84 
PILGRIMS. 
most fruitful district of Irak, being copious in water, and full of 
luxuriant pasturage. Its mountains still possess the bold bar¬ 
barians of older times ; for the Bactiari, Lack, and Fielly tribes, 
frequent them in formidable hordes. 
We halted at a village called Zanguina, having travelled five 
farsangs this day. It is a respectably large place, situated close 
under the mountains on the north-eastern side of the valley. 
Here also, I found houses, and streets, filled with pilgrims ; 
indeed, I came in with a troop at my heels. They had encoun¬ 
tered me on the road, and to escape them was impossible, the 
very earth seeming to swarm with them. In short, they are for 
ever passing, and repassing, on this route ; it lying so immedi¬ 
ately in the direction to their most holy shrines. The raising of 
these peaceable regiments is a very lucrative business to the en- 
lister, who also generally leads the van. Such a man, animated 
by religious zeal for the Prophet, or Mammon, unfurls his 
holy flag; and setting forth the exhaustless benefits of pilgrim¬ 
age, ascends to the top of some conspicuous tower, and thence 
proclaims, that on such an hour, in such a day, from such a 
certain rallying point, a holy caravan will commence its march 
to Kerbela, or Mesched Ali, or any other place of noted beati¬ 
tude. From each of the pilgrims their leader receives a sti¬ 
pulated sum, which is repeated when the pinnacles of the sacred 
shrines are first perceived. Each company has its peculiar flag, 
according to the town or district to which the devotees belong. 
I was at last so completely beset, by these multitudinous parties 
issuing in all directions from every passable road, that it was no 
longer in my power to hold my own aloof from mingling with 
their company ; so, making a merit of necessity, I civilly ap¬ 
peared to share the pleasure they expressed in marching in and 
