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2 for travelling to Lahore. We employed that time in studying
3 the Persian language, as the knowledge of it would facilitate
4 our getting an engagement. But we could not remain there long,
5 being continually ill-treated and robbed, and we therefore thought
6 it preferable to go overland to Lahore, by the way of Hispahan,
7 fleirat, and Cabul. On this journey we had again to endure
8 a great deal of annoyance from the Persians, who being defeated
9 by the Russians in war, were anxious to revenge themselves on
10 us ; they treated us, in fact, worse than their dogs, cheating,
11 robbing, and insulting us to such a degree, that M. De Turk
12 on one occasion cocked his pistol to fire at a radar (road-keeper)
13 who was very insolent ; but I prevented him from executing
14 his design. Arriving at Hispahan, we found there a gallant
15 governor, Hosruff Khan, from whom we met with a kind
16 reception, and who gave us some medical practice, by appoint-
17 ing us to attend about forty Russian prisoners, some of whom
18 were suffering from wounds and others from fevers. At this
19 time we learned that the Russians were at Tabris, that Abbas
20 Mirza had taken flight, together with his wives, to Hamedan,
21 and that the latter had upbraided the Molla (high priest) for
22 having induced the Shah to wage war with the Russians, by
23 assuring him that the Persians would remain unhurt by the
24 fiery balls of the Russian guns, as his prayers would render
25 them invulnerable. The priest took their reproof so much to
26 heart, that he soon afterwards died. It is commonly said, that
27 Abbas Mirza exclaimed, on that occasion “ Pul bigirend , we
28 pes birovend ” — “ The Russians shall take money, and go back
29 to their country.1’ In consequence of the fatigues and toils
30 which we had to endure at Shiras, as well as on our journey
31 to Hispahan, my companion caught a nervous fever, which
32 weakened his mind and body to such a degree, that he no
33 longer wished to go on to Lahore, and he persuaded me to
34 return with him to Bagdad. At Hispahan, a conspiracy was
35 formed by the native doctors against our lives, of which we
36 were informed by an Armenian, and, by the interference of
37 the governor, we were preserved. I availed myself of my
38 f 2