'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.' [‎79] (110/582)

TO THE FRIENDS OF MY COMPANION. 79
from his consciousness of being without a rival, and from its
requiring a very powerful inducement to draw him either from
his studies or his pleasures, money flowed fast into his purse.
Had he possessed half the avarice of his father, he might soon
have been a wealthy man ; but the moment that he found him
self master of a sufficient sum, he quitted Bagdad on an excur
sion of pleasure, generally into some parts of Persia, where he
remained until all was expended, and then returned to his occu
pations to recruit and prepare for further relaxations. Without
this variety, he said, life would be insupportable ; at the best, he
thought it had too much of monotony, even in its pleasures, for
a vivid and ardent mind ; and if this were not relieved by those
occasional flashes of joy, and pangs of torture, which at one
moment intoxicate, and at another harrow up the soul of the man
of feeling, it would be better to terminate than to continue a life
not worth the trouble of preserving.
Ismael had been known to the English residents at Bagdad
for several years, during which period he had executed a number
of seals and rings in a way that could be done by no one else in
the city. He was well known, therefore, both to Mr. Rich and
Mr. Hine, who equally approved of my making him the guide and
companion of my future journey.
The circumstances under which our intimacy took place were
these :—Being desirous of having a seal-ring engraved, for my own
use, with the Arabic name of Abdallah-ibn-Suliman, the Dervish
Ismael was sent for by the gentlemen of the house, and was
brought by Mr. Hine to my chamber. Some complimentary
salutations having passed between us, we sat down together ; and,
Mr. Hine leaving us alone, when the order for the seal was per
fectly explained, we fell into other topics of conversation. Not
many minutes had passed, however, before my visitor started up
hastily and exclaimed :—" WAllah ! ya Hadjee Abdallah, in can
t'roakh al thaany Doonya, ana u'idjey maak"—By God, O!