566 
CONCLUSION. 
his attendants took off their caps and sat bald-headed, from the sup¬ 
position that it was disrespectful in European company to keep the 
head covered, whilst they saw every one uncovered. There were 
many other accommodations to our usages which would never have 
been yielded by a Turk ; such as eating with knives and forks, sitting 
at table, drinking wine, &c. The Mirza himself told me that when 
he was in Calcutta , he wore leather-breeches and boots. I am sure 
then that if the Persians had possessed as much communication with 
Europeans, as the Turks have had, they would at this day not only 
have adopted many of our customs, but, with their natural quickness, 
would have rivalled us in our own arts and sciences. Unlike the 
Turks, they never scruple to acknowledge our superiority, always 
however reserving to themselves the second place after the English in 
the list of nations: whereas the Turk, too proud, too obstinate, and 
too ignorant to confess his own inferiority, spurns at the introduction 
of any improvement with equal disdain from any nation. 
The great changes that are now making in the military system in 
Persia, particularly by the Prince Royal in Aderbigian , will in a very 
short time so much influence the general character and disposition of 
the people, that they will scarcely be recognizable. Ever since 
their late wars with Russia, and their political connections with Europe, 
the effect produced has been most striking: and a person of excellent 
authority, who was in Persia during the time of Kerim Khan, af¬ 
firmed, in my hearing, that the nation could scarcely be considered 
the same. 
From Constantinople we went to Smyrna, where we remained till we 
quitted Turkey. On the 7'th September 1809, the Mirza and his 
servants went on board the Success, Captain Ayscough, to proceed to 
England. The people of Smyrna gathered in crowds to see him. The 
yards were manned; and he was honoured with, a salute of fifteen 
guns, which (as soon at least as it was over) gave him no little 
satisfaction. 
