320 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



feature by far of this kind of travel in Persia is the 

 description of horses supplied, overworked, under- 

 fed, and invariably with sore backs, and which can 

 never be induced to move unless the rider holds one 

 of the huge Persian lashes in his hand. I was now 

 travelling with the mail, the disadvantages of which 

 soon became apparent. If I had been alone I could 

 have started and stopped whenever I wished, but now 

 I had to wait the good pleasure of the chapar-ridex or 

 postman. After a carpet had been spread' and we had 

 done a vast amount of tea-drinking and had smoked 

 the kalian (the hubble-bubble or narghileh of Persia), 

 that functionary gave orders for the fresh horses to 

 be saddled and packed, but it was long after dark 

 before we started. Generally a Persian will not smoke 

 the same kalian as a Christian, but at these post- 

 stations they are not so particular, and will even drink 

 out of the same cup, though I have seen a valuable 

 Italian ceremoniously and ostentatiously smashed to 

 pieces with sticks, out of which a Christian had 

 ventured to take a puff. 



The next stage took us five hours, at a most 

 uncomfortable jog-trot, and we reached Mairand at 

 one o'clock at night thoroughly tired out. During 

 the latter part it rained, and the darkness was of 

 the most intense and inky blackness. The horse 

 carrying my baggage was driven on ahead, riderless, 

 some animals being instinctively good road-finders ; 

 it was closely followed by the post-boy, who kept on 

 singing or talking so that those behind might be able 



