'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.' [‎254] (285/582)

254
INTERVIEW WITH THE KHAN.
one God, and Mohammed is his Messenger.' At these words, the
chief bowed and kissed the earth, in which mark of respect I fol
lowed his example, and was consequently taken to be both learned
and pious in an extraordinary degree. According to a very com
mon custom among Mohammedans, a maxim was then demanded
of me by the Khan for his guidance through life, when I replied?
4 Open not thine heart too readily to strangers; neither let any
thing remain secret between thee and thy friend.' This saying
was much approved; and led to my being pressed to partake of
an excellent supper, at which I was treated with the greatest con
sideration. On my assigning to the chief as my motive for wish
ing to see Persepolis, or the -throne of Jemsheed, the admiration
which I entertained for his memory as an illustrious character, he
offered to be my escort there with all his troop, of nearly one
hundred horsemen; saying, that though this route lay wide from
his prescribed track, he would do it as a mark of the high re_
spect he bore to my wisdom and my virtues. It was accordingly
determined that we should set out on the morrow, by a middle
path, towards Persepolis: so entirely had a well-timed display of
courteous and bold behaviour changed our relative position.
O ct. 18th.—At sun-rise we quitted Yezdikhaust, in company
with the whole Persian troop. No one had descended from the
town into the valley that surrounds it, from fear of the soldiery;
so that I could learn nothing of the deep well described there by
LeBrun. We had, however, some of the excellent bread of the
place brought out on the plank, or drawbridge of entrance; and
found it better than any we had tasted in Persia, and fully deser
ving its high reputation.
About a league from Yezdikhaust, going southerly, we quit
ted the plain, and entered among hills, neither very rugged nor
steep, but having a tolerable road over them. In about four hours
we reached a narrow pass, in which was a small round tower, with
loop-holes in its walls, seated on an eminence, and said to be often