NAKHJUWAN. 
811 
not only an immense number of the peasantry collected to assist 
our passage, but also a long line of well disciplined troops, ready to 
salute the Ambassador at his landing. The regular fort of Abbasabad, 
the troops, the European boat, gave the whole an appearance so differ¬ 
ent from most Persian scenes, that we were reminded of a civilized land. 
The passage of our equipages and servants was going on very quietly, 
when on a sudden, we were surprised by a cessation of the cries of the 
people who were hawling at the boat, and shortly after, saw the boat 
about to sink, and its cargo, which was composed of horses, mules, and 
Persians, floundering about in the stream. One of the masts had given 
way, and the people who ought to have veered away the rope, having 
hawled it tighter, the boat was upset by a natural consequence. No 
lives were lost, although the poor Persians who are in general edu¬ 
cated to fear the water, were excessively frightened as may be ima¬ 
gined. 
The fort of Abbasabad was built by Abbas Mirza, upon a plan given 
to him by the French engineers under General Gardanne. It would 
be a strong-hold, if the building had been equal to the plan ; but by an 
architectural arrangement peculiar to the Persians, instead of laying the 
heaviest stones in the foundation, they placed them at the top, so that 
every year large portions of the wall fall down ; to the unceasing ex¬ 
pence of the Prince. In the centre, stands an Armenian church, a most 
conspicuous object, which the Persians have converted into a magazine 
for gunpowder. They keep a small garrison here, and twenty guns of 
different calibres are mounted upon the works. 
We were encamped in a pasture about two miles from Abbasabad, 
and six from Nakhjuwan, close upon the border of a small river that 
rises to the eastward about four fursungs off, and falls into the Araxes. 
It was not till late in the day that our baggage and horses had passed 
the river, so that we could not travel farther on the following morning 
than Nakhjuwan. Here the Ambassador was met by Kerim Khan, the 
Governor of the town and district, a man of great respectability, who 
was as attentive and polite to us, as the Governor of Khoi had been 
uncourteous. Nakhjuwan, containing about 2000 inhabitants, is the chief 
