"بلاد فارس." [ظ‎‎١‎١] (٤٨/٢٧)

14
accept either one or the other of the powerful rivals as an absolute ruler.
Moreover Russia has stated that she has no intention, at present or at any time,
of threatening Herat or any part of Afghanistan ; her desire is to secure a
peaceful border and strengthen her friendship with England. In the same w T ay
with Persia, Russia may be supposed to possess a preponderating influence, but
it is by no means certain that England could not quickly check this, or even
turn the balance the other way if she chose to exert herself thoroughly.
Russia, however, in the question of the frontier between Persia and Turcomania
(Paper No. 6 , page 5, para. 2), declared some time ago that the definition of this
boundary is a matter which concerns herself, and admits of no foreign inter
ference. Later on, when the Ateks (between Babu Durmaz and Dushak) were
absorbed, Russia replied that she was as much interested in the integrity of the
Persian province as England could he ; that the Ateks had never belonged to or
been under the control of Persia, and that it was only after the tribe had been
subdued that the Shah had claimed them as his own.
Expenses, £4. Tips, £1-10-0.
7th November, Monday .—Left Major Wells’ hospitable roof at 6 J a.m.
and was well clear of city by 7. Met donkeys, camels, men, all coming in for
the market. Over the Kum gateway is Rustum fighting with the white demon.
The ride very pleasant, and road fair going, though the pony turned a somer
sault with me when within about 6 miles of Robat Kearim.
The scenery in front is of an ordinary type—a plain, with a few mud
villages, sparse cultivation, some low hills and the telegraph wire. Behind, it
is different; a range of fine hills with the lights ever changing. Halted at
Robat to study a Persian dictionary for one hour; breakfast, and then on. The
route good, but over some low stony hills. Plains with but little growth,
36 foot-paths winding about, the tracks of laden beasts. Saw three large sand-
grouse; the servant called them ‘tobah.* The new man Khodaya much more
lively than Nasr-ulla.
The chapparkhana at Pik is small, with an upstairs room, from which
one can see the country round, the mud domes of the village, the interior of
some of the court-yards, and the camels and bullocks returning for the night.
A chapparkhana is a rest-house where the post keeps its horses. The ordinary
type is built as a fort, in mud, with curtain walls and towers at the corners, and
a large double gateway on one side. To the right and left of the gate inside
there are rooms, one for the chapparchi or head man, and the other for ordinary
travellers, and on the three sides which enclose the court-yard are vaulted cor
ridors w r hich form the stables and store-houses during winter. In summer
the horses are picketed in the court-yard, and feed from mangers built into the
walls. At one corner there is a staircase which leads to a room over the porch,
intended for the better class of travellers. This room is unfurnished, but
there is a fire-place, and the man in charge can generally produce a felt or
two, some bread, a fowl, and possibly a little tea. After a day’s ride in a
very little time the soup is cooked, the bed-sack filled with bhoosa, the fowl
eaten, and the traveller is asleep.
8lh November, Tuesday. — Left at 5-30 a.m. Venus like a huge solitaire in
the sky. Half-moon. Rode to Kushk-i-bairam and then to Ramatabad. In
crossing a plain by the edge of a salt lake flushed a tilaor (houbara). Good
going whole way. Kum* looks rather nice—green fields, gilded mosque, hio-fi
minarets and nice market. (See Photograph No. 7S.) Got jammed in the
bazar with a drove of donkeys one way and a herd of bullocks the other. Shops
nice ; festooned with fruit. Slept at Mr. Lyne’s bungalow, and there saw Ser
geant MacIntyre. Heard from Wells that the Mirza Joseph wanted 30 krans
more on account of subsistence allowance for 6 days while waiting for me
at Enselli. Replied by telegraph that I refused to be bled any more. Mr
Lyne is in charge of one of the telegraph sections ; he has been here some vears'
his wife and child are with him. He says that land round about vields a
net profit of 40%. Here is the shrine of Eatima, very sacred, whose altar
affords protection to all who seek itf. Kum is famous for its potterv.
* About 150 miles due west of Ivum is Hamadsn, or Ecbatana, where naptha, bitumen, was known to exist
from an early period. When Alexander was in this district the people scattered some drops of naptha on the line
which led to his abode, and standing at one end, they applied their torches to some of the first drops, for it was
night. The flame communicated itself swifter than thought, and the path was instantaneously all on fire
(Plutarch’s life of Alexander.)
f it is also said that criminals in Persia may find absolute protection by seeking refuge in a stable.