1835.] Georgia, Persia, and Mesopotamia. 605 



borders of Georgia, plundering villages, committing outrages, attacking 

 towns, and carrying off Georgian and Circassian girls. On the south, 

 they dispose of their captives, to the traders who supply Bagdad and 

 other Turkish cities ; and on the east and west, are found the wild 

 mountaineers, who are not naturally cruel, but obliged in self-defence 

 to assume a fierce character. This effect can only be ascribed to the 

 distracted state of Kurdistan, and its inability to afford security to 

 the people. 



April 5th. — My muleteers were slow and reluctant to load the 

 mules this morning, having heard during the night that the Kurds 

 of these parts were a most desperate set, caring for neither God nor 

 devil ; that they never took off their boots from one year's end to 

 another, much less prostrated themselves in prayer ; that in fact, we 

 should starve by entering the country, as it would be impossible to 

 hold any communications with them. With little difficulty I convinced 

 them in some degree that these opinions were erroneous, and we 

 quitted Meandab, directing our course south-east, over a plain 

 surrounded by argillaceous mountains. We then struck into a deep 

 valley, profusely covered with coarse weeds and herbage, and through 

 which flowed a stream formed by the melting snow. When we got 

 half way up this valley, we saw several Kurdish encampments on 

 our right. They appeared very meanly built, chiefly of mud : they 

 were low, having only one small door to admit light and air, and 

 were roofed with a thatch of reed. There were others formed of 

 two stone walls, with a covering of goats' hair cloth. Although our 

 people were dying with thirst, they would not stop from the fear of 

 being plundered ; I, however, rode up to one of these encampments, 

 and was served with lubbon, which is a very refreshing beverage. 

 After this, I rejoined the baggage, and we continued to pursue a 

 southerly course, and passed a large body of Kurds, whose extraor- 

 dinary dress and appearance, so different from that of the Persians 

 whom we had been accustomed to see, gave a novelty to the scene 

 that was extremely interesting. Their arms, their habits, the furni- 

 ture of their horses, resembled those of the Turks ; but they possessed 



took place near the village of Bash-Kullah. Sir John Kinneir immediately 

 seat a confidential person to the spot to collect, if possible, the traveller's papers 

 and effects, and to take steps for the punishment of the murderers. The loss of 

 this intelligent traveller is one of the greatest which oriental literature has ever 

 sustained ; it is to be hoped, that the larger portion of his manuscript collections 

 had been received in France, and that those which were in his possession at the 

 time of his death may yet be recovered : so that the fruit of his extensive travels 

 and laborious researches may not be lost to the world. 

 4 I 



