'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎17] (48/582)

TO KESRABAD, OR DASTAGHERD. ^7
or Persians, of whom they spoke openly with the greatest con
tempt. The Persian soldiers, who understood enough of this to
be offended at it, now began to be insolent in their turn, as the
coming up of the whole caravan during this parley, gave them an
additional motive to boldness.
For myself, I proposed that as we had taken these three
men in the very act of an attack upon us, and as they scrupled
not to avow their motives, we should make them prisoners, and
take them on to the next town, to deliver them up for punish
ment. All, however, agreed that this would be a certain way of
involving the next caravan in the most imminent danger, since the
whole tribe of Mujummah, to which they belonged, would not fail
to revenge, upon the next body of Persians that passed, the inju
ries thus done to children of their tents. The soldiers, however,
growing more insolent, as the crowd thickened behind them, drove
the Arabs off the road, by pushing their horses with the muzzles
of their long muskets, and imprecations and abuse passed with
equal freedom on either side; while the dastardly crowd, who had
witnessed all at a very safe distance, now shouted in triumph at
the poor defeat of three individuals, whom they had not the
courage to seize and punish.
Such being the usual result of cases like this, it can hardly be
wondered at that the roads here are not safe. A party of idle Arabs,
having nothing better to do, as their wives and children tend their
flocks, and perform the duties of their camp, mount on horseback,
and cross over the great highways of the country. If they descry
a party who are too few in numbers or too deficient in spirit to
resist their attack, some gain at least is certain. But should they
be unexpectedly checked in their career, no risk is run by the
attempt, as they are permitted to gallop off, and direct their course
in some other direction for a more successful foray. #
* The power of the desert horse to endure privation and fatigue is quite extraordinary;
and must always have been remarkable, to have given rise to the extravagant opinions enter
tained on that subject in antiquity. Among others, Pliny says:—" The Sarmatians, when
D