304 
TABRIZ TO ARZ-ROUM. 
We had now reached the dregs of Persia. Beyond Khoi and P6rSk 
both the habitations and the people bore an appearance of misery, in¬ 
dicative of a neglected country. This deterioration is probably inse¬ 
parable from the borders of two states, which are ill-defined as to ter¬ 
ritory and actual property. None but the Ket Khoda had a decent 
coat, and all the rest were in tatters and beggary. 
The Thaubet of Cara-aineh had been appointed to his government 
only the day before our arrival, an excuse which he alleged for his 
inability to satisfy us in several of our inquiries. His appearance, in¬ 
deed, bespoke the truth of his apology; for he was dressed from head 
to foot in new clothes, new cap, new coat, new slippers; doubtless to 
impress his peasantry with a sense of his superiority. We had rain all 
the day, and almost incessant thunder and lightning. The tract over 
which we passed, though generally of admirable soil, was for the greater 
part waste. We saw, however, immense flocks, some perhaps of one 
thousand sheep, grazing in the fat pastures on the declivities and in the 
recesses of the mountains; and large herds also of mares with their 
foals. These were the property of the Elauts : the mares belonging to 
the King are kept in Mazanderan , which is said to afford the finest 
pasture of his dominions. Their foals are thence distributed to the 
troops as they may be wanted. The Guardian or Controller of these 
Royal herds is an officer of considerable consequence, and is selected 
always from men of rank and importance in the state. He is called 
Elkhee-chee or Master of the Mares, and resides at Asterabad, where he 
holds his office, registering every foal as it falls. He has subordinate 
agents, entrusted severally with the charge of twenty mares, and with 
the choice of their pastures, besides the inferior grooms who tend the 
animals daily. The foals are not backed until they have completed 
their third year. 
7th. The morning was darkened by clouds which covered the 
whole sky; the thickest resting on the tops of the mountains, and 
extending themselves in some parts nearly to the bases. We quitted 
