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Caspian. For the earlier part of our stay it was moderate; till the 10th of March the thermometer, which was suspended near an open window in a room unexposed to the sun, was at 51° Fahrenheit. On the 10th, throughout the whole day, there was much snow; indeed on the following morning, when the ther mometer was at 47°, the heat of the sun produced a partial thaw, which was succeeded by a frost so sharp, that, before the close of the day, an officer of the suite, who weighed fourteen stone, was able to walk and slide upon a square reservoir before the Dewan Khonéh, even though the surface had been already broken at one corner.

Teheran is considered an unwholesome situation. The town is low, and built on a salt inoist soil. In the summer the heats are said to be so insufferable, that all those who are able (all perhaps except a few old women), quit the town and live in tents nearer the foot of the Albores, where it is comparatively cool.

The fruits which were in season at Teheran in the month of March, and which were served to us every day at dinner, were pomegranates, apples, pears, melons, limes, and oranges. The pome granates came from Mazanderan, and were really here a luscious fruit, much superior to any that I have seen in Turkey. They were generally twelve inches in circumference. The vegetables were carrots, turnips, spinach, and beet-root. Hives are kept all over the country, and we had at Teheran the finest honey I ever ate, though that of Shiraz is reckoned better, and that of Kauzeroon (which the bees cull from the orange groves) is considered as still superior. Our mutton was excellent, and very cheap; for a sheep costs two piastres only. The beef was sometimes good; but, as their meat is not deemed desirable in Persia, oxen are not kept or fattened for the purposes of the table. We ate a hare which bad been caught by a man in the plain, and which we afterwards coursed with our greyhounds. The Persians regard this flesh as unclean, in opposition to the Turks, who eat it without scruple.

PRODUCE AND MANUFACTURES. From the account which the Prime Minister gave us of a stone which is burnt in Mazanderan, there must be coals of the finest kind in that province. Among the products of Persia are gum tragacanth, assafoetida, yellow berries, henna (coarser than that of Egypt), madder roots, which grow wild upon the

mountains, and are brought down for sale by the Eelauts, or wandering tribes; the Hindoos only export it as returns. Indigo is cultivated for the dying of linen and of beards, and grows about Shooster Desfoul, near Kherat, and in the Laristan. It is not so fine as the indigo from India, which indeed is a great article of the import trade of Persia. They use the leaf only for their beards. There is no cochineal. Cotton is produced enough for the interior consumption of the country. The best manufacture which they make is a cotton cloth, called the kaduck; of this there is an exportation to Turkey. The finest is manufactured at Ispahan. The great and richest produce is the silk of Ghilan and Mazanderan. The manu facturing towns of Persia are Yezd, silken stuffs, stuffs of silk and cotton; Kashan, silks and copper ware; Koom, earthen ware; Resht, silks, coarse woollen cloths of which the tekmis are made; Shiraz, swords, fire-arms, and glass-ware; Ispa ban, brocades, cotton clothes; Kermanshah, arms; Kerman, shawls.

TITLES AND RANKS.

The only hereditary title in Persia, is Mirza or Meerza. The derivation of which word is from Emir (Ameer a no• bleman) and Zudé a son, &c. This species of nobility is traced very far, and is not creative. The title descends to all the sons of the family, without exception. In the Royal family it is placed after the name instead of before it, thus, Abbas Mirza and Hossein Ali Mirza. Mirza is a civil title, and Khan is a military one. The title of Khan is creative, but not hereditary: the sons of Khans are called Aga or Esquire, which is a Tartar title, and more common to Turkey than to Persia. The creation of Khan is attended with few ceremonies, and those very simple. The King sends a kalaat or dress of honour to the person so created, and on his investiture the King gives him a firman, announcing to all persons that the bearer of it is forthwith a Khan; and this firman is worn three days on the top of the turban. Any person who derides this patent, or who refuses to call the bearer of it by his title, is liable to the penalty of death.

The title of Mirza does not hinder the possessor from receiving that of Khan also; and then the name runs, for example, thus, Mirza Hossein Ali Khan.

The different ranks of civil governors are-1st. The Beglerbeg, who generally resides in the large cities, and controuls the province around: 2d. The Hakim; 4 II 2

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and Sd. the Thaubet, who severally govern a city or a town: 4th. The Kelounter, who, besides the real governor, resides in every city, town, and village, and superintends the collection of the tribute: 5th. The Ket Khoda, who is the chief of a village; 6th. The Pak-kar, who is servant or Homme d'Affaires to the Ket Khoda, and who transacts the business with the Rayat or peasant. The Pak-kar accounts with the Ket Khoda, and he again with the Kelounter.

HEAD DRESS.

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The head-dress of every Persian, from the King to his lowest subject, is com posed of one substance, and consists of a black cap, about one foot and a half. high. These caps are all jet black, and are all made of skins of the same animals. The finest are taken from the Jamb, in the first moments of its birth; and they decrease in value down to the skin of the full-grown sheep, which the common Rayat wears. The lamb-skins are also used to line coats, and make very comfortable pelisses. The only distinction in the head-d:ess of Persia, is that of a shawl wrapped round the black cap; and this distinction is confined to the King, to the Princes his sons, and to some of the nobility and great officers of state. Cashmire shawls have been discouraged of late, in order to promote the domestic manufacture of brocade shawls,

POLICY OF BUONAPARTE.

At about seven miles from Casvin, we turned from the road at a small mudwalled village, to eat something ourselves, and to give our horses some grass. On entering a room, the master talked Turkish to me, and said that he had seen ine before at Constantinople. In fact I recognised him as one of those whom I had seen at Constantinople, with the Persian Embassy to France. He talked to me with much pleasure of Frangistoon or Europe: and this man, who boasts of having sat in the same room with, and of having been taken by the hand by, Buonaparte himself, now lives in misery and solitude in an unknown village. It is not uninteresting to know the extreme attention which Buonaparte paid to his Persian guests. He lodged the Embassador and his suite in an house adjacent to his own at Finkenstein, and every day used to walk in amongst them, take them by the hand, and use every little art to conciliate their affections.

BEAUTY OF KOURDISTAN.

tersected at almost regular distances by vallies; in one of which lies Armaghanéli, so concealed by its situation, that it is scarcely seen till it is entered. To the westward appears a long range of moun tains; but the hills which we had passed in the day's march, though sometimes of rock and flint, were generally green to their very summits; and the soil was mostly rich earth, which, in some places, was spread with the hues of a thousand flowers. Throughout the whole tract, indeed, every thing was in life and spring. The animals felt the influence of the season; and our horses, in passing the herds around, were scarcely manageable. One threw his rider; and, after having given him a bite on the shoulder, attacked his fellows, and fought with some morning, and the whole tribes that swept fury. The singing of the larks in the along the air, gave a zest to the freshness of the dawn that was beyond description. The whole creation seemed to give praise to its great Creator.

SPIRIT OF THE HORSES.

attendants, who had dismounted for the On approaching Auk kend, one of our purpose of letting his horse walk easily up the hill, by some chance suffered him to escape: all attempts to catch him were vain, until a chatter or walking footman, belonging to Mirza Abul Hassan, scized him by the bridle, when the horse retired some steps, and then openmouthed made a bound at the chutler, caught him by the neck, and, placing one of his fore-knees upon him, kept him thus with his head on the ground, until he was beat off. He was then seized by his master, to whom he meditated the same fate, and whom, in fact, he threw though the final and furious gripe was down most violently with his fore-feet, prevented,

THE PEOPLE.

There is so great a scarcity of wood, over the whole country through which sarily reduced to extremities for the we have passed, that the poor are necessupply of their wants. In general they scarcely any thing to cover them but a are miserably clad; the children have shirt of coarse linen, which hardly reaches their middle; and the women wear nothing but a shirt, a pair of drawers, a jacket, and a veil, which covers their head and serves them on all occasions, Even in these poor villages the females are inconceivably shy. I happened to be standing near the place where the

The whole region from Zengan is in- people were loading our baggage, when a

poor

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poor woman seemed anxious to come forth from the neighbouring house, but durst not whilst a man was near. She kept peeping at intervals through the door for nearly half an hour, and drew in her head precipitately, although muffled, whenever a man's face was turned towards her. When I have told the Persians that in Europe a husband has but one wife, and that in company we pay more civility to any female than to the greatest man, they have remained astonished, wondering that creatures (as women in their eyes appear), born only for their pleasure and convenience, should at all partake of any of those attentions which they deem to be due to themselves exclusively.

TABRIZ.

Tabriz first appears between the angle of the bases of two hills, and then opens to the view by degrees. In the season in which we saw it, it formed a pretty object; as the constant monotony of the mud-walls and mud brick houses was hid by the rich foliage of the trees, which are interspersed throughout the city. Close to the walls, near the Teheran gate, is the complete ruin of a mosque, but still sufficiently preserved to shew how fine a structure it must once have been. It was built about six hundred years ago, by Shah Shem Ghuzan, (the successor of Shah Mahomed Khodabendeh,) but it has been destroyed by an earthquake within thirty years. The inhabitants extol the fruitfulness of the territory, and the salubrity of the air, of Tabriz. Its very name, according to the Persian etymology, indicates the excellence of its situation, for it is composed of Tab a fever, and riz fled. They complain, however, (though as of their only inconvenience) of equent and vioJent earthquakes, which they attribute to the volcanoes in the district, which throw out smoke but no flame. The smoke is so mephitical, that it kills immediately a dog or fowl placed over it. The volca noes are, particularly to the east, in mountains of a red and copper-like appearance, announcing mach mineral matter. The climate of Tabriz is subject also to much thunder, lightning, and

rain.

Tabriz is no more the magnificent city described by Chardin: all its large buildings have been destroyed by earthquakes. I rode round the walls, and estimated the circumference at three miles. Three of the gates are ornamented with pillars, inlaid wit green-lacquered bricks, and

look very respectable, the other five are very small and mean. The walls are very weak, and here and there renewed with mud-bricks, baked in the sun. The whole town is surrounded by gardens, which the Persians call Meewha-khonéh, or fruit-houses. One of these, to the west, belonging to Hajee Khan Mahomed, is very extensive, and planted entirely with fruit-trees, excepting one row of poplars; the only other wood indeed which I saw at Tabriz, and that of which all the timber-work of their houses is constructed. There are thousands therefore planted on the borders of every stream about the city. The abundance of fruit in the season was already evident, by the state of the gardens, and particularly of the apricot trees. In the spaces between the lines, were mounds of earths, in rows, on which vines were extended on an angle of about 60o, and irrigated by water introduced through channels formed by the bases of the mounds.

There are twelve public baths, some of which are handsome; and there is a bazar, which extends the length of the city, but it is mean and dirty. Tabriz has no mosques of any particular merita on entering, indeed, there is the large ruin already mentioned; and, to the S. W. of the city, (enclosed in the Ark or fort of Ali Shah, which contains the barracks and magazines) are the remains of another, now converted into a lookout house.. This is a conspicuous, but very unseemly, object, and to me seemed of little use, and, from its height, to be the most exposed either to the shock of an earthquake, or to an attack from a battery. The danger of earthquakes has taught the inhabitants of Tabriz to build their houses generally as low as possible; and to employ more wood than brick and plaster in their construction. For the same reason the bazars have only wooden roofs, and are not arched as those in the better cities of Persia. Yet I am told that in earthquakes, the domed buildings (particularly the Hummum Khan, the largest in Tabriz) have invariably stood; where others, the strongest walls, have been rent asunder.

THE HEIR APPARENT.

Tabriz had declined to an insignificant place, when, about four years ago, the present Prince, Abbas Mirza, the heir apparent of the crown, was appointed to the government of Aderbigian, and made it his capital. When we visited

his city, he had resided there four years, and had guarded the frontiers of Persia against the Russians. During that time He had repaired and beautified the walls, had made a new Maidan, and erected some new buildings. Indeed, before, there was no place fit for his habitation; and all the great men attached to his court have since been obliged to build houses for their own accommodation.

The Prince is said by the Persians to possess every quality that can grace a nortal; and, as there are many circumstances in his character which his countrymen would never think of inventing, I am inclined to believe them. They were related to me by the Hakim or. governor of the city, at whose house I lodged during my residence at Tabriz. Some time ago, three of the Prince's children died; his Vizir appeared before him with a mournful face; the Prince observed him, and inquired the reason: the Vizir hesitated," Speak," said the Prince; "is there any public disaster? have the Russians been successful? have they taken any more country from us?" "No," answered the Minister, "it is not that; your children are sick." "What of that ?" asked the Prince. But very sick indeed," continued the Vizir. 66 Perhaps then they are dead," interrupted the father. His Minister confessed the truth. "Dead!" said the Prince, "why should I grieve? the state has lost nothing by them; bad I lost three of my good servants, had three useful officers died, then indeed I should have grieved: but my children were babes, and God knows whether, if they had grown up to man's estate, they would have proved good servants to their country."

The Prince is remarkable also for the plainness of his dress; he never wears any thing more than a coat of common kerbas (a strong cotton cloth) and a plain shawl round his waist. Whenever he sees any officers of his court in fine laced or brocade clothes, he asks them, What is the use of all this finery. In stead of this gold and tinsel, why not buy yourself a good horse, a good sword, a good gun? this flippery belongs to wo Inen, not to one who calls himself a man and a soldier!" He inspécts himself all the detail of his troops, their arms, horses,and accoutrements, adopting those that appear to him fit for use, and reject ing those that are below his standard. The governor of the city, who related these traits to me, had in his house, at the time, two hundred muskets, which

the Prince refused out of two thousand which had been sent to him from Tehe ran, having himself examined every single gun, and tried every luck. He is said also to be extremely liberal to his troops, and to give all his money among them.

HIS MINISTER.

Mirza Bozurk, first Minister to the Prince, appeared to me by far the most superior man whom I saw in Persia. I brought a present to him from the Envoy, which, however, he advised me to offer to the Prince in my own name, as it was not the custom in their country to pay a visit empty-handed to a person of rank. I resisted this, because, in the first place, I saw no necessity for the visit at any rate, as I was merely a passenger through the province, and had no business at the court. I mention this trait of liberality, because it is so singular in his nation. fe talked much of the state of improvement in which the Prince's administra tion had brought the province of Aderbigian; never speaking of his own counsels or co-operation, to which so much is due, but always referring the whole merit to the talents of his Prince. said, that within one year they had brought their artillery to a state of per fection which might rival that of their enemies the Russians; that their infantry had now learned the perfect use of arms; and that, by the acknowledgment of the Russians themselves, the Persian soldiers were now a match for them. He added, that no pains had been spared to acquire a knowledge of military tactics and the theory of fortification, which they had gleaned from French and Russian books, translated by the Prince's order into Persian. The Minister said, that the Prince was the only person in Persia who had a complete set of charts, besides drawings of

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f every instrument and weapon used by Europeans in war. He told me that they had discovered, in Aderbigian, mines of iron and brass, which, entirely by their own ingenuity, they had made produc tire; but that they still laboured under the greatest inconvenience from the want of proper artists and miners, and could not therefore derive the full profit which they might otherwise expect, or, as yet, reduce the price of their produce. According to the Minister, better guns are now cast at Tabriz than at Ispahan; and they had invented also a small kind of artillery, which was sufficiently fight to he carried by mules keeping pace with the march of their cavalry over mountains and difficult passes.

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When I offered to procure from England any books and other necessaries to facilitate their operations, and give new fight to those subjects upon which they were imperfectly informed; the Minister replied, that nothing in the world could afford greater satisfaction to the Prince and himself; but, he added, "There is only one thing which England will keep from our knowledge, as she has done from every other nation-the art of build ing ships." I assured him that England would furnish Persia, not with instructions only, but with masters, as she had done for Turkey and Russia. He an swered, "All this may be very true; but there is still an art which she possesses in matters of navigation which she will never disclose to any nation. If it be not so, how is it possible," he continued, " that her ships should be so superior to all others, and that none have ever yet been able to defeat her in any combat at sea." I answered, that her superiority consisted not in the ships, but, by the blessing of God, in the men that were in them; that, in fact, in building ships we were equalled, if not exceeded, by the French; and that the superiority could not rest in the vessels, since a considerable proportion of our navy consisted of prizes taken in battle. The Minister, however, was unconvinced, and continued to believe that there was some secret in our naval architecture on which our success depended. At our parting visit, the Minister added, that the Prince was anxious to have some insight into the history of England, and desired me to bring with me on my re. turn some book on the subject. He wished me also to procure for him, fustories of France and Russia, in order to compare them with those which he had already got; "For," said he, “ the Eug lish being known ever to tell the truth, and the French and Russians to be less scrupulous, the Prince will not be satis. fied with what he has learnt, until he hears it confirmed by an English pen."

TRAVELLING.

The mode of travelling in Persia, is easy and commodious. In winter they generally begin their journey at sun-rise. The baggage proceeds, and then the master. He breakfasts either before he sets off, or in a more pleasant spot on the road, regarding, in each case, the advantage of a stream of running water as the motive of preference; and thus he allows time for his luggage to reach the stage before him, and his people to prepare

every thing for his reception, spread his carpets, and get the necessary articles for cooking his dinner. On his arrival be eats his choshlá, or intermediate meal, and then sleeps. At sun-set he takes another repast (his noshtá); and his servants then pack up every thing ready for his departure the next morning. He proceeds by easy stages, generally from five to six leagues a-day, which, as he always rides his own horses, is a good day's journey at the common rate of travelling. If he has a Mehmander with him, he is fed and lodged and travels entirely at the public expense. When the Mehmander arrives at the village, he produces his firman, (in which the kind and quantity of the articles to be provided are specified) and demands a correspondent supply from the inhabi

tants.

BEAUTY OF ARMENIA.

In my progress to Constantinople, I traversed a country in its conformation most picturesque, and in its productions most luxuriant. No traveller, in any season or in any direction, could have passed these scenes without admiration; but I saw them in all the richness of spring, contrasted with a winter in Persia; and, after the kafless and barren region which I had passed, I enjoyed doubly the wild prodigality of vegetation, which in the early part of the year is displayed through Asia Minor. impression therefore of delight which I experienced, was strongest at the first point of contrast; and the first verdure and foliage which I saw near Tabriz, appeared to me to constitute the very petfection of landscape.

The

a writer of romance would describe beautiful scenery, he might select our departure from Al Shah. We began our journey by a most charming moon light; and the sky was delightfully seret.e, Just as the sun was rising, we reached an orchard, (fuli of every species of fruit, particularly almonds,) and skirting the town of Shebester; which, embosomed in trees of every hue, was situated on the declivity of the mountains on our right.

Sbehester is a large town, surrounded by several villages, and by more wood and cultivation, than any spot I had yet seen in Persia. flitherto, indeed, ihe want of trees, either as a shade to the road, or as a relief to the inequalities of the heights, had been constant and uniform. We admired therefore doubly the beauties of our present course.

Streams

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