'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.' [‎149] (180/582)

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TO BISITOON AND KENGAWAR.
149
and two of our opponents, with whom he had come in contact,
were unhorsed. I myself received a slight spear wound in the
side, but had the satisfaction to unhorse two opponents; one by
the shock of meeting, and the power of my lance, and the other
by a close encounter with the sabre. The men on foot were evi
dently afraid to draw near; and they could do us no harm at a
distance, their only weapons being large bludgeons and hatchets.
The Faqueer remounted with great alacrity, and the Dervish
behaved steadily throughout the whole affair. We therefore
caught this opportunity of the general panic, to raise our tone as
conquerors, and to insist upon our opponents, who- were altogether
five times as numerous as ourselves, instantly going on towards
their colleagues at the tents; adding, that whoever among them
dared to look back on the way, should meet a harder fate than
even the wife of Lot.
We followed up our triumph by pushing on one of the horse
men by the butt of the musket, and another by the end of the
spear; and, discharging our pieces over their heads, created a
sufficient degree of terror in all parties most effectually to hasten
their escape from us.
We now went over bare land, still keeping our course to the
eastward, and ascended a high range of steep and barren hills;
from the summit of which we noted the bearing of Jebel Bisitoon
to be west by north, by compass. From hence we went down over
a rocky road, coming out on a plain below, considerably above the
level of that which we had left, before crossing the range. On
our right was a large village, and near it a castle of modern
structure, standing on an artificial ground of more ancient date.
The name of the village we could not learn, but the castle was
known to both my companions as the Giaour Khallah-se, or Castle
of the Infidels. We could learn no farther particulars regarding
it than its name.
From hence we ascended to the north-east over barren land,
and overtook a party of Suzemaneeah, or courtezans, one of whom
si
ill