'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.' [‎122] (153/582)

122
VISIT TO THE ANTIQUITIES
Arabic, Persian, and English, he pointed to some of the latter, and
said, " These are the names of Franks who have been here." I
asked him if he could read them. He replied « Yes and going
to one list, in which were the names of Captain (now General Sir
John) Malcolm, Lieutenant (now Colonel) Mc. Donald (Kinnier),
and Dr. Jukes, (of the Bombay army, since dead,) with several
others which I did not afterwards remember, he counted letter by
letter, and pretended to read them off with accuracy. His fol
lowers seeing this, expressed a very anxious desire to know
what these Frank inscriptions could contain. Not one of these
infidels who have ever passed this way," said they, " have omitted
to visit the Tauk-e-Bostan, and it must either be in veneration of
their ancestors, by whom some think this country was once pos
sessed, or in performance of some religious duty, that they come
here to inscribe on the hard rock such long sentences as these.
Do, continued they, entreating their Chief with unusual ea
gerness, « explain to us the writings which these Giaours leave
behind them."
The names themselves, to the number of ten or twelve, were all
cut in Roman capitals with great care: those of Mr. Manesty,
an English Envoy and his suite, on the right of the figure of
Rustan, on looking towards it; and those of General Malcolm and
his attendants on the left. The latter were inscribed within a
sort of outline tablet, drawn round it; and as sufficient space was
left within this line for that purpose, some subsequent French
visitor had cut, in long slender characters above this array of
English names, the words Vive Napoleon !_As a specimen of the
accuracy with which the Chief understood the character, he read
this first line, by saying it meant « Bism Illah, el Rahhman el
Rakheem, or « In the name of God, the great and the merciful,"
What, exclaimed his companions, " do the Infidels commence
—rr r' p T r which our Hoiy pro P het has cho -
the head of every chapter of the Koran, and for the com
mencement of every operation of a true believer?" "No-" re