1 was to be obtained there. We were told that there were four
2 French military officers in the service of Runjeet Sing at
3 Lahore, in India (Allard, Ventura, Court, and Avitabile) who,
4 after the defeat of Napoleon, having served in Persia, were
5 about to organize a regular army at Lahore, and that no Euro-
6 pean physicians or surgeons had been yet engaged. We there-
7 fore, thinking it better to accelerate our departure, requested our
8 dismissal, which was granted, and we thus left Bagdad. Our
9 friend, Mr. Swoboda, furnished us with letters of introduction to
10 the aforesaid French officers, and we went down the Tigris to
11 Bassora, and embarked there for Bender Bushir, in Persia.
12 At Bushir we met, at the British consul's, with six English
13 officers (one of whom was a medical man, coming from
14 Bombay), who were on their way to England overland. We
15 sold them our two Arabian horses, and becoming acquainted
16 through that transaction, we went with them as far as Shiras,
17 where we visited the ruins of Persepolis, and then separated.
18 On the journey we had an opportunity of rendering a special
19 service to our companions, namely, that of saving their luggage,
20 and at the same time of witnessing the cowardice of the Persians.
21 The fact was, that a fortress in the mountains, between Bushir
22 and Shiras, having capitulated, the garrison, which consisted of
23 a couple of hundred robber-like looking fellows, had met us in
24 a forest, and fallen on the luggage-train of the English officers, who,
25 together with their numerous servants, were considerably in
26 advance. When I saw the miscreants dragging about by the hair
27 our men, I fired a pistol, partly to give a signal to the English-
28 men to come to our assistance, and partly to frighten the
29 assailants, which had the desired effect ; for they fled right and
30 left among the trees. We then pursued our journey without
31 further molestation, and received the thanks of the Englishmen,
32 who were coolly taking snuff, and waiting for us at the top of
33 the hill, near the fortress that had previously capitulated.
34 As it was too late for us now to proceed to India by sea, we
35 preferred staving a few months at Shiras, following our profes-
36 sion, and waiting for the winter season, which is more convenient