jt Bnba in Kngla-ud. JuNK, 



" We passed the first night very Hi. Each of us had a bed, the curtains of 

 which were so pretty, that we longed to cut them up for alcoloks, or to bind 

 them round our waist ; but we were unaccustomed to their heavy coverings, 

 and found,, after we had been a short time under them, that our coat and 

 trowsers became disagreeably oppressive. We all agreed that certain white 

 pieces of loose linen, which accompanied each bed, would make excellent 

 shirts ; and Taki, the ferash, who had only one, determined immediately to 

 improve his stock. The whole household was on the stir long before the 

 Franks thought of moving ; but Mohamed Beg was much puzzled about the 

 true hour for saying his morning prayer, for we heard no muezzins to announce 

 it from the mosques ; and, besides, the nights were so much longer than any 

 we had been accustomed to, that we had almost settled amongst ourselves that 

 the sun never rose in this ill-conditioned city. We had walked about the house 

 for several hours almost in total darkness, and were in despair waiting for the 

 dawn, when at length we heard noises in the streets, indicating that the inha- 

 bitants were awake. During the whole night, at intervals, we had watched 

 the cries of what were evidently guards of the night, who, like the keshekchis 

 on the walls of the Ark, announce that all is right ; but those we now heard 

 were quite different. At first, we thought they might be muezzins, appointed 

 to cry out the Frangi axan, the invitation to the inhabitants to arise and pray ; 

 and, indeed, looking at them through the twilight, we were confirmed in our 

 idea ; for they were dressed in black, as all the English men of God are ; but 

 we were evidently mistaken ; because, although they uttered their cry in a 

 variety of loud, shrill tones, yet still no one seemed to rise a moment the 

 sooner, or to have the least idea of praying on their account. And still we 

 were uncertain ; but, when the day had completely broken, Mohamed Beg 

 came running in, in great joy, exclaiming, f Muezzin !' muezzin!' and, point- 

 ing to the top of one of the minars which are seen on all the houses, we there 

 saw one of these street clergymen, crying out his profession of faith with all 

 his might." 



The visit of the minister for foreign affairs to the embassy takes place 

 so unexpectedly, that nothing but "sweet and bitter coffee" can be 

 prepared for that officer's reception : " the first of which," the Persians 

 observe with surprise, " he scarcely tastes," and that he " makes faces at 

 the latter/' It is resolved, however, having due notice to give the 

 prime minister, on his visit, a formal entertainment : 



" Hassan, the cook, was ordered to exercise all his talent, and to dress a 

 breakfast, which would at once shew his art, and give a specimen of our 

 national luxuries. He prepared several sorts of pittaus. He so judiciously 

 mixed sweets and acids, meats and vegetables, and poured over the whole 

 such abundance of liquid butter, that the emblem of blending the interests of 

 the two countries, he assured us, was perfect. Then nothing could be more 

 delicate than our sherbets, and the sweetmeats, particularly the gezenjibin, 

 that luxury peculiar to Persia, and of which, considering where our destinies 

 were directing us, we had brought a large store. Several of our sherbet- 

 bowls had been broken on the journey, and Hashim was at a loss how to reim- 

 place them, until, recollecting that he had seen certain vases some painted, 

 others white placed in different parts of the English houses, he took posses- 

 sion of three of the handsomest, and served up the sherbets in them. The 

 young mehmandar, who happened to have inspected the conchas, or trays, as 

 they stood prepared for the breakfast, at the sight of these vases burst into indis- 

 creet laughter, of which none of us could understand the meaning, until, ex- 



Elaining the use to which they were generally applied, we were obliged to 

 ide the face of shame under the veil of ignorance; and rendered thanks to 

 Allah, that we had so providentially escaped the quicksands of pollution. 



f( The prime vizier was a dervish in appearance, so mild, so kind, that we 

 marvelled how the affairs of this great country could be directed by him. 



