566 
SENNA; 
far from Senna, and here I was obliged to halt, having found a 
messenger with information that I must not enter the walls of the 
capital for four days to come , that being the lucky time fixed on for 
my appearance! 
“ Perhaps no Asiatic nation surpasses the Persian in astro¬ 
logical superstition, besides a practice of consulting the Koran, or 
the poems of Hafiz, in taking what is called a fall, or, in other 
words, opening the books as chance may direct, and reading the 
first line or sentence touched. At the king’s court, and also 
at those of his sons, numerous persons professing great astro¬ 
logical knowledge, like the soothsayers of old, are always in 
attendance, to decide on the fortunate hour or minute for any 
purposed act, not only in matters of political importance, but 
with regard to the most trifling domestic concerns. In fact, 
this supposed influence of the heavenly bodies in controuling 
their proceedings, makes them persist in the most absurd pre¬ 
judices, and often commit the most contradictory actions. 
“ Senna is the capital of the eastern part of Courdistan, known 
under the name of the province of Ardelan ; its confines to the 
north touch those of Azerbijan. The town stands in a most 
luxuriant vale, richly cultivated, affording abundance of fruits of 
various kinds, besides producing tobacco and considerable quan¬ 
tities of grain. Its latitude is 35° 12'. The Wally, or chief, is 
its hereditary governor; and, it is said, the sovereignty has re¬ 
mained for ages in his family. This prince resides in a noble 
palace in the midst of the city, which he never quits but on 
hunting excursions; or to visit the Shah, to whom he pays an 
annual tribute; but the sum is of no consequence, nor have any 
attempts been made to increase it. The health of the Wally is 
much out of order at present, from the effects of what has taken 
