294 RAWLINSON ON SOUTHERN PERSIA. [Feb. 9, 1857. 



completely stopped. Instead of remaining idle at Ispahan I resolved to pene- 

 trate into the Bakhtiyari mountains. I had spoken to Mahomet Shah on the 

 subject. At the time I had been taken prisoner by Mahomet Shah, for we 

 had broken off our relations with Persia. I asked for permission to go into the 

 Bakhtiyari mountains. The Vizier said that it would not be safe, as the tribes 

 were hardly under Persian rule ; that if I went I should be killed, I pressed 

 for permission, however, and he drew up a paj^er, which I had to sign, and in 

 which it was stated, that if I had my throat cut, it would be my own fault. I 

 started off from Ispahan, and made acquaintance with the chief of the Bakh- 

 tiyari tribe. I made his acquaintance in a curious way. General Monteith 

 says the people are robbers : they are certainly very quick in taking possession 

 of jieople's property. There was a Frenchman at Ispahan making drawings of 

 pieces of sculpture. I had seen a capital, and I told him to go and draw it. 

 He went on horseback to the spot, and, having dismounted, took his sketch, 

 with the bridle of the horse over his arm. He was so much occupied with his 

 work that some person came behind him, slipped the bridle off, and took away 

 the horse. When the Frenchman had finished he found his horse gone. We 

 made inquiries and found that it had been taken by a Lur. This led to my 

 making acquaintance with the Bakhtiyari chief. He said he was going to 

 return to his country ; and finally, at his invitation, T returned with him. 

 We crossed a high mountain by a difficult pass, and came to the castle of the 

 great chief. He was a most enlightened man ; and in the course of a few years, 

 by his talent, determination, and courage, had subdued the whole of these 

 mountains, and could bring some 23,000 men into the field. By mere chance, 

 knowing a little of medicine, I cured his little boy of a fever ; and I remained 

 with the chief a long time. I found him so intelligent that I proposed many 

 things to him ; among others, that he should open the rivers, establish schools, 

 and introduce commerce. When I left him and came down the Karun, 

 sounding all the way with a string, as far as Karak, which was then occupied 

 by British troops, I told Captain Henneh, who was then political resident, 

 what the chief wished, with the view to establish commercial relations with 

 that country ; and, at the same time, I wrote to the Chamber of Commerce at 

 Bombay on the subject. I went back to the Mountains, and while there, I 

 am sorry to say, the Persians marched upon the tribes. 



There has been a question about the practicability of these mountain passes 

 for gims. It is true they are very difficult roads, and, strictly speaking, not 

 practicable to artillery. They are only practicable in the way described by 

 General Monteith. When I was at Susa, the Persians marched'from Ispahan 

 and crossed the mountains, bringing with them several guns and a large body 

 of infantry. They were not opposed. I may mention, that all the tribes 

 there live in tents ; their life is very interesting and very pleasant. When the 

 warm weather comes, they live on the highest tops of the mountains, among 

 the glaciers and snow ; and, as the weather becomes colder, they gradually 

 descend the sides of the mountains, and get into the valleys in the winter. 

 Thus they almost always enjoy perpetual spring, and always verdure for their 

 cattle. 



The road from Mohamrah to Susa is perfectly practicable for artillery, 

 supposing the country were held. The road is not difficult, and the mountains 

 are easily crossed ; therefore, as far as Susa is concerned, there- is no diffi- 

 culty whatever. The only difficulty is to cross the range of the Zardeh Kuh ; 

 whereas, from Bushir to Shiraz, the whole country is one mass of mountains 

 and difficult passes. In the part of the country to which I have directed 

 your attention, there are only one or two passes, which are no doubt diffi- 

 cult, but they are practicable for guns, because the Persians carried theirs 

 over. The Persians came down to Susa, and there they began intriguing 

 among the tribes. Unfortunately, in Persia and Turkey the governing 



