'A second journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, between the years 1810 and 1816. With a journal of the voyage by the Brazils and Bombay to the Persian Gulf. Together with an account of the proceedings of His Majesty's embassy under Sir Gore Ouseley, Bart. K.L.S. With two maps, and engravings from the designs of the author.' [‎124] (163/516)

, 24 BAKHTIAREE TRIBE.
riosity and covetousness might lead them to open it after ouv de-
parture. . • i i i
From Deloonezer to this place we were kept m continual alarm by
our Mehmandar, who informed us that he had certain intelligence that a
band of robbers of the Bakhtiaree tribe had made every disposition to
attack us on our march, and to plunder our baggage. At Abadeh we
had been met by Mahomed Beg, an active man, sent by the Go
vernor of Ispahan, with a number of tuffcnkchccs, 01 fusileers, to serve
as our guard during this part of the march; but the precautions that
were taken against the expected attack, far from producing any feeling
of security, were on the contrary so ordered, that if a party of expert
thieves had really been determined to rob us, they must have succeeded.
As we marched at night, the confusion which prevailed throughout our
numerous party, owing entirely to the disposition of our forces, was be
yond description. The principal object was to keep us all together, and
to march in one body. This object, though good in itself, was attained
so mischievously, that when we were all huddled into one mass, there was
an end to all order and distinction of persons. Every body seemed at
once to claim the privilege of talking ; and an hundred different voices,
speaking almost as many different languages, were elevated at one time,
which joined to the neighing of horses, braying of asses, and the jing
ling of the bells of mules and camels, worked up the confusion to its
height. Luckily no Bakhtiarees appeared, and all that we got from our
Persian guards, were assurances of the prowess which they would have
displayed if we had been attacked.
The Bakhtiarees are a brave and hardy tribe of mountaineers, who
inhabit more particularly the high lands of Louristan, but are also to
be found in the Yeylaks and Kishlaks, which extend from Kerman to
Kauzeroon, and from Kom to Shouster. They have various and op
posite traditions about their origin; for some in a vague manner assert,
that they came from the eastward; others from Roum, (the name for
Turkey common throughout Persia,) and thus at any rate that they are
not of Persian origin. Their language would tend to contradict this
last assertion, as it abounds in words of the old Farsee, and has great