Our house was the property of the superintendent of the Government powder mills, and for ten tomans, or four pounds a month, we hired it for the six months that we should have to stop in Shiraz during my colleague’s leave of absence. On his return it had been arranged that we were to go to Ispahan, where we were to be permanently stationed.
The house was formed of a quadrangle, having rooms on three sides, and a dead wall at the end.
The greater portion of our kit being in tin-lined cases, and intended for our permanent abode, we did not unpack. After about a week we had settled down into working order, obtained a fair cook, and old and respectable servants; put our little “Crescent” car together, a small low dog-cart, built by McMullen, of Hertford, which has the great advantage of taking to pieces, being easily put together, easily packed in small and light parcels, and was thoroughly seasoned; and stood the extraordinary dryness of the climate without cracking or warping, which is saying a great deal.
The next thing was to get a trap-horse. The roads are mere tracks, and very rough and heavy, and a strong animal was required. I managed for twelve pounds to pick up a cobby pony of thirteen two. I had him gelded, as even in Persia it is considered unsafe to drive an entire horse; and he with another animal I gave seven pounds for, were handed over to the coachman of the Muschir to be broken. I had vainly attempted to break them myself with a gun-carriage, for my little dog-cart was too light and pretty to risk a smash with. After a fortnight the Muschir’s coachman informed me that both were quite broken. I suggested that he should drive them in his master’s trap, a big brougham; but he evidently feared an accident, and gave up the job in despair. Another fellow, however, took it in hand, and after a few days I rode out some five miles, and was delighted to find that one of the ponies was fairly broken, the little grey one. The other one was hopeless; he, however, answered well as a servant’s drudge.
We were able now to take frequent drives, though a long one, from the heavy state of the roads, generally kept the pony in the stable for a couple of days. Still it was nice driving over the plain, when once outside Shiraz and its environs.
My wife found the life amusing from its novelty; and as we were not to remain in Shiraz during the summer, which is the unhealthy time, our stay was enjoyable enough.
As Shiraz has been previously described, there is nothing more to be said than that the winter soon slipped away, and the spring, the most enjoyable part of the year in Shiraz, arrived, bringing the jaunts to gardens so usual there.
My colleague, anxiously expected, did not, however, arrive till July, and the weather had then got so hot as to necessitate our marching up to Ispahan by night. As I have not noticed this mode of travelling before, I cannot do better than quote my wife’s diary, which gives her experience of the matter.