1 62 By Mountain, Lake> and Plain 



no roads. 1 The Russian-built carriages used in 

 Persia, however, are quite as independent of 

 roads as the arm that bears the motto ubique. 

 Once, when I was being driven from Teheran to 

 Meshed, it came on to rain. We happened to be 

 crossing some fields, which soon became a lake. 

 The horses sank up to their hocks and gave up 

 trying, and with good reason, as the wheels were 

 imbedded up to the axle. The "fare" had then 

 to divest himself of nether garments and join his 

 servant and the cabby in similar undress, in the 

 extrication of the vehicle and horses. 



There is in Persia something rather appropriate 

 about this impersonal word "fare," for once the 

 agreement is signed to transport you to a given 

 place in a given time, you become so much bag- 

 gage, and the driver consults your convenience 

 when and where to halt about as much as a camel- 

 man his loads. It happened in the journey 

 referred to that my coachman and owner for the 

 time being, desiring a rest in the middle of a 

 long and rough stage, got off his box, an action 

 that had the unlooked-for result of making his 

 horses, which had till then shown no particular 

 zest for their work, start off at a gallop. So there 

 I and my servant were, shut up in our closed 



1 I.e., made roads, as opposed to mule tracks. Two metalled roads 

 have lately been made to Teheran from the Russian frontier. 



