'Narrative of a Residence in Koordistan, and on the Site of Ancient Nineveh; with Journal of a Voyage down the Tigris to Bagdad and an Account of a Visit to Shirauz and Persepolis.' [‎184] (219/450)

184 DEFEAT OF THE KIAHYA OF BAGDAD. [LET. I.
lier on any account. A guard is planted to prevent
any one coining ashore or communicating with the
other ships; and at the first moment, the people of
tlie town actually talked of deserting the place and
retiring to the mountains. This terror at the chance
of sickness speaks well for the general healthiness
of Bushire, which forms ({uite an exception to the
other places in the gulf. The Malabar is going off
for Uussora, where she will not have so many
obstacles to encounter.
July 12.—News is just come in from Bussora,
which confirms the report of the Kiahya of Bagdad
having been defeated by the Koords (of course Avla
was not idle). The Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , on hearing of the defeat,
threw all the principal Persians in Bagdad into
prison, to extort money; that is to say, all he could
catch, for I believe a great many had taken care ot
themselves. Georgians have been marched from
Bagdad to Nejjif and Kerbela to do the same. They
are determined to show at least that, if they cannot
fight, they can plunder. In short there seems to be
a general row. I have a letter from Ezra*, but not
a syllable of news in it, of course his tone is very
humble.
The weather is insufferable; though the thermo
meter is only 90° at night, yet there is a heaviness
and clamminess in the air, causing a weight on the
* The Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Bagdad's Jew banker, and at that time his
chief counsellor.