GAME ON THE PLAIN OF OUJON. 
19 
told me, that he began with what people call “ gentle means 
indulgence to their former habits, kind words, and persuasions. 
But all this only taught the men to believe themselves feared, 
and confirmed the insolent idleness with which they resisted 
every attempt to bring them to their duty. He had now 
recourse to the simple method of command, and exacting the 
penalty of disobedience. The strictest military law was pro¬ 
claimed amongst them, and maintained without partiality or pre¬ 
judice ; and the consequence was, that before many more weeks 
elapsed, these lately mutinous recruits went through their parade 
duties with a steadiness in manoeuvre not inferior to the best 
disciplined regiments at Azerbijan. Another miracle was per¬ 
formed, by the dexterous use of that knowledge of mankind 
which shows when to mix the principle of awe with that of 
gratitude; these newly disciplined soldiers loved their Frangy 
commander, and with an ardour of enthusiasm hardly to be com¬ 
prehended by our phlegmatic natures of the north ! 
The Khan would fain have detained us a day or two, to enjoy 
with him the pleasures of the chase ; and that it would have 
been abundant, we saw; both antelopes and mountain-goats 
scouring the valley in herds. Partridges, and various kinds of 
water-fowl, are also numerous ; with the hoborrah, a very beau¬ 
tiful bird, regarded here as the most delicious of that species of 
game. In size it is between the bustard and pheasant, and 
covered with a brilliant silvery plumage, the tips of the wings 
alone being a jet black. The temptations our inviterheld forth, 
might have been persuasive to some in our party, had our 
scarcely recruited strength been strong enough to allow the 
diversion of such violent exercise: we, however, steadily 
declined his offer: and when he found he could not prevail, 
d 2 
