148 Continuation of Dr. Gerard’s Route, &c. [Marcu, 
irksome durance, though we were not entirely without amusement 
during part of the time, but upon the very threshold of a friendly port 
such provoking interventions were quite unsupportable. Even here 
we were obliged to take in a supply of water. On the 11th we resum- 
ed our journey, and on the 12th crossed the mountain frontier of Persia 
or rather Khorasan, which is continuous withthe hills which trend 
along the Oxus and run into Hindu Kush. They are about 4,000 
feet in height (water boiling at 2053°), and support the plains of Persia 
which have a very considerable elevation. 
At midnight of the 12th we were thrown into confusion by a report 
of an encampment of robbers. The Kafila closed up in a great hurry ; 
the camels were instantly squatted upon their knees and packed toge- 
ther ; the utmost regularity prevailed ; fear having overcome their sur- 
prise, both men and beasts were silent; the camels, as if they had been 
accustomed to such scenes, trembled and sat still. The armed men 
stood in front waiting the assault. I found myself close to a pair of 
women who were bustling about seeking comforters, but I felt rather 
abashed in such company, and making my way over camels’ backs and 
bales of goods got outside, followed by our Haji Baba, who though 
a very respectable man in his calling had no idea of showing fight, and 
entreated me to make myself snug ; but his alarm was soon allayed, for 
the enemy was not forthcoming, and the people we dreaded were equal- 
ly afraid of us. They were travellers like ourselves. Had they been 
Allemans we should have made but a poor figure in the contest, for not 
half of us would have come to the scratch, as the phrase is, and too 
surely the remainder would not have kept it up after the first onset. 
In the evening we were within ten miles of Meshid, and before making 
a final start of it, a custom-house officer paid us a visit, and delighted 
us by intimating that Captain Shee was at Meshid, where news of some 
kind or other must await us; but as Abbas Mirza was besieging a fort 
in the neighbourhood, we could not reconcile the report. An hour be- 
fore day-break on the 14th saw us at the gates of this city, and we are 
now amongst Persians all gay and courteous, anew scene entirely,—no 
more Usbeks ! We were very fortunate in having met with Mrs. Shee 
here, who invited us to breakfast and dinner, and shewed us every 
attention and kindness. There is also a serjeant in charge of the 
arsenal, who is particularly useful to us ; he has engaged to keep a re- 
gister of the thermometer here forme. We are going out to the prince’s 
camp, 100 miles from this. He has just taken a fort, and concluded 
his campaign. Lieut. B. will thence go on to Tehran, but I must return 
here and start with a Aajila for Herat. The road is far from safe, but 
