EXAGGERATED ACCOUNT OF THE VICTORY. 
187 
wounded, was brought before him, he perceived that he was without a 
sword; and immediately taking off his own, which was of great value, 
desired him to put it on and to wear it for his sake. The Persians lost 
100 men, a circumstance which rejoiced the King’s Ministers ex¬ 
ceedingly ; for on no occasion before had their troops been known 
to approach near enough to the enemy to get killed. The death of 
our Serjeants settled a doubt that existed among the Persians, whether 
or not Christians would fight against Christians in favour of Mussulmans, 
and this occurrence tended not a little to raise us in their estimation. 
It was, however, a mortifying feeling to us to be under the necessity 
of settling such a doubt. 
In one of the first visits which the Ambassador paid to the Grand 
Vizier, he found him dictating a letter to the Governor of Mazanderan, 
which was to announce the defeat of the Russians. When the writer 
had got to the catastrophe, he asked, “ How many killed am I to put 
down ?” The Grand Vizier, with the greatest composure, said, 
“ Write 2000 killed, 1000 made prisoners, and that the enemy were 
10,000 strong.” Then turning to the Ambassador, he said, “ This 
letter has got to travel a great distance, and therefore we add in pro¬ 
portion.” 
When the King saw the Ambassador, he expressed his joy at the 
event; and said that he had had a forewarning of it by a dream, in 
which he saw a ruffian about to plunge a dagger into his breast, but 
that he had been saved by his son Abbas. 
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