'Telegraph and travel. A narrative of the formation and development of telegraphic communication between England and India, under the orders of Her Majesty's Government, with incidental notices of the countries traversed by the lines.' [‎587] (628/782)

early rising.
The former are highly interesting; all is hand, and there is no
shuttle work, hoys are generally employed, of an a<jfe varying
from 1(1 to 14, and they learn the design to be followed, by
heait, doin^ a certain allotted portron per diem. The occupa
tion, carried on in a wretchedly confined room, cannot be said
to be a healthy one or likely to promote physical vigour and
development. How an English lad of the same age and under
similar circumstances would sigh for out-door pleasures ; and for
him, m hence would arise the contentment visible in the sickly
countenance of the young Karmanis ?
" Our progress through the town to-day was the cause of much
excitement and curiosity on the part of both sexes. The
Minister has announced a visit for to-morrow morning, an hour
after sunrise ! The active old gentleman has clearly no sym
pathy with sleepy travellers. The Prince sent us two large trays
of sweetmeats. We are to make our call on him to-morrow.
"January Hth. —Visit from the Wazir Minister. before breakfast. He
was blithe and fatherly, and full of anecdotes. He talked much
of Dr R, like whom, he declared, he had never seen a doctor in
Persia; giving force to the assertion by adding that he who
said to the contrary lied ! Had he not foretold that Kahraman
Mirza would die in five years, if he did not take care ; and had
not the prediction been fulfilled, almost at the time specified?
Called on the Prince, whom we tound a good-looking young man
of about two- or three-and-twenty; and by whom we were re
ceived in a neat apartment, in a gentlemanly and unostentatious
manner. The shape of his face and its rich brown complexion
^ere well suited to the custom of young Persia, which scrupu
lously removes all debateable hair save that on the upper lip ;
his fine eye, though somewhat reddened, was not yet dimmed
by dissipation ; and the toilet would have been quite passable in
a European sense, notwithstanding the trimmed Karman shawl-
cloak and striped military trousers, but for the loud pattern of
the under garment with its many flowers. If conversation,
the same word is used in Turkish to mean the " pelisse " commonly worn by
Oj-manlis and other Muhammadans. It is one of the chief exports from
Karman to India.
i -k
li' i ■>