VISIT TO ABBAS MIRZA. 
249 
capital; and .was received with as great a degree of state, that is, 
as splendid an Istakball, as the rigour of the season would allow. 
This ceremony usually consists, of a cavalcade of officers of dig¬ 
nity ; with numbers of the people, on foot and on horse-back, 
performing all kinds of equestrian and military evolutions ; while 
the rest of the multitude dance and shout, and exhibit, by everv 
means, their devotion and joy. This mode of greeting, is gene¬ 
rally reserved for princes, or persons representing that dignity. 
And, as the procession goes forth to meet the expected visitant, 
and returns before him, with all these demonstrations of homage, 
it is not difficult to recollect similar scenes in sacred, as well as 
profane history; and we cannot but feel interested in so ancient 
and authorised a custom. 
Abbas Mirza did me the honour to send to me, soon after his 
arrival. The British Charge d’ Affaires was then at Teheran ; but 
Major Lindsay, one of my countrymen in the service of His 
Royal Highness, was so kind as to perform the formalities of in¬ 
terpreter and presentation. About noon, we rode to the palace, 
where we were joined by Mahommed Houssan Khan, the master 
of ceremonies. We followed him into a spacious square court, 
along which were arranged, standing in lines, the nobles and 
persons in office. The Prince was seated at a lai’ge open window 
at the end of the Court, opposite to those ranks of attendant 
ministers. He seems to be about thirty-three years of age. His 
countenance is rather pale, with dark and expressive eyes; his nose 
aquiline; his beard full, and like his finely-formed eye-brows, of 
a jet-black. His dress was perfectly simple, but we saw all the 
prince in his air. We bowed, advanced into the centre of the 
court, and bowed again. We then disengaged our feet from our 
slippers, (having red kerseymere socks, a kind of boot without 
VOL. i. 
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