SHIRAZ TO BUSHIRE. 



31 



most wayward muleteer as obedient as a child ; that 

 at a threat of his, villages which had been professed 

 poverty-stricken, and in Avhich the inhabitants lived 

 on stale bread alone, would forthwith flow with milk 

 and with honey, with new bread and barley, and, 

 indeed, with all we required for either ourselves or 

 horses. It did not always happen that the villagers 

 held back everything from us in the shape of sup- 

 plies, but frequently on our arrival at a small village, 

 consisting of perhaps two or three dozen houses, the 

 villagers, seeing a party of strangers armed to the 

 teeth, and sufficient in number to be equal to the 

 task of taking the village by storm, if they were so 

 minded, grew alarmed, for they at once came to the 

 conclusion that we woidd exact everything we could 

 from them, and pay for nothing ; for this is invariably 

 the case when Persians of rank travel. However, 

 when the gholaum, who was known on the road, and 

 at once recognised as a servant of the Prince's, had 

 muttered a few strange oaths, the poor villagers, in 

 their fright, produced everything they had ; for they 

 knew well enough that denying anything of theirs 

 to a servant of the Governor's would only entail 

 further exactions from them at some future time. 

 When our servant actually paid them in silver pieces 

 for what they brought, great was their astonishment 

 and gratitude. It was then difficult to persuade them 

 that there was a limit to what we required. 



By the time I reached home, the hour for the 



