10 A Brief Description of Herat, [Jan. 



destitute of the signs of royalty, and a ray of meanness and melan- 

 choly gleams on his features. 



He is afraid of his ministers and of the whole Ala koo zay family, 

 who over-rule him. He is anxious to get rid of them, and to be an 

 ally of the English Government, of which he often talked very friendly. 



Shair Muiiammed Khan, the Acting Vizier, is a talkative and base 

 man. He suspected us to be Russian spies, and twice sent thieves at 

 night to destroy us, but availed nothing. 



Our abode in Herat for seven months was very far from agreeable, 

 especially as we hoped to be in Cabul in December. Upon one hand, the 

 plague was ravaging the city ; on the other, the dearth of every article 

 caused us to spend a great deal of money. 



The streets of Herat are very narrow and dirty, but the roofed ba- 

 zar, or chdrsil, gives an idea that in old days it was a great mar- 

 ket in Khorasan. The shops are adorned by English chintzes, which 

 are here very dear. 



The people of Herat, though poor, are fond of pleasure. They go daily 

 to gardens, which resemble paradise, and pass their time in firing from 

 horse-back, in racing, and also in singing, joking, dancing, and sleeping. 



Their dress is a red shirt and an open red trowser, below a cloak or 

 chogha, and on the head a turban of Peshdwer lungi. They tie 

 a very thin cloth round their waist, and keep a knife on their girdle for 

 show, and also for aggression. 



The suburbs of Herat are exceedingly fertile, and covered by numerous 

 villages, which extend as far as the eyes reach. The whole country is 

 divided into four parts : namely, Obaih, Kurakk, Ghuryan, and Sabz- 

 war, or Isfazdr. 



Since Kamran's dynasty, the commerce of Herat has fallen to 

 nothing. The caravans are plundered, as we ourselves were witness of. 

 The resident merchants are fined in a large sum of money upon any 

 foolish pretext of the Government. 



There are two frequented roads from Herat to Bokhara, one goes 

 through Maimara, where the caravans generally meet with difficulty. 

 The other, which is easy, leaves Sdrakhs on the left hand. By this last 

 route the caravans cross the Mur-ghdh river, and reach Bokhara after 23 

 marches, the distance of which (a merchant told me) is 110 farsangs, 

 or 480 miles. 



The caravan pays duty only in four places through all the way, and I 

 have got the name of every stage written in my diary. 



I subjoin the list of the income of Herat, which if you think suffici- 

 ently interesting and proper, you may include in this letter. 



