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INVITATION TO HUNT WITH THE PRINCE. 
two days after the ceremonies were over. With us, the bride and 
bridegroom escape from their friends to hide themselves; here it 
is the reverse. We formed part of a very numerous assembly, that 
was invited to the exhibition of fire-works in the great square of the 
city, and were entertained at the expense of the Prince by his Vizier. 
The room in which the bridegroom received his bride, was ornamented 
by large gold coins (five tomaun pieces), 500 of which were arranged 
on the shelves. Part of the Princess’s dowry consisted of gold ena¬ 
melled slippers. We learnt that the bridegroom was so overawed by 
the presence of the Princess, that instead of hastening to receive her, 
he shrunk from her approach. 
The Prince previous to my departure invited us to a hunt, which 
was to take place in the mountains that environ Tabriz. Having dis¬ 
posed of my riding horses, I was supplied with a very fine one from 
the Prince’s stud, accoutred with an English saddle and bridle. We 
departed at day-break, and met the Prince, surrounded by his guards 
and attendants, just on entering the gorge of the mountains. We 
then commenced our ascent up some of the most wild and dangerous 
mountains I had ever witnessed, but to which the Prince and his 
attendants were quite familiar, and as he rode along them, he con¬ 
tinued to converse as coolly as if he was riding on the plain. Having- 
reached an extreme summit, we dismounted from our horses; and 
then a hot breakfast, consisting of the best of Persian cookery was 
served up to us, as we sat upon the wild rocks that rose in gro¬ 
tesque forms all around us. After this was over, we took our sta¬ 
tion, with guns loaded with ball, upon the brink of a deep valley, 
through which the game was to be driven. The Prince had over night 
sent several battalions of his troops, with their drums to surround and 
beat the country, and at the time we arrived at the spot, the game was 
to have appeared in the vale, upon the confines of which we were 
stationed; but unfortunately the scheme failed. The advance of the 
troops had been ill-timed, and the wild goats and antelopes, which 
were to have been our prey, had escaped before we appeared. 
