10 
PERSIAN QUARREL AT SEA. 
nified by the name of hurricane, but which passed over without causing 
us any material damage. On the 20th November, another sort of 
storm arose. We had nearly finished dinner, when a Persian servant 
came into the cabin, and stood before his master with a most doleful 
face. When the Ambassador asked what ailed him, he said, that a 
Lieutenant had ordered him and his companions to be sent from the 
poop, as they were seated quietly on the hen coops. At this recital, 
the Ambassador changed colour, his brow was contracted, and no longer 
able to retain his feelings, he exclaimed. Woe tome, who have come all 
this way to see my people ill-treated after this manner ! Then turning 
around to his servants, (for many had now entered the cabin,) he said. 
Why did not you knock the man down who dared to remove you from 
your places. Our explanations made him more angry ; and listening 
to little but the misrepresentations of his people, who now seized the 
opportunity of raking up every trifling grievance which had befallen 
them since they had left their own country^ he abandoned so much 
both of his Oriental and European politeness, that he flung himself 
violently out of the cabin, and followed by his men, retired into their 
berth, where he expressed his determination to remain for the rest of 
the voyage. I was shortly after deputed by the English Ambassador 
to explain to him the real state of the case, (in which we allowed that 
the Lieutenant was to blame,) and to endeavour to moderate his anger. 
I found him seated on a trunk, smoking his water pipe, (an instrument 
which the Persians use in moments of irritability,) and giving ear to all 
the complaints of his servants. The moment I appeared every mouth 
(Ambassador’s and all) was opened upon me, and it was a full half hour 
before I could obtain an hearing ; but the rage of the Persians was now 
nearly exhausted, and when I agreed that the Lieutenant had treated 
them hardly, they were soon softened into their usual good humour. 
The Ambassador, upon talking the subject over afterwards, said, in 
exculpation of his own conduct, that if he did not appear to take an 
interest in the welfare of his people, they would not fail to misrepresent 
his conduct when they got into Persia, and would calumniate him as a 
Christian, and a despiser of his own countrymen. 
