'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.' [‎248] (279/582)

INSOLENCE OF SOLDIERY.—UNEXPECTED INTERVIEW.
greatest insolence by the soldiery, for daring even to make an en
quiry about a place either for ourselves or horses, while they oc
cupied the station. We were therefore contented to halt for half
an hour beneath the shade of a tree, near a small stream of almost
stagnant water, at which, however, our horses drank, while we re
posed ; after which, we again set out on our way.
Our course continued in nearly the same direction as before; but
the plain had now changed from a light fertile soil to a gravelly
and barren one, scantily spread with tufts of a thick wild grass, on
which a few flocks of sheep were seen feeding. Not a village now
appeared throughout our way, until after about four hours tra
velling We arrived at a small place called Ammeenabad. It was
just before our entering this that we met three men on foot, com
ing towards us; and our suspicions were at first excited by seeing
so small a number travelling alone. When they approached us
nearer, however, Ismael leaped from his horse, and embraced one
of them with all the fondness of a brother. They kissed each
other on both sides of the cheek, drew aside, embraced, and kissed
again for several times, before a word was spoken; and then the
first words were, 'Ya Ismael! Ya Hassan! Ya Ullah!' and a
thousand impatient enquiries followed. This Hassan was a young
man from a town in Mazanderaun, who had been known to the
Dervish for many years, and had often been the companion of his
pleasures in many places, but particularly at Bagdad, Moosul, and
among the mountains of Koordistan. He possessed an extraordi
nary talent as a fine writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , and his occupation was that of exe
cuting sentences and tablets for particular purposes, and tran
scribing copies of the Koran. His leading passion was like that
of Ismael, to roam from place to place, and enjoy every species of
forbidden pleasure ; and like him, too, he could earn by his skill
a sufficient sum in four months to support him in idleness and
dissipation for the remaining eight of the year. Some of his best
copies of the Koran were sold, as I was assured, for more than
two hundred tomauns, (about 200/. sterling;) but he executed