‘Persia.’ [‎9r] (22/48)

9
splendid; the colonnades and vaulted passages are well designed, and the recesses
are beautifully adorned with tile work in miniature, similar to Mosaic. The
building includes a tomb, a mosque, a college and a caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). , and there is
nothing paltry, meagre or mean either in the conception of the design or the
execution of the structure. The tile work of Persia is a study in itself, and a
reflet tile has an effect of “ matchless chromatic splendour, ” “ a combination of
gold and iridescent hues playing around azure letters,\which in high relief repro
duce the Koran.” Visited some gardens, saw frescoes in summer houses, Patch
Ali Shah’s Palace, &c. Dinner party, at which the Turkish Ambassador was
present.
4th November, Friday .—Writing English letters for the mail bag. Received
a very nice letter from Mr. Nieolson; he says my memorandum will go to-day.
Breakfasted with Prince Dolgorouki, meeting the different officers of the
Russian Embassy. Visited some gardens of the Shah, where he has a big
palace for himself and 17 smaller ones for his wives ranged in an arc round a
lake. This may seem excessive, but it is nothing like the number maintained by
Patch Ali his grandfather, who had 700 wives and 600 children. The Shah
consequently has many poor relatives who have to be provided for in one way
or another. Dinner party, at which I met the Odlings and Mirza Hassan Ali
Khan, whom I had known at Kandahar as an Assistant Political. Bought some
photographs.
5th November, Saturday .—Changed 18 sovereigns and received 603 krans
old money in exchange. Two krans were deducted for converting into new
money, the exchange being 1£=33^ krans. Visited Doshantepe and the
menagerie of lions, tigers and monkeys. The lions were in good condition, and
had fairly thick manes. Persia offers a fair field for sportsmen ; there are ibex
in the hills; gazelle and wild ass in the plains, tigers towards the Caspian, and
lions round about Pars. Called on Dr. Tholosan; he gave me one or two of his
pamphlets.
5th November, Sunday.—T)mxe out with the intention of visitingGulahek—
a summer resort at foot of Shimran, but was detained wandering about some
gardens. Gulahek and Zergandeh are villages presented by the Shah to the
English and Russian legations. Lunched with the Nicolsons. Dinner party,
and met Mirza Hassan Ali Khan and Mr. Wood. All arrangements for a start
southward to-morrow ready. The Police in Teheran are under an Italian,
Count Montifiore.
On a hurried journey like the present it is not possible to note down more
than the bare outline of the chief experiences of the day where a word is some
times sufficient to recall a scene and a single sentence to embody the subject of
an agreeable study. Before proceeding, then, with the journey, a few words will
be inserted on Teheran and Persia generally.
Teheran is said to have been founded in the 16th century, and to have been
established as the capital in 1795 by Agba Mahomed Khan, the founder of the
Kadjar dynasty. Since then three only have succeeded to the throne, viz., Pateh
Ali (1797-1831), Mahommed (1834-1848), and Nasir-ed-Din (born 1829), the
present ruler.
The city is situated on a large open plain sloping to the south. It is over
looked from the North by the snowy range of Shimran mountains and the isola
ted peak of Demavend, (see Photograph No. 7 R) which rises to a height of over
19,000 feet above the sea. The town is encircled by broad ramparts of earth
excavated from a ditch in front. The suburbs are enclosed within a second wall.
There are 12 gates in the enceinte and the population is said to exceed 150,000.
(See Photograph No. 7 L.)
Notwithstanding the advantage of its position and its height (3,810') above
the sea, there is a general migration in summer to the lower slopes of the hills,
0 w ino’ to the heat and insalubrity of the place. The climate is said to be very
dry ,0 the average rainfall is about T, and the temperature m summer ranges
from 95 ° to 110 ° in the shade; small-pox and scarlet fever are the chief
ailments. It is said that the extended cultivation of the hill slopes where
people congregate for the summer has lowered the temperature of Teheran at