A Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, in the Years 1808 and 1809. James Justinian Morier
was also one appropriated to cooking, and many others of a smaller size for the servants, and the guard of cavalry.
After our dinner was over, which was generally an hour or two after sun-set, the dinner tent was taken down, loaded on the mules, and sent onwards to the next stage in readiness to receive us. About day-break in the morning, the camp begun to break up; and before our breakfast was over, for which one tent was left, all the rest of the ground was cleared, and the baggage was far on its road to the next stage. The Persians are so accustomed to this manner of life, that they pitch and unpitch a camp with the most perfect dexterity and order. Much of course depends upon the chief of the Feroshes or tent-pitchers, called the Ferosh-Bashee, who must necessarily be very active. The man who filled this department in our mission was very clever, but probably a great rogue, of which at least he displayed a presumptive proof, as he had lost an ear, the forfeit of some former misdemeanour. The office of Charwardar or Chief Muleteer, is another also that requires much activity and watchfulness, to superintend properly the loading and unloading of the mules with order and dispatch.
Persian Smoaking. Drawn by James Morier Esqr. Published by Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Paternoster Row, May 1, 1811.
We marched for about four miles in a direct bearing with Halila Peak, (which bore S. 70. E. from Mr. Bruce’s house,) and then came to the swamps, which terminate the extremity of the inlet of the sea, from the port of Bushire. Having paced over those swamps for about two miles more, we took a more easterly direction, and then marched due E. to Alichangee, the village at which we encamped. The distance is called five fursungs, but probably is not more than fourteen miles. The soil over which we passed was sandy, and here and there strata of rock. The weather was hazy, and gave the country a broken and unconnected appearance.
As we approached our encampment, we were treated with a scene of Persian splendour and etiquette, in the meeting of the Envoy with his old friend and tutor, Mahomed Nebee Khan, the Governor of Bushire. He had been informed that the Envoy intended passing the following day with him, and accordingly prepared for his reception.
About a mile from our encampment we met him; a very large portion of the military of Bushire had already greeted his arrival. His approach was first announced by a salute from all the matchlock guns of his guards, who were posted in our way to frighten our horses. The Khan then appeared himself, surrounded by an immense host, who, clearing away as soon as they came near our party, gave the two great men free access to one another. They exchanged embraces, and once again mounted their horses. We all returned together, and formed a party so thickly cemented, that the dust of the desert was raised in masses, which quite obscured the air.
Mahomed Nebee Khan and our Mehmandar escorted the Envoy to his own tent, and after a short visit, departed amid the same crowd and noise.
On Sunday the 18th, when I had performed divine service in the Envoy’s tent, we paid a visit of ceremony to Mahomed Nebee Khan. According to the fashion of the country, we proceeded on horseback, although his tent was within a stone’s throw. We were met by one of his officers, and an escort of ten men, who made their obeisance to the Envoy, and preceded his horse, until we arrived at the door, where the Khan himself was waiting. He received us most graciously, and after we had pulled off our boots and shoes, and Sir Harford and the Khan had gone through some little polite difficulties about their seats, we finally settled ourselves on chairs prepared for us. The Khan’s tent was very neat, and appeared to us a most desirable residence. It had a large exterior covering, and close to the extremity a wall all round; and in the interior, there was a clean little recess closely covered with carpets, and lined with the finest chintz, the borders of which were adorned with a broad fringe. Our host was a man of great notoriety both in Persia and in India; his manners were greatly in his favour, and he was dressed more like a noble than any other man whom I had yet seen in the country. His beard presented no plebeian roughness, and the dagger in his girdle glittered with precious stones. When the usual compliments had been severally paid, that silence of solemnity, which generally marks the visits of form, succeeded, till the kaleoons, or water pipes, were introduced to our relief. The coffees and sherbets followed, and the whole entertainment concluded with a course of sweetmeats, which was brought upon separate trays, each serving two guests. The only unsatisfactory part of the visit was the intended politeness of two lusty attendants, who broke some of the sweetmeats in their suspicious hands, blew the dust off the fragments with their more suspicious mouths, and then laid them before us. After a washing of hands, (in which we felt the full want of towels), and a parting kaleoon, we took our leave, and left the Envoy to a private conference with the Khan.
The trays, from which we eat, had the appearance of silver, though I understood afterwards that they were plated only. They were neatly carved in flowers and other ornaments. The articles which they contained were made of almonds, pistachio nuts, and a paste of sugar; others were like our alicampane and barley sugar, and all were very nice. The Persians are almost indescribably fond of sweetmeats, which they eat in very great quantities. The abundance indeed of fruits and sherbets presented daily to the Envoy by the Mehmandar, proved the immense supply which the taste of the country demanded. The presents were arranged prettily in trays and boxes, and carried in great form on the heads of servants, but they were less acceptable, because for each the conductor required a present in money. By such means the great men in Persia pay their servants, who in general receive no other wages. The person, therefore, to whom such an office as that of Mehmandar is entrusted, is, of course, surrounded by hordes of adherents, who are allured by receipts so certain and valuable.
The new Governor had consulted the astrologers of Bushire to determine the most propitious time for his entrance into the town, which, by their predictions, was at three hours before sun-set on the 19th. In conformity therefore to the decision, he was now delaying his advance till the happier period should arrive. When, on a former occasion, he was departing from Bushire to embark on board the ship, which was to carry him on his mission to Calcutta, he was ordered by these astrologers (as the only means of counteracting the influence of a certain evil star) to go out of his house in a particular aspect: as unfortunately there happened to be no door in that direction, he caused a hole to be made in the wall, and thus made his exit.
In the evening we dined with Mahomed Nebee Khan. We did not go till the Khan had sent to the Envoy to say, that the entertainment was ready for his reception, a custom always observed on such occasions.26 When we arrived at his tent, the same ceremonies passed as in the morning, except that we sat upon the ground, where the inflexibility of our knees rendered the position more difficult than can be described. The Khan, who seemed to commiserate the tightness of our pantaloons, begged that we would extend our legs at their full length: fearing, however, to be rude, we chose to be uncomfortable, and to imitate their fashion as faithfully as possible; and really, with respect to my own feelings, I thought complaisance was never carried further. The guests besides ourselves, were our Mehmandar and the Persian Secretary. I preserved part of the conversation: in talking of the admirable skill with which the guns of the Nereide were fired in the re-capture of the Sylph, the Mehmandar said to the Secretary, “you ought to have kissed the lips of those guns, whose execution was so effectual; and walked around and around them, and in gratitude for your deliverance, to have put up prayers to Heaven for their preservation and prosperity.”
After having sat some time kaleoons were brought in, then coffee, then kaleoons, then sweet coffee (the composition already noticed of sugar and rose-water); and then kaleoons again. All this was rapidly performed, when the Khan called for dinner. On the ground before us was spread the sofra, a fine chintz cloth, which perfectly entrenched our legs, and which is used so long unchanged, that the accumulated fragments of former meals collect into a musty paste, and emit no very savory smell; but the Persians are content, for they say that changing the sofra brings ill luck. A tray was then placed before each guest; on these trays were three fine china bowls, which were filled with sherbets; two made of sweet liquors, and one of a most exquisite species of lemonade.