"ملاحظات عن رحلة من قزوين إلى همدان عبر بلاد كرغن [؟]. بقلم ج. د. ريس" [و‎‎١‎٤] (٥٤/٣٢)

FROM KASVEEN TO HAMADAN.
19
where I had breakfasted, I got a good meal of cheese, bread,
and milk in the black tents. Accustomed as I had now become
to the Persian system of not only paying, but paying exorbi-
tantly, for hospitality, I preferred a franc piece, but my host said
with dignity in Turki, “ We do not sell the produce of our
flocks ; you are welcome to be our guest.” I had not acquired
enough Turki to answer, so asked my man to say “ that it was
thus in our country, and that I was very sensible of my enter
tainers feeling in the matter.” This was thus translated : “ The
Farangi Saheb says it is just like this in the country of London.
No one there pays for anything.”
After this I commended my host to God’s protection, the
local good-bye, and went my way to the village.
My companion’s speech as an interpreter suggests to me a
few words on Persian geography. I speak, of course, of the
uninformed or only slightly illuminated*
The great country of Farangistan, where men travel hundreds
of parasangs a day on the iron road, is divided into two portions,
one Francistan and one Inglistan, w T hich is either the capital of
London or of which London is the capital. Near this is the far
larger country of the Ooroos, while in some ill-defined direction is
the young world in which generally very little interest is taken.
As to the politics of these countries knowledge and specu
lation is confined to the Inglees and the Ooroos. The existence
of two parties among the former, named Vig and Toaree, is better
known than might be expected; still such knowledge is con
fined to the local politician or the rural khan. These parties
are understood to be constantly at war with one another, while
the Ooroos is more rationally governed by a Shah, who does not
allow civil war. The Inglees lately suffered a defeat in Egypt at
the hands of the Mahdi, but have been successful in setting up
the Afghans to fight the Russians near Herat, which it is their
intention to seize. It is by no means thought that the English are
always outwitted. Rather is the perfide Albion theory held. The
probability of war with Russia was widely known. A Persian,
Arab or Turki will ever seize the opportunity afforded by meeting
a foreigner to learn all he can about this subject and to show
that in such matters he is chiefly interested. It must be remem
bered that the views on politics and geography I have just
repeated are those of persons I met on this little tour in remote
plains and in Turki hill villages, not of the people of Shiraz,
Ispahan, and Teheran. I need not say more. At the very
village I have got to, the spokesman said that to see a Farangi
was like a dream. I use the word Farangi, which in Persia