Part 6 (2/2)

Soe to obtain, after all this wanton destruction, lead enough for a couple of bullets; but the vandalise done to works of art

I felt a special interest in the names of the older and more recent Asiatic travellers, which I found carved in many places about the ruins

I ed, from the time of the first captivity of the Jews, and written by the unfortunate ed into slavery Most nalish travellers; of Gerrieved at not being able to find a single Hungarian after two days' search I asked myself if I were the first ofcountry with its rehted to coarian inscription, ”Marothi Istvan, 1839,” in a recess of a , as I was exa the base of an immense structure, built of blackwith a childish triumph; and to relieve its loneliness, I addedabove the latter, ”Eljen a Magyar!” (Hungary for ever!)

A caravan, cariht I joined it, and on the following lad to learn that I had every reason to be satisfied with having done so, for all of the travellers came from _Zerkuht here, although it is not far from their native place, in order to afford time to their relatives and friends, to whom they had sent information of their approach, to make the necessary preparations for their festive reception As we drew near the village ere met by crowds of people, ere constantly reinforced by newco and kissing Every one of the pilgrie people, and not only he himself, but his ass, too, were carried ho the streets of the village, I could not help adriers Some of the from the many embraces, but they all heroically endured the infliction; nay, they delighted in it, for to have visited Hussein's the belovedbeen raised above the common herd, and to ee to Kerbela

I left Zerkum in the company of a _tcharvadar_ (owner of aniether to shi+raz These people were fro been absent froet there Every Persian is given to exaggeration in speaking of the sights and wonders of his native city, but theseI had yet experienced in the way of civic glorification, and I could not help looking forward to so extraordinary in shi+raz The recollection of some verses by Hafiz, full of praises of the shores of _Ruknabad_ and the flowery places of _Musalla_, which I had retained in hest pitch We had been advancing for about half an hour when the shout of ”Ruknabad! Ruknabad!” burst simultaneously from the lips ofwe should have to pass over the bridge, crossing the river, and wishi+ng, in doing so, to lead my animal by the bridle; but my pains were all wasted

The Ruknabad river, of which poets deenificant brook hardly three spans wide, the shalloaters of which gaily leap over its gravel bottom

I own ht, a slight shock, nor werespirits revived by the appearance of the surrounding country Cold, bare rocks were staring at etation of any kind; yetme that ere quite near to shi+raz We reached at last an opening, called _Tenghi Allah Ekber_ (the pass of Allah Ekber) by the Persians From this place the traveller obtains his first view of the wide-spreading valley below him, in the centre of which rises the city of shi+raz

XV

shi+RAZ

The sight of shi+raz, standing in the roves of thickly planted cypress trees, is quite a relief for the eye, wearied with the monotonous look-out upon the barren desert and bare rocks The natives say that looking at the enchanting capital of Southern Persia froer in his admiration involuntarily bursts out into the custoreatest), and that the place owes its appellation to this excla over the extensive valley, reen of the cypress The city is fringed by a garland of cypress gardens, through which a wide brook meanders like a silvery ribbon Proud edifices rear their heads both inside and outside the walls of the city, the brilliant cupola of the Shah Tchiragup most conspicuously Beyond and opposite to it the far-stretching plain is bordered by a lofty chain of h Kazerun as far as the shores of the Gulf of Persia

Thus the valley is screened by natural walls of rock both to the north and south, and shi+raz stands forest all the cities of Persia in the matter of climate, fertility and purity of air

shi+raz owes its fertility especially to its great abundance of water

Its vegetation is so luxuriant that roses and other flowers are bloo their sweet-sreen sward, and whilst in other parts of Persia the favourite ot but twice in the year, it can be obtained here throughout all seasons But what challenges most the admiration of the Western traveller is the exquisitely pure air, the beauty of its blue sky, excelling in these all other parts of Persia, the whole of Asia and, I may add, every country in the world The air in shi+raz, in spite of its southern position, is bracing enough, and I do not at all wonder that the people, under the influence of their benign climate, are fond of pleasure, and pass their lives in continual a They have a proverb which says:

”In Isfahan ers and drinkers only in shi+raz you see”

And, indeed, I do not know of a town in Persia, the inhabitants of which are as merry and jovial as those of shi+raz Centuries have passed by since Hafiz, the glorifier of wine, sung his odes here, but a sojourn of a very few days in the capital of Fars will convince any one that the people of shi+raz have not modified a hair's breadth their views of life since the ties freely in wine in spite of the rigid inhibition of the Mohammedan law The poor journeyin their libations as soon as the dusk of evening sets in, and keep up their ht, and even later

As I had now reached the end of my immediate journey, and intended to e court of the ht with ave , especially, the abundance and cheapness of food True to h the streets of the city, on the first day of reatzealous shi+-ites, never neglected an opportunity inO that I bore their vituperations of hly pleased withthe first weeks of reeable

One day, I happened to learn that a European, a native of Sweden, was living in the city and practising as a physician My love of adventure i him a visit; but I deternito and to appear before him as a dervish When I entered his rooood doctor iet rid ofa dervish

”What, dost thou give me money?” I exclaimed ”I come to seek thy confidence, not thy money I come from a far-off country I am sent to thee by ion that thou followest and to lead thee to the path of the true faith I adad to make a Mussulman of thee”

The doctor to who were by no means new, replied with a suppressed smile:

”This is all very fine, very fine, my dervish, yet it is not usual to try conversion in such a co and eloquent speech How canst thou prove to me that thy chief has sent thee to me, and that he can work miracles?”