CHAP. V.
BUSHIRE TO SHIRAZ.
DEPARTURE FROM BUSHIRE—ARRANGEMENTS OF THE CAMP—MEETING WITH MAHOMED NEBEE KHAN: ENTERTAINMENT—THE ISTAKBALL—DAULAKEE—MINERAL STREAMS—VEGETATION—PASSAGE OF THE COTUL—PLAIN OF KHISHT—THE GOVERNOR—CARAVANSERAI—THE MOUNTAIN ROBBERS—KAMAURIDGE—KAUZERON: HONORS PAID TO THE ENVOY—RUINS OF SHAPOUR: GENERAL VIEW; ACROPOLIS; SCULPTURES; ROMAN FIGURES; THEATRE; TRADITIONS—PASSES OF THE MOUNTAINS—FIRMAN FROM THE KING—APPROACH TO SHIRAZ—ISTAKBALLS—PRESENT FROM THE PRINCE.
The preparations for our departure, which had been suspended by different events, were now resumed with much alacrity. I felt that the cold, which we should soon encounter, might possibly kill my Indian servant, and I accordingly sent him back to Bombay. The Ferosh Bashee, or chief tent-pitcher, an officer of much utility in the progress of our journey, now brought with him to our camp a large number of adherents in subordinate capacities, who on their entrance requested the Envoy’s permission to say their prayers in the manner and time appointed by their religion. The next morning I was roused by a noise, which I at last discovered to be compounded of the trumpet of the troop blowing the reveille, and the voice of a Persian priest calling the faithful to prayers: lungs originally strong had been so disciplined and exercised for the purpose, that the voice was more potent than the trumpet.
Route of His Majesty’s Mission under Sir Harford Jones, Bart. Through PERSIA, in 1809.
By James Sutherland. Captain on the Bombay Establishment.
Published 20th May 1911 by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, Paternoster Row, May 1, 1811.
Our Mehmandar, Mahomed Zeky Khan, arrived on the 10th; we went out to meet him, attended by the body guard in their best array, and accompanied by a host of Persians. As the preparations for our journey were now completed, the 17th Dec. 1808 was fixed for our departure. On the 16th the Ternate, Lieut. Sealy, sailed for Bombay with the Envoy’s dispatches to the Indian government; and on the next day the Sapphire, which was appointed to convey the dispatches to England, proceeded to Kharrack to take in water for the voyage.
All our arrangements were closed; and on the same morning, at a quarter past eleven o’clock, the Envoy mounted his horse to proceed from Bushire. In order to excite in the people a favourable expectation of the result of the mission, he had previously desired the astrologers to mention the time which they might deem lucky for his departure; and the hour accordingly in which we begun our journey was pronounced, by their authority, to be particularly fortunate. Sir Harford Jones’s suite consisted of Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Bruce, Captain Sutherland, Cornet Willock, Dr. Jukes, and myself. He had two Swiss servants and an English groom, an English and a Portuguese tailor, about half a dozen Indians, and a very numerous assortment of Persians.
The Sapphire saluted us as we set out; shortly after we met the Mehmandar and his cortège, and after some little exchange of civilities we all went on together. The order of the cavalcade was as follows:—The led horses, ten in number, each conducted by a well-clad jelowdar or groom; then the chief of the jelowdars with his staff of office; then the arz-beg or lord of requests; after him were six chatters or running footmen, who immediately preceded the Envoy. The Envoy himself was mounted on a choice Arab horse; at his right stirrup walked a picked tall chatter, the chief of his class. Then followed the gentlemen of the mission, amongst whom were disposed some moonshees. To the right and left were the pipe-trimmers, who carried all the smoking apparatus in boxes fashioned for the purpose.[25] Behind the gentlemen and the moonshees came a great crowd of Persians on horseback; and, to close the whole, the body guard came along in goodly rows, and made an admirable finish to the groupe.