280 
PERSIAN ETIQUETTE. 
the person of his Aide-du-camp, insisted that he should stand in the 
same place with himself; but the Persians would not hearken to such 
intimacy, and talked of a station about the middle of the garden, as 
the most which the Russian could expect. This difference of opinion 
was leading to violent words, when His Majesty himself removed every 
difficulty by an expedient. He determined to sit in the Shah-nisheen, 
whilst the Ambassador and the Russian should stand in the room 
below. That this may be understood, it is necessary to explain that the 
Shah-nisheen is a sort of shelf, half way up the side of the room in a recess, 
which is only used on particular occasions. Hither the King resorted, 
and as we conducted the Russian, bowing at the usual intervals, up the 
long avenue, which led to the hall of audience, we could just perceive 
the head and shoulders of His Majesty, that arose above the ledge of 
the Shah-nisheen. 
When we had entered the room, the King, looking down upon us, 
made many civil speeches to the Aide-du-camp, particularly touching 
the health of General de Rtischeff; but as we were making our retreat. 
His Majesty called me by name, and in presence of the Ambassador, 
made me bear witness that it was only on account of the good-will that 
he bore to His Excellency, that he had permitted this dereliction of what 
was due to himself, and that on no future occasion would he permit it 
to be repeated. 
We returned to Tabriz immediately after, and a few days only had 
elapsed, when the Russian and the Persian Plenipotentiaries were on 
their way to Gulistan, the place of conference. We remained at Tabriz 
until the 21st of October, in the hopes of hearing of the signature of 
the treaty ; but as there were still more difficulties in the way of its 
termination than we had expected, we departed for Teheran by the 
road of Maragha. 
