TEHERAN. 
m 
others all occupied in writing, talking, or smoking. When the Minister* 
arrived, I delivered the public letter accompanied by a private note 
from the Envoy. Mirza Sheffeea then unfolded the official note. 
There were perhaps twenty people in the court near the window where 
the Mirza sat, who looked over the paper, and knew its contents as 
soon and as well as the Minister himself; and all my expostulations 
could not procure their removal. When the Minister had read it, he 
told us he would lay it before the King, and then desired us to retire 
to another ro 3m, where we might eat, drink, and put ourselves at our 
ease, until tb ' King should send for us. 
We went to a room in another part of the palace, and sat there full 
five hours, cbrring which time we had a visit from a son of the Ameers 
ed-Doulah , a young man who has the great post of Comptroller of the 
Household to the King. His business is to provide for the King's 
kitchen, to see every thing before it goes to the King, and to super¬ 
intend every part of the eating and drinking concerns of the establish¬ 
ment. Whilst we were seated with him, four round trays of lettuces, 
in the centre of which was a gold vase of vinegar and syrup, were 
brought before him. He inspected them, tasted the syrup, and ap¬ 
proved them fit for his Majesty's eating. After that, two young 
Georgian slaves were brought in for sale, for one of whom the master 
asked one hundred and fifty tomauns. The five hours, which we 
passed here, were long and melancholy: the only amusements which 
were provided to cheer us, were a dish of lettuces, the chief carver, 
and some specimens of writing : on the latter indeed every one in the 
company, except myself, could comment at full length. The Persians 
are great admirers of fine writing, or, more strictly, of penmanship, 
to excel in which requires, according to their estimate, a practice 
of twenty years. 
At length we were summoned before the King. Preceded by the 
two Ministers, we passed through the same dirty door, into the same 
garden in which we had been at the last audience: we made as many 
