'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.' [‎83] (114/582)

TO THE FRIENDS OF MY COMPANION. ^3
to talk but little when on horseback; yet, when we had alighted
at the caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). , and the evening shadows came to veil us from
the observation of others, we often sat up in close conversation
together until midnight. It was in the course of these commu
nions that I had learned such of the particulars of his history as
are already detailed, with other still more striking features of his
disposition.
It must be premised that this man, though bred a Moslem, and
always supposed to have so continued,—as any recantation of the
faith in one born a believer is punished with death,—had reasoned
himself out of all belief in any revealed religion whatever. His
notions on this subject, and his reasons for the opinion which he
entertained that all the reputed Prophets were either misguided
zealots or shameless impostors, were so like those of Deists in most
countries as to need no detail. He professed his admiration, how
ever, of the precept which enjoined us 4 to do unto others as we
would they should do unto usbut, like many others who publicly
make this the rule of their conduct, he very frequently departed
from it. His passions were by nature too powerful, and through
life had reigned too long without control, to be made subject to
any laws : so that, when doctrines stood in the way of his plea
sures, he invariably trampled them under foot.
His companions and bosom friends in Bagdad were two Mos
lems : one a Persian of the Sheeah sect, the chief Mollah of the
Tomb of Imaum Moosa, the author of many existing books on
science and philosophy, and by far the most learned man of that
city; the other an Arab Soonnee, a Mollah also, of the Mosque of
the Vizier, near the banks of the Tigris at Bagdad. Besides these,
were eight or ten wealthy Christian merchants, Armenians and
Catholics, who were known to each other as fellow members of a
secret society, calling themselves 4 Mutuffuk b'el Filosofeeah,' or
'United by Philosophy/ These men met occasionally at the
house of one or other of the Christian members, and there
m 2