A Cincinnati Boy in the Tropics. 37 



called " Alp," for a grand trip through Persia: went to Mt. 

 Ararat, and got into Russian territory, but was promptly 

 escorted out by the authorities. He rode around the Caspian 

 vSea, visiting the places famous in the " Arabian Nights." 

 mastering the Persian language as he traveled, studying by 

 moonlight and living with the people. At Persopolis he made 

 a careful study of the famous ruins. Had a .severe attack of 

 " Caspian fever," but recovered. Came to Rescht May 6, 1881, 

 from there around to Asterabad, and thence via Teheran, 

 traveling with a caravan down to the Persian gulf to Shiraz, 

 where he .sold his Arab steed. On this horse he had traveled 

 hundreds of miles, .sleeping at night between his fore and 

 hind legs to keep warm, eating and living with the noble 

 brute. The parting from this animal was a verj'^ sad one, and 

 made him sick. He says, near vShiraz the A.siatic lion begins 

 to show it.self, but is not nearly so dangerous as the tiger of 

 India. March, 18.S2, finds him yet on the Persian Gulf at 

 Muscat, in Arabia, deeply engaged in the study of fishes, 

 under the direction of Dr. Jayako, a Mahretta and man of 

 science, who has Giinther's great work on fishes. Here he 

 di.ssected and preserved fishes. He reveled in the gorgeous 

 tropical fish and coral groves. He says, " I have been dissect- 

 ing to-day black looking things that look like bits of broken 

 .sticks a foot long; these are ' Tripang ' or 'Sea Cucumbers.' 

 I am working on these in view of m}- future profession " 

 (natural history). He now having gotten well out of reach 

 of parental control, for the first time mentions the object .so 

 dear to his heart, and to which he proposes to devote his life, 

 the study of nature. His parents had forbidden this, wishing 

 him to study law. From the Persian Gulf he went through 

 Beloochistan and Afghanistan and thence to the " Punjab " and 

 the " \"ale of Cashmere," all the time collecting butterflies, 

 which he sent to Europe to be .sold. He worked along the 

 southern slope of the Himalayas, traveling with the sheep- 

 herders, who transport merchandise on the backs of their 

 sheep into remote places, where the}' take them in search of 

 new pastures. He once received three letters from his 

 mother, that were being transported (with mail) on the back 

 of a sheep, in search of him. From the Punjab he went to 

 Lucknow^ to study the details of the Sepoy in.surrection. In 

 a letter from Notinga, vState of Jaipur, December 20, 1882, he 



