'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.' [‎108] (139/582)

108
DESCRIPTION OF KERMANSHAH,
perfumed soap, with which the Turks end a course of treatment
full of delight, the Persians are occupied in staining the beard
and hair black, the nails of the toes and fingers of a deep red, and
the whole of the feet and hands of a yellow colour, by different
preparations of henna. This operation is the most unpleasant
that can be imagined. The Persians do not shave the whole of
the head, as is usual with most of the Turks and Arabs, but,
taking off all the hair from the forehead, over the crown, and
down the neck, for about a hand's breadth, they leave on each
side two large bushy masses, depending over their shoulders.
These are almost as full in some individuals as the apparent wigs
of the Sassanian medals; and in others, they are sufficiently long
and large to meet and cover the neck behind, which would de
ceive a stranger into a belief, that they wore the whole of their
hair, without either cutting or shaving it. This, then, with a very
long and full beard, in which all the people here take pride, is
plastered with a thick paste, of the consistence of hog's lard, and
not less than two pounds weight of which is sometimes used on
one person. It possesses a strongly astringent and penetrating
quality, and requires great skill in the use of it, to avoid doing
considerable mischief. As the eye-brows are plastered with it, as
well as the rest of the hair, and as it softens by the heat of the
room and of the body, it frequently steals into the eyes, and
produces great pain. The mustachios sometimes give a portion of
this paste also to the nostrils, as well as to the mouth, and never
fail to yield a most unpleasant odour to all within its reach The
patient (as he may well be called) reclines on his back, naked, and
on the stone floor, with his eyes and mouth completely shut, and
not daring to breathe with too great freedom. He remains in this
manner for an hour or two at a time, while the operator visits
him at intervals, rubs his hair and beard, patches up the paste
where it has dissolved or is fallen off, and lays on fresh coats of
the dye, on the nails, the hands, and the feet. Some of these