"سرد لإقامة في كردستان وفي موقع نينوى القديمة؛ مع مذكرات رحلة إلى بغداد عبر نهر دجلة ووصف زيارة إلى شيراز وبرسبوليس." [‎٢‎٠‎٢] (٤٥٠/٢٣٧)

202
ALI ESKER.
[LET. II.
allowed to settle ourselves as we chose. From hence
Shapour is four farsakhs off, and 1 am glad to find
that on my return it will be the very proper time to
visit it. At present it would be much too hot.
Ju/// 30.—Thermometer 80° in the morning, and
103° at the hottest time of the day. The wind was
rather heated. This is the first place where the
black cap begins to be universally worn.
The Persians are the most noisy, dilatory, and
immoveable fellows I ever met with ; but the muleteers
at least load well, for we have not had a minute's
delay with the baggage (among which is the tele
scope and my tripod) the whole way. The mules
too are capital, and our head muleteer, Ali Esker, a
most amusing fellow, by the oddity of his ways. 01
his person and weather-beaten face it is not easy to
give a notion. His head is surmounted by a pointed
chintz cap, to which he seems to attach no small
value ; those of his subordinate muleteers being only
of ordinary felt. His voice is hoarse and croaking,
3 et he is perpetually exerting it ; and when riding
alongside of you, he speaks as though he were
hailing a ship at a mile's distance. Bad as its
({iiality is, it seems to be peculiarly grateful to the
ears of the little donkey he bestrides; for when he
gets into a full prose, the animal runs along with in
describable glee, playing its ears alternately fore and
aft. He has a ridiculous habit of thinking aloud,
which has a most whimsical effect; since all the