Ibex and Ibex Ground 39 



Rahmat is " gralloching " him, cover the carcase 

 with a cloth and quickly extract the precious 

 substance without exposing it to the light. 1 



Being anxious to get a bezoar stone, but not 

 having had the fortune to kill an ibex that 

 carried one about in its system, I applied with 

 rather amusing result to an old Persian, who 

 was learned in talismans and charms. He came 

 to our camp in Kain some time later, and after 

 tea and cigarettes had been discussed, told 

 me very impressively that at last, with great 

 difficulty, and naturally at great expense, he had 

 succeeded in obtaining a piece of true bezoar. 

 Having made this announcement, with some 

 mystery, and eyeing me closely to see the effect 

 produced, he abstracted from his bosom, carefully 

 wrapped up the core of a golf ball ! As for the 

 explanation. A strip of turf lay near our camp, 

 and whilst stopping at this place, I daily contested 

 with my wife, fresh from her championship at 

 Burnham, the title of champion of Persia. Some 

 urchin had doubtless picked up a lost " Colonel," 

 and in this guise it came back to its rightful 

 owner. The piece of bezoar shown in the photo- 

 graph was afterwards given me by the Governor 

 of Kain. 



1 This was Eahmat's plan. One is reminded of the examination 

 of entrails by the Roman augurs. 



