716 
PUNISHMENT OF THE BASTINADO. 
Hence I can never forget the more than hospitable roof of the 
son of Jaffier Khan. 
Just before I took leave of my friendly host and his city, an 
opportunity occurred of my seeing the execution of the punish¬ 
ment which we call the bastinado, and the Persians mention by 
the familiar term of “ turning up the heels.” It is adjudged to 
them all, from the highest khan to the lowest peasant, when de¬ 
linquency demands chastisement; and being so common, unhap¬ 
pily it is hardly considered a disgrace. The present scene was 
to be enacted on the demand of the British charge-d’affaires, who 
had sent directions for that purpose to Dr. Sharpe, a countryman 
of our own, who came . to Shiraz in his way from Bushire to 
Teheran, where he was to replace my friend the late Dr. Campbell, 
as physician to the king. This circumstance rendered the com¬ 
mission doubly disagreeable; and, besides having to require the 
act from the son of his future patron, he was enjoined to witness 
its being done. The delinquents were three natives of the place, 
and moreover servants of the prince; the alleged crime (which 
had been committed several months before) was having grossly 
insulted one of our civilians from India, at that time residing in 
the environs of Shiraz for his health. As soon as the outrage had 
become known, the British diplomatic agent at the court of the 
Shah, with a promptitude honourable to himself, and due to the 
nation he represents, required the apprehension and punishment 
of the offenders; but it was a difficult task to discover them ; 
and two unfortunate persons, seized on suspicion, were bas¬ 
tinadoed for the crime, and afterwards discovered to be innocent. 
The offenders being yet to be sought, it was supposed that British 
honour could not be satisfied till they were actually brought to 
the scourge; and after much search, they were at last found. 
