"بلاد فارس." [و‎‎١‎٠] (٤٨/٢٤)

11
It is supposed that M, Bo ital has a concession for a line from Resht to
Kasvin, and through Teheran and Shiraz to Bushire ; there are also projects for
lines from Baku to Resht and from Tiflis through Tabriz to Teheran, while grander
schemes include lines from Alexandretta through Persia to Peshawar, and from
Tripoli along the Mekraa coast, to Karachi. For local lines, however,
Persia as a country is scarcely ready, for hardly one fiftieth of its surface is as yet
cultivated, and very much of the land, especially in the south on which cereals
sugarcane, &c., were raised is now given over to the cultivation of opium.
At the same time the fault in her communications becomes painfully evident
in times of scarcity. In 1861 there was a great famine. In 1871-72 the
plague appeared ; in 1875, pestilence and famine together nearly ruined the
country when two-thirds of the population in large cities were carried off.
One or two things are prominently noticeable, viz., clearness of the atmos
phere, the absence of noise, general disappearance of every body at sundown, and
tne number of beggars and sick people. For the poor of all classes, however,
there are two admirable institutions, one, the Sisters of St. Vincent, and the other,
the Anglo-American Mission. The Private Physician of the Shah is Dr. Tholo-
zan, a Frenchman; he daily visits at the Palace, and reminded me very much in
manner of Msjor Martin, the Private Secretary to the Maharaja of .Mysore. Dr.
Tholozan has been at Teheran for many years, and he presented me with some
pamphlets he had written on the sudden appearance and disappearance of cholera,
and also on the plague, which apparently on the last occasion broke out simul
taneously at certain spots far apart on the confines of Persia.
In the Palace there are two thrones, the one of marble inlaid with gold, and
the other, the peacock throne, taken from Delhi by Nadir Shah. This throne is
of gold inlaid with precious stones; at the back there is a sun in brilliants
flanked by two peacocks also in brilliants (see Photograph No.7 O). Tavernier
who saw the throne at Delhi, estimated its value at 6 millions sterling. In 1738
(only 150 years ago), Nadir Shah with 65,000 men overran the Punjab before
Delhi even knew of his advance. He defeated Mahomed Shah at Kurnal and
entered Delhi in March 1739, when after loot and massacre, which lasted nearly
two months, he retired with about 32 millions of spoil. The Palaces contain
many articles of great value, lamps, candelabra, pictures, chandeliers, mosaics,
carpets, felts, china bowls, bronzes, &c M and one of the most curious objects is
a golden globe of the world 20 inches in diameter, where the oceans are in
emeralds, India in amethysts, Africa in rubies, Persia in turquoises, France
and England in diamonds, while the names are given in brilliants, the cost of
this plaything being £320,000. There are precious stones also in abundance,
among which is the Dar-i-nor or Sea of Light.
The private treasury of the Shah is said to he in vaulted chambers under a
large tank in one of the gardens. It is opened occasionally, once in 3 years,
when the water has to he first run off before the door becomes apparent in the
floor of the tank. The periodical visit is never for the purpose of taking
money out, but always for putting more in. The estimate of the amount stored
varies from 3 to 13 millions. The report that money is hoarded to a large extent
is very possible, for after the manner of the country, when the Shah wants
money he asks for it and gets it. All surplus revenue also goes into the
treasury of the Shah.
Although in a general way there is no evidence of extreme poverty, yet one
would not call Persia a rich country, at the same time there is a vast amount
of actual wealth in gold, precious stones, lead, iron, coal, bitumen, &c., &c.,
hidden away, and the fertility of the soil is of a very high order. Its area is
about 636,000 square miles, and the population about 8 millions. The old
division between the Turanian, the Medes and the Aryan, the Persians still
exists, for the Northern part is occupied by people of Turkish origin (Turkis),
while in the south the Persian element {Farsis) predominates. (See Photograph
Nos. 7P 7Q.) These two having only one religion and distinctly a part from other
Mussulmans form the Persian nation. The ruling power (Kadjar) is Turk,
and until recently Turkish was the Court language. The characteristics of
the nation are pride in its traditions, an invincible faith (as Shias) in the
memory of Ali and the Imams, with a corresponding hatred of the Sunis,
and their Caliphs, Omer and Aboubakr.