204 
TEHERAN. 
“ in the course of a short time, I may be able to send you some Russian 
“ heads as rarities, and as a fine present from me to you, and I hope 
“ to be able to meet with some opportunity to repair to the King's 
“ Court, where I may be happy to see you, and I will have a verbal 
“ conversation with you/' 
A chatter , belonging to one of the gentlemen of our party, having 
stolen some money, the silver head of a kaleoon and other ornaments, 
was ordered to receive the bastinado on the soles of his feet. He was 
first thrown on his back, and his feet inserted through a cord, which 
fastened them to a long pole, and then exposed horizontally. Four stout 
feroshes then bastinadoed his feet until he confessed that another fellow 
had been his accomplice, who was also punished in the same manner. 
If the criminals had been delivered up to the King's Nasakchee Bashee, 
they would have lost their lives; for the King never pardons theft, and 
orders a convicted thief to be executed instantly. The mode is as fol¬ 
lows : two young trees are by main strength brought together at their 
summits, and there fastened with cords together. The culprit is then 
brought out, and his legs are tied with ropes, which are again carried up 
and fixed to the top of the trees. The cords that force the trees toge¬ 
ther are then cut ; and, in the elasticity and power of this spring, the 
body of the thief is tom asunder, and left thus to hang divided on each 
separate tree. The inflexibility of the King in this point has given 
to the roads a security, which, in former times, was little known. 
The King sent by one of his feroshes a present of two mountain goats 
to the Envoy. The man was offered one hundred piastres for bringing 
them, which he rejected as an inadequate reward; former Missions 
indeed had taught him to expect more profusion. 
The 20th of March was the eve of the Norooz ; and as a part of the 
ceremony of the season, the Ameen-ed-Doulah sent the Envoy a pre¬ 
sent. It consisted of two plates of money, one of silver coins, and the 
other of gold; several trays of sweetmeats, one of which was decked 
out in flowers and gilded ornaments like a temple; and two wax can¬ 
dles, which were accompanied by flowers exquisitely imitated in wax. 
