640 



Porter n Travelm in Georgia, Persia, ^t. 



elaborate figures, with an inijenuity 

 anil taste, that woiihl honour the luost 

 accoinplislied artists of any age. The 

 colours of these decorat ions arc green, 

 dark aud light blue, interspersed with 

 Arabic sentences in letters of gold ; and 

 a broad baud of such legends, formed 

 in white, upon this beautifully varied 

 ground, and interwoven with flowers 

 in green and gold, winds round the 

 entire extent of the building. This 

 fine ruin is within the new fortifications 

 of tlic city, as .are al.^o the remains of 

 the arch or citadel. In former times, 

 it is said to have contained the royal 

 palace with its attendant mosque. Very 

 legible traces of these ditiereut struc- 

 tures are yet to be found within its lofty 

 though riven walls. The height of 

 those walls may be about eighty feet, 

 commanding an extensive view on every 

 side, over the lately erected woiks, 

 and making a conspicuous object to a 

 great distance from the town. The 

 materials of the whole structure are of 

 brick, and put together with the nicest 

 cai-e. Indeed, that so much of it exists 

 after the general overthrow by two 

 earthquakes, proves the excellence of 

 its workmanship. Part of it is now 

 used as an arsenal ; and also to a veiy 

 dismal purpose. A few years ago, a 

 woman was precipitate<l from the top 

 of the highest point of its wall, into 

 the ditch beneath, as a punishment for 

 the murder of her husbaiul ; a crime 

 till then almost unheard of in the an- 

 nals of Persian domestic life. 



MINISTERIAL DINNER. 



A few minutes elapsed, says Sir Ro- 

 bert, before the prime minister made 

 his apj)earance. On his entrance we 

 all rose, and, on being re-seated, he 

 bowed to each person according to his 

 rank, uttering at the same time a com- 

 pliment befitting the esteemed impor- 

 tance of the guest. The routine of the 

 entertainment was then as follows : — 

 " kaliouns were presented ; then coffee, 

 served in very small cups, and without 

 cream or sugar. Kaliouns siu-ceeded ; 

 then tea, in lai^e cups ; and this, over 

 conversation, filled an interval of ten 

 minutes, when the minister gave a sig- 

 nal for dinner to be brought. Several 

 servants immediately entered, bearing 

 a long narrow roll of dowered cotton 

 in their arms, which they laid down 

 aud spread before the whole com- 

 pany, who now occupied both sides of 

 the room. This drapery was placed 

 close to our kuee:?. The next service 

 was to set a piece of thin sort of bread 



or cake Ix'fore each guest, to be used ax 

 a plate and napkin. Tlien came a tray 

 between every two persons, coutaiuing 

 the following articles of food : two bowls 

 of sherbet, each provided with a wooden 

 spoon of delicate and elegant workman- 

 ship ; a couple of «lishes of pillan, com- 

 posed of rice soaked in oil or butter, 

 boiled fowls, raisins, aiul a little 

 saffron. Two plates, with meloiut 

 sliced ; two others, containing a dozen 

 kabbobs, or morsels of dry boiled meat, 

 and a dish presenting a fowl roasted to 

 a cinder. The whole parly along the 

 exteuded web being in like manner 

 supplied, the host gave tiie sign for 

 falling to ; a command that seemed to 

 be understood literally, for cvei-y back 

 became bent, every face was brought 

 close to tlie point of attack, and every 

 jaw, in an instant, was in motion. 

 This is done by a marvellous dexterity 

 in gathering up the rice, or victuals of 

 any kind, with the right hand, and 

 almost at the same moment thrusting it 

 into the mouth. The left hand is never 

 used by the Persians but in the hum- 

 blest othces ; however, during meals at 

 least, the honoured member certainly 

 does the business of two, for m) cessa- 

 tion could be obsen'ed in the active 

 passage of meat, melon, sherbet, &c- 

 from the board to the mouths of the 

 grave and distinguished assembly. I 

 must say I never saw a more silent re- 

 past in my whole life, nor one where 

 the sounds of mastication were so au- 

 dible. In some countries it may l>e 

 " merry in the hall, wlien heads wag 

 all :" but here I could only think of a 

 similar range of respectable quadru- 

 peds, with their heads not faither from 

 their troughs than ours were from tl»e 

 trays. For my part, whenever 1 wished 

 to avail myself of the heaj)s of good 

 provender on mine, (the tray) at eveiy 

 attempt to throw a little rice into my 

 mouth, it disappeared up my sleeve; 

 so that after several unsuccessful essays, 

 I gave up the enjoyment of this most 

 savoury dish of the feast, and content- 

 ed myself with a dry kabbob or two. 



When the servants clearetl away, it 

 was in the order that the things had 

 been put down. A silver-plated jug, 

 with a long spout, accompanieil by a 

 basin of the same metal, was carrietl 

 round to every guest, by an attendant, 

 who poured water from the jug on our 

 right liands, which we held in succes- 

 sion over the bfisin, while each indi- 

 vidual cleansed his beard or musta- 

 chio» from the remnants of dinner. 



^Ve 



