170 
HABITATIONS OF THE EMBASSY. 
the city; but who, if the expression may be used, fell rich, and was 
put to death. Another horrid circumstance gives celebrity to this 
house, for in one of its small rooms was immured, literally bricked up, 
Saduk Khan Cheghaugee, whose crime had been what is here called 
making the Ada ul sultanet, or aspiring to the crown ; but having 
been discomfited in a battle near Casvin, he was persuaded to give 
himself up to the King, provided that his blood was not spilt. To 
this the King gave his promise and kept it, for he was starved to 
death. Alexander pledged himself towards Nabarzanes, “ after the 
Persian mannerf as Curtius calls it, that he would not hurt him^"; but 
not with the same reserve of conscience as his present Majesty, for he 
pardoned Nabarzanes, although he was chiefly moved to this act by the 
depraving influence of the eunuch Bagaos. 
The other house belonged to Mahomed Khan, the chief of the Camel 
Artillery, who upon a salary of 300 piastres, or about 30/. sterling per 
annum, had contrived to build himself not only this, but another infi¬ 
nitely finer house. Of this the King was aware, and consequently made 
no scruple of accepting it as a present with one hand, and presenting it 
to the British Embassy with the other. Mahomed Khan showed us no 
sort of ill-will for the loss he had sustained ; but on the contrary, pro¬ 
fessed for us the sincerest friendship, and said that for the future we 
should be more intimately united: and consoled himself with the usual 
Persian professions, Mdl-e-mun, mdl-e-shumah, mdl-e-shumah, mdl-e- 
mun — “ My property is yours, and yours is mine.” He had a house 
in our neighbourhood superior to the one which had been taken from 
him, and we always found him true to his professions. The character 
of neighbour in the East is indeed in some measure sacred; and the 
Persian word Hemsieh (under one shade) which it expresses, gives a 
good idea of its friendly signification. 
The first days of our arrival at Teheran were almost exclusively en¬ 
gaged by discussions on points of etiquette. The Ambassador demanded 
* Nee duhitavit Alexander, Jidem quo Persa modo accipiehant, dare, Inviolatum si venisset 
fore” Quintus Curtius, lib. vi. c. 4. 
