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possibly prevent my using the bath, from a notion that the Humam would be contaminated by a Christian, and that no purification could exempt them from pollution. This is only a prejudice of the vulgar, who conceive that if you touch them they are Nugis, defiled; the better sort of people will eat with you, and exchange Kuleeans without any hesitation.

CHAPTER V.

Account of one of Nadir Shah's Descendants-Steps cut in the RockView of a Hill on Fire-fine Valley of Dusturjan-my Companion

robbed-Rahdars-bad Road near Sheeraz—Arrival at Sheeraz.

TO-DAY, June 13th, we halted. I was introduced to a most extraordinary person, a lineal descendant of Nadir Shah, who had been an independent governor of a district in Khorasan. He had experienced almost all the vicissitudes which could fall to the lot of man, and was, at this time, Meer Akhor, or head groom, to Mindee Ulee Khan, on a salary of twenty piastres a month. He owed his misfortunes to the treachery of a friend, who had brought to his assistance a body of troops, but who attacked him in the night, and cut off his only son. At two different periods he was confined in a well for two and then three years, and was indebted for his escape each time to the disturbances which distracted Khorasan. He has made some attempts to regain his country; and sometime ago endeavoured to persuade the merchants of Bushire to lend him twenty thousand piastres, on a promise of being repaid ten-fold, should his enterprise succeed. The freedom of his language astonished me more than any thing, for neither the Persian government, nor the governor of Kazroon, escaped his censures, although there were many persons present who would doubtless repeat his conversation. I was glad to see him depart. He appeared to be very illiterate, his brother completely so: indeed both of them seemed better qualified for the superintendance of horses, than for the management of an extensive and populous district. But learn

ment.

ing does not seem in the East a necessary qualification for governTimoor, notwithstanding the assertions of Messrs. White and Davy, and the still stronger ones of a late writer,* was undoubtedly an illiterate barbarian; and the memory of Kureem Khan labours under a charge of similar ignorance.

We were greatly incommoded to-day by whirlwinds, which, blowing up the dust, came on with such velocity as to overset a tent. Thermometer 104.

14th. We quitted our ground about nine, and arrived at a Suráe, situated on the middle of the Peeru Zun, by four in the morning. Our march was five Fursukhs. In ascending the hill called the Dokhtur, we were again indebted to Hajee Moohummud Husun's liberality for a safe and good road. Over the worst part he has cut a long and broad flight of steps out of the solid rock, and has built a parapet over a deep and dangerous precipice. To give some notion of the badness of the roads, I need only mention, that the Hajee found the loss which he suffered annually from the mules falling, and being dashed to pieces at this place, was greater than the expence he would incur in making this part of the road void of all danger. We crossed a long and narrow bridge built over a marsh, and at a distance, on our right, saw a large lake. The Peeru Zun, or the hill called the Old Woman, is entirely covered with wild almond trees. Thermometer 98.

15th. Our march was this night very short, being only three Fursukhs. We had to ascend the remaining part of the Peeru Zun, which was rather an arduous undertaking, as the loose stones, with which this hill is entirely covered, afforded no footing to our horses. On gaining the top of the hill, we beheld a sight which filled me with astonishment. It was a hill entirely on fire; and

*

Captain Francklin assures us (Life of George Thomas) that he has in his possession a book written by Timoor; the world must be anxious to see so singular a production.

E

which I learnt, upon enquiry, is the method the Persians take for making charcoal. The sight was as unexpected as it was grand. To-day our encampment was in a plain of verdant grass, in which were about two hundred horses belonging to the Prince of Sheeraz: a stream intersects the meadow, which is the cause of the excessive verdure of this delightful spot. No one but the person who has travelled over dreary and barren heaths, until his eyes were weary of viewing the universal sameness of every object, can form a notion of the gratification I enjoyed on beholding an immense plain covered with verdure of every description. The tops of the hills were covered with the almond and the vine. I turned towards the mountains we had passed, conscious that they were the cause of my present enjoyment.

Dusturjan is a very large town, surrounded by a good wall, and is accounted one of the most delightful places in Persia. Near the town is a cavern, where the people take refuge in time of danger; and its almost inaccessible situation affords them excellent security. My companion was robbed in the night of twenty pieces of chintz, and in the morning I found him almost distracted. I discovered that, to escape paying the duties, he had concealed them in some horse furniture. He endeavoured to excuse himself, by saying that the duties would not amount to a Piastre; and on being told that the smallness of the sum made him the more culpable, he at length declared, that to pay duties was contrary to the tenets of his religion. I had the curiosity to investigate the truth of this assertion; and I cannot conceal my surprise at relating, that I found him to be right. Although Persia abounds with robbers, great precaution is taken against them. Rahdars, or guards, are stationed on the road, whose duty it is to afford protection from one Rahdaree to another, and who levy a trifling duty on each mule carrying merchandize. The governor of a district is answer

able for all the robberies committed in the country under his management; and, I believe, is obliged to make good the loss a merchant may have sustained. Thermometer 95.

16th. Our mulateer lost two mules, which occasioned some delay; we left our ground, however, by nine, and reached a Surae, built by a son of the late Wuzeer, by three in the morning, the distance being three Fursukhs. The Surae, which affords excellent accommodation for travellers, is not finished according to the founder's intention; he fell a victim, with his father and whole family, to the king's supicious jealousy before the work was entirely completed.* In the four largest rooms are fire places; and behind are stables, which would contain nearly a thousand mules. Our route was at the bottom of a hill, through a forest said to abound with lions: we saw none. Thermometer 82.

17th. We left our ground at sun-set, and reached the Bagh Chiragh (a garden so called) by three in the morning; the distance was seven Fursukhs. The road, even so near to the former capital of Persia, was excessively bad, indeed nearly as rugged as the hills we had crossed. Our route was at the bottom of the hills, nearly east. As I was to be received by the son of Sheikh Nasir, and to be conducted to a house which had been prepared for I was obliged to remain encamped until the following day. In the morning (19th) I was met by the Sheikh's son, and accompanied

me,

• The fate of Hajee Ibrahim verifies the common remark, Confer a favour on a tyrant, and your reward will be death. I have heard, from undoubted authority, that the minister was aware of the designs against him, but declared that he would not imbrue his hands again in blood; he could have easily destroyed the king, but he relied on his gratitude, and conceived that the reward for giving away a crown, would, at least, be mercy. He experienced the contrary; and his women even participated in the fate of their master. But the systematic treachery of the minister did not deserve a better fate: Hajee Ibrahim experienced the same ingratitude he had shewn to Lootf Ulee Khan. He had been raised to his situation by the family of the Zunds, and he destroyed it; he was the principal instrument of the elevation of the Jaggars, and they destroyed him.

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