The Treaties were then brought in, and read and approved. The date was still wanting. Sir Harford Jones desired them to insert the usual form, commencing, “In witness whereof,” &c. This however the Persians could not understand, and objected strenuously to the word “witnesses,” who were never introduced except into a court of justice. At length the Envoy produced the precedent of treaties signed at Constantinople, where the form is invariably used. They acquiesced immediately: but another difficulty succeeded, “Should the year of our Lord precede the Hejera?” The Secretary proposed that in our copy of the Treaty, our era should stand first, and that the order should be reversed in that which they were to keep. At last the Minister, who suspected that the Secretary was inclined to create difficulties, finished every argument by declaring that “as Jesus Christ lived before Mahomed, there could be no doubt but that his tarikh should stand first.” The Secretary, who is esteemed one of the first composers, and one of the best penmen in Persia, resisted the plainness of the language, which Sir Harford dictated for the insertion of the date, and produced something so unlike a diplomatic style, and so full of figurative expressions, that it was rejected totally on our parts. Mirza Sheffeea then took up the pen, and drew up a simpler formulary, which, with a few emendations, was admitted. The Secretary was then desired to copy it into the Treaty; but he seemed indignant to find that a date was only to be plain matter of fact, and begged hard to make it a little finer. Mirza Sheffeea however desired him to write as he had written, and this was at length accomplished with great difficulty. Then came the business of signing. The Prime Minister, Mirza Sheffeea, first took up the pen, and put down his own name and that of his brother Plenipotentiary, who was unable to sign himself. After signing, came sealing. The Secretary applied the seals, Mirza Sheffeea crying out to him, Bezun, Bezun, or, “strike, strike,” as if he had been striking a bargain in the bazar. In the act of signing and sealing the parties made frequent exclamations, such as, “God grant the friendship between the two states may be binding!” “May this prove a fortunate day.” “Let us hope that nothing may ever break this bond.” To all which every one present emphatically and repeatedly resounded “Inch Allah! God grant it!”
It had been agreed, that we should severally exchange the Treaties which each had written. When all was over, the Envoy took up our copy, and desired the Mirza to take up the other, that a formal exchange might be made. At this moment circumstances arose which closed the conference abruptly. The nature of those circumstances called forth all the dignified firmness of the Envoy, which in their future intercourse produced the most striking courtesy and attention from the Persian Ministers. The business was subsequently renewed on the evening of the 15th, and in that meeting the Treaties were finally exchanged.
On the 18th, the Envoy received a letter from an officer of high distinction at Tabriz. It is singular in itself, but it may have a new interest in the translation, which was made for me by a Persian (Jaffer Ali Khan), and which is given in his own unaltered words:
“May you, the high in station, exalted in dignity, clothed with splendor, the great magnificent in rank, distinguished for friendly disposition, cream of the nobles of the Christian faith, and the select among the great of the worshippers of the Messiah. May your honour increase, and may you be always in safety from the evil world, and always under the protection of God Almighty. And may He grant you all the happiness belonging to this world and the next, and (may you) be ever merry by the blessing of God. I write you as follows:—1st. I don’t know what complaint I am to make of my bad fortune, that, notwithstanding the great desire I had to see you, the Creator of the Universe had brought you to this country at a time when I am not present there. 2d. I don’t know what excuse to make to you, that while you are there, owing to my being engaged to the Russian affairs, I can’t prove myself useful to you in order to please myself. 3d. I have no remedy, as there are no fine articles at Aderbigian that I may send you, in order to prove of my regard to you; but the state of England and Russians are enemies to one another, therefore I employ my nights and days to do injury to the Russians, which is the only content I have at present. I hope that, in the course of a short time, I may be able to send you some Russian heads as rarities, and as a fine present from me to you, and I hope to be able to meet with some opportunity to repair to the King’s Court, where I may be happy to see you, and I will have a verbal conversation with you.”
A chatter, belonging to one of the gentlemen of our party, having stolen some money, the silver head of a kaleoon and other ornaments, was ordered to receive the bastinado on the soles of his feet. He was first thrown on his back, and his feet inserted through a cord, which fastened them to a long pole, and then exposed horizontally. Four stout feroshes then bastinadoed his feet until he confessed that another fellow had been his accomplice, who was also punished in the same manner. If the criminals had been delivered up to the King’s Nasakchee Bashee, they would have lost their lives; for the King never pardons theft, and orders a convicted thief to be executed instantly. The mode is as follows: two young trees are by main strength brought together at their summits, and there fastened with cords together. The culprit is then brought out, and his legs are tied with ropes, which are again carried up and fixed to the top of the trees. The cords that force the trees together are then cut; and, in the elasticity and power of this spring, the body of the thief is torn asunder, and left thus to hang divided on each separate tree. The inflexibility of the King in this point has given to the roads a security, which, in former times, was little known.
The King sent by one of his feroshes a present of two mountain goats to the Envoy. The man was offered one hundred piastres for bringing them, which he rejected as an inadequate reward; former Missions indeed had taught him to expect more profusion.
The 20th of March was the eve of the Norooz; and as a part of the ceremony of the season, the Ameen-ed-Doulah sent the Envoy a present. It consisted of two plates of money, one of silver coins, and the other of gold; several trays of sweetmeats, one of which was decked out in flowers and gilded ornaments like a temple; and two wax candles, which were accompanied by flowers exquisitely imitated in wax. The whole present amounted, by our computation, to six hundred and fifty piastres, for which, according to the return which we made, we paid most dearly. The wretched traffic of presents places the Persian character in a very unfavourable light. The meannesses and obligations to which they will submit for the sake of a present, and their jealousies and anxieties about its amount, are at least very ridiculous. The presents which the King distributes on the Nooroz are costly; to each of the chief men and officers of his court he sends a kalaat, (a dress of honour, consisting of a complete suit of brocade with a shawl); and he sometimes gives a horse and its caparisons. The kalaats indeed are furnished in specified contributions, by particular cities, (Yezd, Shiraz, and Ispahan,) and by the Ameen-ed-Doulah; and each kalaat is the means of paying the servant who may bear it; as the present, which he invariably receives as a perquisite in return is deducted from his wages. The number of the kalaats is reckoned at nine hundred; and their value, on an average of three hundred piastres, will amount to two hundred and seventy thousand. Besides this, the King distributes handfuls of money at his public Dewan to those who attract his favour. A large vase of gold and silver coins mixed stands at his elbow; in this he puts his hand, and taking out as much as he can grasp, pours it into the two extended palms of the man who is lucky enough to engage his notice.
On the 21st, the weather, which had been unfavourable, cleared up, and a fine morning was enlivened by three discharges of artillery in honour of the Norooz.
This festival is one of those which have remained in opposition to Mahomedanism, and was one of the first kept sacred in Persia in the ages of the worship of fire. Richardson says, “that their chief festivals were those about the equinoxes; the next were those of water at Midsummer, and of fire at the Winter solstice. The first was the Norooz, which commenced with their year in March, and lasted six days, during which all ranks seem to have participated in one general joy. The rich sent presents to the poor: all were dressed in their holiday clothes, and all kept open house: and religious processions, music, dancing, a species of theatrical exhibition, rustic sports, and other pastimes presented a continued round of varied amusement. Even the dead and the ideal things were not forgotten; rich viands being placed on the tops of houses and high towers, on the flavour of which the Peris and spirits of their departed heroes and friends were supposed to feast.”[38] To this day the festival of the Norooz retains many of these ceremonies, though it has changed its character since the rise of Mahomedanism in Persia, and ceases to be connected with the religion of the country. It commences when the sun just enters Aries, and lasts three days; it begins the spring of nature, though it no longer commences the civil year of the Persians, who, like all other Mahomedans, have adopted the lunar calculation. It is still the most solemn of the Persian festivals, as it was in the day of Chardin. Mr. Bruce informed me of a singular fact, that it was not observed at all on the coast of the Persian Gulph. At Teheran, however, we saw it celebrated with great festivity. It differs from the Norooz of ancient Persia in the diminution of its duration; and in the absence of all religious observance: there are no processions and still less any offerings of viands to the dead. But all on meeting in the morning embrace and say, “Ayd mobarek; happy festival!” as in England we wish our friends a merry Christmas. The rich still send presents to the poor, all are still dressed in their holiday clothes, and sports of every kind are preserved in the season.
22d. We visited the Ameen-ed-Doulah. He was seated in his dewan khonéh, dressed in the kalaat which he had received from the King. His mujlis or assembly was crowded by Khans of the neighbouring districts, who had repaired to the city to pay their compliments to their superior on the Norooz. These, indeed, were far from conforming to the custom of displaying their holiday clothes, and whether through policy or through want, bore on their dress all the marks of poverty and misery.