1 influence with Hosnif!' Kh.nii, to procure from liiiii some genuine
2 Persian inuin/./d, for the wontided Kussians. In Purkev and
3 Arabia they highly ]>raisetl the wonderful effects of this medi¬
4 cine, and I was therefore eager to convince myself of its efficacy.
5 Rut as tin cases 1 had to treat rather required the use of instru¬
6 ments, I postponed the" trial.
7 Our return to Bagdad was viti Urugurd and Kennansha. At
8 Urugurd we were detained for several days by tlm Shazadtilt
9 (the reigning prince), who requested us to attend to a few
10 patients belonging to his household, the healing of whom
11 brought us a tolerable little sum of money, and a few handsome
12 presents. Here again we had gf) opportunity'©!’ witnessing the
13 manners and customs of the Persians. It was then Mubarem
14 (time of mourning), and the tenor of the Shazadah's order ran
15 thus, ‘‘during the time of the mourning, all merchants are
16 Minmioncd to appear in the Meidati (a square in front of his
17 palace) at three in the afternoon, in order to sited their tears for
18 tlm martyrs, I bissatt and Hussain." On one Occasion wo saw the
19 Kara* dies (Sliuzaclult’s servants) drugging a tradesman by force
20 out of his shop, which was at the caravansary where we lived,
21 and driving him to the Meidan. The plea of necessity was
22 urged, to make those people weep by blows, v hose feelings did
23 not alibi'd them tears freely. But we witnessed other atrocities,
24 on the lust days of the Mubarem. We saw fakirs and dervishes,
25 with tiger-skins round their bodies, their long black hair bunging
26 down and covering theii faces and hacks, heating themselves
27 with iron-be.aded clubs, till the blood flowed down t-heir bodies.
28 'I hey run like savage' beasts, or maniacs, through the streets and
29 bazaars, howling, “ Va Ali !" One of our friends, a native of
30 Bagdad, told us, that if any of the Stunts, to which sect lie
31 belonged, should venture that day to acknowledge his religion,
32 he would run the risk of l>.ing immolated by the fanatical
33 Persians; -o inveterate is the hatred between these two sects,
34 though they tire both Mulumieda.i; and this is not. the case in
35 .Persia alone, but in every place where Shins and Sunils are
36 living together. Great animosity prevails between these two