DEPARTURE FROM TABRIZ. 
39s 
. If we refer to the Cjropaedia we shall find that little change has 
taken place in the mode of hunting in Persia since the days of Cyrus. 
The slaughter of game is sometimes immense on these parties; for when 
the beasts are driven into the valleys, they find an enemy behind each 
rock, and the firing that is kept up incessantly, alarms them so much, 
that they know not where to go for safety. It not unfrequently 
happens, that the Prince’s attendants, who in the ardour of the chase 
are unmindful of every thing but their game, fire at random, and 
shoot each other. 
On the 1st of November, 1815, I left Tabriz, escorted by two 
Turkish Tatars, and two servants ; we were also accompanied by a 
Persian Mehmandar, who made levies of horses from the villages for 
us, according to the number specified in his firman. 
Our first stage was at Sahalan, near Tabriz, a village that is the 
property of the, wife of Ahmed Khan of Maragha. She was then on a 
pilgrimage to Mecca, during which she had left the administration 
of the village to the care of the Prince’s Vizier. We successively 
went to Marand, Gerger, (where we crossed the Araxes,) and to Nakhju- 
wan. I was very politely treated by Kerim Khan, the Governor of 
Nakhjuwan, who gave me a Persian breakfast, which was attended by my 
Mehmandar, and two or three other Persians. I have before described 
the modes of Persian eating, but a sketch would perhaps convey a 
better idea, and this breakfast afforded me a fair opportunity of making 
one. We reached Develu in one day from Nakhjuwan, but were 
caught in a heavy rain, and benighted before we reached the village. 
With difficulty the Mehmandar and myself found our way to it, but the 
remainder of our party were far behind us, and as we feared that they 
might ramble about the plain all night, the Persians who seemed to be 
accustomed to adventures like this, immediately lighted a fire of straw 
on the top of our house, and constantly kept throwing up the lighted 
ashes of it in the air, which effectually served as a beacon to the rest, 
who at length reached us in safety. 
* Lib. i. 
3 E 
