410 
GREETING FROM THE NIZAM-A-DOULAH. 
The minister, being obliged from his post at court to reside 
much there, has nominated his son to be the Nizam-a-Doulah, 
or deputy-governor; and the young representative does not 
fall short of his father’s zeal, in arresting the progress of ruin 
in the palaces, gardens, mosques, and other public memorials of 
the former magnificence of the city. 
May 26 th. My quarters being in a part of the royal residence 
which looked upon one of the most delightful divisions of the 
gardens, and near to some fine buildings within their walls, I 
was meditating a ramble amongst them, when a little train from 
the Nizam-a-Doulah made their appearance to welcome me to 
Ispahan. I had now been long enough in Persia to understand 
the court ceremonies on such occasions, from the king to the 
last order of his representatives. These persons were attended 
by servants bearing trays, laden with various sorts of choice 
sweetmeats and fruits; some of the latter being unripe plums, 
an early offering of the year not very grateful to a northern 
palate, though in high request in the East. Heaps of fresh 
cucumbers added to the vernal show of the present; for, as 
such, it was set down before me : a mission, which the servants 
of great men in Persia are very alert in executing; custom having 
established a kind of law, to present them a small gratuity for 
what they bring; and strangers not being aware of the practice 
with the natives, to proportion the largess to the present, gene¬ 
rally suffer the imposition of giving double the value of the 
donation produced. 
When my very polite visitors withdrew, for they had not 
halted behind any of their countrymen in gratulatory eloquence, 
I resumed my intention of the morning; and with Sedah Beg, 
my invaluable gift from the Prince, set forth in a tour through 
