Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎27r] (60/1814)

r lBA YELLING IN PERSIA.
TO THE EDITOR
Sir, —In September, 1902, you published some
articles from a correspondent entitled Persia in
1902. Your correspondent travelled from India to
Europe across Persia by the Bushire, Shiraz, Isfahan,
Teheran route to Besht and Enzeli. He did not
make use of the ‘ chappar 7 service, but travelled by
caravan all the way from Bushire to Teheran.
The information given by your correspondent was
of much assistance to me when arranging for my
own journey in an opposite direction and having
just arrived in India after travelling from Europe
along the same route, but by ‘ chappar 7 instead of
caravan, it has occurred to me that a few notes on
my experiences may be of use to future travellers.
I conclude that any one intending to travel in
Persia will have studied Lord Curzoms Persia, so I
will confine myself as much as possible to matters
not made quite clear in it or where alterations
have taken place since it was written.
Constantinople to Baku. —By Austrian-Lloyd stea
mer. Left Constantinople 15th February, arrived
Batum 20th February. Accommodation and food
fair. Passage 135 francs. These steamers are timed
to leave Constantinople on Saturdays, but are
frequently iate. They do not run in connection with
the mail steamers on the Caspian. Batum to Baku
by rail, fare 18J roubles (about £3) 1st class, with
sleeping accommodation. Good and cheap re
freshment rooms en route.
Baku to Enzeli. —Mail steamer for Persia
leaves Biku in winter on Fridays ; in sum
mer on Tuesdays and Fridays (A. B. Travell
ing by Anstrian-Lloyd steamer, even if up to
time, it is impossible to reach Baku before Satur
day). Small merchant steamers leave every few
days. I got a passage in one for 5 roubles, food
extra. Left Baku 24th February, touched at
Astara on the 25th and arrived at Enzeli on the
26th, but could not land until evening of the 27th
owing to high sea. This is frequently the case. The
ncmi-oin of uw steamer said the v were once there
and Deli Did both of whom entertained me
most hospitably. At other places accommo
dation is in small bare rooms in Caravanserais.
Chappar charges are now 1 £ krans per pony
per farsakh and tips of 2 krans to shagird-
chappars, or postboys at each stage. Three ponies
are necessary, one for oneself, one for servant and
one for baggage and post boy who sits on top and
takes back the ponies. The line is I believe shortly
to be taken in charge by the Belgians which may
or may not result in improvement of the ponies.
At present they are terribly over worked.
From Shiraz it is still necessary to engage a
caravan to Bushire, as there is no chappar service
on that route. I took a pony and 2 mules, paying
160 krans for hire plus 30 extra for doing the dis
tance in 5 days and a tip of 20 to driver ; total 210
krans. I made the following stages.
March 18th Dasht-i-Arzin 15 farsakhs 42 miles.
19th Kazerun 9
20 th Konar Takhteh 8
21st Borazjun 8
22 nd Shif 7
ii
n
ii
n
32
32
30
25,
ii\
n
ii
n
and by sea to Bushire, 2 hours 7 sail
The country is very mountainous and the animals
do not travel much faster than 3 miles an hour,, so
that the long days are rather trying and I would
recommend another day being devoted to this part
of the journey. I was obliged to hurry as my
leave was limited. Telegraph rest-houses at each
of the above mentioned stages with a European in
charge at l asht-i-Arzin (A. i>. Pei mission to use
the rest-houses and pass for same should
be asked for at Teheran, Isfahan and Shiraz)
From Bushire mail leaves on Mondays for
Karachi, 7 days, touching at Lingah, Bunder
Abbas, Task and Muscat. Fare Bs. 150. I believe
that an accelerated service to the Gulf is to be
established shortly, which will reduce the time by
several days.
Expenses ,—The who A trip from Constanti
nople to Karachi cost me about £90, divided
roughly as follows:—
Constantinople to Besht about £17
Besht to Kashan (carriage journey), „ 25
lit A YELLING IN PERSIA.
+
TO THE EDITOR
Sjr,—I n September, 1902, you published some
articles from a correspondent entitled Persia in
1902. Your correspondent travelled from India to
Europe across Persia by the Bushire, Shiraz, Isfahan,
Teheran route to Resht and Enzeli. He did not
make use of the ‘ chappar ’ service, but travelled by
caravan all the way from Bushire to Teheran.
The information given by your correspondent was
of much assistance to me when arranging for my
own journey in an opposite direction and having
just arrived in India after travelling from Europe
along the same route, but by ‘ chappar ’ instead of
caravan, it has occurred to me that a few notes on
my experiences may be of use to future travellers.
I cmclude that any one intending to travel in
Persia will have studied Lord Curzon’s Persia, so I
will confine myself as much as possible to matters
not made quite clear in it or where alterations
have taktn place since it was written.
Constantinople to Baku .—By Austrian-Lloyd stea
mer. Left Constantinople 15th February, arrived
Batura 20th February. Accommodation and food
fair. Passage 135 francs. These steamers are timed
to leave Constantinople on Saturdays, but are
frequently 'ate. They do 7iot run in connection with
the mail steamers on the Caspian. Batum to Baku
by rail, fare 18| roubles (about £3) 1st class, with
sleeping accommodation. Good and cheap re
freshment rooms en route.
Baku to Enzeli .—Mail steamer for Persia
leaves B tku in winter on Fridays ; in sum
mer on Tuesdays and Fridays (A. B. Travell
ing by Austrian-Lloyd steamer, even if up to
time, it is impossible to reach Baku before Satur
day). Small merchant steamers leave every few
days. I got a passage in one for 5 roubles, food
extra. Left Baku 24th February, touched at
Astara on the 25th and arrived at Enzeli on the
26th, but could not land until evening of she 27th
owing to high sea. This is frequently the case. The
Captam of my steamer said they were once there
for 9 days without being able to land passengers.
The mail steamers do not wait on these occasions
and I heard of three unfortunates who made the
journey from Baku and back three consecutive
times, each time being unable to land. The land
ing is dangerous owing to the surf on the bar of the
river and accidents are said to be fairly frequent.
Hotel d’Europe at Enzeli clean and decent.
Enzeli to Teheran .—Steam launch leaves Enzeli
daily at l('-30 a. m. to cross Ab-i-murd, about
one hour’s journey, fare 10 krans (56f krans=£l).
Being anxious to push on I took a row boat in
the early morning, two hours across the Lake, (Ab-i
murd) then 1 ) hours up a river to Pir-i-Bazaar.
This latter portion of the journey must be done
by boat in any case. From Pir-i-Bazaar to Resht,
1 3 hours drive over wry bad road, fare 25 krans.
Carriages always procurable at Pir-i-Bazaar. It is
advisable to go direct to the Vice-Consul at Resht
(Mr. Churchill at Imperial Bank of Persia) who will
arrange for the hire of a carriage to Teheran. The
Hotel d’Alberts is a poor looking place and the
proprietor has been known to cause delay over
the hiring of a carriage.
Owing to the bad state of the roads at this season
I had to pay 6821 krans for the carriage
to Teheran which is considerably more than the
fare as stated on the ticket. Road tax is another
70 krans. I left Resht at 4 p.m. on 28th and reached
Teheran at 5 a.m. on the 3rd March, being obliged
to spend the nights of the 28th and the 1 st at
Rustamabad and Yesbash Shahi respectively on
account of dark nights and the bad state of the road
from recent heavy rain and snow. The cold is ex
cessive and plenty of warm clothing is necessary.
>N ESDAY, APRIL 15 , 1903
In summer or with moonlight nights the journey
could be done in a much shorter time.
Between Pai-Chenar and Kasvin the stages are
now as follows and not as given by Lord Curzon.—
Pai Chenar.
Mullah Ali /. . Ifarsakhs (1 farsakh =
about 31 m.)
Usbashi Shahi 3 „
Inja Neh 2 „
Bui Nek 2 „
Kasvin 4 „
There are good rest-houses along the road, but
to avoid delay cooked food should be taken from
Resht. Ponies struck me as being very fair. There
are half way stages between those given by Lord
Curzon at which they are also changed. The ‘ Eng
lish Hotel ’ at Teheran is clean and fairly good.°
leheran to Nash an .-—There are no longer any
chappar ruling horses on the road between Teheran
and Kashan. It is, therefore, necessary to travel
either by carriage or caravan. Stages as far as
Kuin are now as follows and not as given by
Curzon.—
Teheran
Kari Zek .. .. 4 farsakhs.
Hassan Abad .. ..4 ,.
Kali Mahomed Ali Khan . . 4 „
Kushk-i-Nasrat .. .. 4 ,,
Manzaria . . .. 4 „
Kum .. . . 4 ,,
I left Teheran 2-35 p.m. on the 4th March, and
travelling all night, reached Kum at 9-80 p.m.
on the 5th. I was, however, delayed 8 hours
at Manzaria to wait for ponies, all having been
taken by the mail a few hours before my arrival.
Kum to Kashan took me exactly 12 hours, the
distance being 63 miles. Th& fare from Teheran to
Kum is 310 krans and from Kum to Kashan is
the same. The road from Teheran is merely an
unmetalled cart track. To avoid delay it is
advisable to take cooked food from Teheran. From
Kashan I travelled by ‘ chappar ’to Shiraz making
the following stages.
March 7th Bided:k 13 farsakhs —51 miles (cross
Kuhrud pass, 8,750
ft., over snow for
about 3 miles on
summit of range).
„ 8th Isfahan, 15 farsakhs — 60 miles (halted
one day).
„ 10th Kum-i-shah 15 „ 53 miles.
„ 11th Yezdi Khasfc 10 ,, 42
12 th Abadeh
13th Del: bid
14th Puzeh
15th Zejghoon
16th Shiraz
11
16
19
5
5
46
57
74
19
21
I halted half a day at Puzeh to visit Persepolis
and the Tombs of Darius and the Kings. The Per
sepolis ruins are distant about two miles from the
Caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). and the Tombs about 1 mile but in
another direction. The natives call each distance a
farsakh and charge accordingly for a pony. It
would be perfectly easy to visit both places in the
morning and ride into Shiraz in the afternoon.
There are telegraph rest-houses with furnished
rooms at Kumishah, Abadeh and Dehbid with
Eu oprans in charge of line sections at Kumishah
and Deli bid both of whom eiitei mined me
most hospitably. At other places accommo
dation is in small bare rooms in Caravanserais.
Chappar charges are now I 5 krans per pony
per farsakh and tips of 2 krans to shagird-
chappars, or postboys at each stage. Three ponies
are necessary, one for oneself, one for servant and
one for baggage and post boy who sits on top and
takes back the ponies. The line is I believe shortly
to be taken in charge by the Belgians which may
or may not result in improvement of the ponies,
At present they are terribly over worked.
From Shiraz it is still necessary to engage a
caravan to Bushire, as there is no chappar service
on that route. I took a pony and 2 mules, paying
160 krans for hire plus 30 extra for doing the dis
tance in 5 days and a tip of 20 to driver ; total 210
krans. I made the following stages.
March 18th Dasht-i-Arzin 15 farsakhs 42 miles.
19th Kazerun 9
20th Konar Takhteh 8
21st Borazjun 8
22 nd Shif 7
32
32
30
25-
and by sea to Bushire, 2 hours’ sail
The country is very mountainous and the animals
do not travel much faster than 3 miles an hour,, so
that the long days are rather trying and I would
recommend another day being devoted to this part
of the journey. I was obliged to hurry as my
leave was limited. Telegraph rest-houses at each
of the above mentioned stages with a European in
charge at Fasht-i-Arzin (A. B. Dennis si on to use
the rest-houses and pass for same should
be asked for at Teheran, Isfahan and Shiraz.)
From Bushire mail leaves on Mondays for
Karachi, 7 days, touching at Lingah, Bunder
Abbas, .task and Muscat. Fare Rs. 150. 1 believe
that an accelerated service to the Gulf is to be
established shortly, which will reduce the time by
several days.
Expenses .—The who’e trip from Constanti
nople to Karachi cost me about £90, divided
roughly as follows:—
Constantinople to Resht about £17
Resht to Kashan (carriage journey), „ 25
Kasaan to Shiraz (chappar journey), „ 10
Shiraz to Bushire ^caravan journej ), „ 4
Bushire to Karachi t-B- L .meamer;, „ 10
Servant’s wages, including his return
journey to Tehran „ 11
Saddle and kit for servant, saddle
bags, etc., Teheran, „ 3
Food, inn-charges, tips to road guards,
etc., etc.,
Total
10
90
lime taken .—Left Constantinople, 15th February ;
arrived Karachi 1st April.
The climate was delightfully cold and exhi
larating all the w r ay anti cool even at Bushire
and down the Gull. 1 only had one day’s
ram and a few 7 sharp snow storms in which 1
am told 1 w 7 as lucky as rain must be expec
ted at that time of tne year. Tire country would
be looking its best about a month later.
Remarks —I took nothing with me in the W'ay of
food except some compressed soups, chocolate, oceoa
and tea. Eggs, fowls, chupattis, sugar and fair tea
are procurable everywhere. A few small tins of
bully beef or meat of some sort would have, been
useful but one does not want much to eat wnen
riding hard every uay. A servant is useful
but with a little knowledge of Persian it would
be quite possible to uo without one. (A. B. Indian
Persian is not muci* u^e in Persia and I found a tew
lessons from a |Per .ian in London and Rosen’s
Grammar pMo e a Persian) in any pocket a most
useiul addition to my previous knowTedge of the
language as learnt in Persia). I had introductions
to the Managers of the Imperial Bank of Persia at
Teheran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Bushire and was
most kindly and hospitably entertained by them
at each of these places. Thaoks to them a=iid the
Telegraph officials there is really no hardship in
travelling along this route. It is* impossible to ray
that the country passed through is particularly
interesting but the problematical future of Persia
is'sufficient to make the trip well worth making
and for any one in fair condition it is quite an
enjoyable one.
G. C. R..