19 % 
TEHERAN. 
mental furniture of Persia. It is said to have cost one hundred 
thousand tomaims. 
We saw the whole court to disadvantage during our first visit: it was 
then the days of mourning, and the King himself did not at that time 
wear his magnificent and celebrated ornaments of precious stones. He 
appeared in a catebee of a very dark ground, embroidered with large 
gold flowers, and trimmed with a dark fur over the shoulders, down the 
the breast and on the sleeves. On his head he wore a species of c}din- 
drical crown covered with pearl and precious stones, and surmounted 
by a light feather of diamonds. He rested on a pillow embossed 
on every part with pearl, and terminated at each extremity by a thick 
tassel of pearl. On the left of the throne was a basin of water in 
which small fountains played; and on its borders were placed vases 
set with precious stones. On the right, stood six of the King's sons 
richly dressed: they were of different sizes and ages; the eldest of 
them (brother by the same mother to the Prince of Shiraz) was the 
Viceroy of Teheran , and possessed much authority in the state. On 
the left behind the basin stood five pages, most elegantly dressed in 
velvets and silks : one held a crown similar to that which the King wore 
on his head; the second held a splendid sword; the third a shield and 
a mace of gold and pearls; the fourth a bow and arrows set with 
jewels; and the fifth a crachoir similarly ornamented. When the au¬ 
dience was finished, the King desired one of his Ministers to 
inquire from Jaffer Ali Khan (the English Agent) what the 
foreigners said of him, and whether they praised and admired his 
appearance. 
The room in which we were introduced to the King was painted and 
gilded in every part. On the left from the window is a large painting 
of a combat between the Persians and Russians, in which the King 
appears at full length on a white horse, and makes the most conspi¬ 
cuous figure in the whole composition. The Persians of course 
are victorious, and are very busily employed in killing the Russians, 
who seem to be falling a sufficiently easy prey : at a farther end of the 
