Read Ebook: In the land of the lion and sun or modern Persia by Wills C J Charles James

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Ebook has 3195 lines and 204603 words, and 64 pages

Bagh-i-Takht--Jews' burial-ground--Christians' cemetery--Its desecration--Sergeant Collins's murder--Capture and execution of the robbers--How it was brought home to them--Memorial to Collins--Health of the staff--Persians as servants--Persian cuisine--Kabobs, varieties of--English dinners--Confectionery--Fruits--Vegetables--Pickles, etc.--Cook-shops--Trotters--Mode of selling meat--Game--Eggs--Wild vegetables--Potatoes--Disinclination to use new seeds, and its cause--Narcissus--General use of flower decoration--Tame birds--Wild birds--White ants--Damaging the line--Hamilton poles 292

BEASTS, BIRDS, FRUITS, AND FLOWERS.

Tamed pigs--"Marjahn"--Mongoose--Persian cats--Their value--Van cats--A fierce cat--How to obtain a Persian cat--Grey-hounds--Toolahs--Watch-dogs--Monkeys--Tame lions--Tame and cage birds--Superstition concerning house-snakes--I kill a clockwinder--Wild ass--Fighting rams--Tame partridges--Gardening--Ordinary flowers--The broom-plant--Vine-culture--Quinces and pomegranates--Orchards--Garden parties 302

PERSIAN CHARACTER, COSTUMES, AND MANNERS.

Character of the Persians--Exaggeration--Mercifulness--Anecdote--Costumes of men--Hair--Beards--Arms--Costumes of women--Jewellery--Glass bangles--Nose-rings--Painting of the face--Tattooing--Hair--Out-door costume--Dress of children--Their manners--Strange custom--Love of mothers--The uncle--Cousins--Slaves--Servants--Slavery 314

TRAVELLING--ART WORK--FOODS.

Travelling--Difficulties of posting--Saddles and bits--Cruel joke--Old stories--Pastimes--Enamels--Persian pictures--Curio buyer--Carvings--Metal-work--Calligraphy--Kahtam--Incised work on iron--Embroideries--Silver-work--Washing of linen--Ironing--Needlework--The bath--Washing the hair with clay--Bread and baking--Unleavened bread--Other kinds--Travellers' food--Inordinate appetites--Food of the poor 328

EDUCATION--LEAVE, AND RETURN VI? INDIA.

FROM THE PERSIAN GULF TO ISPAHAN.

Our start for Shiraz--Camp out--Borasj?n--Spring at Dallik?--Kotuls--Kazer?n--Buy a horse--A tough climb--Place of Collins's murder--Arrive in Shiraz--Hire a house--Settle down--Breaking horses--Night marching--Difficulties of start--M?rghab--Find our muleteer and loads--Abadeh--Yezdikhast--K?mishah--Mayar--Marg--Arrive in Julfa 347

JULFA.

Hire a house--Coolness of streets--Idleness of men--Industry of women--Stone mortars--Arrack--Hire a vineyard--A wily Armenian--Treasure-trove--The "Shaking Minarets"--A hereditary functionary--A permanent miracle--Its probable explanation--Vaccination--Julfa priests--Arrack as an anaesthetic--Road-making--Crops of firewood--Fire temple--Huge trees--The racecourse--Disappearance of ancient brick buildings--Donkeys--Healthiness of Julfa--Zil-es-Sultan--His armoury--Prospects of the succession to the throne--Bull-terriers--Mastiffs--Politeness and rudeness of the prince 359

JOURNEY TO AND FROM TEHERAN.

Proceed to Teheran--Takhtrowan--Duties--Gulhaek--Lawn-tennis--Guebre gardener--A good road--The Shah--Custom of the K?r?k--M. Gersteiger--Cossack regiments--Austrian officers--New coinage--Count Monteforte--New police--Boulevard des Ambassadeurs--English Embassy--Tile gates--Summer palaces--Bazaars--Russian goods--Demarvend--Drive to Ispahan--Difficulties of the journey--Accidents--Danger of sunstroke--Turkeys--Keeping peacocks--Armenian tribute of poultry--Burmese and Japanese embassies--Entertainment and fireworks--Cruel treatment of Jews--Oil paintings--Bahram and his queen--Practice makes perfect--Pharaoh and the Red Sea--Pharaoh and the magicians 368

WE RETURN VI? THE CASPIAN.

New Year's presents--Shiraz custom--Our cook's weaknesses--He takes the pledge--And becomes an opium-eater--Decide to go home--Dispose of kit--Start for Europe--Our own arrangements--Diary of our journey home--Arrival 379

Table of Post Stages and Ordinary Marches from Bushire, Persian Gulf, to Teheran 410

Duration of our Journey from Ispahan to London 412

Travelling in Persia 413

RUSSIAN GOODS VERSUS ENGLISH.

The Kar?n River route--The best means of reaching the Commercial Centres of Persia--Opinions of Experts--Wishes of Merchants 417

GLOSSARY OF PERSIAN WORDS 420

INDEX 429

FEMALE DANCERS AND EQUILIBRIST " 114

THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS " 119

ARMENIAN WOMEN " 132

THE BASTINADO " 147

THREE SHOPS IN BAZAAR " 189

THE PUL-I-KOJ? " 195

TENT LIFE--WANDERING TRIBES " 262

A ROSEH-KHANA, OR PRAYER-MEETING " 283

LION AND LUHLIS " 307

MIDDLE-CLASS PERSIANS--PERSIAN BOY " 317

OUTDOOR DRESS OF PERSIAN WOMEN " 325

DR. WILLS'S HOUSE IN JULFA " 360

A CHUPPER-KHANA, OR POST-HOUSE " 386

IN THE LAND OF THE LION AND SUN.

I GO TO PERSIA.

A first-floor--this looked well. I knocked, was told to enter. Two gentlemen, kneeling on the floor, looked at me in a disturbed manner. The whole room is strewn with sheets of written foolscap, and it appears that I have arrived inopportunely, as official documents are being sorted. I am asked to take a seat, having stated to the elder of the two that I am come to see the director on business.

With, I fear, a certain amount of truculent defiance, I presented myself at the appointed hour, and was told that my references were satisfactory, that a contract would be drawn up that I should have to sign, and that I should be ready to start in a fortnight; but, rather to my astonishment, no mention was made of a deposit. "I think there is nothing more," said Colonel G?.

This, I concluded, indicated the termination of the interview; and, after considerable humming and hawing, I came to the point, and blurted out that, after searching the 'Army List,' I couldn't find any Colonel G?, and that no one had ever heard of the Telegraph Department in Persia.

Instead of being annoyed, the Colonel merely asked if I knew any one at the War Office. As it happened I did. "Well, go to him, and he will tell you all about it."

Off I went to the War Office, found my friend, and, to his horror, told him that I wanted to know if the Persian Telegraph Department existed or not, and if the director was or was not a myth. He easily satisfied me, and I felt that I had been stupidly suspicious.

After a day or two I again presented myself at the office, and I had the country described to me, and various recommendations as to outfit given me, and I also was introduced to Major C?, the assistant-director. His advice was delightfully simple. "You'll be able to wear out all your old clothes; don't buy any new ones; have a 'Dayrell' bridle; get nothing but flannel shirts." Colonel G? certainly took great trouble to explain to me all about the country, and, taking me out to lunch with him, bought me Morier's 'Hadji Baba,' saying, "When you read this you will know more of Persia and the Persians than you will if you had lived there with your eyes open for twenty years." This is going a long way; it is seventeen years since I went to Persia, and I read 'Hadji Baba' now, and still learn something new from it. As Persia was in Morier's time so it is now; and, though one sees plenty of decay, there is very little change.

Two other candidates came forward, to whom I was deputed to explain matters. They accepted the conditions, and, the deeds being prepared, we all three went to the India Office and signed a contract for three years.

On going to the Adelphi I was told that a sum of one hundred pounds had been handed to each of my two colleagues to take them to Persia. But I was glad to seize the opportunity kindly given me by Colonel G? of travelling with him, and he told me to meet him in Vienna on a certain day.

I had now no time to lose, and proceeded to buy my kit; what that kit was it is as well the reader should know.

I got enough ordinary clothing for three years, such as we use in England for morning or country wear, also two pairs of riding-boots; these fitted me, and were consequently useless, for I soon found that in riding long distances boots much too big are the thing, as then the foot is neither cold in winter or crippled in summer; a knife, fork, and spoon, to shut up; a revolver; a small bradawl, with the point buried in a cork, for boring holes in straps; a military saddle , with wallet-holsters and a high cantle ; a double-barrelled fowling-piece . My kit was packed in a couple of bullock-trunks, and my saddle sewn up in my rugs, which were thick and good. I also had a blanket-lined waterproof sheet.

I gave myself a week in Paris previous to my nominal start, and thence I proceeded to Vienna, to be ready to leave with Colonel G? as soon as he arrived there.

We were lucky in taking the advice, as a passenger did venture on to the lighter, and was, willy-nilly, marched off to what we learnt afterwards was a six weeks' quarantine.

We went on to Galatz, which we reached the next day.

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