 Section 41 of A Year Amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. A Year Amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown. Section 41. Thursday 11th July 2nd Zelqa'de. Last night I received a telegram from Shiroz informing me that a telegram addressed to me there had arrived from England, in which I was requested to signify my acceptance of the post of Persian lecturer, to which I had been appointed at Cambridge. Accordingly I went into the city, an hour or two after sunset, to dispatch an answer. Near the mosque gate I met Ostar Akbar, the Peaparcher, who invited me to lunch with him when I had completed my business. I readily accepted his invitation, and walked with him to his shop, where I stayed talking with him for a few minutes. A young Tabrizze named Rahman Beg was there, and Ostar Akbar, pointing at him, asked me jestingly, whether I could make this Turk a barbie. My business at the telegraph office did not take long. The telegram, though destined for England, had of course to be written in Persian, and I managed to condense it, including the address, into seven words, for which I paid twenty kronze, and thirteen shawhees, about sixteen shillings, six pence. The tariff having luckily been reduced within the last few days. I then returned to Ostar Akbar's house, and had lunch with him, after which I wrote some letters, including one to Prince Nosiro Dole, the governor. In this I ventured to say a few words in favour of Mirza Yusof of Tabrizze, at whose urgent request, supported by Sayed Hossein of Jandagh, I had been induced to take what certainly was rather a liberty, asking the prince, in case he could not find him employment, whether he would give him the means of reaching his native town of Tabrizze, where he had friends and relatives. I stayed to supper with Ostar Akbar, Fatollah, the Azali minstrel, being the only other guest. We ate our meal on the roof, for it was a beautiful moonlight night, and sat so late talking, drinking tea, and smoking opium, that, as the time for shutting the city gates had long passed, I agreed to my host's proposal that I should spend the night there. Bolsters, pillows, and quilts were accordingly brought up to the roof, but though our host soon composed himself to sleep, I sat late, talking to the Azali. I asked him to tell me how he had become a Barbie, and he related as follows. A year or two ago he began, I fell desperately in love, so that, on the rare occasions when my good fortune suffered me to pass a few moments in the presence of my beloved, I was, for the most part, as one annihilated and overcome with bewilderment, submerged in the ocean of adoration, and repeating, in the language appropriate to my condition, Sheikh sat these lines. I asked him to tell me how he had become a Barbie, so that, as the time for shutting the city gates had long passed, I sat late, talking to the Azali. The wonder is that I survive the while I gaze on thee, that thou should speak, and power of speech should still be left to me. Or as another has said, If I have lost my heart with you, I will not go anywhere. If I have found you alone, I will not go anywhere. If I have found you alone, I will not go anywhere. If I have lost myself, I will not go anywhere. I find no place where I to thee my passion may declare, Or if I find the place with thee I find my rival there, Or if at length I find a place and find thee there alone, In vain I seek myself, for self has melted into air. But more often it happened that I was compelled to bear with separation, and then I would console myself as best I might, by reading and singing the odes of sat d, which seemed to me specially applicable to my condition. Now one day a friend of mine begged me to lend him my divan of sat d, promising to give me instead another and a better book. With some reluctance I consented to the exchange, and received from him the mystical masnavi of Jalaluddin Rumi. When I began to read this I at first bitterly repented the bargain. What is all this I asked myself about the flute-making lamentation because of its separation from the read bed, and what has it to do with me? But gradually the inner meaning began to dawn upon me. The love of the true and eternal beloved displaced from my heart the earthly passion which had filled it, and I realised the meaning of what the mystics say. The Phenomenal is the bridge to the real, yes. Today, as the feast of fair ones, to one is a sign the throne. For though of the fair there are thousands there, in beauty he stands alone. For him I forsake this world and that, and am counted in both undone. Withhold your blame, nor think it shame, for the sum of the worlds is one. One day, passing by the city gate, I heard a man reading from a book which he held in his hand. The sweetness of the words and their dignity charmed me, and I stopped to ask him what book it was. At first he appeared unwilling to tell me, but at length, yielding to my persuasion, he told me that it was the bayan of Mirzo Ali Muhammad, the Ba'ub. He consented to lend me the book for a while, and as I read it, my assurance increased that this indeed was the Word of God. What then, think you of Bahar? I demanded. For these would make him greater than the Ba'ub. I know not, he replied. For me, the Ba'ub suffices. Neither can I comprehend a station higher than his. Friday, 12th July, 3rd Zelqa'de. I woke late, and found that Fatahullah and Osta Akbar had both gone out. The latter leaving word that he would return soon. An old man named Mirzo Ja'far, a dervish of the Zahabi order, presently arrived. He told me that he was at present engaged in fasting and other religious exercises, and that he had an inner light. Presently, Osta Akbar returned with a shoemaker of his acquaintance, named Osta Ghulam Rezaal, who brought with him a book of verses composed in praise of Bahar by the Ba'ubi poet Nabil. These, which in their eulogies were fulsome beyond belief, he proceeded to read the peeparture encouraging him with occasional exclamations of Zibor Michonad. He does read nicely. During a momentary pause, the Zahabi dervish ventured to make some remarks concerning an allusion to his inner light, whereupon the shoemaker turned savagely upon him, crying, Who cares for your inner light? Owl and bat that you are! The Son of Truth shines radiant in the mid-heaven of the Theophany, and do you dare obtrude your foolish fancies and vain imaginings or seek to distract us thereby from that which will truly advantage us? At this arrogant and insolent speech, anger overcame me, and I said to the shoemaker, Silence! How dare you speak in so unseenly a manner to this old man who, according to his belief, is seeking to draw near to God! After all, age is revered and courtesy of demeanour approved in every religion, and you do but ill commend to others the creed which you profess by conduct such as this. Then the shoemaker hung his head, and was silent. On my way home, I called on Ogor Mohamed Sadegh, the young bobby merchant at the caravancery where he dwelt, and he, on learning that I had taken to smoking opium entreated me to abandon it ere it was too late. He also begged me to lend him the manuscript of the Kitab-e-Aq-Dass Most Holy Book, which had been given to me at Shiraz, that he might transcribe it for himself. And this request, at least, I was ready to grant, though the other, as I began to fear, came too late. When I returned to my garden about sundown, I found that Sadegh Hossein of Jandah had been several times to see me, and had inquired most persistently as to my whereabouts, and that Sheikh Ebrahim, his friend Abdullah, and a dervish who had brought me a present of apples were still patiently awaiting my arrival. I found them sitting by one of the streamlets near the summer house, and half a glance, sufficed to show me that the Sheikh, at least, was a good deal the worse for drink. As I approached, he greeted me with a loud screech of welcome, and strove to stagger to his feet, but quickly subsided into the expectant arms of Abdullah, crooning out a couplet from the Masnavi, which, when he was in this state, he never tired of repeating. Baudenay der hersari Charmikonad, Onchonondro Onchonontarmikonad. Tis not in every head that wine works ill, that which is so, it maketh more so still. After informing me with some incoherence, that he was charged with a message to me from one of the principal physicians of Kerman, inviting me to lunch with him on the following day, he continued, chuckling to himself at the reminiscence. Your friend, the Sayed of Azqand, so he chose to call him, confounding this place with Jandagh, which was in reality his birthplace, has been here. But I, your most humble servant and sincere friend, Sheikh Ebrahim, now, as you perceive, not quite himself, have put him to flight, together with another rascally Sayed whom he brought with him. I wish you would not insult my guests, said I, who was this other Sayed. How do I know? He shouted defiantly. All I know is this, that just outside the garden gate, he was attacked by a singularly intelligent dog, and came in here shaking with fright. When he had somewhat recovered, he and the Azqandi Sayed began talking about you. What like is this ferangi, inquired he? Not a bit like other ferangis, replied the Azqandi. Inasmuch as, instead of going after old tiles and other rubbish, such as they mostly love, he goes after religions, and consorts with Muslims, Sheikhs, and Bolo Saris, Sufis, and even Zoroastrians. How about Barbies? asked the other. How should I know? says the Azqandi. My brother went on a journey once occupied the opposite litter, to the chief of their gang, continued he. Then I felt it was time to put him to rights a bit, so I said, you ugly, wisened old fox, for in the world of similitudes I behold you as such, and so did that most sagacious dog, who wished to tear you in pieces at the door, in which wish I hope he may be more successful when you depart. What do you know about Barbies, and how dare you speak of one, whose greatness and glory far transcend your mean comprehension in such disrespectful terms. I saw him change colour, and soon after he left, without waiting, for the tea which your excellent servant Haji Safar was preparing for him. Haji Safar, Haji Safar, where is Haji Safar? Haji Safar approached. He was sulky and morose, offended, as it appeared, at having remained so long away, without telling him where I had gone, and grumbled accordingly. I bad him be silent, and Sheikh Ebrahim continued in a loud and aggressive tone. I have heard from the postmaster how he surprised you in close confabulation with those foul and benighted azalis at the house of the Sheikh of Qom. O Lahudi, a noted azali was there, and you were talking glibly enough when the postmaster entered, but on seeing him, you at once changed the conversation. Presently, to my great relief, Sheikh Ebrahim and Abdullah rose to depart. As they were leaving, Haji Safar met us, and again complained of my want of consideration for him, in leaving him ignorant of my whereabouts. Sheikh Ebrahim loudly applauded his solicitude, which I, on the other hand, was inclined to resent as impertinence. In consequence, we had words, and he threatened to leave me on the morrow and return to Tehran. But later on, when he brought my supper, he had repented of his decision and offered an apology for his conduct, explaining it by saying that he had just had news that his mother was seriously ill and that this had greatly disturbed his mind and caused him to forget himself. Saturday, 13th July, 4th Zelqadar. According to my promise, I lunched today with a physician of whom I have already spoken. On my arrival, I found Sheikh Ebrahim already much disguised in liquor and Abdullah, together with my host and his little boy, a pretty child of eight or nine years of age, who amused us by repeating, O Bedezal Karniz celebrated poem of the cat and the mouse. In the evening, I was the guest of my host's rival, a physician of the old Galenic school, with a splendid contempt for the new fangled doctrines of pathology and treatment, which are beginning to make way amongst the medical men of Tehran. His son was a determined Balbi and confided to me his intention of running away from Kermon and setting out on foot for Akra. O Stal Akbar joined us presently and after supper, we sat late, talking, drinking tea and smoking opium. Sunday, 14th July, 5th Zelqadar. Soon after we had drunk our morning tea, I left and paid a visit to one of my Azali friends, the prince's secretary, who invited me to stay to lunch. In the intervals of conversation, he amused himself by making the tea glasses float in the little tank which occupied the middle of the room, pushing them from one side to the other and objugating them with shouts of Gure Pedarash Latinat, curses on the grave of its father. When, receiving too violent a push, they filled with water and sank to the bottom. On returning to the garden about sunset, I found that a number of visitors, including the postmaster and two of his men, the prince telegraphist, the insufferable Haji Mohammed Khan and Mollah Yusuf and Fatahullah the Azalis, had been to see me, while the sheikh of Qom and one of his friends were still waiting my arrival. The sheikh brought me a photograph of Prince Nasser-O-Doleh bearing an inscription in his own hand, together with a very kind answer to the letter which I had addressed to him some days previously concerning Mirza Yusuf of Tabriz. This letter, even after making a large deduction for Persian politeness, was so gratifying that I cannot forbear translating it. My dear and respected friend, from the receipt of your letter and the perusal of the pleasing contents of your script, I derive the utmost gratification, my delight at the handwriting and coherent diction of that honoured friend was chiefly owing to the fact that it is in Europe that you have thus perfectly acquired the Persian language and have obtained so thorough a mastery of composition and style. May God, if it so please him, bring this dear friend of mine safely back to his native country and gladden him with the sight of his honourable father and mother and kindred. I regret having met that dear friend so seldom, nor has your sojourn in Kermon been of any length. Yet such is the regard which I have conceived for you during this short period that it will never quit my heart. Hamish-e-dar-bar-o-bar-e-chash-mam must sav-vari. Thy face will stand depicted forever in my sight. I shall ever supplicate God for your safety and advancement, and I shall be much pleased if now and then a letter from you should reach me from Fyrangistan, as for Mirzayusov, the request of that honoured friend is of course most gladly granted by me, and I have ordered that he shall receive money for the expenses of his journey. I send a portrait of myself as a keepsake for that dear friend. When I had read this letter, the sheikh of Gom informed Mirzayusov of Tabriz that 15 tomans, about five pounds, was the sum assigned to him by the prince. Mirzayusov was, of course, overjoyed, and Sayed Hossein of Jandab, who had interested himself a good deal in the matter, was also very pleased. But, said he to me, I suppose that these 15 tomans were given to Mirzayusov, they were given to you, and the obligation lies on your neck, for so much money was not raised in Kermon, save at the price of blood. This, of course, was a mere figure of speech, yet it somewhat damped my joy, and would have done so more had I known how worthless Mirzayusov would prove himself. Monday, 15th July, 6th Zelkater Today I lunched with the sheikh of Gom, where I met the young Azali artillery officer, of whom I have already spoken. After lunch, the prince's head cook dropped in. He was an amusing fellow, and had seen something of the world, having been for some time a servant of the Persian Embassy in London, in the remembrance of which he gloried. It was he I found, who had prepared the elaborate meal of which I had partaken with the prince's governor, for he had learned the art of European cookery while in London, though, as he told me, the ambassador, unless he had company, generally preferred to have Persian dishes set before him. I asked him whether the materials for these were generally forthcoming in London. Oh yes, he replied, I found them without much difficulty in the shops, but of course I made the ambassador pay well for them. I would buy eggplants, baldinjaun, for instance, at a few pence each, and when I returned I would tell him, with a long face, that things were terribly dear here, and that I had paid a shilling a piece for them. Yes, those were fine times, and I wish I were back in London again. The cook presently departed, and the sheikh began to speak more freely about Baha'u, than he had hitherto done. He produced a copy of the lithographed Bombay edition of the Iqan, which he told me had been sent him by the Baha'is, and pointed out with great disapproval a passage where the Shiites are called that fowl and airing sect. He also showed me some letters addressed to him and other azalis by Baha'u, and took great exception to several passages in them, especially the one where Baha'u said, quote, a child who has been blessed by beholding me is greater than all the people of the Bayan, end quote. Then he gave me an account of the attempt on the Shah's life by the barbees in 1852, which I will not repeat here, as I have already published it in the second volume of the Traveler's Narrative, pages 323-4. The young artillery officer told me that for four years he had in vain sought to enter into relations with the barbees, and had only succeeded at last by equating himself with a part of their terminology, and so leading some of his acquaintances whom he believed to be adherents of the sect opened confession of their doctrines in his presence. Tuesday, 16th July, 7th Zelqa'de, this afternoon I paid a visit to Mirzah Javad's house. He himself was away, but I found his son and one or two other boys reading with their tutor Mullah Gholam Hossein, who on my arrival at once dismissed the class. I made some further inquiries of him concerning the Sheikh'i literature, and he gave me the following supplementary list of books. By Sheikh Ahmad Ahsa'i, the commentary on the visitation Shahrhezi al-Rat, and the Farro Edd, text and commentary in Arabic, and the aphorisms Javad Me'ol Kalam, in Persian, by Haji Sayed Kao Zemav Rasht, the commentary on Ali Sermon called the Khutbeye Totonjiye, and the commentary on the Qasideh, by Haji Muhammad Karim Khan, the Faslul Qitaub, on tradition, the Ershadol Avom, direction of the common people, the Tariqon Najaut, way of salvation, the Ezhokul Baotel, crushing of falsehood, and the Tireshe Haub, meteor bolt, both directed against the Barbies, the Fetrato Salime, sound disposition, the Nusratuddin, help of religion, and the Sultaniye, an apology for Islam written in Persian. Wednesday, 17th July, 8th Zelqadeh, this morning, before I was dressed, Sayed Hossein of Jandak came to see me, while he was with me, an old man, Mashhadi Ali, who keeps a shop just outside the city gate, came to lodge a complaint against Na'eb Hassan's brother, a mulatiyah whom I had some thoughts of engaging for the journey to Shiraz. He was accompanied by a farrosh, sent by the Vazir, who in the absence of the prince-governor was administering justice, and his complaint was that he had been subjected to a violent and unprovoked attack on the part of Na'eb Hassan's brother, for which he demanded redress. He had been before the Vazir, who said that, as the defendant was in some sort under my protection, he would prefer to leave his punishment to me, but that he hoped I would inflict the bastinado upon him, if the complainant could prove his case to my satisfaction. Now, I have no doubt that the Vazir meant kindly, but I could not help wishing he would execute whatever he conceived to be justice according to his own lights, without making me a judge and arbiter over his subjects, a position which I was very far from coveting. The Sayed, however, who saw only an unhoped-for opportunity of displaying his Solomon-like wisdom and delivering some epoch-making decision was delighted, and bad Hauji Saffar bring the complainant, the defendant, the farrash, and any witnesses who might be forthcoming before us. The defendant was luckily away in the country, and as the only witness, if such he could be called, for it did not appear that he knew anything more about the case than that the defendant was his cousin, and therefore in his view to be exculpated was Hauji Saffar, our little tribunal, was of very modest dimensions. The case, however, lasted some time. The complainant, the witness, the farrash, all talking at once, and the two first swearing to everything and at everybody, so that even the loquacious Sayed could hardly make himself heard. At last, however, silence was obtained, and the Sayed, with great gravity, gave it as his decision that now Ebb Hassan's brother should give the defendant a new shirt as a token of regret for his alleged violence, on condition that the charge should be suffered to drop, and that the farrash should receive a present in money from me for his trouble. And as this seemed the easiest way out of the difficulty, it was unanimously agreed to. I hope the old man got his shirt, but I cannot be sure of it, as the farrash, having received his money, naturally lost all further interest in the case. I wish to give the old man the price of his shirt, but this the Sayed would not permit, declaring that the farrash would certainly take it from him. End of section 41, recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater, recorded in London, England. Section 42, of a year amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, nor to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater. A year amongst the Persians by Edward Granville Brown. Section 42, I had lunch when the Sayed left, and then began to write in Persian, an account of my travels for the Prince Governor, who had requested me to furnish him with a brief narrative of my journey. About two hours before sunset, however, the Sayed came back, bringing with him two books. One, a book of his own composition called Viral Niye and the other one of Hoji Mohanmad Karim Khan's refutations of Barbie doctrine, from both of which he read to me aloud. I was laughing in my sleeve at the garbled account given by the Sheikhi leader of his rival's life and pretensions when suddenly the Sayed stopped reading pricked up his ears and began to gaze intently in the direction of the gate whence a rose mirthful peels of laughter mingled with the notes of a flute. What is this unseemly noise? he inquired angrily. The question was answered a moment later by the appearance of Mirza Yousuf of Tabriz mounted on a white ass fully comparisoned and laden with saddlebags and other properties. He advanced towards the summer house at a rapid amble and, after displaying himself before us to his satisfaction, dismounted, seated himself before us with a conceited smirk and awaited our congratulations at this juncture almost before the Sayed had recovered power of speech. Sheikh Ebrahim joined us. Listen to the flute when it tells its tale cried the Sayed as soon as he could speak. What does all this mean, Mirza Yousuf? Where did you get that donkey? I bought it, replied Mirza Yousuf with the money his royal highness the prince may God prolong his life bestowed upon me. It, exclaimed the Sayed, why, you were a pauper and this money only granted you at the urgent request of the soheb on whose neck lies the burden of obligation to the prince was intended to convey you to Tabriz and the saddle, the saddlebags, your smart kamar band and your other gear how did you get them? I bought them too, answered Mirza Yousuf pertly enough how else should I come by them you don't suppose I stole them you bought them too, repeated the Sayed and may I ask how much money you have left out of the 15 tomans the prince gave you? Mirza Yousuf pulled out three or four grons from his pocket so much, he replied and how are you going to get to Tabriz may I ask with three grons? demanded the Sayed on my donkey retorted Mirza Yousuf with a laugh what else did I get it for no doubt he cherished hopes of extracting further sums of money from the charitable barbies of Yazd according to the plan which he had exposed with such refreshing simplicity to Sheikh Ebrahim and myself but he could hardly allude to this in the Sayed's presence you impertinent little fool cried the Sayed angrily is it for this that I have interested myself in your case you who two days ago were so humble a poor orphan whom none would pity you who would make me believe that you were so careful about your religious duties how did Safar's occasion neglect of his prayers pained your tender conscience and who now come prancing into my presence on your precious ass deafening me with your unrighteous flute playing you don't understand these things master Sayed rejoined Mirza Yousuf you are not a man of the world but a recluse a man of the pen and the pulpit of votary, of the rosary and the reading desk and he made a grimace aside to Sheikh Ebrahim whom he expected to enlist on his side against the common enemy for once however the Sheikh was at one with the Sayed it is related said he sententiously that once the ass complained to God saying why hast thou created me seeing that thou hast already created the Turk and so came verily we have created the Turk in order that the excellence of thine understanding might be apparent Mirza Yousuf is a Turk a Tabrizie what would you have Mirza Yousuf somewhat abashed withdrew and thereupon as I anticipated the Sheikh and the Sayed began to quarrel about the manner in which the former had seen fit to treat the friend of the latter on the previous Friday the Sayed for his part was politely sarcastic I said to my friend quote he you have had the misfortune to displease the worthy Sheikh no doubt inadvertently by talking of one whom he affects to revere with unbecoming levity and applying to him an appellation generally used of robber captains and the like it would be best for you to propitiate him by presenting to him one of those inlaid and enameled pen cases in the manufacture of which you are so skillful he promised to follow my advice and you may expect to receive his gift shortly you are too considerate rejoin the Sheikh but really I am unworthy of so great an honour then suddenly losing control of his tongue and who I should like to know is this rascally brother of his who enjoyed the unmerited and unappreciated honour of travelling in the company of one whose greatness and holiness are as much beyond his comprehension as the splendour of the sun is beyond the comprehension of the bat or the mole I will tell you who he is he is now at Tehran and makes his living by buffoonery of the lowest kind and the Shah who loves buffoonery especially in a sayed has given him the title of Pevamos Saudout there is another younger brother who is in high favour with certain of the nobles about the court and whose influence has conducted in no small degree to the exultation of his family and do you mean to say inquired the sayed aghast at the scandalous details of Persian court life furnished by the sheikh that this is the state of things prevailing in Tehran the abode of the caliphate Darul Khelaofat at the court of him whom we account the defender of the faith and protector of religion assuredly I do reply the sheikh and I can tell you more surprising things than this if you care to hear them from which you will be better able to judge of the claims which Nasseruddin Shah has to these titles and thereupon he launched out into a variety of scandalous anecdotes which it is to be hoped had no foundation in fact and which in any case are best unrecorded could he be diverted from this topic till the sayed departed in consternation an object at which in all probability he had from the first end and now sheikh I said when we were alone will you tell me more fully about the murder of the seven azalis who were sent with Baha and his followers to Akra you mentioned the fact a few days ago that you had seen the assassins yourself during your stay there and that they still received their prison allowance though at large and wore jives on their ankles yes replied the sheikh who had drunk enough a rag to render him communicative and not enough to make him incoherent they were twelve in number who slew the azalis and nine of them were still living when I was at Akra this was the way of it when Baha advanced his claim at Adrianople and his half-brother Sobhe Azal refused to admit it the barbies were divided into two factions some going with the former and some holding fast to the latter so high did the feeling run that the matter ended in open strife and two azalis and one Baha'i were killed so the Turkish government determined to separate the two and arranged to banish Mirza Yahyao, Sobhe Azal and his followers to a town in Cyprus near the seashore of which I cannot now remember the name and Mirza Hossein Ali Baha'u'llah with his family and adherents to Akra but knowing the two factions to be on the worst possible terms it occurred to them that it would be advantageous to themselves to keep a few of each in the stronghold of the other so that should any Persian or other traveller come to Akra or Cyprus with the intention of visiting Baha'u'llah or Azal these adherents of the rival claimant to supreme power might co-operate with the government in throwing obstacles in his way so they sent three of Baha'u'llah's followers one of whom Moshkin Qalam so called from his extraordinary skill in calligraphy is still alive to Cyprus with Azal and seven azalis with Baha'u'llah now as far as concerned Azal this plan worked well enough for Moshkin Qalam set up a little coffee house at the port where travellers must need arrive and whenever he saw a Persian land he would invite him in give him tea or coffee and a pipe and gradually worm out of him the business which had brought him wither so they sent were to see Sobhe Azal off went Moshkin Qalam to the authorities and the pilgrim soon found himself packed out of the island but at Akra it was different the seven azalis are Ghajan called Kajkola Skewcap who had served with distinction in the Turkish artillery Hauji Sayed Mohammed one of the original companions of the bob Mirza Rezal nephew of the last and a scion of the same royal race of the Safavids for both were descended from Shah Abbas the Great Mirza Haydar Ali of Ardistan a wonderful firebrand Altashi Qareeb beside whom are mutual friend Mirza Mohammed Alper of Bavarnat was no more than a spark Hauji Sayed Hossein of Kalshan and two others whose names I forget lived all together in a house situated near the gate of the city well one night about a month after their arrival at Akra the twelve Baha'is of whom I have spoken determined having received instructions from Baha'u to kill them and so prevent them from doing any mischief so they went at night armed with swords and daggers to the house where the Azali's lodged and knocked at the door Aghajan came down to open to them and was stabbed before he could cry out or offer the least resistance he was a young man but very strong so that once in the Russian war he had without aid picked up a cannonball and thrown it into the mouth of the gun then they entered the house and killed the other six when the Turks heard what had been done they imprisoned Baha'u and all his family and followers in the caravan Sarai but the twelve assassins came forward and surrendered themselves saying we killed them without the knowledge of our master or any of our brethren punish us then not them so they were imprisoned for a while but afterwards at the intercession of Abbas Effendi Baha'u's eldest son were suffered to be at large on condition only of remaining in Akra to feel fetters on their ankles for a time it was a horrible deed I remarked nay said the sheikh it was soon over for them I have seen worse than that myself love cannot exist without strife and as has been said affliction is the portion of affection what do you allude to you inquired I when you say that you have seen worse than this yourself to an experience which befell me when I was a mere lad note the date of this occurrence so far as the sheikh could recollect it was about AH 1278 AD 1861 to 2 end note answered the sheikh and had but recently entered into this circle I was in Sultanabad then my native place and the friends used to meet regularly at night time the men in one room and the women in an adjoining apartment to read the holy books and hold spiritual converse all went well for a while our conventicals escaped the notice of the authorities and might have continued to do so had it not been for a traitor Mullah Ali now Pishnamaz of one of the mosques of Sultanabad as his father Mullah Hussain was then who to insinuate himself amongst us and compass our destruction feigned belief in our doctrines and for 5 or 6 months continued to frequent our assemblies until he knew us all and discovered where our books were concealed now this wretch used to be a constant visitor at the house of one of the chief adherents of our faith a theologian named Mullah Muhammad Ali with whom he used to read the sacred books one day he requested permission to borrow a copy of the bayan which was at once granted him having thus secured possession of the book he forthwith proceeded to the house of Haji Agam Hussain the philosopher Hakami and laid it before him Agam Hussain whom a study of philosophy had rendered comparatively tolerant invited Mullah Muhammad Ali to his house to discuss the matter with him intending should he not succeed in convincing him to renounce his opinions to do no more than expel him and his associates from the city he further summoned another leading Balbi Mullah Ebrahim the author of commentaries on the Cobra Shamsiye and other treatises on logic and at that time tutor to Prince Nasser Adolay governor of this city whose father Prince Nasser Nasser Adolay was then governor of Sultanabad he was the first to arrive and while these two were engaged in discussion Haji Sayed Muhammad Balger Mujtahed suddenly entered the room with a knife concealed under his cloak and seeing Mullah Ebrahim cried out do you hold converse with this viper even as he spoke he drew forth his dagger and smoked the Balbi thrice on the side of the head the back of the neck and the back of the chest so that he fell dead to the ground a moment later the other Balbi Mullah Muhammad Ali ignorant of what had passed entered the room and was in turn stabbed by the Mujtahed as was also a third named Karbalaoui Rahmatullah who followed him when news of these doings was brought to Prince Nasser Adolay the governor he sent a message to the Mujtahed saying leave this matter alone for I will see to it then he sent and arrested all the Barbies whose names were known for Ali the traitor and furthermore caused a number of those whose opinions were suspected to pass before him so that he might identify those whom he had seen at the Balbi Conventicles some 20 or 30 of us in all including myself were denounced and forthwith cast into a loathsome underground dungeon chained together in a row hardly able to move and in dire suspense for that night and the whole of the next day it was on the second night of our captivity that we heard a tramp of feet without then the key grated in the lock the door opened and the executioner accompanied by several of his assistants bearing lanterns and the implements of his ghastly craft entered I am come to kill the Barbies said he and the farroshes set down the lanterns on the floor and we of course supposed that one and all we were doomed to die I was seventh in the row passing the first and second the man of blood halted before that mood the peaparcher they forced open his mouth crammed a wet handkerchief rolled into a ball into his gullet and drove it down his throat with a wooden peg and a mallet for a minute or two with gaping mouth blackening face and eyes starting from he continued to struggle then he fell back on the floor and one of the executioner's assistants sat on his face till the last quiver died away they next came to the furrier the furrier of Kabul whom they slew in like manner and we seeing this for he was fourth in the row next to Ostar Mahmoud made sure that all of us were to die we were mistaken however for they passed by the fifth and sixth in the row and myself the seventh and did not halt again till they came opposite to the surgeon who was next beyond me and when they had made an end of him and of Mirzo Ahmad who sat next beyond him they gathered up their instruments of death together with the lanterns and without saying another word left us there in the darkness the living and the dead chained together it was an awful night as you may imagine for us who lay beside our murdered companions expecting to share their fate or one yet worse on the morrow but amongst us was one poor hunchbacked cobbler who during the horrible scenes which had just been enacted had not once changed colour and he continued to console us reciting poems suitable to our situation chanting verses from the sacred books and crying a strange paradise is this yet if we are to die tomorrow it is at most that we shall eat so many pounds less of bread and meat ere our bodies return to the dust to the source whence they came he grew more excited as he talked and at last let us kill one another now he said I will show you how it may be done I will press and press so gently that you shall hardly know it on the veins of the neck and life will ebb quietly away how much better to die thus in all love and affection by the hands of our friends than as these did by the hands of the headsmen it was only with the greatest difficulty that we could restrain him from carrying out his purpose and so continue anxiously awaiting the morning no more of us however to suffer death on this occasion save one old woman nearly 70 years of age the wife of Haji Agama Sen's paternal uncle her they sent to Tehran and when they asked the Shah what should be done with her he said it is not good for a woman to be imprisoned wherefore they strangled her in the women's apartments of the palace and cast her body into a well the rest of us were released about a fortnight later after the governor had extorted from us as much money as he could in my case 300 tomahons I was not a little moved by this horrible story and regarded the sheikh with increased interest and respect for after all a man who has looked death in the face and such a death for conscience's sake is worthy of respect though he be a drunkard and a libertine I could not help thinking what a strange combination of good and evil he must be such a combination would be almost impossible save amongst the persians but I only said you have suffered much for your faith it would seem I he said nor was that the only time though it was the most terrible I was imprisoned in the jail and Baur at Tehran for three months along with five other Barbies Agha Jamal of Bauru Jaird son of Mullah Ali who was entitled the proof of Islam Hujjatul Islam Mirzo Abul Fazl of Golpaygoun the secretary of Monakji the Zoroastrian agent at the Persian court and the compiler under his directions of the new history of the most great theophany note this is a mistake Mirzo Hossein of Hamadon was Monakji's secretary and he it was who with the help of Mirzo Abul Fazl compiled the new history see the introduction to my translation of that work pages 34 to 42 Osta Ohangar Mullah Ali Akbar of Shemron and Haji Mullah Esmail Zabi for the first three days and nights our captivity was very grievous for in the hopes of extorting money from us or our friends they subjected us by day to various torments and by night put our necks in the collar togh and our feet in the stocks Khalil but we determined to bear our sufferings rather than appeal for money to our friends knowing that to produce money would be only to increase the zeal of our tormentors and after thus enduring for three days we were awarded by an abatement of our torments Sheikh Ebrahim next related to me what had once passed between himself and the Shah's eldest son the Zelo Sultan and the account given to him by the Prince of the Death of the Martyrs of Esfahan which as I have already published it in the notes to the second volume of my Traveller's Narrative pages 401 to 3 I will not repeat especially as I have already referred to this episode more than once in the course of these pages I then again attempted to ascertain his views on the future life and on the nature of the Divinity ascribed to Baha but the Arad which he had drunk was beginning to take effect and he was growing gradually incoherent concerning the soul he said that it was imperishable and that when the body died it looked calmly and unconcernedly on at the preparations for interment pure and impure souls he added were like clean and dirty water the pure poured back into the brook the impure cast forth upon the ground to become mingled with it as for Baha the sheikh said I have heard him say in my presence I do not desire lordship over others I desire all men to become even as I am when I remarked that many of his followers declared him to be divine in quite another sense than those who according to the Sufi doctrine had escaped from self and become merged in God the sheikh simply remarked then they are in error he added that Baha had forbidden him from preaching or making any attempts at proselytising saying that he had already suffered enough for his faith and after this the last rational remark to which he gave utterance he relapsed utter rivalry and incoherence and presently fell asleep Thursday 18th July 9th Zelqat day towards evening I went into the town and called at the post office where the postmaster lent me a poem in praise of Baha composed by one Naeem of Obaude a poor man of no education whose power of verse writing is regarded by his co-religionists as a divine gift and little short of miraculous his verses are partly in Persian partly in Arabic and of the latter at any rate it may truly be said that they are of the most miraculous character Osta Akbar the Peaparcher was also there he was after his want very mysterious and informed me that a relation of the postmasters who was a molla and who possessed some of Koratul Ain's poems was anxious to see me but that I must not mention this to the postmaster as he might be displeased I was somewhat surprised at what appeared to me to be so unnecessary a stipulation but attributed it to Osta Akbar's love of mystery it was only afterwards for the pronouns in Persian to not distinguish gender that I discovered that the molla in question was a lady who regarded herself as a manifestation mazhar or reincarnation of Koratul Ain it was accordingly arranged that I should meet this molla on the next day but one at the house of one of the officials of the post office as I did not know where he lived I inquired as to how I should find my way thither Osta Akbar naturally selected the most cumbrous and mysterious method he could think of I was to walk slowly past his shop about an hour on the Saturday in question and he would tell his apprentice to be on the lookout for me and as soon as he saw me to run out, pass me and proceed me at a distance of 20 or 30 yards to the rendezvous this plan was Julie carried out and on the afternoon of the appointed day I found myself in a room in the house of Haydarullah Beg the postman where besides my host were seated the manifestation of Koratul Ain and a barbie dervish the former engaged in smoking a Kalyan the latter an opium pipe I was filled with astonishment at seeing a lady in the room and my astonishment was increased when I heard the others address her as a molla and ascertained that she was the learned barbie who had expressed a wish to make my acquaintance she greeted me very politely bowing repeatedly as she exclaimed Mosharaf Mosaicyan Chashmimaroshan you have made the house honored and dawned our eyes are brightened and then asking me how long it was since I had believed I was somewhat embarrassed by this question and tried to explain that I was an inquirer only where upon she began to give a long and rather garbled version of Christ's prayer in the garden of Gethsemane which she concluded by bidding me not be like that disciple who denied his master by this time the persons had joined us including Sheikh Ebrahim and his friend Abdullah in consequence of which the recitation of Goratulayn's poems which I had been so eager to hear was postponed several barbie books however were shown to me including one containing the Kalimatimak Nune or hidden words of Fatima note c volume 2 of my traveller's narrative pages 123 to 6 and note 2 at foot of page 123 and catalogue and description of 27 barbie manuscripts JRAS for 1892 pages 671 to 4 of which the surpassing eloquence was greatly praised by all present will you not smoker Balyan inquired Sheikh Ebrahim turning suddenly to me I signified ascent and he called for one to be brought a good one mined for the sahab he cried as the servant left the room in a minute or two the Balyan was brought and as I took it and according to the customary etiquette offered it in turn to all present before putting my lips to it I fancied that I watched with a certain attention and subdued amusement for which I could not account the first whiff of smoke however explained the cause of this my experience with cannabis indica while I was a student at Saint Baltholomew's hospital had not been altogether fruitless since it had indelibly impressed on my memory the taste of this hateful drug which now again for the third time in my life struck on my palette oh thought I to myself so this is the trick you thought to play on me is it but I continued to smoke on slowly and deliberately till the sheikh unable any longer to control his curiosity asked me how I found this galleon nice enough I answered but I fear it somewhat for unless I am much mistaken you have put master say yet into it note hashish is thought so badly of in Persia that it is usually spoken of even by those who use it by some nickname such as all go yes a yet master say yet to asra or the parrot of mysteries or simply asra or mysteries the two first alluding to its green color one of the odes of half as beginning alaya to Tia asra or about all holy at shakkar them and go or parrot who discourses stuff mysteries may they be never want sugar is addressed to the drug end note I do not think that during the whole time I was in Persia I ever scored so great a success as by this simple remark that I a mere European should be able to recognize the taste of hashish was much but that I should know it so to speak by its pet name was indeed to prove myself well matured by travel and the society of persons of experience however did you know that inquired the shaykh amidst the laughter and applause of the others because I am a pharangi must I needs be an ass I demanded with a show of indignation shaykh ebrahim was delighted and proceeded to unfold to me many mysteries connected with the use of narcotics in Persia he told me of an oil called rogane hashish oil of the Indian hemp prepared from a plant named tarture of which half a no-hod would render a man insensible for 24 or 36 hours this he said was often employed by Persian adventurers in Turkey and Arabia especially in Mosul and Mecca to stupefy persons whom they wish to rob mixed with the food intended for the victim's consumption its flavor is imperceptible and the protracted insensibility to which it gives rise allows the thief ample time to de-camp these revelations were however interrupted by the arrival of a murshed or spiritual director of the Shah-Nit-Mathullahi order of dervishes who asked me point-blank what my religion was and was much annoyed when I answered him with the well-known tradition Ustur the Hebeke Wa the Hebeke Wa mad-hebeke conceal thy gold thy destination and thy creed Monday 22nd July 13th Zelqa Day today another threatened collision between Syed Hossein of Jandagh and Sheikh Ebrahim was with difficulty averted the former had dropped in during the afternoon to read me selected extracts from Haji Mohammed Karim Khan's attack on the Bobby doctrines when the latter most importunately joined us. The two glared at one another for a while and then the Syed who had a really remarkable faculty for making things disagreeable began to ask the Sheikh whether he had been to Akra lately other similar questions I interposed and to my great relief succeeded in changing the conversation and getting the Sheikh to talk about his travels. He told us about the Yazidis the so-called devil worshippers of Mosul and its environs they extend for a distance of three stages west of Mosul said he and a strange folk they are uglier than you can imagine with immense heads and long unkempt beards and dressed in white or crimson clothes they refused to regard any sect or any person even the devil whom they call Malaketawus the peacock angel as bad and if any unwary traveller curses him or Umar or Shemr or anyone else who most men are want to curse or if he spits on the ground they consider it incumbent on themselves to kill him though every man of them should suffer death in retaliation they have a sort of temple whether they repair for their devotions and there as I have heard for none save themselves may enter from time to time spread a banquet and then let loose a cock if the cock eats the food they consider their offering as accepted but if not as rejected Tuesday 23rd July 14th Zell Radhe in the afternoon I rode into town and visited the sheikh of Gom he called to his little daughter a child six or seven years of age who was on the roof to come down and speak to me but she with precocious modesty hid her face with a corner of her shawl and refused why will thou not come down and speak to the frangy soheb inquired her father because I am shy cried the little one from the roof peeping out from behind her extemporized veil thou ought not want to be so shy before others he continued why then before this one I do not reckon them as men she replied with a toss of her head and ran away to hide while we both burst out laughing and I remarked that such a complaint from the lips of a child was indeed gratifying the sheikh talked rather freely about barbieism the allegations made by the muslimans about the barbies said he though untrue are in most cases founded to some extent upon fact they say for instance that the barb wrote arabic which violated all the rules of grammar this is not true but it is true that he made use of grammatical forms which though theoretically possible are not sanctioned by usage such as wahad from wahid and farad from farid and the like so too they accuse quratolain of unchastity that is a lie she was the essence of purity but after his holiness he addressed the point that is the barb had declared the law of islam abrogated and ere he had promulgated new ordinances there ensued a period of transition which we call fetrat the interval during which all things were lawful so long as this continued she may very possibly have consorted for example with mullah muhammad Ali of barfarush as though he had been her husband though afterwards when the new law was revealed she and all the others were most rigorous in its observance at this point we were joined by a certain mullah whom I knew to be the chief azali in kermann and to have an enormous collection of bobby books I was extremely anxious to draw him into conversation on this topic when to my great shagrin the postmaster who was as will be remembered a determined bahoy was announced he looked at us suspiciously evidently guessing the subject which occupied our thoughts and forthwith there fell upon us a sense of constraint which soon brought about the dispersion of the assembly on leaving the sheikh's house I was making for the telegraph office to condole with the prince telegraphist on the death of his eldest son the poor lad whom I had last seen smoking opium at the house of my friend the secretary of the governor when I was met with Mirzo Ali Natikhan the brother of the chief of the faroshes and by him entertained in conversation while we were talking a murmur suddenly arose that the prince governor was coming and everyone began to bow down with arms folded across their breasts in humble abasins when the prince saw me he called me to him brought me with him into his garden and bared his servants bring tea valyans and cigarettes he did not talk much being busy reading a packet of letters which had just been placed in his hands and examining a fine gold repeater which had arrived by the same post so when I had sat for a short time I asked permission to retire which was accorded me I then proceeded to the telegraph office where I found the prince telegraphist looking very sad and ejected and surrounded by five or six Barbies of note who like myself had come to offer condolence on returning to my garden about two hours after sunset I found the peaparcher and a rather notable dervish of the Shah Netmatollahi order named Shah Rukh awaiting me they had supper with me and stayed all night the dervish smoked a great quantity of opium and recited a vast amount of mystical poetry of which his memory appeared to contain an inexhaustible store the peaparcher retired for a while leaving us alone and presently returned in a state of boastful intoxication I am Adam he cried again and again I am Moses I am Jesus I am Muhammad what say you to that I was so disgusted that at last I could not refrain from answering since you ask my opinion I should say that you have had too much to drink and are now talking blasphemous nonsense Wednesday 24th July 15th that day my guests departed early soon after sunrise Ostaakbar awakening me to communicate the message which had brought him to the garden on the previous evening there is a poor opiumneeder Teriog Maul of my acquaintance said he one of the friends who is most anxious to entertain you at his house and has so impotuned me to bring you that for the sake of peace I had to promise that I would do so he wanted you to sup with him and stay the night at his house but having regard to its meanness I told him that this would not be convenient to you so it has been arranged that we shall lunch there tomorrow and spend the day come there for in two hours time to the caravanserai of Gange Alichon and there one shall meet you who will conduct you to the opiumneeder's house I fell asleep again when Ostaakbar had gone and did not awake for several hours just as I was going out with Abdul Hussain I met the opiumneeder who, poor man, had already come once to the garden that morning to guide me to his house whither we at once proceeded Heidaro Lah Beg and Nasro Lah Beg of the post office a dervish named Habibullah and the peeparcher were the other guests and later we were joined by the prince telegraphist secretary and Sheikh Ebrahim who, though uninvited had by some occult means discovered that an entertainment was in progress which I suppose he considered would not be complete without his presence soon after my arrival the dervish boy whose sweet singing had so delighted me one day in the caravanserai of Gange Alichon entered the room with a kalyon which he presented me with the bobby salutation Allahu Abha All those present indeed were bobbies and after lunch as we sat sipping our tea and taking an occasional whiff of opium quantities of bobby poems by Koratul Ain Soleiman Khan Nabil Rauhaw a woman of abode and others were produced and handed round or recited together with the bob's seven proofs Dalo Ele Sab'e Bahaz Lohe Nasir and other tracts and epistles before my departure I succeeded in arranging with the prince telegraphist secretary that he should copy out for me a selection of these treasures which the owners kindly consented to place at my disposal End of section 42 recording by Nicholas James Bridgewater recorded in London England