossacks, with

HORSES. 199
relays of horses, are stationed frora Sheesha
to Bakoo, and along the banks of the Caspian
sea to Kizhar, a town skirting the great
desert of Astrakhan. By the coraraandant
of Sheesha I was furnished with an order on
aU these stations for five horses, to carry
myself, servant, and baggage : I had besides,
one, and occasionaUy two Cossacks, to escort
me on the road, who also took back the
horses at the end of the stage.
The Cossack horses here are stouter than
those of the Don ; they stand from twelve
to thirteen hands, and are well calculated
for the mountainous country in which
they are principaUy used. The saddle is a
frame- work of wood, much peaked before
and behind ; on this is strapped a black
leather cushion, which serves the rider for his
piUow at night : after a few days' riding I
preferred this to the English saddle.
I started at six in the morning, and arrived
at nine at the first Cossack station, the ap-

200 COSSACK HUTS.
pearance of which did not impress me with
any favourable opinion of Cossack comfort.
Ten men Avere huddled together in a mud
cabin, as closely as they could weU be stowed ;
a few sheets of dirty paper formed a substi
tute for glass windows, which, if they ad
mitted an imperfect light, so excluded the
air, as to render the abode extreraely hot
and fulsome.
The men occupying the stations from
Sheesha to Kizhar, are Cossacks of the river
Terek. They are, I believe, on the same
footing with those of the Don and Ukraine.
They are free, serve for three years, receive
no pay, but are fed: if their horses die,
others are given them.
This day's march led us through as fine a
country as any I had yet seen. Each turn
of the winding road brought sorae new
beauty to view ; the trees which clothed the
hills were entwined with wild vines, pro
ducing abundance of grapes. On quitting

COSSACK CHEER. 201
the mountains, we passed through exten
sive fields of corn, and we afterwards came
on a spacious plain, over which vast herds
of antelopes were bounding in cA^ery di
rection. At sunset, haAdng travelled about thirty
miles, we forded the river Tartar, and halted
for the night at a station so caUed. Being
very hungry, I sent my servant to the Cos
sacks to purchase provisions ; but he returned
with the unwelcome intelhgence, that black
bread and the water of the river formed their
only subsistence, and that even of such mi
serable cheer not a crurab remained. I
fared weU enough with JNIahometans : — on
arriving amongst Christians, I Avent supper-
less to bed.
June 29. — My object in coraing to this
station had been to visit some ancient ruins
at a place called Berda ; but I was informed
that, Berda being out of the road, I could
not be supplied Avith horses : I also heard

202 ' COSSACK CHEER.
that the regular stages to Bakoo were by
Ganja, forty miles out of the direct line.
These circurastances being duly weighed,
and the cravings of an erapty stomach thrown
into the scale, determined rae to forego for
the present the advantages of my order for
horses, and to take the shorter route through
the Tartar viUages, trusting to the inhabi
tants for safe conduct, and stiU hoping for
more palatable fare than bread and water.
With some little difficulty, and a small
douceur, the Cossacks agreed to send me as
far as Berda, which I reached in a pleasant
raarch of a couple of hours, along the banks
of the river, through a beautiful forest of
oaks, walnuts, and hme-trees. I found here
a body of Tartars occupying some cane huts.
Instead of indulging in idle curiosity, they
all bustled about to prepare breakfast, and
were so expeditious that I was well pleased
with the resolution I had forraed.
As every hint that wiU save tirae is use-

METHOD OF MAKING TEA. 203
ful to travellers, I strongly recoramend my
mode of making tea. I always carried my
kettle at the bow of the saddle, and the mo
ment I halted, the kettle was unloosed, and
in it were put water, tea, milk and sugar,
all together, raaking, when boUed, a very pa
latable beverage ; and I saved by this process,
on an average, about an hour a-day.
While at breakfast the MoUah of the vil
lage paid rae a visit, and conversed with me
in Persian. Hearing that I came from India,
he was particularly anxious to know any
accounts relative to the Afghauns, who, he
had heard, were the most warhke people of
Hindoostan, with whom his tribe boasted a
coramon origin. In ray journey through
the province of Shirvan, and the adjoining
countries, questions respecting that nation
were frequently asked rae by the natives, and
are worthy of remark, as they agree with
the commonly-received opinion that a co
lony from ancient Albania (Shirvan) forms

204 THE AFGHAUNS.
that tribe of Indian Tartars known by the
name of the Afghauns. Amongst my notes
I find the following extract from a book,
but do not at this moment recollect the
narae of the author : — " The present Shir
van is the country of the ancient Albanians,
conquered by Pompey ; they are likewise
caUed Alanians ; and the Armenians, who
never pronounce the letter 1, who say Ghou-
ka for Luka, and Ighia for Iha, have caUed
them Aghouani. These ancient Albanians
have given up their country to the Turks,
by whom it is noAV occupied, and have very
probably forraed the nation of the Afghauns,
whom the Armenians acknowledge as their
brethren, though their languages are now
different, which may easily happen, and on
which subject I think I have treated in my
Priraitive History."
The ruins at Berda are said to be very
ancient ; by some thought to be those of a
city of Araazons, who, according to history.

RUINS OF BERDA. 205
once inhabited this country ; but while the
existence of these female warriors is a mat
ter of doubt, the site of one of their cities
does not deserve rauch notice; nor indeed
do the appearance of these ruins justify the
assignment of an earlier date than the be
ginning of the Mahometan sera. A dilapi
dated AvaU running north and south, can be
traced for upwards of a quarter of a raile.
At the end of this, enclosed in a quadran
gular fort, is a ruined mosque of glazed
tiles, like that at Bagdad, attributed to
Caliph Alraschid. Near the mosque I was
shown some mounds, which were caUed the
remains of Fire-temples ; and a little further
on was the tomb of a near relation of Ma
horaet, before which ray guides feU on their
faces, and reraained prostrate for nearly a
minute. The person here buried is said to
have been the grand-niece of the Prophet,
which, if true, Avould give to these ruins
as remote a date as a thousand years.

206 ABUNDANCE OE GAME.
We quitted Berda at eleven, and passed
through a continuation of the forest. The
game that I saw on this march is incredible :
partridges were getting up every moment al
most under the horses feet, and hares hterally
galloped in droves before us along the road.
I was informed that though the hare is
forbidden to be eaten by the Mahometan
law, both the Sunnis and Shiahs, inhabit
ing this country, have a dispensation from
their priests, of which however they do not
avail themselves, having a great dislike to
the taste of that animal.
A traveller who is a sportsman, and not
pressed for time, would find many modes
of dissipating the tEedium of his journey, as
game of every description is most abundant,
and as, I was told at Tabriz, the trout-fishing
here is unequaUed in any part of the world.
On leaving the forest we came to a small
village called Lug, and thence Avent ten
railes in an easterly direction, across a marshy

KUR, THE ANCIENT CYRUS. 207
plain, and arrived at dusk at Lumberan,
where I becarae the guest of the Ket-khoda
(the chief raan) of the village.
June 30. — I started at sunrise, with fresh
horses ; and, having raarched ten miles across
a plain covered Avith antelopes, arrived on the
banks of the Kur, which forms the southern
boundary of the extensive province of Shir
van. This river, the Cyrus of the ancients,
is considerably larger than the Araxes, but
less rapid in its course : not far hence, it
receives the waters of the Araxes, and the
united streams then disembogue into the Cas
pian sea. It was on the banks of this river
that Cyrus was massacred, together with his
army, by the neighbouring mountaineers.
We hailed the viUage on the opposite side,
and a boat was iraraediately sent, which con
veyed us over. We here speedily procured
horses, and proceeded to a vUlage ten miles
distant, of which I forget the narae ; where,
after a delay of two or three hours, we

208 TARTAR VILLAGES.
engaged some horses at four tiraes the usual
charge. The weather throughout, was al
most insupportable. The sun, which had
been burning hot, took the breeze with it as
it went down. As night came on, there was
not a breath of air, and I had to pass through
a sAvampy plain, nearly suffocated with heat,
and devoured by musquitoes. I arrived
at the village of Koordameer, a distance of
thirty-four miles, and threw rayself down to
sleep in the first vacant space I could find.
July 1. — We travelled for fourteen railes
over an uncultivated plain, covered with low
brushwood, and came to a range of moun
tains, the base of which was for several railes
studded Avith AveU-Avooded viUages, svirround-
ed by extensive corn-fields. In the midst
of these, stands a town, where a Cossack post
is stationed. I called upon the chief person,
Avho is caUed the Na-ib (deputy governor) :
he was seated in a garden, and dispensing
justice as I arrived. HeAvas a handsorae Tar-

VISIT TO THE NA-IB. 209
tar, weU informed, and of polite and easy
address. TeUing him 1 wished to proceed
as quickly as possible, he imraediately sent
for ray escort of Cossacks, and in a short time,
set before me a corafortable meal of antelope
venison. The Na-ib pressed me very rauch to stay
two or three days with hira, that we might
hunt together; but the wish to proceed on
wards surmounted every other, and as soon
as the horses arrived, I took leave of this
hospitable Tartar.
The road hence led over mountains
abounding in plentiful crops, but with
nothing else in the appearance of the scenerj'
to recommend it to notice : the range con
tinued to Nova Shumakhi, where I arrived
in the evening. This town, once the seat of
governraent of a Tartar prince, though uoaa'
in a dilapidated state, exhibits raarks of for
mer splendour ; the buildings are principaUy
of bricks, and the masonry is Aery good. It
VOI,. II, p

210 NOVA SHUMAKHL
is defended by a quadrangular wall and a
broad ditch. Like other towns in this tur
bulent region, it has felt the bad consequences
of so often changing masters. Its present
possessors, the Russians, are repairing the
ravages inflicted by Aga Mohumud, who
Avrested it from the Tartars in the latter
end of the last century. A ncAv street of
shops, on an European plan, is raising its
head from amongst the reraains of Asiatic
architecture ; and the places of Mahometan
worship have been converted into store
houses and magazines. The place where I
passed the night, had once been a Mu-
drissch, a Mahometan college, ' but now
serves as a Cossack post-house.
July 2. — I had sent my passport to be
sealed and countersigned by the Colonel-
Commandant of this province, whose head
quarters are established here. In the morn
ing it was brought me by one of his officers,
with a civil message from the Commandant,

VISIT TO THE COMMANDANT. 211
desiring to see me, if not inconvenient.
With the aid of one of his Meerzas (secre
taries) who understood Persian and Turkish,
the Commandant and I managed tO converse,
tiU, hearing I spoke French, he dismissed the
Meerza, and sent for an officer Avho, he said,
understood that language. An awkward si
lence of five minutes succeeded the entrance
of this officer, who could neither interpret
the Colonel's, nor understand ray observa
tions ; at last, he stammered out " le Colonel
mange vous," which I, supposing to mean an
invitation to dinner, declined ; and to relieve
aU parties, took my leave of the Colonel and
this professor of the French language.
One of the stations at which I changed
horses to-day, is situated in the midst of the
ruins of the old Shumakhi, the Shumakha of
ancient history : fragraents of stone waUs are
still visible, and appear to extend a consider
able distance, but I was not tempted to ex
araine them raore minutely. p 2

212 BAKOO.
July 3. — I slept at a Cossack station, and
started at dawn of day for Bakoo. Our road
was over a range of raountains, and as we
reached the highest, the Caspian sea first carae
in sight, frora which the sun was rising in
splendid raajesty.
We descended rapidly from hence into
the low and arid plain, at the extremity of
which is situated the sea-port town of Ba
koo, where herds of double-humped camels
were cropping the scanty pasture.
July 4. — Crossing OA^er the drawbridge of
the town, I was stopped by the officer of the
main guard, to whom I delivered vny pass
port ; but, as reading Avas not one of his ac
coraplishraents, I had to Avait in the sun tUl
he could find some one to decypher the docu-
raent. As at Sheesha, I was sent in charge
of a file of men to the commandant's house,
when, meeting the colonel of the engineers,
who spOke French, I became his guest for
the three days I remained here,

BAKOO. 218
Bakoo, pleasantly situated on the peninsu
la of Abosharon, is a neat, though small sea
port town, built entirely of stone. It is sur
rounded by a deep ditch and double waU of
stone, the western side of which was cora
pletely carried away last year by one of those
violent hurricanes so common in this place,
and from which the name of the town is de
rived.* The roofs of the houses are flat, and
covered Avith a thick coating of naphtha.
There is one Armenian church, and twenty
mosques ; but some are in ruins, others have
been converted by the Russians into raaga^
zines ; and the only Russian church here was
once a place of Mahoraetan worship.
The bazaar, which, though sraall and
narrow, is neat and clean, forms an advan
tageous contrast with the general appearance
of these Asiatic marts. There are no vege-
* Bakoo, Badko, " literally, the Wind of the Moun
tain; so named from the violent gusts of wind which blow
at times from the chasms of the mountains." -Kinnier. —

214 BAKOO.
tables here, nor, indeed, is there a blade of
vegetation. The water, which is drawn from
pits in the suburbs, is reckoned very whole
some. The principal productions are the
black and white naphtha, which are in such
abundance, that some of the weUs are said to
produce fifteen hundred pbvinds a-day. The
principal commodities of cominerce are com
mon silk and smaU articles of Russian rrianu-
facture. The population is coraputed at fovir
thousand souls, which, with the exception of
a few Arraenians/ consists of Tartars. A
force of five hundi-edmen comprises "the
nominal strength of the garrison ; but the
mortahty is so' great, especiaUy aihongst the
new conscripts, that they have seldom more
than half that numbei- effective.
In my evehihg stroUs along the banks
of the Caspian, I had occasion to observe the
immense quantity of herrings which had been
caught by the fishermen here. These fish.

TEMPLES OF THE MAGI. 215
which are caUed by the Persians, the royal
fish, were the finest of the species I had ever
seen. I have httle to reraark respecting the
Caspian sea, except that the answers to my
enquiries confirmed what has been said of it
by PaUas and other traveUers.
On the site of the modern town, once
stood a city, celebrated in the times of the
Guebres for its sacred teraples, on the altars
of which blazed perpetual flames of fhe,
produced by ignited naphtha. To this place
thousands of pUgrims paid their annual vi
sit, tiU the second expedition of HerachuS
against the Persians, when he wintered in
these plains, and destroyed the temples of
the Magi.* The fire which fed these altars
continues to burn, and a temple is stUl in
habited by pUgrims, who, though not Gue
bres, still pay their adorations to the holy
flames. To witness this, I had diverged
* Gibbon, vol. iv. chap, xlvi. page 520, fol. edit.

316 ABOSHARON.
SO great a distance from the usual route
of travellers returning through Persia to
Europe. July 6. — I left Bakoo early this morning,
attended by my servant and a Cossack. Six^
teen miles north-east of the town, on the ex
treraity of the peninsula of Abosharon, I
came, after ascending a hiU, in sight of the
object of my curiosity. The country around
is an arid rock. Enclosed within a pentagonal
waU, and standing nearly in the centre of the
court, is the fhe temple, a sraall square buUd
ing, with three steps leading up tq it from
each face. Three beUs of different sizes are
suspended from the roof. At each corner is
a hoUow column, higher than the surround
ing buildings, from the top of which issues a
bright flame ; a large fire of ignited naphtha
is burning in the middle of the court, and out
side several places are in flames. The penta
gon, which on the outside forms the waU,
comprises in the interior nineteen small cells.

HINDOO FIRE-WOBSHIPPERS. 217
each inhabited by a devotee. On approach
ing the temple, I immediately recognized,
by the features of the pilgriras, that they
were Hindoos, and not Persian fire-worship -
pers, as 1 had been taught to expect. Some
of them were preparing food. I was rauch
amused at the surprise they showed on hear
ing rae converse in Hindostany. The lan
guage they spoke Avas so mixed up with the
corrupt dialect of the Tartars, that I had
some difficulty in understanding them. I
dismounted from my horse, and gave it in
charge to the Cossack, whom they would not
allow to enter the temple, giving, somewhat
inconsistently, as a reason, that he Avas an In
fidel. I foUowed one of the pilgrims, Avho
first took rae into a cell where a Brahmin,
for so his thread proclaimed him, was en
gaged in prayer. The constitutional apathy
of the Indian was strongly raarked in the
reception this raan gave rae. The appear
ance of an ai-med European, it would be

218 OFFICIATING PRIEST-
supposed, would have alarmed one of his
timid caste ; he testified, however, neither
. fear nor surprise, but continued his devotions,
with his eyes fixed on the waU, not deign
ing to honour me with a look, tiU his prayers
were over, when he calmly and civiUy bade
rae welcorae to his poor retreat.
My first acquaintance and the Brahrain
then accorapanied rae round the other ceUs,
which were whitewashed, and remarkably
clean. In one of them was the officiating
priest of the Viragee caste. This faquir
wore only a smaU cloth round his loins;
he held a piece of red silk in his right
hand, and wore on his head a cap of
tiger's skin : this is, I believe, emblematical
of the life of the wearer, who, on leaving
the society of man, is supposed to have
recourse to the skins of wild beasts for a
covering. In a sraall recess stood a figure
of Vishnoo, and near it one of Hunoomaun,

'he

Whom India serves, the monkey deity."

VIRAGEE DEVOTEE. 219
My acquaintance with their deities seemed
to please thera much : one of them said,
" You know our religion so well, that I
need not teU yOu where you ought, or
ought not to go." While I was here, ano
ther Viragee came in : he was a stout, weU-
looking man, with matted locks and shaggy
beard, and covered with a coarse camel-hair
cloth ; his body was tattooed all over with
the figure of Vishnoo.
On entering the temple he prostrated him
self before the image. The priest then put
into his hands a smaU quantity of oU, part of
which he swaUowed, and rubbed the rest on
his hair. This man was once a Sepoy in the
Indian army, and had been an orderly to a
Colonel Howard in the time of Lord Corn-
wallis : he Avas the only raan who seeraed
to have any acquaintance with the English^
I was informed, that there is a constant
succession of pilgriras, who come from diffe
rent parts of India, and relieve each other
every two or three years in watching the

220 CRUELTY OF NADIR SHAH.
holy flame. This rule does not apply to
the Pundit, or Chief, who remains for life.
They spoke of their present chief as a man
of great learning and piety : as they wished
me very rauch to converse with him, I ac
companied them to his cell, which was
locked : they told me that he was either
at prayers or asleep, but no one offered to
disturb him. Of the pilgriras present, five
were Brahmins, seven Viragees, five Suna-
peys, and two Yogees. They spoke favour
ably of the Russians, but with more ran
cour against the Mahometans than is usual
amongst Hindoos for those of a different
persuasion. They said that Nadir Shah
treated their predecessors with great cruelty ;
impaling them, and putting them to several
kinds of tortures. All these faquirs were
very civil and communicative, with the ex
ception of one Viragee, the severest caste of
Indian ascetics : he was quite a Diogenes
in his way ; and, when asked to accompany

NAPHTHA. 221
me, called out that it was no business
of his.
Outside the teraple is a weU : I tasted the
water, which was strongly impregnated Avith
naphtha. A pilgrim covered this weU over
with two or three nummuds for five minutes ;
he then Avarned every one to go to a distance,
and threw in a lighted straw ; immediately a
large flame issued forth, the noise and appear
ance of which reserabled the explosion of a
turabril. The pilgrims wished me to stay
till dark, to see the appearance at night ; but
the bright prospect of home in the distance
got the better of curiosity, and made me
hurry forward. I passed several villages,
the inhabitants of which were employed in
collecting black and white naphtha, and
arrived at a Cossack station in the even
ing. July 1. — In the first part of this raarch,
the road led principaUy along the sea-shore ;
the country, throughout, is a salt desert.

222 COSSACK OFFICER.
which continues till within twenty versts of
Kuba. In my anxiety to proceed at a quicker pa,ce,
I so completely knocked up my servant, that
he could with difficulty be prevented from
faUing out of his saddle. After a hot and
fatiguing march, we arrived at a Cossack
station, where I purposed breakfasting ; but
ray exhausted domestic had no sooner dis
mounted, than he threw himself into the first
shady spot he could find, and was soon in a
profound slumber, leaving me Avithout break
fast, or the power to make known my Avants.
Thinking I should only lose time by dis
turbing the poor fellow's rest,. I let him sleep
on, and sate down on my baggage," hungry
and dispirited. In this mood I was accosted
by a gigantic personage, whose face, studded
with pimples, was curiously set off by his
huge Tartar cap. The rest of his person
was incased in a cloak formed of undressed
sheepskins, with the wool worn inside. He

COSSACK OFFICER. 223
turned out to be the officer of the station,
and was one of those Cossacks who visited
Paris in 1815 ; and whose Tartar skUl in
spoliation must be stUl fresh in the recollec
tion of the Parisians.
In a friendly growl, which he intended to
be French, I distinguished the word dejeu
ner : immediately at the sound, I foUowed
him into a wretched hovel, to which he
welcomed rae with an apologetic sigh. The
charaber was about twelve feet square, and
lighted by three smaU panes of glass and a
few sheets of oiled paper ; an uniform coat, a
pair of pantaloons, a sabre, a cartouch-box,
and a pair of pistols, suspended from several
nails, were the only decorations of the mud
waUs ; and a bed of straw, with the black
saddle cushion for a pillow, formed the couch
of the warrior. For the humble appearance
of the dweUing I had been prepared ; but
bitter was the disappointment on observing
the meal which he had dignified Avith the

224 MY SERVANT KNOCKED UP.
name of dejeuner. Bread, the blackest and
heaviest I ever tasted; water not of the clean
est, three cucurabers, and a tough strip of salt
fish, forraed this raorning's sorry biU of fare.
After breakfast, I returned to ray servant,
and sate watching his eyes for two hours,
which, in ray impatience, I thought never
would re-open. At length he aAvcke, and
with the assistance of a hearty shake, which
I gave to prevent a relapse into drowsiness,
he was so far recovered as to be hoisted into
the saddle, and we again got under weigh.
From this day to that on which we parted,
the poor Persian became worse than useless :
as, instead of his being of any assistance to me,
I had to wait upon him, and to use every
means of persuasion to induce him to con
tinue the journey. On arriving at the end
of the stage, I discovered that I had left be
hind me the order for horses, but the serjeant
on the station, after making a fcAV difficulties,
which were silenced by a small fee, aUowed

KUBA. 225
me to proceed. I halted at a Cossack sta
tion, after a cool moonlight ride along the
seashore. July 7. — The appearance of the country
improves as Ave approach the district of
Kuba, the raost fertUe part of Shirvan. The
viUages are thickly inhabited, and the culti
vation abundant.
July 8. — At raid-day I reached Kuba,
once the residence of a Tartar Khan, but
now in possession of the Russians, who have
here a garrison of three thousand raen.
Kuba stands in an elevated situation on the
banks of the river Deli, a rapid streara, which,
issuing frora the Caucasus, flows into the
Caspian Sea. Except towards the river, the
steep banks of which are a sufficient protec
tion, the town is defended by fortified walls.
The population is computed at about five
thousand souls, one-third of which are Jews.
As I had no order for horses, I applied to the
commandant for assistance, who, saying that
VOL. II. Q

226 EFFECTS OF DROWSINESS.
the Cossack horses were raost probably en
gaged on public employ, gave rae an order,
in Turkish, on the villages.
The country, for several versts, is populous,
weU cultivated, and abounding in wood and
water. I passed through a forest of lofty
trees, and saw large parties of soldiers era
ployed in felling tiraber for building. After
fording a river, I carae to a commanding
eminence, called Kula Noo, (New Fort,)
where two hundred Russian soldiers were
employed in buUding barracks on a very
extensive scale.
From the first setting out in this expedi
tion, I had tried in vain to shake off the
paihful feeling of drowsiness with which I
had always been assaUed at some period
of the day's march. This evening, however,
I fell sound asleep in my saddle for three
hours ; and though the road led over pre
cipitous mountains, I did not awake until

RIA^ER SAMUR. 227
I had arrived at the station, when I was
roused by the Cossacks, who had spread my
mattress for rae in the middle of the yard.
July 9. — I found here three Cossack of
ficers, who informed rae that, had I been able
to have forded the river Samur at the usual
place, I should have reached Durbund in
a journey of forty versts, but the river had
become so sweUed by the sudden melting of
the snows on Mount Caucasus, that I should
be obliged to travel double the distance.
I proceeded a considerable way along the
banks of this angry torrent, and afterwards
passed through several villages. At one of
them I raet with an officer in charge of spe
cie for the troops ; finding we were both
about to cross the river, I breakfasted with
him, and then accorapanied hira to the wa
ter's edge. The country, as we proceeded,
was extreraely flooded, and our progress
slow in consequence of the difficulty of
Q 2

228 RIVER SAMUR.
getting the treasure-waggons through the
muddy ground.
We forded the river at about twenty-five
versts from the last station, but the torrent
was running with such violence, that we
were nearly three hours in reaching the op
posite bank, which we could not have done
without the timely assistance of the neigh
bouring mountaineers. The Samur, ancient
Albanus, is three hundred and fifty yards
wide, and not more than four feet deep ;
large heaps of stone are dispersed over the
surface, and render the passage rugged and
dangerous. In crossing the Samur we quit
the province of Shirvan, and enter on the
southern boundary of Lezguistan. In the
natives of this country, we again faU m AAdth
a tribe possessing the same wandering and pre
datory habits as the nuraerous hordes which
I have passed in the course of this journey.
The Lesguis are reckoned the bravest peo
ple of Mount Caucasus. Till within a very

RADICALISM. 229
few years, they proved most formidable ene
mies to their Russian neighbours ; but now,
owing to the late encroachments of the lat
ter nation, they are in a state of subjection.
They occasionaUy, however, make a gaUant
stand in defence of the hberty they had en
joyed from tirae iraraeraorial. When I was
at Tabriz, I had heard of a Russian force
being sent against the Lezguis, and I had
expected, on my arrival here, to find that
the two countries were engaged in war ; but
I was one day set right by a Russian offi
cer, who, aUuding to the expedition against
the Lezguis, said, that the affair was a mere
trifle ; which, by way of illustration, he com
pared to our mode of queUing an Enghsh
insurrection, when we occasionally send " a
brigade of troops against Hunt and his army
of Radicals."
Once, on the opposite shore, I quitted
the convoy of my comrade, and proceeded
at a quicker rate over a well-cultivated

230 MAJOR OF COSSACKS.
country. Reapers, consisting entirely of
females, were gathering in the harvest. In
one spacious field I saw no less than a hun
dred women at work. In the evening I
bivouacked, as usual, at a Cossack station.
July 10. — In the raorning the sergeant
was very impertinent ; would pay no atten
tion to my Tartar order for horses, and
would not furnish me with any. Soon af
ter, a Major of Cossacks, a personage with
a round hat and a long beard, and attended
by an orderly, rode up, and, on hearing the
sergeant's story, supported him in his re
fusal. As the major was very haughty and
uncivil, I put on as big a look as I could
assurae, and, producing ray passport with the
signatures of several Russian commandants,
told him to decline furnishing me Avith
horses at his peril. This blustering had the
desired effect, for the raajor rauttered a few
words, looked exceedingly foohsh, and then
galloped away, leaving rae for a moment in

DURBUND. 231
doubt of my apphcation ; but this was soon
dispeUed by the sudden appearance of the
sergeant with the horses, who, with a crest
fallen look, and in the most submissive man
ner, held the stirrup for me to mount. This
raajor is nearly the only Russian officer from
whom I experienced uncivil treatment.-— 1
changed horses ten versts distant, and at
mid-day reached Durbund. I immediately
reported myself to the Commandant, who,
in the raost hospitable raanner, assigned me
a good quarter, introduced me to his lady,
and invited me to dine and breakfast with
him during my stay. In the afternoon he
sent me one of his horses, and accompanied
me in a ride over the town.
The modern capital of the province of Dur
bund, Daghestan, stands on the site of the city
of Albania, and corresponds in position with
the AlbanicB pyl(B of the ancients. The walls,
which are of undoubted antiquity, are vi
sible from the height of the raountain, and.

232 durbuNd.
by the appearance of the water, may be
traced a considerable distance into the Caspian
Sea. These divide the city into three com
partments ; the highest, comprising a square
of half-a-raile, constitutes the citadel. The
town is in the centre, and there are a few
gardens in the lower division. Near the sea,
I was shown the foundation of a house buUt
by Peter the Great, who visited this city
soon after it had been taken by the Rus
sians. The highest portion of the walls is
in the middle division, and is about thirty
feet high, twenty thick at the foundation,
decreasing to twelve in the upper part, over
which is a parapet three feet thick.
The waUs are built of a corapact stone of
a dark colour, and consist of large blocks :
the cement which binds them together, is
concealed by the insertion of a narrow shp of
stone between each. Sixty bastions protrude
at regular intervals. One of the gates to
wards the north, probably that which had

ANCIENT WALLS. 233
been most in ruins, has lately been repaired
by the Russians, who have adorned it with
an inscription in their language : the new
work sets off to advantage the more ancient
appearance of the other parts of the build
ings. Over another of the gates, is an in
scription by Chosroes, King of Persia, in
whose possession it was prior to the Maho
metan aera ; and so impressed was he A\ith the
iraportance of the place, that he granted the
governors the privUege of sitting on a golden
throne, which once gave a name to the city.
There are various conjectures as to the
founder of these walls, though all are agreed
upon their high antiquity. Sorae say they
are the celebrated Gog and Magog of history ;
others, that they were founded by Alexander
the Great, though it seems quite iraprobable
that he could ever have come so far as this
place. There are others, again, who affirm
that the founder was another Alexander,
who flourished several centuries before the

234 POPULATION.
Macedonian hero. The universal behef
among the Orientals is, that the waU for
merly extended hence to the Black Sea;
and though the Russian officers told me that
remains have been seen in the Caucasus to a
great distance, I have the authority of Major
Monteith (who has frequently atterapted to
discover thera), that no traces whatever are
visible in any part of Georgia. The raost pro
bable conjecture appears to be, that the waU
terminates in some strong feature of the Cau
casus, and was built for the purpose of clos
ing this pass against the invasion of the
northern Tartars.
In more modern times, Durbund has alter
nately been in the hands of Turks, Tartars,
Arabs, Persians, and Russians ; the latter
nation haAdng now possession of it for the
second time. The number of the inhabit
ants, independent of the Russian garrison,
is estimated at twelve thousand ; and com-

CULTIVATION  BURYING-GROUND. 235
prises a mixed population of Armenians,
Georgians, Mahometans, principally of the
Sunni persuasion, and of Jews ; of which
rehgion there are great nurabers along the
coast, and, as I am informed, throughout the
interior of Mount Caucasus.
The bazaar is tolerably good, but the
hovises are mean and poor. I understand that
General Yermoloff, the commander-in-chief of
Georgia, intends pulhng down the old town
and buUding it anew. To the south of the
town is a large tract of cultivated land, laid
out in corn fields and vineyards ; and there
are some gardens which produce abundance
of a variety of fruits, the white mulberry
among others ; a great quantity of saffron is
also grown here. My guides took me to the
burying-ground, as many of the tombs are
said to be very ancient. The tomb-stones are
round blocks of marble, with inscriptions in
the Cufic character. Several were pointed

236 EXTENSIVE BARRACKS.
out as belonging to some Tartar princes,
who died in this spot with sword in hand,
while fighting in defence of their rehgion.
July 11. — This morning (Sunday) the
Commandant took me to dine with the colonel
of a regiment quartered in the neighbour
hood. The colonel received me with much
pohteness, and introduced me to his lady,
a lively and pretty Livonian, who, I was
pleased to find, spoke French fluently. The
officers as weU as the men occupied teraporary
buUdings, raade of the branches of trees ; but
barracks on an extensive scale were preparing
for their reception. WhUe dinner was getting
ready we went round the buUdings, which
are all of stone, and wiU have a grand appear
ance. This work is perforraed entirely by
the soldiers ; and the colonel informed me,
that there was not a man in the regiment
who did not follow some trade. On my re
turn to the room, the company, consisting
of the officers of the regiment and the staff-

SALUTATION.  DINNER. 237
officers of the garrison, were thronging in. I
here saw, for the first time, the Russian salu
tation. Every officer, on entering, took the
right hand of the hostess and pressed it to
his lips, while she at the same moment kissed
his cheek. Dinner was prefaced by a glass
of brandy and a piece of salt-fish. The ladies,
of whom there were several, seated them
selves together : the post of honour next our
fair hostess, was assigned to me as the
stranger ; the band played during dinner ;
.-after which the company (with the exception
of myself, who took a siesta,) sat down to
cards. July 12. — My Persian servant, hearing I
intended to resume the journey this after
noon, told me that he would not, for any
sum that I could offer, accompany me again ;
but as I had also determined that nothing
should induce me to take him further, I
had, with the assistance of the Commandant,
provided myself with a substitute, who

238 TARTAR SERVANT. — HIS DRESS.
made his appearance this morning ready
equipped for the march. He was a taU, fear
less-looking Tartar, upwards of six feet high,
with large, fierce black eyes, an aquUine
nose, and a pair of mustaches that nearly
covered his face. His dress, the same as that
worn by other Lezguy Tartars, consisted of
a low cap fitting close to the head and bound
round with fur, which being of the same
colour as his mustaches, heightened the fero
city of his Aveather-beaten features. A robe
of blue stuff extended to the knee ; on each
breast were fixed a row of painted cartridge
cases ; a narrow leather strap bound his loins,
and in it were stuck a flint, a steel, a smaU
tobacco-pipe, a handsome dagger, a pair of
pistols, and a Tartar whip, consisting of two
thick thongs. On his feet he wore a sort of
sandal, which was fixed on with lacings bound
tightly round the leg up to the knee. This, I
have observed, is common to the mountaineers

HIS EASY MANNERS. 239
of Coordistan and Persia, as well as throughout
the line of Caucasus, and is probably of use
in supporting the rauscles of the leg Avhen
ascending a height. The crossed pattern of the
Scotch Highlander's tartan hose, may possibly
have sorae allusion to this raode of binding.
In raentioning my Tartar's equipraent, I
had almost forgotten the most raaterial arti
cle, for such he considered it — a quart bottle
of Russian arrack, to which he always re
sorted on the journey, as his only and in
fallible cure for hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
The free and easy manner of this fellow
towards myself was curiously contrasted
with the respectful deportment to which I
had been accustomed from his predecessor,
who never addressed me but with the title
of Jenaub (exceUency), nor spoke of him
self but as my bundah (slave).
My stipulation with the Tartar was that
he should accompany rae to Kizliar, and

240 POLITENESS OF MY HOST.
for this he should receive a tomaun a
day, provided he was always on the alert,
and was content with the smaU portion
of sleep I should aUow hira. He irame
diately rephed, that he would not sleep at
all; a promise which, to the best of my
behef, he faithfully kept. The bargain was
scarcely concluded, when the Persian, in an
earnest tone of remonstrance, spoke a few
words to him in Turkish, which I found
were intended to dissuade him from accom
panying rae, saying that, if he did, he would
certainly die of fatigue. In reply to this
friendly caution, the Tartar cast a con
temptuous glance at his adviser, and turn
ing round famUiarly to me loudly exclaimed,
"God be praised, we are not Persians !'
As a small acknoAvledgment for the truly
kind and hospitable behaviour of the Cora
raandant towards myself, I raade him a
present of my pistols ; and he in return
g-ave me a handsome Lezguy dagger, and

DEPARTURE FROM DURBUND. 241
a curious segar tube. At two o'clock we
sate down to a fareweU dinner ; after which,
as I was preparing to take my leave, several
ladies of the garrison, attracted perhaps by
curiosity, came to see the English officer :
at this I was of course well pleased, as it
gave rae an opportunity, at parting, of prac
tising the Russian raode of salute.
I had ordered the baggage to be packed,
and every thing to be got ready by four
o'clock. At the appointed hour, ray Tartar
arrived with six raen, whom the Commandant
had sent to escort me to the first Cossack
station, coraraanded by a Major, his parti
cular friend, to whora he gave rae a letter
of introduction. This stage was only ten
miles ; but, my object in leaving Durbund
in the afternoon being to avoid the probable
detention 'at the barrier in the morning, I
accepted the Major's invitation to sup with
hira, and take up my quarters for the night.
July 14, 15. — I find a chasm of these two
VOL. II. R

242 VEXATIOUS DELAYS.
days in the notes of the journal ; an omission
attributable to the anxiety I felt to hurry
forward on the journey, which sensation
superseded every other, and rendered me
as incapable of mental exertion, as insen
sible to bodily fatigue. In this nervous
state I could find but httle time for meals
and rest, and stUl less for paying the ne
cessary attention to the objects of interest
on the march. Thus I continued travelling
night and day, availing myself of the occa
sional delay in changing horses to procure a
few hours' sleep.
Notwithstanding the hurry I was in, our
progress was but slow. Vexatious delays
were sure to occur at every stage, the
Cossack posts not having been long esta
blished : at one place, the horses were out
in the fields ; at another, they had just
anived from a stage; in short, I had fre
quently to lament, that though always a

A CATCHER OF TARTARS. 243
great loser of patience, I was not often a
proportionate gainer of time.
With no such stimulus to exertion as
that by which I was actuated, my inde
fatigable servant was fuUy as rauch on the
alert as rayself during the inarch, and, as I
said before, never slept a wink during our
occasional halts. This habit of wakefulness
he had acquired as a " Catcher of Tartars ;"
a situation in which he had been eraployed
by General Yermoloff, when the road was
infested by the Lezguy hordes.
Though I have no notes, I remember ar
riving on the night of the 14th at a Cossack
station, where, as was my custom, I reclined
with my face towards the east, that I might
have the advantage of the sun's earliest rays
to rouse me from slumbers which a restless
spirit grudgingly considered as so rauch lost
time. As I Avas about to faU asleep, the bright
R 2

244 WATCHFULNESS OF THE TARTAR.
light of the raoon was reflected on the huge
figure of the Tartar. He was sitting by my
pUlow, a bottle of arrack was in his lap, and
his glaring eyes were watching mine. At
dawn of day I awoke, and beheld him seated
exactly in the same position ; and, but for
the evident diminution in the contents of
the bottle, I should have given him credit
for having stirred neither hand nor foot.

DISTRICT OF SHAMKHAUL. 245

CHAPTER IX.
District of Shamkhaul — The Shamkhaul — Tarkee— A
little Amazon — River Koi Soui — Extraordinary Flight
of Locusts — Nogai Tartars — Quarantine-house — Arrive
at Kizliar ; am the guest of a friend of my Servant's —
The Town, Population, and Produce — My new Servant,
a Jew boy — Anecdote — Departure from Kizliar — My
new Equipage — Post-horses, Cossack and Kalmuck
Drivers — Locusts in the Desert — Quarantine — Arrival
at Astrakhan — Scotch Missionary-house — Alexander
Cassim Beg— ^Obstacles to the Missionaries — Their
Privileges — City of Astrakhan — Population — Variety
of Costume — Prisoner begging — Russian Charity —
Trade — Salt — Productions — Indecent Custom — Stur
geon Fishery.
July 16. — We passed through the popu
lous and beautiful district of Shamkhaul,
the name of which formerly gave the title to
the Prince of the country. The present

246 THE SHAMKHAUL. "
representative of the family, though stripped
of his authority by the Russians, is indulged
by them with the honorary rank of Lieu
tenant-general in their army, and with the
permission to retain the appeUation of his
ancestors. The capital of this district is Tarkee ;
but the Shamkhaul hiraself resides in a
romantic vUlage, situate on the brow of an
eminence, which comraands a beautiful view
of undulating mountains clothed with trees,
and verdant A^alleys traversed by numerous
riUs. My Tartar had so excited my curiosity by a
description of the Shamkhaul, that I diverged
frora the direct road to see him, and, on ray
arrival, presented him with a letter from the
friendly Coraraandant of Durbund, which I
hoped would procure me an invitation to
dinner, as my servant had particularly enu
merated a love of good living among his
estimable qualities.

TARKEE. 247
In this scion of a royal stock, who is cele
brated for eating a whole sheep at a meal, I
beheld an unwieldy, red-bearded Tartar, with
a forbidding countenance, that at once de
stroyed all hopes of a dinner. Our inter
view was short ; he was nearly the first un
civil Mahometan I had raet, so I lost no
time in remounting ray horse, and tried at
parting to return with interest the cavalier
deportraent with which I had been received.
I did not arrive at Tarkee tUl four o'clock
the following morning, having been twenty-
tAVO hours on the march.
July 17. — I resumed the journey after
five hours' rest, and did not stop to look
at Tarkee, which contains a garrison of Rus
sians : it is considered half way between
Kizliar and Durbund. I crossed the Tar-
kali-oozan, and arrived at a smaU village in
the afternoon.
On dismounting, my stirrup was held by
a fah and handsome-looking person, who

248 A LITTLE AMAZON.
proved to be a female. Adrairation of a
railitary life had induced her to deprive
herself of her fair tresses, and to wear the
dress of a man, preparatory, as she said, to
offering her services to the Eraperor as a
soldier. Hearing I was in the array, she
told me, that, if she had been a little older,
she would have accompanied rae. I told
her that she would be rejected, frora her
feminine appearance ; but she said, she
would cut off her breasts, whenever they
were too large for concealment. On tak
ing leave of this little Amazon, I gave
her an old aigviillette, which she accepted
with great delight, and strutted off with
it on her shoulder, to the no small amuse
raent of the vUlager.
At raidnight I reached the River Koi Soui,
which divides a large Tartar viUage, occu
pied by a party of Russians. The com
manding officer of the detachment (a lieu
tenant) had been in bed some time, but.

A FLIGHT OF LOCUSTS. 249
hearing of my arrival, ordered refreshments
to be prepared ; and such Avas his strict
sense of discipline, that nothing would in
duce him to be seated in the presence of
one he considered his superior officer.
July 18. — We crossed the river in the
morning, and marched thirty A^ersts in a
northern direction over a level plain.
Looking towards the east, I observed an
opaque body raoving graduaUy forward. It
was a flight of locusts, so large as to have
the appearance of a black cloud extending
over the horizon. " They covered the face
of the whole earth, so that the land was
darkened." These winged strangers, more
formidable than the banditti of the country,
had destroyed every blade of vegetation, and
had turned a weU-cultivated plain into a de
solate waste.
The Nogai Tartars, Avith whom we now
were, differed in features from the handsome
tribes occupying the countries we had just

250 KIZLIAR.
quitted. They had thicker hps, flatter noses,
smaUer eyes, and that peculiar expression of
countenance common to their race. Scat
tered over the plain were several large en-
campraents of beU-shaped tents, which had
a very picturesque appearance.
In the afternoon, I arrived at the Quaran
tine-house, a smaU fort surrounded by an
inconsiderable ditch. I wished to have con
tinued my journey, but the coraraandant,
though he said he would not detain me, was
so pressing in his invitation, that I halted for
the night.
July 19. — I reached Ivizliar, only ten
versts distant, at an early hour. Not know
ing where to find a lodging, I foUowed my
servant, who offered me the hospitahty of a
friend. As I had not rauch faith in his pro
mise of good cheer, I was agreeably sur
prised on seeing him stop at a neat and spa
cious house, where a respectable Armenian

POPULATION AND PRODUCE. 251
received and ushered me into a clean and
comfortable apartment.
This being a fast-day, no meat was aUowed
to be sold at the shops ; but these rules of
abstinence not always applying to the com
mandant, who, doubtless, thinks his office en
titled to a dispensation, my host very kindly
procured from him some mutton, which sea
soned by some excellent red champagne, of
Kizhar growth, afforded an entertainment to
which I had long been unaccustomed. The
town of Kizliar. standing on the banks of the
river Terek, is sixty versts from the Caspian
Sea. The population, including those of the
dependent viUages, may be coraputed at
tAventy thousand. Of these the Tartars and
Armenians form the two greatest divisions ;
the rest of the inhabitants are the refuse of the
nuraerous tribes of Mount Caucasus. The
grapes of Kizliar produce several different
kinds of wine ; indeed the vines grown on

252 MY NEW SERVANT.
the banks of the Terek, are equal in quahty
to those of the Don. The inhabitants cul
tivate also cotton and tobacco, but import
the greater portion of their corn from As
trakhan. July 20 — As Kizliar is the last Cossack
station on the road, here ended my journey
on horseback : horses and carriages are pro
cured hence to St. Petersburg. Being re
solved to proceed with as little possible de
lay, I asked the commandant for an order
for post-horses, but he refused to let me go
without being attended by some one whom
he could hold responsible for my safety. As
it would have been cruel to have again ac
cepted the services of my Tartar, who, poor
feUow, had scarcely awoke from the sleep he
coramenced the morning before, I offered a
reward to any one who Avould becorae ray
travelling corapanion to Astrakhan, and soon
succeeded in engaging a Jew boy in that
capacity.

ANECDOTE. 253
The rude custoras of my Tartar friends
are exemplified in an anecdote respecting
this new servant, which, I confess, it gives
rae pleasure to relate, though I raake a con
siderable figure in it.
He is a native of a sraall remote viUage on
the banks of the Terek, whence his sister, a
beautiful girl twelve years old, was carried
off" by some Tartar kidnappers, who sold her
to a Mahoraetan merchant resident here.
The poor Jew, after an unsuccessful appli
cation to the commandant for her release,
flew to the merchant, who agreed not to
make her his wife for two years, and in
the interval to return her for a specified
sum. The time had nearly elapsed when
I saw hira. The raoney I gave was suffi-
dent for his sister's release ; and I feel
somewhat proud of haAing relieved this fair
damsel. At four o'clock in the afternoon, my hew
equipage came to the door, driven by a Kal-

254 MY EQUIPAGE.
muck Tartar. The vehicle was an open
four-wheeled carriage, without springs, called
an Arba. It was five feet five inches long,
three feet broad, and perhaps three deep,
resembling a beef-barrel sawed in half. To
this wretched conveyance were attached three
half-starved ponies abreast. The coUars were
of wood, and the reins and traces of rope.
Over the collar of the centre horse were sus
pended three bells. Not a moment was lost
in packing the baggage. A little straw was
placed at the bottom, the mattress was
spread on it, and the clothes-bags served as
pillows. We were no sooner seated than off
we went, fuU gallop, to the jingling of the
bells ; our party consisting of the master, a
Christian, the valet, a Jew, and the coach
man, a worshipper of the Grand Lama.
Quitting the suburbs of Kizliar, you im
mediately enter on the great desert of As
trakhan. The road hence to the city is
tolerably good, with the exception of sorae

POST-HOUSE. 255
high sandy ridges, which require you to take
a circuitous route. ^
We reached the first post-house at dark :
I here found the utility of the beUs, which
had so annoyed me before. Their sound
being heard at a considerable distance in the
stillness of the desert, warns the keeper of
the post-house of the traveller's approach,
and enables him to bring in the relay horses
from pasture. The man employed in this
office was mounted on a horse Avithout sad
dle or bridle : he had a long two-pronged
stick in his hand, and drove before him about
thirty horses, which obeyed him as readily as
a pack of hounds - do the voice of a hurits-
man. With the exception of the keepers of the
post-house, no population was visible till
within the vicinity of Astrakhan. In the
Avinter, twenty-four thousand famihes en
camp here, and retire in the summer season
to the different branches of Mount Caueasu'^.

256 COSSACK AND KALMUCK DRIVERS.
The post-houses, which are most miserable
dweUings, are kept either by Cossacks or
Kalmucks. The contrast between the repre
sentatives of these two nations was highly
amusing. At one stage I was driven by a
shaggy, unshaA^ed Russian, in a European
hat. At the next, ray coachman was a lank-
haired, beardless Kalmuck, in yeUow cap and
scarlet boots. Each driver was very sparing
of his whip. If the horses flagged, he com
menced a song, which, like the melody of
Orpheus, so charmed the brutes, that they
always quickened their pace. There was but
little harmony in the perforraances of either
Cossack or Kalrauck ; but I forgot the toil
of the journey in listening to the whine and
hum of the one, and the gay and sprightly
air of the other.
July 22. — The only change from the sand
of the desert, which for two days we had
now been traversing, was here and there a

ASTRAKHAN- 257
patch of rank grass. On these forlorn ves
tiges of verdure the hungry locusts had set
tled in swarms ; not to be disturbed by our
carriage-wheels, which roUed over them with
as httle scruple as the car of Juggernaut
crushes a devotee.
At midnight I arrived at the Quarantine-
house, where I heard I should be detained
four days. I found here three Kizliar mer
chants, who had passed rae in a kibitka.
July 23. — I wrote a letter to the Governor
of Astrakhan in the morning, Avhich brought
me a release in the afternoon ; but ray three
corapanions had to remain in confinement
during the whole period.
We reached Astrakhan, a distance of
twelve versts, in an hour's drive. We cross
ed a branch of the river Wolga, on which
the city is built. After a slight detention at
the custom-house, we were aUowed to pro
ceed in any direction we chose. My Jew
VOL. IL s

258 SCOTCH MISSiONARY-HOUSE.
servant, who had not long left his viUage
on the banks of the Terek, and had always
considered Kizliar as the greatest of cities,
was so confounded at the populous appear
ance of Astrakhan, that he could not say a
word, and left rae to find my way about as I
could. The Kizliar merchants had spoken of
Khanee Fering, an English inn : by repeat
ing these words, I was at last directed to a
spacious house, at the door of which was
playing a rosy-cheeked boy, whose features
were so English that I spoke to him in our
own lahguage. He told me he was the son
of the Rev. Mr. Glen, and that this was the
Scotch Missionary-house. I had scarcely re
covered from the satisfaction of hearing the
welcome accents of my native land, when
his mother, a handsome Avoman, begged I
Avould corae up-stairs, and remain Avith her
family during ray stay. I partook of a
slight refreshment, and soon after there Avas
a general summons to prayers. The congre-

SCOTCH MISSIONARIES. 259
gation consisted of twenty Enghsh persons,
including women and chUdren. Psalras were
first chanted. One of the missionaries then
put forth an eloquent extempore prayer to
the Almighty, into which he introduced a
thanksgiving for my safe arrival and escape
from so raany dangers.
At no period of ray hfe do I remember
to have been impressed with so strong a
feeling of devotion as on this evening. Few
persons of the same general habits wUl un
derstand my particular feelings. Few have
ever been placed in the same situation under
similar circumstances. Quitting countries
once the raost rich and populous, noAv the
most desolate and lone, fulfiUing in their
calaraities the decrees of Divine Providence ;
safe from the dangers of the desert, and
from the barbarian tribes with whom every
crime was coramon, I found myself in a re
hgious sanctuary among ray own country
men, in whose countenances, whatever were
s 2

260 CONVERTED MAHOMETANS.
the trivial errors of their belief, might be
traced the purity of their lives, and that en
thusiasm in the cause of rehgion which has
caused them to become voluntary exUes:
whose kindness promised me every corafort,
and whose voices were gratefully raised to
Heaven in my behalf.
July 24. — After breakfast I was introduced
to Alexander Cassim Beg, a Persian of rank,
who had been converted by these mission
aries from the Mahometan to the Christian
faith. He is a fine, inteUigent young man,
and speaks Enghsh with great fluency : he is
nearly the only Mussulman who has had the
courage to acknowledge his conversion. Se
veral others, equaUy convinced of their er
rors, do not forsake them, from a fear of the
consequences. The missionaries are met by
almost insurmountable obstacles. The per
son changing his religion, ceases from aU
intercourse with his countrymen : he must
choose his companions from the natives of a

SCOTCH MISSIONARIES. 261
foreign land, with whose habits and language
he is unacquainted : if a mechanic, no one
gives him employment ; if a raerchant, the
only excuse for dealing with the apostate is
an intent to defraud him.
The Scotch missionaries at Astrakhan be
long to a colony in Circassia, or, raore pro
perly speaking, Cabardia, named Karass. The
affairs of the colony are managed by their
own laws, except in criminal cases. They
have a free exercise of their own religion, and
have liberty to receive into their communion
converts from amongst either Mahoraetans or
heathens. They are exempt from military
service, and from having soldiers quartered
on thera. They pay no taxes, except about
five copecks for each acre of arable land ;
this is not paid by the individual, but by the
coramunity. • They raay travel aU over
Russia with their own passports, and may
leave the empire when they choose. They
have power to purchase slaves (not being

262 CITY OF ASTRAKHAN.
Russians or Georgians), with the understand
ing that they are free at the end of seven
years. At the first establishment of the
colony, a number of Mahometans were pur
chased, or, as they caU it, ransomed. A Cir
cassian, christened John Mortlock, and one
or two others whom I saw at Astrakhan, are
of this description ; but the Society not ap
proving of this plan, the privilege has not
been acted upon for raany years.
Astrakhan stands at the mouth of the river
Wolga, on an island formed by two of its
branches. The island is caUed Zauchy
Bangor (a Hare's Seat.) The city is inclosed
within a fortified wall, but the water may be
said to define its natural boundary. A navi
gable canal traverses it in various parts. A
person so recently arrived frora the mud
palaces of Persia, is not perhaps well quah-
fied to speak of the state of this place. To me
it appeared clean and Avell built ; its streets
broad and commodious, its houses lofty and

CITY OF ASTRAKHAN. 263
regular : I saw it, however, under consider
able advantage. In consequence of the ex
pected arrival of the Eraperor Alexander,
the inhabitants had whitewashed their houses,
roofs and aU, by order of the governraent.
The cathedral, a magnificent building, with
its green cupolas, is the raost beautiful object
here, and may be seen at the distance of sixty
versts by traders approaching from the Cas
pian sea. In the middle of the town is the
principal square, about two hundred yards
wide N. and S., and one hundred E. and W.
On the east are the houses of the Governor
and Vice-Governor. Opposite is the house
occupied by the missionaries. On the south
is a Gostenoi Dvor, or range of shops, which,
being uniform, have a pleasing and grand
appearance. A new Gostenoi Dvor is now
erecting a little to the Avest of the square.
The natives of every country enjoy reli
gious toleration here. The town is full of
temples of Hindoos and Kalmucks, of the

264 VARIETY OF COSTUME.
mosques of Mahometans, and of the churches
of different Christian sects. Astrakhan is
considered as the see of the Armenian Arch
bishop in Russia : I believe there is no other
north of the Caucasus.
The city contains a population of sixty thou
sand Russians, numerous tribes of Tartars,
Armenians, Indians, Kalmucks, and natives
of Bokhara. As every one retains the dress
of his country, the grand square at the tirae
of daily raarket has a very picturesque ap
pearance. It was curious to observe so great
a variety of costume and feature crowded
into so smaU a space. I was delighted again
to hear the fair sex enjoying one of their
greatest privileges, that of speech, which
they here used with noisy volubUity, in
haggling their wares with the natives of
nearly every Asiatic country. While watch
ing the various groups, I saw a prisoner,
heavily ironed and guarded by a fUe of men,
going round the market begging; numbers

RUSSIAN CHARITY. — WOLGA. 265
gave him a trifle. It was amusing to ob
serve the cereraonious behaviour of the giver
and receiver on these occasions. Both took
off their hats, made a profusion of low bows,
and then embraced each other with a polite
ness that accorded oddly with their half-
savage appearance.
Charity is a very prevalent virtue amongst
the Russians, though they appear to care
little whether the object be worthy or not.
I have not unfrequently seen a Russian give
a coin of five farthings value to a professed
beggar, who returned hira two farthings in
exchange. The eastern shore of the Wolga, along
the city and suburbs, is lined with
vessels for two versts. Of these, sorae be
long to the Caspian trade, but the greater
portion to the inland navigation. Foreign
trade is carried on chiefly by Russians and
Arraenians, but for the most part in Russian
and Astrakhan vessels. Few towns can boast

266 SALT-TRADE.
of a more advantageous situation for the
purposes of commerce. • The Wolga, which
is three versts broad opposite Astrakhan, is
navigable hence to St. Petersburg, the pas
sage varying from fifty-six to about seventy
days. Several of the missionary famUies
came from Leith to Astrakhan by water.
In the government of Astrakhan, the salt-
trade is carried on to a very great extent. The
salt taken from salt-water lakes, is piled up
in vast quantities on the banks, ^nd thence
transported to different parts of the country
by carriers, and, when practicable, by vessels.
Its plenty and its cheapness are of great im
portance to- the fisheries.
In the neighbourhood of the city are ex
tensive vineyards, the site of which is gene
rally marked by windmUls, erected for the
purpose of raising water for irrigation, with
out which assistance the parched earth would
not bring the vintage to perfection. The
grapes here are delicious. There are besides,

INDECENT CUSTOM. 267
a great variety of fruits ; the raelons are said
to be the finest in the world, not excepting
those of Ispahan.
The principal proraenade in Astrakhan is
on the banks of the canal. I was astonished
to see here men and woraen swimraing to
gether, without the slightest regard to de
cency, at a tirae when aU the principal in
habitants were taking their evening walks.
This indelicate practice is very coraraon
throughout Russia. At Nishney Novogo
rod, I saw women walk from one bath to
another, in a complete state of nudity, past
a large concourse of people.
July 28. — On the 28th, Mr. Glen went
Avith rae to visit one of the sturgeon -fisheries
of Mr. Ssaposhenikoff, a wealthy merchant
of Astrakhan, who with the gi-eatest civUity
sent us down in his own barge, having pre
viously given orders that the fishermen
should await our coming.
The distance was about thirty versts, but

268 STURGEON FISHERY.
we had ten active Kalmucks, who soon row
ed us down. The name of this fishery is
Karmaziack. The dependent viUage contains
a population of six hundred persons. One
hundred boats are eraployed. Two per
sons are in ,each boat ; one, generaUy a
feraale, rows, and the other hauls in the fish.
The instrviments used, are a maUet, and a
stick with a large unbarbed hook at the
end. Every fisherman has a certain num
ber of lines ; one line contains fifty hooks ;
these are placed at regular distances frora
each other ; they are without barbs, sunk
about a foot under water, and are kept in
raotion by sraall pieces of Avood attached to
thera. The sturgeon generaUy swiras in a
large shoal near the surface. Upon being
caught by one hook, he generaUy gets en
tangled with one or two more in his struggle
to escape. Iramediately on our arrival, the
boats pushed from shore ; each fisherman
proceeded to take up his hues ; on coming to

STURGEON FISHERY. 269
a fish, he drew it with his hooked stick to
the side of the boat, hit it a violent blow on
the head with the mallet, and, after disen
gaging it from the other hooks, hauled it into
the boat. This part of the process was excel
lent sport. On every side, the tremendous
splashing of the water announced the cap
ture of some huge inhabitant of the deep.
As soon as we had seen enough of this
part of the business, we went into a large
wooden house on the banks of the river,
where a clerk was seated to take an ac
count of the number caught. Seventy co
pecks is given for each fish. There were
caught this morning four beloogas, one hun
dred and ten sturgeons, nine shevreegas, and
several sterlets, a small kind of sturgeon,
which, though the most dehcious, are never
counted. These last are distinguishable frora
the sturgeon by a raark above the mouth.
The sterlet is almost pecuhar to the Wolga,
though occasionally a few are caught in the

270 STURGEON FISHERY.
Don. The belooga is a large fish ; one of
those caught to-day weighed four pood, one
hundred and forty-four Enghsh pounds.
The shevreega is like a pike, having a
very long head. There was also a large
black fish, called a som. It is very vora
cious, and will attack a man in the water.
The head is not sold, as nobody but the
Kalmucks will eat it, and they wiU eat any
thing. It was given to our boatmen, who
Avent off in high glee to make a meal of it.
In this house, men with instruments hke
boat-hooks drew the fish from the boats, and
laid them in a row. Their heads were split
in two ; the roe, or caviar, and the isinglass
were taken out and separately disposed ; the
bodies were cut in half and washed-in a reser
voir of Water, thence they were taken into a
large warehouse, between the waUs of Avhich
are placed a quantity of ice; a few shovels
of salt were thrown Over them, and by this
short process they became ready salted for

STURGEON FISHERY. 271
exportation. The isinglass was taken into a
room, where chUdren were employed in lay
ing it out either on flat boards, or rolling it
up exactly in the sarae mode in which it is
exposed for sale. The former raode consti
tutes what, I believe, is called the book, and
the latter the sheet isinglass. In the mean
time, the caviar was coUected in pails, and
placed on a frame of net-work over a large
tub, and, by being passed to and fro, the fat
fibres which connect it together were sepa
rated from it, and afterAvards converted into
oil. This done, thirty-five degrees of salt
and water were thrown upon it, which, after
being worked for twenty rainutes with pad
dles, was drained off by a sieve, and the caviar
was put into raat bags ; these were squeezed
AveU betAveen tAvo boards, and there the pro
cess ends. In the short space of three hours,
I saw the fish caught, killed, and salted, the
isinglass prepared for sale, and the salted ca
viar ready packed for' exportation.

272 V STURGEON FISHERY.
What we saw was the morning process.
The hooks, on being separated from the fish,
require no farther preparation. The fisher
men go to their dinners, and in the evening
make a second visjt to their lines, when aU
the operations to which we were AAdtnesses
are repeated. In the winter, a particular
spot, with deep holes, is left for a consider
able tirae undisturbed: when the ice is
sufficiently strong, the fishermen of the
various fisheries asserable, and breaking
holes in it throw in their nets ; after two
days, the pit or hole is exhausted, and
scarcely one fish escapes.
Mr. Ssaposhenikoff hires these fisheries of
Prince Korackchin at an annual rent of four
hundred and fifty thousand roubles. Besides
this fishery of Karmaziack, he has twenty-
nine others : a good season wUl produce
three hundred thousand roubles clear profit.
After having seen this interesting exhibi
tion, we went to a small house by the water-

ENTERTAINMENT. 273
side, where a sumptuous entertainment had
been prepared for us by the polite attentions
of Mr. Ssaposhenikoff. We had a great
variety of wines ; but that which deserves
particular notice, was a bottle of London
porter, which had arrived at this reraote and
inland quarter in a state of perfect preserva
tion. As I was stepping into the boat, the
superintendent of the fisheries presented
me with some book-isinglass, and a bag
of salted caviar from the fish which I had
seen alive four hours before.

VOL. II.

274 DEPARTURE FROM ASTRAKHAN.

CHAPTER X.

Departure from Astrakhan — Mode of dispersing Locusts —
Colony of Sarepta — Modern Hippophagi — German Co
lonies — Russian travelling — Saratoif — Penza — Nishney
Novogorod — Effect of an Uniform — A Cossack Sentry —
Rascolnicks — Horsemanship — Theatre — Russian dance.

On the 30th of July I quitted the hospi
table roof of Mr. Glen, and resumed ray
journey, for the purpose of being present
at the grand annual fair which is held at
Nishney Novogorod. 1 was accompanied
from Astrakhan by Mr. James Mitchell,
a young man, the son of a Missionary,
whose father paid me the comphment to com-

CROSS THE WOLGA. 275
rait hira to my care. Mr. MitcheU, who
is a native of the colony of Karass, had
never been farther north than Astrakhan.
He traveUed with rae as far as St. Peters
burgh, and proved of the greatest service
to rae ; as, besides Oriental languages, he
was well acquainted with Russian and Ger
raan : so we managed very weU on the
road, being able between us to speak eight
different languages.
We were escorted to the opposite bank of
the Wolga by aU the English residents of
the city, who came to bid fareweU to their
young friend. Our carriage hence was a
kibitka, which had been given us by the
Missionaries. For the first time during my long jourriey
I was this evening caught in a shower of
rain. We traversed the grand steppe or
desert of Astrakhan for two days. On the
evening of the 1st of August we arriAed at
T 2

276 FLIGHT OF LOCUSTS.
a Russian viUage, which was surrounded by
a considerable tract of weU-cultivated land.
While changing horses, I witnessed what
was to me a very curious sight : a vast ffight
of locusts, extending fifteen miles, suddenly
made their appearance from the east, and came
in a huge phalanx to attack the crops. In
an instant every villager was on the road to
his own field. Some took dogs, others were
on horseback, and others ran shouting and
clapping their hands aU the way, the inha
bitants finding from experience that the lo
custs very rauch dishke noise. My feUow-
traveller told me, that in the colony of Ka
rass, when the locusts come in sight, not only
all the inhabitants, but the mUitary, turn out,
and endeavour to drive thera off by druras
and fifes, and a perpetual discharge of mus
ketry. The enemy thus repulsed make a
speedy retreat, and coramit their depreda
tions on the lands of those who are less
on the alert to resist them.

SAREPTA. 277
August 3. — It is difficvilt to describe the
pleasurable sensations Avith which I entered
the beautiful little town of Sarepta, after
haAdng been for four days and nights travel
ling through an almost barren waste. There
had been no previous indication to point out
the havints of man, when Sarepta, seated in
the bosom of a rich valley, suddenly burst on
the view. Our carriage passed through small
but regular streets, and stopped at the door
of the inn, a neat house, in a pretty square,
which, together Avith the church at the op
posite end, brovight the snug villages of Eng
land to ray raind. We were here receiA'^ed by
a respectable-looking old Gerraan, who soon
laid before us a dinner, that did not destroy
the illusion of horae in which I had in
dulged. The greater part of Sarepta was destroyed
by fire two years ago ; but the active little
colony is fast repairing the devastation, and
new buildings are rearing their heads in

278 SAREPTA.
every direction. It is gratifying to know,
that the principal funds which enabled them
to rebuild the town, are derived from a
London subscription.
In the morning we were waited upon by
a deputation of the inhabitants, begging us
to visit their shops. Every member of this
infant repubhc being anxioUs to exert his
interests for the general good, our land
lord was particularly solicitous in seconding
this request. His motive for so doing is
gratitude for a law of the' colony in his fa
vour, which prevents any one of their num
ber from asking a stranger to dinner, as
such invitation would be prejudicial to his
interest as an innkeeper and a meraber of
the coraraonwealth. In return for this ex
cellent decree, he puffs off the goods of his
fellow-citizens to every new comer, which
obliges them, as it did me, to purchase some
trifle at every house. As for myself, I re
turned home laden with gingerbread and

MORAVIAN ESTABLISHMENT. 279
baby-linen, and tobacco. I afterwards went
to visit a Moravian establishment. Oppo
site the inn forraerly stood a house contain
ing eighty bachelors, and near it one con
taining eighty spinsters. The house of the
forraer has been burnt down ; that of the
latter has escaped. The feraales divide their
OAATi dweUing with the raen till theirs is re
built. When a bachelor is tired of a life of
celibacy, he goes next door, chooses one out
of the eighty spinsters, and raakes her his
wife. The pair become members of the ge
neral comraunity, and keep house for thera
selves. The vacancies are filled up by the
children of those who had once been in
mates of these mansions of single blessed
ness. I was highly gratified with my visit to
this huraan hive. Every thing was in the
neatest order ; the sisters, as they are called,
with their little caps and uniforra dress, re
minded me of our fair Quakers. The fe-

280 MORAVIAN ESTABLISHMENT.
male children were reading and writing ; the
young woraen were engaged in domestic
employments. The old maids, for there
were a few, Avere occupied in knitting and
needlework. All were busy at the occupa
tion best adapted to their peculiar habits and
talents. Nor were the brothers idle ; here
were shoemakers, taUors, weavers, printers,
and bookbinders. I was shown a fine collec
tion of the serpents and other reptiles of
Southern Russia. I saw also a large collec
tion of antiquities found in the neighbour
hood, which proves the former existence of
an ancient city on this spot.
I regret that the anxiety to pursue my
jovirney prevented my giving the necessary
tirae to these relics ; but I was obhged,
though with regret, to take a hasty leave of
the Sarepta community.
Before we bade fareweU to our Moravian
friends, we visited their burying-ground.
Even this partakes of republican simplicity.

MINERAL SPRING. 281
It is a square enclosure. The tombstones
are exactly alike, being three feet by tAvo.
On each is inscribed, without comraent, the
Christian and surname of the deceased, and
the day on which he died. These hurable
testiraonials of the dead are singularly con
trasted with the aristocratic marble tomb
stone of a Russian Princess who is buried
here. We left Sarepta at three in the afternoon.
Eight railes west of the town is a raineral
spring : near it are a suite of baths. The
inhabitants of Sarepta bathe here once a
week : in the month of May, people come
from a distance to take the benefit of its
medicinal effects.
August 4. — We travelled aU night, and at
dayhght reached a village, where we changed
horses. One of the poor beasts died as he
Avas taken from off the carriage : some
Kalmucks immediately carried him away for
their breakfast. Ptolemy designates a tribe

282 GERMAN COLONIES.
of Scythians (Tartars) by the name of 'Iir-
¦n-o(j>ayi, Or Horsc-eaters.
August 5. — On the morning of the 5th,
we fell in with sorae Gerraan colonies, which
occupy a tract of land extending hence
to the north of Saratoff. It was not tUl we
arrived among these settlers that we saw
any thing like regular cultivation : corn is
very abundant here : each driver seated
himself on a bag of flour, with which he
fed his cattle at the end of the stage. In
the desert we had just quitted, wormwood
is the principal, and soraetiraes the only food
for the horse. We passed through several
German villages, and were struck with the
appearance of the broad hats of the women.
Vast quantities of buck-wheat are grown
here : the lower orders raake it up into a
porridge, of which they are very fond.
I cannot agree with those who speak in
favour of Russian traveUing. Its only raerit

RUSSIAN TRAVELLING. 283
is its extreme cheapness. Sometiraes our
road was fonned of the trunks of trees : on
these occasions, off would go our driver at
fuU gaUop ; and as we passed over holes
raade by the fracture of timber, the kibitka
would spring into the air, and return with
such a bound that I often expected disloca
tion of a bone must foUow. It is true, this
painful ordeal may be aUeviated by having
springs to the carriage ; but the remedy is
worse than the disorder. Few springs can
stand such a violent shock ; and if they are
once broken, there wUl be great difficulty in
having them repaired.
The traveller is recommended to be care
ful in having old instead of new wheels to
his carriage. Those of ours were new ; the
consequence of which was, in a short time
they were so warped by the sun, that one or
two spokes feU out every day, till at last only
four remained in one of the fellies. By

284 CONDUCT OF A SMATREETEL.
great good luck I succeeded in purchasing
another set of wheels, for Avhich I wUlingly
gave five times their value.
Another grievance on a Russian journey
is the vexatious delay the traveUer under
goes from the conduct of the smatreetels or
superintendents of the post-houses, who wiU
refuse horses to any one weak enough to
submit to such treatraent. With Mr. Mit
cheU. for interpreter, I occasionally address
ed these raen in rather strong language.
One of thera, frora whom I had, by dint of
abuse and threats, succeeded in obtaining a
relay of cattle, vented his spleen on my fel-
low-traveUer ; saying, that he should report
his conduct for having spoken disrespect-
fuUy to one of his rank. My young friend,
who, though not a soldier hiraself, had been
bred up in all due veneration for mUitary
precedence, seemed alarmed at the conse
quences of having wounded the dignity of
a smatreetel, who, he assured me, ranked as

REMEDY FOR THE EVIL. 285
" an officer of the fourteenth class." When
angry words faUed, I used to bribe these
" officers" with twopence, an affront their
dignity generaUy pocketed with a bow. I
know but of one more raode for insuring
the good offices of the smatreetel, which I
shaU illustrate in an anecdote of a French
nobleman : — This personage, an attache to
the embassy, being on his journey from St.
Petersburgh to Moscow, had been, as usual,
delayed on the road for want of horses, the
smatreetel telling him that there were none in
the stable. He had one day been deploring
his hard fate a full hour, when a Cossack offi
cer with despatches arrived at the post-house.
To dismount from his arha, to unshng his
whip from his own shoulder, to lay it across
that of the sraatreetel, to have fresh horses
attached to his vehicle, and to be again on
his journey, was but the work of a raoraent.
The hint was not thrown away on the
Frenchman : he iramediately unlocked his

286 PREPARATIONS FOR THE EMPEROR.
portmanteau, took out his Parisian cane, and
imitated the action of the Cossack. The
effect was equaUy instantaneous. The little
cane, like the wand of Cinderella's fairy
godmother, was no sooner waved, than a
coach and horses appeared, and carried off
the French magician, who, by repeating the
secret of his newly acquired art, reached
Moscow a day sooner than he had any rea
son to expect.
August 7. — At Saratoff, the capital of the
district so caUed, we found the houses had aU
been lately whitewashed, and the streets put in
repair, in expectation of the Emperor Alex
ander's arrival. As we proceeded, we found
the verst-posts and bridges newly painted,
and the road patched up and sanded for the
same occasion. We were, however, not al
lowed to profit by these improvements.
The repairs were of such a nature, as to be
only just sufficient to sustain the weight of
tiie imperial retinue ; so we poor traveUers

MILITARY PREPARATIONS. 287
were dooraed, by an ukase, to jog on by
the road side, to have ease and luxury in
sight, but to have them denied to every
sense. August 8. — We reached Penza, another
capital town, in the afternoon of the 8th.
Every body was in the bustle of preparation ;
a large body of troops were assembled for the
purpose of being reviewed by the Emperor.
The same active preparations were going on
as at Saratoff, and the vamping system was
in stUl greater force. Bricklayers and plas
terers were fully occupied. Opposite the
place where we changed horses, they were h-
terally puUing down an old house, as too un-
seeraly an object for autocratic eyes. The
town was crowded with raUitary. Generals,
attended by their aides-de-camp and order-
hes, were seen prancing through the streets.
Large smoking groups of wasp-waisted
huzzars met the eye at every turn. Every
thing partook of " the porap and circum-

288 RUSSIAN FAIR.
stance of glorious war." A crowd is ahvays
to me a gratifying sight ; it was doubly so
on arriving from a tl inly -populated country.
The review was expected to take place very
shortly : with any other place but home for
my destination, I would gladly have stayed
to witness the Russian system of evolutions.
August 9. — We arrived at Nishney No
vogorod on the 9th, at the height of the
grand annual fair, hired lodgings, and then
saUied forth into the crowd in search of
amusement. But my ideas had been so asso
ciated *with the boyish recollections of Goose
berry-fair,* and its nuraerous wUd-beasts,
booths, swings, and raerry -go-rounds, that I
was wofuUy disappointed in witnessing the
noiseless, orderly, and stupid scene at Nish
ney Novogorod. Here were no national
* In my time, Gooseberry-fair was held every Easter
and Whitsuntide, in the Westminsters' cricket-ground
of Tothill-fields. The field is now enclosed, and subse
quent improvements have destroyed all the enjoyments
of that dirty, yet delightful quarter.

RUSSIAN FAIR. 289
pastimes, not even a Montagne Russe. —
Though merchants had assembled from every
quarter of the globe, they had come on bu
siness, not pleasure. The few Russian no-
bleraen present had estates in the neighbour
hood, and had corae to collect their rents.
Indeed, I question whether, out of this vast
concourse, I was not' the only person who
had been attracted hither solely by raotives
of curiosity and arausement. StiU, to a per
son who has always lived in a crowd, this
motley assemblage could not be without its
interest ; and before I left Neshney Novogo
rod, I managed to extract raore arausement
than I had expected.
The place in which the fair is held is en
circled by a canal of an oblong form. With
in this space are several formal hnes of roof
ed shops or warehouses, in which articles are
exposed for sale, without any attention to
the attractive order of their arrangement.
British goods seemed to be in high repute ;
A^OL. II. u

290 EFFECT OF AN UNIFORM.
and often, in passing along a row of shops,
did I hear the venders of some flimsy articles
puffing thera off as being " Anglicansky" —
English. For the first day I was dressed in a plain
blue coat, and wandered through the fair
friendless and forlorn ; Mr. MitcheU being
unable to render me assistance as an inter
preter, from the diffidence he naturaUy felt
at having thus suddenly faUen in Avith so
great a concourse of people. Tired of this
neglect, I next morning, by the advice of
my fellow-traveUer, tried the effect of a mUi
tary dress. Not the disguised corsair in She
ridan's " Critic," when he first discovers his
embroidered waistcoat, could have produced
a greater change on his beholders, than did
I on raine in my aide-de-camp's uniform;
Those who had jostled me the day before,
now vied with each other in paying me at
tention : the Director of the fair solicited
the honour of being my cicerone; and I, who

A COSSACK SENTRY'. 291
in the morning could not boast of an ac
quaintance, found myself in the evening pos
sessed of fifty friends.
In the course of the day, I paid my re
spects to General Groukoff, the Governor.
He received me very civilly, and begged I
would make his house ray horae during ray
stay. I dined with him this afternoon ; and
in the evening met at his house the Prince
of Georgia, and several other Russian noble
men. As it rained hard when I was about to
return home, I borrowed an old hat and
coat from one of my fifty friends, to save
my railitary dress. In following the banks
of the canal to arrive at the bridge, I felt
myself suddenly arrested by the muscular
grasp of a man, whom I discovered to be a
huge Cossack on sentry. With a broad grin
on his savage features, he grasped his hor
rible whip, and, beckoning a comrade, mo
tioned by signs too plain to be misunder-
u 2

292 HIS PUNISHMENT.
stood, what would be the alternative if I
did not give hira money for something to
drink. With all a Westminster's science in
boxing, it would have been in vain to have
contended with two arraed raen, so I gave
him a small silver coin ; but as this did not
satisfy hira, he had aheady raised his arm
for punishraent, when I opened my coat and
shoAved my military boots and spurs, and,
with aU the Russian I was master of, told
him that I was an English officer and an
acquaintance of the Governor's.
It was evident I had made rayself perfectly
understood, for he quitted his hold as though
I had been a serpent, relaxed his grin, and
took with hira his comrade, who had just
a-rrived to assist him in his depredation.
Upon enquiry, I heard that such a line of
conduct was very common with these ruf
fians, who not unfrequently rob and murder
merchants falling within their grasp. Th^
next morning I reported the circumstance to

RASCOLNICKS, OR DISSENTERS. 293
the Governor, and am inchned to beheve
the Cossack underwent the punishraent he
had designed for rae.
August 11. — As I was looking at a coUec-
tion of Siberian rainerals, which were en
closed in a glass case, I observed an old man
with a long beard sirailarly engaged. On
his entering the roora, I was struck with the
marked coldness shown him by every one
•present : by chance, his elbow broke one of
the glasses : the corapany seemed delighted
at his having accidentally furnished them
with a grievance : they simultaneously left
the roora, and returned with a corporal and
file of the guard, to whom they gave him in
charge. On enquiring, in a tone of pity,
the reason for this hard usage, I was answer
ed that he was a " Rascolnick," a dissenter
frora the Greek church ; and therefore, said
my informer, unworthy of your sympathy.
There are many dissenters under the ge
neral term of Rascolnick : one of these sects.

294 CIRCUS. — THEATRE.
chiefly in the south of Russia, become eu
nuchs. The Emperor Alexander tried to
put them down, but without success.
I accompanied the Director this afternoon
to see some feats of horsemanship. The
performer, who was a Frenchman, danced
on the bare back of a horse with considerable
skill; but, as I could see this sort of sight at
horae, I turned ray attention to one much
more interesting — the spectators. Assem
bled round the equestrian ring Avere natives
of nearly every country of Asia, all dressed
in their national garb, and exhibiting fea
tures as varied as their dresses. I was par
ticularly attracted by the wonder expressed
by some Tartar horse-catchers, Avho, great
equestrians themselves, knew not what to
make of this kind of riding. " Look ! look !"
said the Director, pointing to the rider ; but
I was too busy in watching the variety of
animated nature to waste a moraent on the
performances of art.
From the Circus we went to the Theati-e.

RUSSIAN DANCE. 295
The performance was Kotzebue's play of
" Pizarro, or The Death of RoUa," as it is
here caUed. The acting was respectable, and
the play differed but little frora Sheridan's
translation. RoUa was in the hands of a
young raan whose violent declaraations in
favour of liberty induced me to ask who he
was. I was informed that he and the rest
of the troop were " the slaves" of a neigh
bouring prince, who had let thera out at so
much a-head to a stroUing Impresario !
The amusements closed with the national
Russian dance. It was very entertaining;
and, like most exhibitions of this nature, de
scribed the usual process of a courtship ; —
a proper degree of importunity on the one
hand, resistance and ultimate consent on the
other. The female dancer here, a pretty
lively coquette, suddenly attracted by my
scarlet coat, transferred her attentions from
her partner on the stage to me in the pit,
to the no small amuseraent of the spectators,
myself not excepted.

296 ARRIVAL AT MOSCOAV

CHAPTER XI.
Arrival at Moscow — Messrs. Hart and Lamb — Governor
General — Military Honours — Gallitsin Hospital —
Burning of Moscow — The Kremlin — The Diligence— r
State Prisoner — Arrival in England.
August 12. —Mr. MitcheU and I left
Nishney Novogorod on the evening of the
12th, and travelled night and day tUl we
reached Moscow, a distance of four hundred
and forty-three versts, on the morning of
the 15th.
August 15. — It is hardly possible to imagine
any thing more beautiful than the first appear
ance of this city, combining, as it does, the
architecture of almost every age and every

FORMER FELLOW-TRAVELLERS. 297
country : the gilded dorae of the Mahoraetan
era in Asia, the Gothic waUs and towers
of the rude ages of Europe, and the Grecian
structures of a more cultivated period.
I had not been long settled in my hotel,
when I heard that two English travellers
had just arrived from Persia. I imraediately
sent my name to them, and soon after in
walked Messrs; Hart and Lamb, by whora, it
wUl be reraerabered, I had sent letters for
my family from Tabriz, in the expectation
that they would have arrived in England
six weeks before me. We were all mu-
tuaUy gratified at this rencontre, and agreed
not to separate again untU we should reach
home. August 17. — This morning we paid our
respects to Prince Deraetrio Galhtsin, the
Governor-General of Moscow. Captain
Hart wore the uniform of the 4th Light
Dragoons, and I that of an aide-de-camp.
As both our dresses were siraUar to those

298 MILITARY HONOURS,
worn by Russian general officers, aU the
guards of the city turned out, and received
us with military honours. In the anti-room
of the Governor- General, I saw the Com
raander of the forces, inforraed him of our
having received such unmerited comph
ments, and begged, that to prevent a re
currence of them, he would be good enough
to explain to the guards our actual rank in the
array. He answered with much politeness,
that no attentions were too great for Eng
lish gentlemen, who were pleased to honour
his country with a visit; and that so far
from giving directions to the guards to
discontinue the compliraent, he should be
much displeased if they did not ahvays
pay those distinctions Avhich he considered
our due.
When we came in, there were several
officers of high rank waiting for an au
dience ; but the moment we were announ-

GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF MOSCOW. 299
ced, the Governor-General desired that we
might be admitted. His Excellency is a
highly polished and agreeable man. He
behaved to us with the greatest affability,
and kept us in conversation for a consider
able time. He asked us several questions
relative to our numerical force in India,
and our expedition against the Burmese,
of which he seemed to have received very
recent accounts. As there was no idea of a
war when we left Bombay, and as we had
had no raeans of gaining intelligence during
our journey, we treated the matter very
lightly, assuring him .that Burmah would
never dare to make a stand against us.
His Excellency looked incredulous at this
observation, evidently attributing to deep di
plomacy, what was, in fa?t, raere ignorance.
We returned in the evening to dine with
his Excellency ; a large corapany was as
serabled to meet his Royal Highness the

300 GALLITSIN HOSPITAL.
Duke of Wurtemburg. Before we could
make our bows to the Governor-General,
we had to force our way through crowds
of star- adorned nobUity, to raany of whom
we were presented.
His ExceUency behaved to us with the
most marked attention. At dinner, he
placed me opposite hira, and desired two
noblemen, who had been in England, to sit
on each side of me. In corapliraent to us,
his Excellency spoke nothing but Enghsh
during the repast, and whenever he was not
occupied in attentions to his royal guest, he
addressed himself entirely to my feUow-tra-
veUers and rayself.
On Sunday we attended diAdne service at
the Gallitsin Hospital, a charitable institu
tion founded in 1802 by Prince GaUitsin.
The Chapel is an elegant building, sur
raounted by a dome. The service was very
impressively performed, and there was a
great appearance of devotion in the congre-

BURNING OF MOSCOW. 301
gation, many of whom frequently threw
themselves on their faces in the Oriental
manner. The singing, the only rausic al
lowed in Greek churches, was the most
melodious I ever heard. The priest chanted
in a loud sonorous tone, and the responses
were made by a choir of concealed singers,
whose voices were so delightfully harrao-
nized, that I had difficulty in persuading
myself they were not the notes of an organ.
Scott mentions, in one of his novels,* the
effect on the senses of music, when the per
formers are concealed ; and I was struck this
morning with the truth of the observation.
During our stay at Moscow, we heard va
rious versions of the burning of Moscow in
1812. We were told that Count Rastop-
chin, at that time Governor-General of Mos
cow, had published three separate accounts :
one for the Russians, attributing the burn
ing to the French ; a second for the English,
* Bride of Lammermoor.

302 VISIT THE KREMLIN.
avowing the burning himself; and a third
for the French, leaving it in doubt who was
the incendiary. He was in disgrace when
we were here, and we did not see him. My
old friend and school-fellow Mr. Can- Glyn
speaks of him as an amiable, agreeable, and
clever person, and thinks with rayself that
his character has been rauch abused. Ras-
topchin burnt his own country-house before
the entry of the French into Moscow. The
Russian army is said to have been drunk at
the time, and to have pUlaged the city to a
great extent. The Muscovites teU you, that
if Napoleon, after the battle of Smolensko,
had taken up his quarters in Poland, had
given the Poles a free constitution, and had
freed the peasants in Russia and the Tartars
in the Crimea, success would have attended
him the following year.
On our arrival here, orders had been is
sued to close the Palace of the Kremlin, for
the purpose of making some repairs ; but the

THE JEWEL-CHAMBER. 303
Governor-General, hearing us express a wish
to visit it, with the greatest politeness sent
to suspend the projected operations tiU after
we had seen the curiosities. We were raet
at the door of the palace by a general officer,
who very civUly pointed out to us every
thing worthy of interest.
The jewel-chamber contains a number of
gold and silver vases, goblets, and other ves
sels, of which I have neither time nor incli
nation to make particular mention. Round
the waUs are the thrones of different mo
narchs, and standing on separate pedestals are
numerous crowns, including those of Kazan,
Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, and Poland, the
sight of which brought to mind the gradual
increase of this vast erapire. We were
shown the large boots of Peter the Great,
and the coronation coat of the Emperor
Alexander. This last is of a green colour,
perfectly plain, and the cloth of as coarse a
texture as that worn by sergeants of our
army.

304 THE DILIGENCE.
A public dihgence is estabhshed between
the two capitals, and leaves Moscow every
Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday morning at
nine o'clock. It stops each day half an
hovir for breakfast, and an hour for dinner
or supper. The traveller is aUowed twenty
pounds' weight of luggage, and pays twenty
copecks for every pound above that weight.
The inside places are one hundred and twen
ty roubles, and those in the cabriolet sixty.
In winter the charges are considerably less.
As our party amounted to four, we en
gaged a dUigence for our private accommo
dation, and agreed to leave Moscow on the
Wednesday ; bat an ague, an old Indian
acquaintance, having paid me a visit, our
departure was protracted. By the rules of
the post, if travellers are unable to proceed
the day on which they have engaged the
dUigence, they forfeit their places ; but as
another instance of the Governor General's
attention, he desired that the dUigence

STATE PRISONER. 305
should wait our convenience. LuckUy for
the party, I was sufficiently weU to com
mence the journey the foUowing afteiTioon.
A man with a tertian ague upon him is
not a likely person to appreciate the charms
of any jovirney, still less of such a fatiguing
one as that from Moscow to Saint Peters
burgh. One raorning, as we were changing horses,
a state prisoner, guarded and heavily raana-
cled, drove up to the inn door. He looked
pale and dispirited ; no one appeared to be
acquainted with the nature of his accusation.
He had been suddenly taken from his far-
mily at Vladimir, had been travelling night
and day, and was not to be allowed to stop
tiU he arrived at St. Petersburgh. It was
with a shudder I heard that he was, in aU
probabihty, likely to perish under the dread
ful lash of the knout.
From Novogorod to St. Petersburgh, the
last forty versts of the journey, we traveUed
VOL. II. ' X

306 SAIL FOR ENGLAND. *
over a macadamized road. After a deten
tion of three weeks at the Russian capital,
we sailed for England. At the dawn of a
dull, misty, but to me delightful raorning
of Noveraber, we made the Suffolk coast ;
nearly at the same moment we haUed a
herring-smack, which landed me at Lowe
stoft, thhty-five raUes frora ray own horae,
and I had the gratification of dining Avith
ray family the same evening.

THE END.

INDEX.

Abbas Meerza, Prince Royal of Persia, i. 2; ii. 8, 17,
170.
Abdillah,' chief of the Arab guard, i. 89.
Aboo Nasir, an Arab, i. 73, 96, 106, 160, 249, 261.
His legion of devils, 122, 214. Parting with him,
264.
Abosharon, peninsula of, ii. 216.
Afghauns, the, ii. 203.
Aga Beg, chief of certain Armenians, ii. 189, 191.
Aher, fortified town of, ii. 178.
Akushee, on the Tigris, i. 97.
Alexander the Great, or Iskander Roomee, i. 168 ; ii. 133,
141. Anecdote of, 126.
 Cassim Beg, a Persian convert to Christianity,
ii. 260.
 Captain, i. 2. The travellers bid him farewell
at Bussorah, 75.
Alexandria, towns of this name, i. 169.
Alligator frigate, i. 2, 7C, 148. Officers and crew on
X 2

508 INDJiX.
shore, 53, 58. The Author leaves this ship to proceed
to Bagdad, 78.
Ali Shurgee, whence Ali is traditionally said to have as
cended to Heaven, i. 103.
Ambourger, Monsieur de, ii. 176;
Americans' Opinion respecting Persia, ii. 114.
Antelopes, ii. 186, 201.
Antiquities, i. 268, 326 ; ii. 37, 45.
Antiochus, King, i. 275.
ApoUonia, i. 274.
Arab Chieftian visits Kermanshah, ii. 30.
Arabian Nights' Entertainments, particulars respecting
the Barmecides, i. 66. The description of the gardens
of Bagdad and Balsora cited, 84, 145 ; also respecting
the calendars. 154, 245.
Arabian Women, i. 93.
Arabs, Nomade tribes of, i. 23, 84.
 guard of, hired, i. 73, 82, 89.
Arabshehr, village of, ii. 179.
Araxes, the river, ii. 174, 178, 182. It divides the Per
sian and Russian dominions, 183.
Architecture, remarkable vestiges, i. 326; ii. 74, 79, 88.
Armenian villages, in Asiatic Russia, ii. 187, 193.
 women, their reserve, i. 76.
Artemita, ruins of this city, i. 266. Its history, 271.
Artillery, French chief of, in the service of the Pasha of
Bagdad, i. 142. His quid-pro-quo respecting Admirals
Keppel and Byng, 144. His family, 219, 254.
Astrakhan, City of, ii. 257. The Scotch Missionaries,
258, 260. Description, 262. Population, 264.
Astrakhan, desert of, ii. 199, 256, 275.
Astrologers, influence of, in Persia, ii. 117.

INDEX. 309
Astronomy, probably referred to, by the characters and
sculptures on the bricks and cylinders of Babylon, i.
184.
Aubhaur, conjecture respecting, ii. 153.
Author (the) Aide-de-Camp to the Marquis of Hast
ings, i. 3. He rides a race in the desert, 58. Is
present at an Armenian wedding, 60. Quits the
Euphrates and proceeds up the Tigris river, 82'
Shoots partridges in Paradise, 90. Fires at a lioness,
102. Experiences, in Bagdad, the misery of dignity,
for the sake of which he must not walk in the streets,
156. Presents some Babylonian cylinders to the Bri
tish Museum, 184. Visit to the Pasha of Bagdad, 221.
Is invited to visit the Pasha's gardens, 231. Adven
ture, 319. Invited to breakfast by some Illyauts, ii. 4.
Speaks the Persian language, 26. Urged to wear his
beard, 28. Interview with the King, 145, 146, 147.
Interview with the Prince Governor of Casbin, 152,
153. Reception from Abbas Meerza, Prince Royal of
Persia, 170. Resolves on quitting Tabriz to pursue his
journey through Astrakhan and Russia, 173. Resorted
to as a physician, 196. Uncomfortable breakfast given
him by a Cossack, 223. In danger of a rough adven
ture, 291.
Azerbijan, ii. 160. B.
Babel, Tower of, i. 171, 192. Dimensions of the ruin,
i. 196.
Babylon, i. 133. The Author and his party proceed for
the ruins, 159, 171. The Tower of Babel, [Bir's
Nimrod,'] 171, 192. Description of the fallen City,
172. The City wall, 175, 176. The Mujillebe, 177,

310 INDEX.
180. Its bricks and their characters, 184. The Kasr,
or Palace, 210.
Babylonia, its clayey soil, the material of the ancient
bricks, i. 115.
Bacoubah, town of, i. 263.
Babylonian inscription on the face of the Elwund Moun
tain, ii. 104.
Bagdad, the Author enters this City, i. 137. The Pasha's
gardens, 145. Monastery of, calendars and dervishes
at, 149. The Catholic Bishop of, 157. Author's re
turn to, 219. Visit to the Pasha of, 221. The Arme
nian church at, 224. Its mosques and minarets, 235.
The use of the house-tops, with parapets, 238. The
gardens, 241. Buildings af, 245.
Bagistan mountain, ii. 76.
Bakoo, the Author enters the Russian town of, ii. 212.
Baradan, great ruin at, i. 290.
Barber pilgrims from Bagdad, i. 132.
Barmecide family, the, i. 66.
Bastinado, introduced in the Court of Persia, ii. 147.
Bathsheba, i. 322.
Battle betwixt the Turks and Arabs, near Bagdad, i. 219.
Baungk, Cape, i. 37.
Beauty of the Arabian woraen, i. 94.
 instance of great, ii. 6. The women of Haroun
abad, ii. 11.
Bee-assis, the sect of, i. 14, 19.
Benee Sad, town of, i. 260.
Berda, ruins at, ii. 202, 204.
Be-sitoon, rock of, ii. 73, 75. Pillars, 74.
Betrothment of an Armenian lady, i. 60. Festive good
humour of the company present, 6 1 .

INDEX. 311
Bey, Arab, with falcons, i. 139. He regales Mr. K. B.
Hamilton, 140.
Bill discounted at Hamadan, ii. 112.
Bitterns of Babylonia, i. 139.
Boats of the river Euphrates, i. 197, 198.
Bodies of deceased Mahometans, carried by caravans for
sepulture at Meshed Ali, i. 167.
Bombay, the Author embarks at, i. 5 .
Breakfast, offered by the Illyauts, ii. 4. Persian, ii. 22.
Briclis, Babylonian, i. 115. Their obscure characters, 184.
Brown, Mr., the African traveller, ii. 162.
Buffoons amongst the Arabs, i. 96. Their dances, 123.
Bughalow, a vessel of Bussorah, i. 72.
Bukhtiari Banditti, ii. 127.
Bushire, or Abooshehr, arrival at, i. 34.
Bussorah, British factory near, i. 47. Evasion of the
Governor of Bussorah, on the arrival of a new appointed
Pasha, 47. Pubhc entry of the new Governor, 48.
The City described, 69. Its Bazaar, 70. Population, 71.
Byron, Lord, quoted, i. 62, 224.
C.
Calor banditti, i. 297, 312, 327.
Camels, i. 123, 124.
Caravans of Persians, i. 166, 218.
Caravanserais, of Kiahya Khan, i. 161. Assad Khan,
162. Iskanderia, 168. Khana Zund, 214. Of Benee
Sad, 260. Khizil Rubaut, 287. Suridage, 328.
Carpets, Persian, ii. 1 0.
Casbin, city of, described, ii. 151, 152.
Caspian Sea, ii. 212. Its herrings, 214.
Cassidj'duty of a, ii. 115.
Cedar, species of, in the Hangipg Gardens of JBabylon,
i. 207.

312 INDEX.
Celonse, site of the city of, i. 287.
Charity of the Russians, ii. 265.
Chosroes, King of Persia, i. 267. His Coins, 269, 272,
280, 310. Sculptures of him, ii. 39. Anecdote of
him, ii. 45.
Chummurum, ii. 123.
Coins found near the river Tigris, i. 116.
 unfortunate discovery of ancient gold, i. 36.
Concovar, town of, ii. 85. Its Doric temple, 85, 88.
The governor, Baba Khan, 86.
Coords, the, of the frontiers of Persia, i. 298, 320, 321 ;
ii. 4, 64.
Cormick, Dr., ii. 9, 169.
Cossacks, ii. 199, 202.
Cossack horses, ii. 199.
Costume of certain Arabs, i. 79. At Bagdad, 240. In
Asiatic Russia, ii. 195. Of the Lesghis, 238,
Court and De Veaux, French officers at Kermanshah, ii.
14, 16, 23, 25, 29. Their quarrel, 64, 65, 73.
Ctesiphon, ruins of the ancient, i. 115, 124, 134. Its
history, 135, 271.
Cufic characters, i. 170, 183.
 inscription, ii. 47.
Curdistan, i. 284.
Customs of the Arabs, i. 49, 54. At Bagdad, 238, 244.
Cylinders from Babylon, sculptured, i. 184.
Cyrus, scene of his death, ii. 207.
D.
Daghestan, ii. 175.
Dance, grotesque, of the Arabs, i. 215.
Dances, the Romaic, described, i. 62. Persian, ii, "47.
Dandy, of the desert, i. 110.

INDEX. 313
Daniel in the lions' den, surmise relative to a colossal
sculpture, i. 209.
D'Anville, accounts given by, i. 269, 274.
Darius reduced the wall of Babylon, i. 175.
Date-trees, near the Tigris, i. 82.
David, King, i. 322.
Davoud, Pasha of Bagdad, i. 222. His cruelty, 223,
247. His wars, 321. Anecdotes related of him, ii.
30, 33.
Demawund Mountains, ii. 149.
Desert, the, descriptions, i. 90, 139, 160, 234, 260.
Dervishes, i. 149. The Sheikh Calendar, 150.
Diala, river, i. 262, 277, 280.
Diodorus Siculus, cited regarding the ancient inhabitants
of the shores of the Persian Gulf, i. 49. Respecting
Babylon, 174, 202. Respecting Be-sitoon, ii. 75.
Dirhemmia, the Sheikh of, i. 68.
Duelling in Persia amongst the French officers, ii. 67.
Durbund, town of, ii. 231. Description, 232. Its his
tory, 234. Bazaar, 235. Kindness of the command
ant, 231, 240.
Dyeing the eyelids, custom of, in Persia, ii. 146.
E.
Earthen vessels containing human bones, i. 197, 200.
Elwund Mountain, (Mount Orontes, J ii. 2, 93, 103.
Encampments of Arabs, i. 91, 95, 98, 105.
Englishmen, privileges asserted by them in the East, i.
53, 55. Their daring adventures, 242. Reputation
of, in Persia, ii. 113.
Esther, tomb of, ii. 107.
Euphrates, its embouchure, i. 39, 40. Voyage up the
river, 41, 79. Us width at Hilleh, near Babylon, 180.

314 INDEX.

Fire-Temples of the Guebres, i. 291.
Fire-wood, i. 112.
French noble, his quickness of imitation, ii. 285.
French officers in the East, i. 142, 254, 320 In Persia,
ii. 13.
Fresco paintings at Teheraun, ii. 129.
Funeral procession of Mohumud Ali Meerza, ii. 52.
Furhaud, hero of Persian romance, ii. 45.
Fursukhs, or parasangs, consist of four miles each, i. 161.
Futteh Ali Khan, account of, i. 2. Visits India, 4. His
bad habits, 9. He is annoyed at table by the manners
of an Arab, 43 ; ii. 9.

Galitzin, Prince Demetrio, ii. 297.
Game, hares, partridges, &c. i. 90, 109.
Gardane, General, i. 201.
Gaspar Khan, ii. 21.
Gaur, the City of Enchanters, i. 288, 293.
Giaffer, superintendant of the Imaum of Muscat's stud,
i. 26, 31.
Gibbon, the historian, quoted, i. 270, 311.
Glen, Rev. Mr., ii. 258, 267^ 274.
Glyn, Mr. Carr, ii. ,302.
Golijah, village of; the inhabitants described, ii. 177.
Goomruk, Arab village of, i. 84, 88.
Greek inscription at Be-sitoon, ii. 79.
Greyhounds, i. 109.
Groukoff, General, ii. 291.
Gtuebres, the extinction of this race, i. 272.

INDEX. 315
Guebri Bena, the temple of the Guebres or Fire-worship
pers, i. 122, 216.
Gulaub an interpreter at Muscat, i. 11, 12.
Gypsies, ii. 150. H.
Hajee Yusuf, an Arab, his hospitality, i. 68.
Hajee Abbas, Mehmaundaur of Tamas Meerza, ii. 99, 102.
Hamadan, city of, (The ancient Ecbatana,) ii, 94, 98, 117.
Hamerine Mountains, i. 89, 270, 283.
Hamilton, Mr. Ker Baillie, i. 1,102. His excursion across
the Desert, 108, 110, 119. He recites his journey to
Bagdad, 139, 249, 268, 313 ; ii. 4, 101, 169. He joins
with Mr. Wilbraham in a different route from that of the
author, 173, 176.
Hanging-gardens of Babylon, i. 201, 202.
Haroun-Al-Raschid, the caliph, i. 153, 154, 245, 246.
Harounabad, town of, ii. 7. Description, 10.
Harrison, Mr., i. 33.
Hart, Captain, i. 1,117, 121,204, 249,269, 329; ii. 101,
157, 169,297.
Hassan Khan, governor of Kermanshah, ii. 16.
Heloise, la Nouvelle, ii. 46.
Heraclius, the Emperor, i. 271 ; ii. 215.
Herbs, aromatic, ii. 96.
Herodotus quoted, i. 162, 173, 187, 191, 198; ii. 50.
Hilleh, city of, i. 180. Mosque of the sun, 181, 191.
Hindoo pilgrims, ii. 217. Brahmins, 218.
Horses, Arabian, i.-21, 28.
 speculation in the shiprnent of, i. 41.
Hummaum, or bath, described, ii. 128.
Hunter, Lieutenant, R. N., i. 11, 25.
Hydraulic engines of the ancients, i. 233.

316 INDEX.

II Azer, or the tomb of Ezra, i. 89.
II Jezeerah, said to have been the site of the Garden of
Eden, i. 83.
Illyauts, the, i. 266, 272, 317, 319, 324; ii. 4, 184.
Imaum of Muscat, an Arab prince, i. 1 1 . Offends Futteh
Ali Khan, 12. His affability, 15. Is the assassin of
his uncle, whose throne he usurps, 16. His stud,
21, 27.
Inscribed bricks, {the arrow-headed character,) i. 170.
Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Babylon cited, i.
125.
Ishmael, descendants of, i. 87, 97.

Janizaries; visit to the Yunitchery Assy, i. 227, 295.
Jeremiah, citations from, i. 99, 195, 197.
Jereed, throwing of the, i. 189, 261.
Jew servantof the Author, ii. 252. His history, 253, 257-
Johnson, Lieut.-col., journey through Persia, i. 251.
Julian the apostate, i. 135. K.
Kalmuck carriage, ii. 254. Description of the equipage
and coachmen, 254, 256.
Karabaugh, the beautiful province of, ii. 174, 180, 194.
Karrack, the ancient Icarus, a rocky island, i. 35.
Kaufilan Koh, ii. 159.
Kermanshah, the author's arrival at, ii. 13. The Prince
of, 16.

INDEX. 317
Kermanshah, Prince of, i. 16, 320.
Khanaki, town of, L 1 57, 294.
Khannm, one of the King's wires, iL 7.
Kinneir, Mr. Macdonald, ii. 74.
Kisra, or Cyrui, L 10.5, 13-5.
 Shereen, city ot, i. 270, 307. The caravanserai,
301, 302.
Kizil Oozan, ii. 1.54, 159, 160.
Kizliar, arrival at. ii. 2-50. Description, 251.
Knighthood, Pereian order of, ii. 16, 17, 18.
Koi Soni, river of, ii. 24S.
Koordameer, village of, ii. 208.
Kooma, town of (the ancient Apamea) L 81.
Koote, Arab village of, i. 108.
Koba, town of, ii. 225.
Knjnr Minar, ii. 122.
Knr river, ( ancient h/ the Cyrut,) ii. 207.
Konrad, town of, i. 331, 332. Its Governor, 334, 336.
Kurz Kula, fort of, ii. 162.

Lamb, Mr., i 1, 226, 249, 292, 318. His fame in Persia
aa i^ysidan, ii. 109, 112, 157, 169, 297.
Lezguis or Lesghis, iL 229.
Linen lanterns, i. 64.
Lion, colossal, scnlptured standing over a man, i. 208.
Lions ; one roused in his lair, i. 101. At Babylon, 180,
196, 31 S.
Locusts, ii. 186. Dark flights of them, 249, 276.
Lootf Ali Khan, the last King of Persia of the Zund dv-
nastVv i. 3.
Low, Mr., hi? resolute condnct, i. 97.

318 INDEX. M.
Mseana, town of, ii. 163.
Magi, Temples of the, ii. 215, 217. One of these,
frequented by Brahmins, 217, 218.
Mahidesht, ii. 12.
Mahometans acknowledge the superiority of Europeans in
manufactures, i. 6. Their various sects, 19. Absti
nence, 20.
Malcolm, Sir John, ii. 104, 106, 130.
Mazerowitch, Colonel, ii. 172, 174.
Meerza Abool Hassan Khan, late Persian Minister in
London, ii. 134, 137.
 Nasir, a Persian noble, i. 229. His surprise at
the author's conversation, 229.
Meshed Ali, the burial place, i. 161. Corpses carried
thither out of Persia, &c. 167, 229.
Mesopotamia, the flat shore of, i. 40.
Mimosa Nilotica, the plant, i. 29.
Missionary, Polish, ii. 190.
Mitchell, Mr. James, ii. 274, 284.
Mohumrah, inscribed stone at, i. 45.
Mohumud Ali Meerza, Prince, i. 261,263, 294,328;
ii. 17. Anecdote, 18, 41. His funeral, 52.
Mohumud Hosein Meerza, Prince of Kermanshah, ii. 16,
23. His practice, and recommendation of marriage,
26, 27. Funeral of his father, 52. His festive parties,
59, 68.
Molusca, luminous, i. 8.
Monteith, Major, a British resident of Tabriz, ii. 168.
Moolah, Ali, ii. 31. His quarrel with Davoud Pasha, 34.

INDEX. 319
His villainy, 35. His modes of killing his enemies, 36.
His opinion of affairs of honour, 67.
Moonlight, travelling by, i. 314 ; ii. 1.
Moravian establishment in Russia, ii. 279.
Moscow, the author arrives in this capital, and meets
again with two of his fellow-travellers through Arabia,
ii. 296. Burning of Moscow, 301. The Kremlin,
303. Curiosities, 303.
Mooselim, Governor of Bussorah, i. 51.
Mujillebe, the, [of Babylon] i. 177. This Mound de
scribed, 178. Its diminution, 178, 202.
Mullah, a noxious insect, ii. 165.
Muleteer, i. 315.
Muttra, town of, i. 27.
Munjummil, station of a Sheikh of that name, i. 97.
Muscat, the mountains near, i. 9. Cast anchor in the
cove, 10. The Imaun's navy, 11, 27. Town de
scribed, 17. Suburbs, 23. Hot springs, 26.
N.
Nadir Shah, ii. 39.
Nar, river, i. 261.
Nartuck, a martyr, ii. 193.
Nasir Ali Meerza, a young Persian Prince, ii. 54.
Nearchus, his fleet, i. 201.
Nigauristoon, or Garden of Pictures, at Teheraun, ii. 129.
Its trees and plants, 131.
Nightingale, singing in imitation of its note, ii. 183.
Nishney Novogorod, arrival at, ii. 288. Its fair, 288.
Nissoei, country of the, ii. 49, 50.

3'20 INDEX.
Nogai Tartars, ii. 249.
Nova Shumakhi, town of, ii. 209. Description, 210.
O.
Oms, Senor, a Spaniard, in Persia, ii. 16,47. His inso
lent behaviour, 65, 69.
Opthalmia at Muscat, i. 18.
Orchaeni, supposed site of the City of the, i. 67.
Ortolans, flights of a species of, i. 102.
Ouseley, Sir Gore, ii. 130. P.
Pa-ee Takht, pass of, i. 326. Its grandeur, 327.
Palaces. — Serai at Bussorah, i. 53.
Paradise, the Garden of, surmised lo be on the shore of
the Tigris, at II Jezeerah, i. 83.
Parsigh, the Arraenian dragoman at the Bussorah factory,
i. 59.
Passport of the author countersigned by the Russian
Minister at Tabriz, ii. 174.
Pearl-diver, and pearl-fisheries, i. 26, 35.
Peerhumud, a Tartar encampment, ii. 186.
Pelicans, i. 40.
Penza, town of, ii. 287.
Persia, the frontier dangerous, i. 251, 298 ; ii. 6. Civility
of the people, 3, 10. Persian women, 10, 135. Phrases
of the Persians, 70. Furniture, 99. Paintings at Te
heraun, 140. Sticks, the practice of cudgelling the
populace, in Persia, 51.
Persia, King of, ii. 138. His sons. 141. His intelli
gence, 144. His toys, 145. His appearance; Eti
quette observed at the Court of, 147.

INDEX. 321
Persian Costuftie described, ii. 119.
Petersburg, Diligence established from Moscow to the
modern capital, ii. 304.
Philosopher's stone, ii. 109.
Physician, Persian, ii. 105.
Pictures at Bagdad, i. 147.
Pietrodella Valle, i. 177.
Pillar of sun-burnt bricks, i. 121.
Pilot, mismanagement of a Persian, i. 36, 38^
Pliny quoted, i. 83, 134.
Plutarch quoted, ii. 182.
PoolZohaub, i. 316, 319.
Poorshur, hot springs at, i. 29.
Porter, Sir Robert Ker, i. 301, 310 ; ii. 82.
Presents required by Arab sheiks and tribes, i. 74, 84.
Procession witnessed by the author at Bussorah, i. 48.
Pulior, island of, i. 34. R.
Rabbi, Jewish ii. 107.
Races, at Bussorah, interesting, i. 56.
Rain, its novel occurrence on the Author's journey, ii. 275.
Rascolnick dissenters from the Greek church, ii- 29^3 .
Rastopchin, Count, iL 301.
Rhages, ancient city of, ii. 133.
Rich's Memoir on Babylon, L 196, 197, 228.
Robbers, Arabian, anecdotes, i. 106, 141, 158.
Coords, 297, 312, ii. 95.
Route, an unusual one decided upon by the Author on his
quitting Tabriz, ii. 174.
VOL. II. Y

322 INDEX.
Rubaht, plain of, ii. 125.
Rustom, the Persian hero, iL 139.
S.
SacsE, country of the, iL 1 74.
Sacy, M. de, ii. 43.
Sadawar, town of, ii, 93.
Sahanah, town of, ii. 84.
Saharaub, optical illusion, i. 262. ii. 121.
Saikeis, Aga, British agent at Bagdad, i. 129, 138, 147,
156, 219. His residence, 237, 248, 250, 252, 258.
Saladin, i. 285.
Samur river, passage of the, ii. 227, 228.
Saracens, the, i. 100, 136.
Saratoff, town of, ii. 286.
Sarepta, beautiful town of, ii. 277.
Saritzin, Russian town of, ii. 176.
Scenery, agreeable by night in the East, i. 315.
Screw-pump employed in watering gardens, i. 233.
Scriptures, the Holy, cited, i. 97, 139, 180, 195, 197,
198, 204, 206, 239, 240, 311.
Sculptures, ancient, i. 321, ii. 37, 76, 81.
Seleucia, ruins of, i. 124, 133.
Seleucus Nicator, founder of Seleucia, i. 133.
Serah Dahn, ii. 153.
Serpool, village of, i. 316, 319.
Servants accompanying the Author, i. 159. Feat of a
servant of Nasir Ali Meerza, ii. 48.
Sham fights of the Arabs, i. 191.
Shamkhaul, district of, iL 245.
Sheesha, town of, ii. 188.
Shereban, sacked by the Coords, i. 273.

INDEX. 323
Sheikh, joviality of a, i. 42. His penitence, 44. His
fort, 45. Anecdote of his son, 46.
Shereen, wife of King Chosroes, or Kosro, ii. 45.
Shirvan, ii. 203, 204.
Shoes taken off in apartments in the East, i. 55, 56.
Shuma Iroon, valley so called, described, ii. 150.
Shumaul, or regular north wind, i. 37.
Shurgee wind, or Sirocco, its pernicious influence, i. 305.
Slave auction at Muscat, i. 21.
Snake, called tulkha, ii. 181.
Soolimanea, ii. 151.
Sooroot and Filifileh, a tradition, i. 1 04.
Sougherabad, ii. 151.
Ssaposhenikoff, Mr., ii. 268, 273.
Statue, ancient Babylonian, i. 135.
Steam-boat, by whom styled the Devil's Boat, i. 6.
Sterlet, the, ii. 269.
Sticks, the use of them in Persia in belabouring the peo
ple, to clear a passage for the great, ii. 51, 52.
Sturgeon fisheries, ii. 268, 271.
Sufur Khojah, ii. 151.
Suleiman Khan, ii. 57, 60.
Suleiman Pauk, tomb of, i. 129, 132.
Sultana, met with by the travellers, ii. 7.
Sultanieh, city of, ruins of described, ii. 155. King's
summer palace at, described, 156.
Sunnis and Shiahs, Mahometan sects,!. 19. Their bu
rial, 167. Anecdote, 213.
Suridage, caravanserai, i. 328.
Susa, L 209, 288.
Syyud, a Persian, his conversations with the Author,
i. 5.
y 2

324 INDEX. T.
Tabriz, ii. 8.
Tamas Meerza, Prince of Hamadan, ii. 98.
Tartar servant engaged by the author, ii. 238.
Tartars, hordes of, ii. 186.
Tauk Bostaun, ii. 37. Beautiful and extensive sculp
tures, 38, 41, 71.
Tauk Kisra, an ancient arch, i. 124, 129, 161.
Taylor, Capt. pohtical agent at Bussorah, i. 33, 46. Re
ceives a visit from the new Pasha, 52. Etiquette at
the Serai of the Governor, 53, 148.
Taylor, Lieutenant, joins the Author's travelling party,
i. 33.
Tchousses, or Bagdad avaut-couriers, i. 137, 138, 258,
259.
Tea, the Author's method of making, ii. 203.
Teheraun, City of, ii. 129. The Kissera Kajar, or
Palace, 135, 139. The Shah receives the Author in
the Gulestan, or Rose-Garden, 143.
Tikhmadash, village of, ii. 167.
Temperature, vicissitude of the climate, by day or night,
near Bagdad, i. 140,
Temple at Concovar, ii. 88. Temple of Diana, of the
ancient Concobar, 89.
Tents of the Illyauts ; their black tents, alluded to in
the Songs of Solomon, i. 100 ; ii, 4.
Tigris, the river, its confluence with the Euphrates, LSI.
The Author enters this river, and quits the Euphrates,
82.
Tombs, beautifully carved with Cufic characters, ii. 77.
—  Islands of the, i, 34.

INDEX. 325
Travellers, directions to them irith regard to Bagdad and
Persia, L 253, 254.
Tribes of Arabs, i. 84, 90.
Tsichikoff, Colonel, ii. 190.
Turcoman horses, ii. 49, 50.
 Sha-ee, village of, ii. 166.
Turk, a rich, in company with the Author and his friends,
L 131.
Turks, character of, i. 247.
Turtles in the Tigris, L 119, 141.
V.
Voyage in the Alligator frigate, agreeable, i. 34.
U.
Uske Bagdad, ruins so denominated, i. 274.
W.
Walker, Major, ii. 169.
Wahhabbee pirate, i. 1 6.
Water-drinking, its occasional good effects, i. 80.
Wells, scarcity of them in Arabia, i. 24.
Wolff, Mr., Missionary, i. 254. His journey through
Mesopotamia, 255. His journal, 257.
Wolga River, ii. 262. Is navigable from Astrakhan to
St. Petersburgh, 266. Its fish, 268, 269.
Wilbraham, Mr. Edward Bootle, ii. 169.
Wild beasts amongst the ruins of Babylon, i. 180, 196.
 boar at Babylon, i. 206.
 sculpture of a hunt, ii. 40.
Willock, Major, British minister at Teheraun, ii. 101, 134.

326 JNDEX. X.
Xerxes, i. 218, Y.
Yezedees, strange superstition of this sect, i. 255.
Z.
Zerun, ii. 124.
Zingaun, city of, described, ii. 157, 158.
Zobeide, tomb of, i. 155.
Zobeir, the town described, i. 65, 68. Site of the ancient
Bussorah, 66. So called after an Arab follower of Ma
homet, 67.
Zoroaster, his doctrine, i. 217.

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