40 
RESIDENCE OF THE MISSION AT BUSHIRE. 
luxurious in Persia than in Turkey. Instead of the sophas and the easy 
pillows of Turkey, the visitor in Persia is seated on a carpet or mat 
without any soft support on either side, or any thing except his hands, 
or the accidental assistance of a wall, to relieve the galling posture of 
his legs. The misery of that posture in its politest form can scarcely be 
understood by description: you are required to sit upon your heels, as 
they are tucked up under your hams after the fashion of a camel. To 
us, this refinement was impossible; and we thought that we had attained 
much merit in sitting cross-legged as tailors. In the presence of his 
superiors a Persian sits upon his heels, but only cross-legged before his 
equals, and in any manner whatever before his inferiors. To an Eng¬ 
lish frame and inexperience, the length of time during which the 
Persian will thus sit untired on his heels, is most extraordinary; some¬ 
times for half a day, frequently even sleeping. They never think of 
changing their positions, and like other Orientals consider our loco¬ 
motion to be as extraordinary as we can regard their quiescence. When 
they see us walking to and fro, sitting down, getting up, and moving 
in every direction, often have they fancied that Europeans are tor¬ 
mented by some evil spirit, or that such is our mode of saying our 
prayers. 
Before the close of our visit, it was settled that the Khan should send 
in the course of that evening the letters with which he had been charged 
to the Envoy, and that on the morrow he should come to a personal 
conference, and open his verbal communications. 
The Ramazan was now over: the new moon, which marks the termi¬ 
nation, was seen on the preceding evening just at sun-set, when the ships 
at anchor fired their guns on the occasion; and on the morning of our 
visit, the Bair am was announced by the discharge of cannon. A large 
concourse of people, headed by the Peish Namaz, went down to the sea¬ 
side to pray, and when they had finished their prayers, more cannon 
were discharged. Just before we passed through the gates of the town 
in returning from our visit, we rode through a crowd of men, women, 
and children, all in their best clothes, who, by merry-making of every 
