Egypt and Verfta. 9 



wait for the king in the environs of Teheran, in order that 

 we might take advantage of the feafon proper for refearches 

 in regard to natural hiflory; for collecting feeds, and for 

 enabling C, Bruguiere to re-eftablilh his health with more 

 facility. 



We were obliged to negotiate, and to make fome pecuniary 



flicrifices, before we could obtain permiffion to quit the town, 



and refide in a village at the bottom of mount Albours. 



Teheran contained hoftages from all the great cities ot the 



empire, w-hom ]V;[ehemet had caufcd to atiemble there for 



his fecurity; fo that people might enter the city, but could 



not depart from it without the exprefs leave of the governor ; 



and the latter did not let flip fo fine an opportunity of forcing 



us to expend a little money. As vfc forefaw that the pre- 



fents left behind might be retarded, and not even reach us, 



we thought it prudent not to make any mention of thenj. 



We had it in our power, Indeed, to ofier the governor a 



watch and fome arms; but wc ftould thus have entered 



into an engagement to give other prefents to his principal 



officers, and, on the king's arrival, having nothing fnffi- 



ciently beautiful to offer to his minifters, and our prelcnts 



being detained at Bagdad under a pretence that the roads 



were not fafe, we fliould have been confidered as impoftors, 



and fliould have loft that confidence which our conducl 



ought to have infpired. 



The king, after taking pofTeflion of Mefchcd and all Chora- 

 zan, and after having deftroyed Charok-Shah the laft de- 

 feendant of Thamas-Kouli-Khan, and carried away his trea- 

 fures, returned to Teheran. He made his entry into that 

 new capital towards the end of September 1796; and, two 

 days after, we had an audience of the prime minifter, with 

 whom we had reafon to be fatisfied. We endeavoured to 

 fecure the frieiidfliip of the chief fecretary, an a<iHve, judi- 

 eious, entcrpriiing man, and as well informed as could be 

 cNpe^led in Perfia, We fpoke to him of the new govern- 

 ment eftabliflitd in France j and, at the fame time, made 



him 



