TABRIZ. 
384 
taken in battle. The Minister, however, was unconvinced, and con¬ 
tinued to believe that there was some secret in our naval architecture 
on which our success depended. At our parting visit the Minister 
added, that the Prince was anxious to have some insight into the 
history of England, and desired me to bring with me on my return 
some book bn the subject. He wished me also to procure for him his¬ 
tories bf France and Russia, in order to compare them with those which 
he had already got; for, said he, “ the English being known ever to tell 
“ the truth, and the French and Russians to be less scrupulous, the 
“ Prince will not be satisfied with what he has learnt, until He hears it 
“ confirmed by an English pen.” 
During our residence at his capital, the Prince received intelligence 
of the discovery of a lead mine in the territory of Khalcal , fourteen 
fursungs from Tabriz , in the direction in which they had found mines 
of saltpetre and copper. As a specimen, a large piece of ore, almost 
pure and free from earth, was produced. At Bahouba there is a mine 
of sulphur. The district of Khalcal alone furnishes to the revenue of 
Aderbigian fifty thousand tomauns ; the whole of that revenue was 
stated to me at seven hundred thousand; but whatever may be the 
correctness of this account which I received from a Persian, the 
province is certainly the choicest part of Persia that we saw. 
The population of Tabriz is to all appearance much exaggerated; 
I was told indeed that it contained fifty thousand houses and two 
hundred and fifty thousand persons. There are about two hun¬ 
dred Armenian families, who live in a Mahale or parish by themselves. 
Tabi •iz manufactures a great number of silk stuffs, which are much 
used. 
During our stay at Tabriz the Prince spent a day in the garden of 
Hajee Khan Mahomed. Whenever he wishes to shew any mark of 
attention, he sends to let the person know that he will be his guest on 
such a day. This sort of visit, however, generally costs the entertainer 
a large sum (in this instance two thousand tomauns) as the Prince is 
followed by his whole household. When he alights from his horse, 
