Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-10-16

country. Next is Shiraz, with popu-
ation of 10000 souls--a delightful
place, the emporium of literature, and
the residence of Henry Martyr while
translating the New Testament. Far
Their north, and across the desert, lies Is
pahan, the former capital; including the
Suburbs, it is "a miles in circumference,
and contains 100000 inhabitants. 1t is
now almost in ruins Next is Teheran,
the present capital, situated little south
of the Caspian. Northwest of this IS
Tebriz, the residence of tic heir appa-.l
rent, and on the west shore cf the Cas-
plan isDerbent These cities, and the,
scattering villages which are considera-
bly, numerous, contain but half the popu7
lation of the country The other half
is composed of wandering tribes, known
by the name of Eliauts This singular
race of men live partly by plnnder, and
partly by their herds, which they drive
about from place to place, as they can
find pasture for them. They are war
like, and march with their Khan at their
head; sometimes they commit depreda-
tons on each other, and sometimes at
tack the neighboring hordes of Tartary
and Cabul These are the men from
whom the Shah raises his army. Not
withstanding their predatory manner of
life, they are said TO be very kind and
hospitabe TO strangers, and the simph-
| city of their manners is so striking, that
| the traveller is reminded Of the days of
the patriarchs.
No civilized country, probably, is
| more destitute of accommodations, es-
pecially means of conveyance, than
Persia; there are no navigabe rivers, no
| canals, no highways, no wheel carriages;
and the only mode of travelling is upon
horses, mules, and camels.
Dir. Buchanan Says, the christian reli-
gion flourished very generally in Persia,
till the Saracen conquestin the year G5l.
In proof of this lie states, among other
things, the fact that Constantine the
Great, wrote to the king of Persia, re-
commencing the christian churches in
his dominions TO his protection Ever
since the Saracen conquest, Mahome-
danish, has been the established religion,
and to this is to be attributed the present
degradation of Persia, the despotic ma
ture of its government, and the copse-
guent oppression Of the subject. Net
more fatal to the miserable traveller is
tie sutfocating wind of the desert than
is Mahomedanism to all political, moral,
and intellectual Improvement.
Mahomedans are divided into two
great sects--the followers of Ali, and the
followers Of Omar; and the difference
between them is this: The followers Of
Ali consider the Koran as the chly rule
of faith and practice, while the disciples
of Omar, in addition to this, have Ger
tain traditions about prophet, which
they hold equally sacred. The Persians
belong to the sect OF Ali; and on ec-
count of this difference in sentiment,
there exists the most violent luminosity
between them and the Turks. Henry
Martyr relates an anecdote of his hos
pitable friend Jafier Ali Khan, that may
illustrate the fact. "Jafiier Ali Khan,"
he says, ''was once a great sayer of
prayers, and regularly passed every af-
ternoon for fourteen years, in cursing
the worshippers of Omar according to a
Fprescribed form.''
Moojtuhids are the professors of Ma
homedan law 1t was with the chief of
this class that Mr. Martyr held his first
public controversy. The conduct of the
chief in the argument was marked by a
:, great dread of close discussion; he talk
ed very dogmatically and loosely, and
avoided as much as possible the point in
debate. The Mahomedan priests are
called Moollahs. Mira Ibrahim, the
chief of the Moollahs, is the man with
whom Mr. Martyr held hts second pub
lie conference.-the same who also
wrote the Arabic defence of Mahome-
danisnl, which Mr. Martyr answered. In
this pamphlet, the Nc6llah maintained
great moderation and candour, though
at the same time there was much sophis-
try in the reasoning. He has the cha
racter of uprightness and uhbounded
hberality TO the poor. Many Of these
priests are public preachers at the
mosques; where some of them acquire
n high popularity, and draw around them
large audiences. In these performances,
they exhibit great enthusiasm, and strive,
by their violent harangues, to excite the
animal feelings Their practical piety,
however, if we may judge from an an
ecdote Of one of them related by Mr..
Martyr, is not of the highest order
Once he says, "they thronged him SO
much, that he made some error in his
prostrations; which put him into such a
| passion, that he swore that the curse of