8 Travels through Turifj', 



pacha of Bagdad. The khan afkcd us many queftions re- 

 jpefthig the different ftates of Europe, with which he feemed 

 to be Uttle acquainted, and refpc6ling our manners and cuf- 

 toms. He dwek moft on the countries of the Ottomari 

 empire which we had traverfed, and particularly Bagdad, 

 becaufe in that city the aflies of Ali are preferved. He gave 

 orders to one of his officers to accompany us to court, and 

 procured us the neceffary paifports. On the ift of June we 

 arrived at Teheran, where we learned that the king and his 

 minifters had fet out in the beginning of fpring on an expe- 

 dition, the objeft of which was fuppofed to be the conqucft 

 of all Chorazan. 



I was highly pleafed with the idea of undertaking this 

 ^ournev, and I confidered it as a fortunate circumftance that 

 the king was at the head of an army in one of the i>ioft in- 

 tcrefling provinces of Perfia; into which no European 

 traveller had penetrated, and which produces the moft re- 

 markable plants, as well as the greater part of the drugs 

 brought to us from the Ea(k'rn countries; but C. Bruguiere 

 ]iad been ill for a long time, and was threatened with a 

 tlyfcntery. The dragoman himfclf was indifpoied, and rea- 

 fons weye not wanting to diffuade me from undertaking the 

 journey. " It is not pofitively known," faid fome, *' where 

 the king is ; and it is dangerous to approach the army in 

 this country, becaufe people are plundered, and even killed, 

 ' before they can be known and protefted. It will require 

 more than a month to reach Chorazan, and the king muft 

 return in two." Thefe reafons did not counterbalance the 

 advantages which were likely to refult, from this journey, to 

 natural hiftory and geography; but I reflefted that the 

 health of my colleague was becoming daily worfe, and that 

 he was incapable of fupporting the fatigues of travelling lo 

 far, during the hotteft feafop of the year. It would have 

 been neceffary to traverfe the Mazandaran, a hot, niariliy, 

 and extremely imhealthful diftrift ; and befidcs this, the 

 elragoman rttufed to accompany us. We then agreed to 

 . wait 



