CONFERENCE WITH THE GENERAL. 
247 
but a small effort of the imagination to enjoy the illusion of being far 
away from Persia and her barbarism. Those of the Russians, who had 
long inhabited these countries, did not seem to have adopted in the 
smallest degree any customs foreign to their own, excepting the long 
pipe which they have borrowed from the Turks. 
I had a conference with the General soon after I had drank one small 
cup of coffee, which is the common Russian breakfast, and no state 
business was ever carried on with more secrecy. I found him dressed 
in full uniform, sword by his side, hat in his hand, which I found to be 
the costume adopted by him when he talked officially; for as soon as 
we had finished our public business, he clapt his hands in joy, saying, 
now take off your sword and put yourself at your ease, which he 
seconded by taking off his own and laying by his hat. The secrecy of 
public business here afforded an excellent contrast with its publicity 
amongst the Persians. I could not open my lips, but the General im¬ 
mediately closed his door, — whilst in Persia, the gravest business was 
always interrupted by servants rushing in with pipes. 
At noon the same company assembled for dinner as on the foregoing 
evening for supper, and the one meal was nearly the same as the other, 
except that the dinner was the soonest over. I left the General to take a 
nap, or to play at cards, and strolled out by myself to examine the 
localities of the camp. In my walk I came to a high bush, behind 
which were two Russian soldiers, who, although it was then raining 
tolerably hard, were seated on the wet grass without either coats or 
caps on, playing, like their superiors, at cards. 
I departed the next morning with General Akverdoff, who was 
deputed by the Commander-in-Chief to represent him in the pending 
negotiation; but I must not omit to mention, that before we set out, 
the kind old General Rtischeff, who had been unwearied in his civilities, 
gave me what he was pleased to call an English breakfast, that was 
composed of the following articles : tea, beef steaks, pudding, fish- 
soup, Madeira and port wine. 
Our cavalcade was composed of individuals of many nations, for be¬ 
sides Russians and Englishmen, we had Cossaks of the Don, and Terek 
