"Kerreem Khan, you have sworn that these guilty men shall die, and it is just; but I, who am not guilty, come here to demand a boon of my chief. My son is young, he has been deluded into crime; his life is forfeited, but he has hardly tasted the sweets of life; he is just betrothed in marriage; I come to die in his stead: be merciful! let an old worn out old man perish, and spare a youth, who may long be useful to his tribe; let him live to drink of the waters, and till the ground of his ancestors!"
Kerreem Khan is stated to have been greatly moved by the old man's appeal: he could not pardon the offence, having sworn on the Koran that all concerned should be put to death; and with feelings very different from our ideas of justice, but congenial to those of the chief of a tribe, he granted the father's prayer, and the old man went exultingly to meet his fate. While all around were filled with pity, his son, wild and distracted with grief, was loud in imploring the prince to reverse his decree, to inflict on him that death which he merited, and to save the more valuable life of his aged, devoted, and innocent parent.
FOOTNOTES:
[89] Neeyet-e-naish zedden.
[90] Boodeh-bâshed.
[91] The standard fersekh of Persia is 6000 royal yards (gez-e-shâh), which is somewhat more than three miles and a half. This measure, however, varies in different provinces of that kingdom.
[92] Many Persian authors assert that the word Tûrkûmân is from the compound term Tûrk-mânend, or Turk-like; and the conclusion made from this is, that they are a tribe of Tartars who, having become inhabitants of the north-eastern part of Persia, were subsequently designated by a name which marked their origin. Persian writers, however, are generally bad etymologists, and I am a worse; I must, therefore, leave this important question in doubt.
[93] Gholam-e-Shâh.
[94] Een kârkhâneh cheh fâideh; berâe sipâhee cheh zeroor sewâe neezeh wa dil?
[95] Hâzir mydânee.