BEHAVIOUR OF THE KING. 
387 
Mervi. He had the condescension to converse very familiarly, and 
his remarks and manners are ever those of a highly polished man ; he 
seemed also anxious to give us a public mark of his attention ; for as we 
rode along, at two different intervals, he was presented with bowls filled 
with sugar candy, of which he first took a piece himself, and then or¬ 
dered that it should be given to me, and to the gentlemen of the mission 
and our attendants. This among the Persians is esteemed a very high 
mark of favour; and whilst we could not refrain from smiling at the 
strange custom that embarrassed our hands with large pieces of sugar 
candy on horseback, there was scarcely a Persian around us that would 
not willingly have given his beard for a similar distinction. 
During all this time I had an opportunity of observing the King, 
and remarking the different stages of the procession. His Majesty was 
gaily dressed in a white close vest, embroidered with spangles. His 
sword, his dagger, and other ornaments were entirely inlaid with pre¬ 
cious stones. The bridle, crupper, breast-plate, were all either rubies, 
diamonds, or emeralds, whilst a long thick tassel of pearls was sus¬ 
pended under the horse’s throat, by a cordon that went round his neck. 
At different intervals he called for his Kalioun, (the water pipe,) which 
was brought to him by his Shatir Bashi, or head of the running foot¬ 
men, from which he took not more than one whiff, which was after¬ 
wards emitted in one long white stream of smoke, which he managed 
to conduct over his beard as a perfume. He was dignified in all he 
did, and seemed very attentive to all that was going on. As he ap¬ 
proached the town, long rows of well-dressed men at some distance 
from the road made low bows, and whenever he called one near to him 
he came running with great eagerness, and received whatever he had 
to say with the greatest devotedness. He was then received by a corps 
of Mollahs, and PeisJinamaz (priests) who chaunted forth the Khot- 
beh^ with all their might. Then oxen, and sheep in great num¬ 
bers were sacrificed just as he passed, and their heads thrown under 
* This is an oration delivered every Friday, after the forenoon service in the principal 
Mosques, in which the Mahomedans praise God, bless Mahomed and his descendants, and 
pray for the King. 
3 D 2 
