A RIDE TO TEHERAN IN 1888. 315 



military post, where a regiment was camped. Thence 

 we proceeded in a much more uncomfortable fashion, 

 namely, in a large troika resembling a boat in shape, 

 innocent of possessing any springs or seats, and in 

 which we reclined gracefully upon our luggage. 



A Persian having joined the party, we next crossed 

 a pass 7,125 ft. in height by an excellent Eussian 

 military road, and stopped for the night just beyond 

 the summit at a place called Semiyonofka, in a 

 station-house of the usual type, with plank beds, table 

 and samovar for the entire furniture. The Persian 

 gentleman seemed not to be charmed with our com- 

 pany, as he left us surreptitiously during the night 

 and continued the journey by himself, and in the 

 morning we found him not. He literally thereby 

 " stole a march " upon the Turks and myself and 

 secured the choice of horses at the post stations ahead 

 of us. But eventually we overtook and brought him 

 to account for his conduct. He generally chose a time 

 for his prayers in the evening when we were engaged 

 in some noisy discussion, and repeated them with the 

 peculiar genuflections and gestures of the Sunni sect, 

 in as loud a voice as possible. 



The Turks invariably pretended not to be aware 

 that our sly friend was performing his devotions, 

 which he did in an aggressive manner, and each party 

 appeared to be trying to shout the other down. He 

 generally made a mistake as to the true direction of 

 the Kaaba at Mecca, though he might easily have 

 ascertained it by looking at the stars, but once or 



