SHIRAZ TO BUSHIRE. 39 



men, women, and children, slaughtered there, and 

 lying dead in heaps ; that the streets were a guz deep 

 with their accursed blood. He wore the green turban, 

 proclaiming him to be a Syud, a descendant of the 

 Prophet. The gholaum, probably on this account, 

 and also that he did not understand a word that was 

 said, did not favour the old villain with the stick, 

 which I inwardly prayed he would do. The doctor, 

 arrayed in his Persian costume, received us with great 

 civility at his gate. Two or three of our servants were 

 admitted with us ; the rest, with the nmles, went off 

 to a neighbouring caravanserai. A Persian breakfast, 

 with its dishes swimming in grease and smothered in. 

 onions, followed by trays of fruits and sweetmeats of 

 various kinds, was the entertainment provided us by 

 our host. This Homeric abundance, with its accom- 

 panying pipes, gave us steady occupation for at least 

 two hours. The doctor produced some Shiraz wine 

 of his own make : it was the veriest vin ordinaire I 

 ever drank. However, we drank it with a fortitude 

 that was worthy of a better reward than the anguish 

 and torment which subsequently we were fated to 

 endure. HOAV bitterly we repented us of our civility ! 

 Our host was married to a young Armenian lady, but 

 as he had quite adopted the manners and customs 

 of the country in which he had so long sojourned, 

 we were not graced with her presence ; but from, the 

 opening and shutting of the Venetians of a window 

 on the opposite side of the yard, and from a cloud 



