PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITARY PUFPOSES. 231 



who mounts upon his beast whenever he is tired." The ordinary 

 load in Persia is about 720 livres, (about 770 pounds avoirdupois,) 

 and it is at tbis rate that they are hired, and that the packages for 

 transportation in caravans are made up. The large dromedaries carry 

 sometimes as much as 1^000 livres, (about 1,070 pounds avoirdupois,) 

 the same weight as those used in Tuscany, and a third more than 

 those used in Algiers. As for their swiftness, I have given it in the 

 comparative table, where I say that with a load of 720 livres, and 

 with even an addition of 280 livres for the large dromedaries, they 

 accomplish 3,8 JO metres an hour, that is, 1,115 metres less than 

 those of Tuscany, which conveniently make three miles an hour with 

 the same load. This difference should attract the attention of the 

 French government, which, if it would raise its own dromedaries, at 

 the public expense, would assuredly attain the same results as have 

 been produced in Tuscany by the same means, and, would avoid the 

 necessity of using inferior or broken down animals. 



General Marey-Monge tells us that there are dromedaries in Algiers 

 which are said to have travelled from 80 to 100 leagues a day, (from 

 200 to 250 miles.) M. Pottinger and M. Christie say that each chief 

 of the Beloutchis, to execute a tchapaoul, (razia,) has under his orders 

 a dozen dromedaries that travel very near 90 miles a day, until they 

 arrive at the theatre of operations. The maximum speed of the 

 dromedaries of the north of Persia is said to be 30 leagues, (about 75 

 miles,) a day, and I doubt much if they can exceed this rate. There 

 are, no doubt, exceptions to this limit, but they cannot be offered as a 

 general rule. On this point my conclusions are drawn from the fol- 

 lowing. The frequent revolts which disturb the country, and espe- 

 cially the despotism of the chief, which permits him to dispose of the 

 lives of his subjects, obliges the latter to be always on the alert.* 

 The nobles keep almost always in their stables a horse whose quali- 

 ties, concealed from the public, are known only to the master and to a 

 faitliful groom. These animals, kept only for the roivz seiah, (day of 

 misfortune,) are reputed to make 60 leagues, (about 150 miles,) and 

 even more, in a day.f If the dromedaries could attain a like speed, 

 they would, no doubt, be used for the same purpose, which is never 

 done. I 



There remains a few words to be said about the military music of 

 the zemboureks, a subject to be avoided but that it involves a point 



* The Kouroglou, a popular son^ of northern Persia, which expresses by lively images the 

 mind and character of the nation, puts these words in the mouth of the prince who has put 

 out the eyes of Kouroglou's father : " In a moment of anger I caused his eyes to be put out, 

 but who will dispute the right of a master to punish his servant, in order that he may after- 

 wards heap favors upon him? Follow me, you will learn how to please me, and I will know 

 how to recompense you " (A. Chodzko.) 



t The Turcoman horses often make journeys of sixty leagues (about 1.50 miles) a day, 

 which renders it impossible to overtake their horsemen when they make incursions into the 

 Persian territory. 



I The grand vizier whom I have had occasion to mention so often, owed his safety once to 

 the swiftness of his horse. Taking refuge in the mosque of Shah-Abdoul-Azim, (an asylum,) 

 his pursuers, forced to respect the sanctity of the place, souglit to starve him out. I was for- 

 tunate enough to aid his escape and to save the life of one whose kind protection had so often 

 been useful to me in my career. I have several letters from him, dated from this forced 

 retreat, and in which, forgetting that he had just been despoiled of immense wealth, and 

 that his life was in danger, regretted only the loss of his horse, which his personal enemy, 

 the chief of the tribe Shah-Serene, had seized. 



