KHANAKA. 
307 
both parties. The Mehmandar urged the authority of the Prince, the 
Ket Khoda that of the Governor. “ I have the Prince’s firman,” ex¬ 
claimed the first, “ which if I were to place upon a rock, that rock would 
“ dissolve into water from fear: who can say any thing against that ?” 
“ But the Governor,” exclaimed the second, “ has ordained otherwise.” 
“ Then,” retorted the other, “the Governor Goh Khord* to which 
he added all the common-place expressions of contempt for the whole 
of the Governor’s family, — his father, mother, wife, daughters, &c., 
which are always the first effusions of a Persian in his anger. The dis¬ 
cussion ceased by the Ket Khoda, as well as one of the Governor’s ser¬ 
vants, receiving a volley of severe blows, which instantaneously pro¬ 
duced the guards we wanted. 
The next day we went to Khanaka, distant twenty miles, within one 
furlong. Our road led through a mountainous tract, some parts of 
which were stony. We fia*st went a little to the west of north, at the 
foot of a mountain called Chehel Khoneh, and then gradually changed 
our direction to the east of north. I find the bearings taken from the 
pointing of a peasant to be correct for general uses; and in such a pas¬ 
toral country, where the occupation of one half of the peasantry is to 
lead their flocks over the country in all directions, the relative position 
of places is always well known. 
Khanaka means a place of religious retirement, and we were told 
that the remains of the cell of the saint who gave the name to the vil¬ 
lage are to be seen. The principal place in the neighbourhood is 
Chors, situated a mile and a half from our encampment. In the even¬ 
ing we rode to it, attracted thither by some wonderful accounts of 
antiquities. Chors was the principal seat of the Armenians, when that 
people were flourishing in these parts, and from its fall arose the town 
of Khoi. Churches and other Armenian establishments are still to be 
seen; but so rapid has been the dispersion and degradation of this 
people, that none but Mahomedans now inhabit it, and even of them 
* This is a vulgar and common expression among the Persians, when they would say 
that a blunder has been made. Perhaps the latter part of the 27th verse of the 18th chap¬ 
ter of the 2 Kings, may aiFord an explanation. 
R R 2 
