A PERSIAN FRAY. 
249 
servants and the Persian artillerymen went to them with a request to 
lend us some for our cattle. They had not long been gone, before 
cries of distress were heard at a distance, which were explained by 
one of my men, who in. a great fright informed us that the Vizier’s 
servants had not only refused them corn, but had also beaten them ; 
and that if some step was not immediately taken, lives would be lost, as 
the fray, particularly with the artillerymen was becoming very serious. 
We therefore sallied forth j and although the night was very dark, yet 
we soon reached the scene of action, where indeed the fight was car¬ 
rying on with great vigour on both sides. Tent pegs were flying in 
all directions j and the lusty blows received and given were dis¬ 
tinctly heard. In the thick of the fray, by the gleam of a lantern we 
perceived a well dressed Persian in the act of being felled with a tent 
pole by an artilleryman, and the blow brought him to the ground so 
expeditiously that the man was apparently killed. We then stept in to 
prevent a second blow, and our interference was attended with suc¬ 
cess ; for we rescued the Persian, whom we found to be the Vizier’s 
head servant, and having quieted the artillerymen, we marched from 
the field of battle. 
The following day the Vizier arrived, and the Russian General 
crossed the river. According to agreement, the Vizier paid the first 
visit, in which he exhausted every term of flattery to extol the General 
and his country: this, to me who had heard him abuse the Russians 
in the grossest manner not an hour before, taught me* to place a 
proper value on Persian professions. On the same evening the General 
returned the visit, and the parties entered upon the negotiation, which 
was commenced by a formal exchange of their full powers ; but the pre¬ 
tensions of both being too far removed to admit of a hope that peace 
would take place in the present posture of their affairs, they determined 
to break up, and agreed that hostilities should recommence after the 
lapse of a fixed number of days. 
At the commencement of the visit were brought in the usual 
refreshments—-coffee without sugar, which the Persians call the talkhee, 
or the bitter; and tea sweetened into a syrup, which they call the 
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