'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎287] (396/496)

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of bis father to Major Rawlinson, who received him in the same manner.
The compliments ended, we resumed our march for the city, preceded
by the escort: the prince, an interesting lad of about twelve years old,
riding by the side of the Major, and performing his part in the pageant
with a dignity becoming a greybeard. The advance was conducted
with the usual display of sham encounters, and a proportionate expendi
ture of ammunition, and the exhibition of the “ pomp and circumstance
of glorious war” up to the city gates. Our appearance on entering the
town, however, more resembled the arrival of a caravan of flour sacks
than the advent of honored guests, for it was even difficult to distinguish
the features of the party, so begrimmed had we become from the dust
heaped upon us by the varied evolutions of the retinue that preceded us.
At sunset we reached the palace of the Amir, and were conducted to the
presence, through numerous dark and ill-arranged passages, well adapted
for defence in troubled times. The Amir, Mohab Ali Khan, a short but
gentlemanlike personage, attended by his brother the Grovemor of Luris-
tan, welcomed us with dignity and politeness. He is suffering from a
musket-ball wound in the arm, received at the siege of Herat, seven
years ago. The usual compliments having passed, we were served with
tea, kallians, and sweetmeats, in a small, open, but mean, apartment
looking into the courtyard of the building. We made but a short stay
with his excellency, as we felt fatigued, and were glad to retire to an
excellent house that is placed at Major Rawlinson’s disposal during our
stay here. Our anxiety and alarms on account of Mr. H. were soon dis
pelled by his appearance, he having come on direct from Harunabad to
Kirmanshah, in preference to joining us at Gahwarah. He succeeded in
copying a Greek inscription which he found on a broken tombstone at
that place, but failed in bringing the tablet away with him, from the
jealousy of the natives. I shall have occasion to speak of this stone at a
future time, and will now employ the organ in the performance of other
duties equally essential to it, for I see a numerous array of the Prince’s
domestics, bearing on metal trays a profusion of viands, to serve us as an
evening meal, amongst which I recognise, by the pyramids of ice floating
in them, sundry bowls of delicious sherbets, composed of the lime, the
pomegranite, and the grape. This is hospitality, indeed! But, sad reflec
tion, the poor man may be, and in ali probability is, suffering from his
prince’s ostentation !
Two regiments of foot, comprised of Azerbijan Turks, are at present
stationed in the town and its neighbourhood. The Amir, too, is a native