BAKHTIAREE TRIBE. 
125 
affinity to that of the Zends. Yet they have several customs which dis¬ 
tinguish them from the modern Persians. Their national dance in 
particular, the Chiippee, resembles altogether the Arnaoutika of the 
modern Greeks, which is generally allowed to be of ancient Greek 
origin. It is performed by an indefinite number of persons, who form 
themselves into a close front, by holding each other fast by the girdle ; 
and then swinging on sideways, mark the time by stamping the feet, 
which they alternately raise before them, with the toe upwards. They 
are led by a man, who dances independently of the others, and who flou¬ 
rishes a handkerchief about in the air, and sings as he dances. Bakhtiar 
sounds so much like Bactria, that this coincidence will bring to mind 
the Greek colony which was planted by Alexander there, and which 
De Guignes says was driven from thence to the westward by the 
Tartars.^ 
At their burials, instead of mourning they rejoice f; for they collect 
round the grave, where they sing and dance the Chuppee to the sound 
of music. If the person to be buried has been killed in battle they 
rejoice the more, looking upon his death as lawful; and should 
he have died at a distance from his home, they make up a temporary 
cenotaph, place his cap, his arms, and other effects upon it, and dance 
and rejoice around it. 
In the Louristan they inhabit villages of about 20 to 30 houses, 
in difficult nooks of the mountains, wherever they can get water and 
grass: some also live in caves. Those with whom I have conversed 
pretend that they exercise all the hospitality of the wandering tribes; 
and as an instance of it say, that among them an old v^oman would sell 
herself rather than permit her guest to want food. But other Persians 
have assured me, that they are very unwilling to permit strangers to 
sojourn amongst them, and are not scrupulous in robbing a passenger of 
all that he may possess. Their most famous strong-hold is about two 
rnenzils, or stages, from Dezfool, called Dez for shortness, but Dezi 
* See Robertson’s Disquisition concerning Ancient India, and his xvith note. 
f 2 Samuel, xii. 20. 22, 23. 
