The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-07


snxa 10 Ms FsRsr MINISTER.
,.r<nS<.n Correspondence Of The London Newsl
h.vs had m opportunity q seeing bis
xssestv proceeding ir state 10 visit bis First
Sessjs,er. fhfs Iattey functionary combines
Il hlmse3f TIE offices OF Minister for For
e;yn Affairs and for War, but Is In reality
Prime Minister. He formerly held that po-
.,iiou. not only really as at present, but
also in name. As be was, however, ins,ru-
mental in causing Baron Reuters contract
= n regard 10 the Persian railwaysau mines
10 he accepted powerful coalition OF tne
court pArtv was formed against bim, ana
The shah was Obliged to dismiss him from
authority. As, however, II seems tDat
ss,ord minister could not be found OF the
: me mental calibre and tqNaily p'easisg TO
he chief OF the State, Hussein Khan was
accordingly placed in his present position,
and made Prime Minister IN all bat name.
no one. even nomipally, holding that ONCE.
Though daily, necessarily, In contact win
his Minister, the Shah annually pays bim
three public visits, 10 do him honor, the
ent,re ROYAL household as well as the Soy.
erejgu being entertained at dinner.
From the door OF the house where tDe
Shah wss paying a visit up TO the mansion
az The Minls,er--a distance OF over mile
the thorouQbfare was lined with troops.
Though they had taken up their position at
a O'clock in the morning, the Shah did not
snnear Till nearly ~ o'clock. Some hall.
honr preyious to this, sundry oid-iashioned
carriages drawn by a couple OF horses cach
and driven by uondescrip'-looking COACH
men. who, TO ell appearances, might nave
been royal solutions in undisguised pro-
fessiopal costume, might be seen making
their way. outside the ranks OF the troops
I'm the direction OF the Minister'S resi-
dcuce. These carriages contained some
Of the principal harem favorises, and were
preceded by crowd OF men IN ordinary
Persian civilian costume. beating the air and
fbe ground with long ozier rods and vocife-
rating 10 the bystanders TO "be blind" ana
10 turn their faces 10 The wall, lest by any
IN luck they might catch sight OF any OF the
"ljchts OF the harem" In the carriages.
The arrival Of the Shah was heralded by the
advent OF a number OF mounted policemen
dasbing along tue ranks IN an altogether
necessarily-lmpetuous manner. These
police, organized by the Count de
Monteforte, an Italian officer, arrived
at Teheran within the last TWO years,
are very credltably got up, ana am toid
are very efficient in maintaining order IN the
capital. They wear black tunic with yio-
let facings on collar and cuffs. and stripe
OF the same color down the dark trousers.
A small black cylindrical shake and long
boots complete their costume. The loot
notice carry short sabres OF European
model, that OF the mounted men being
longer. After the police came crowd OF
some thirty horsemen bearing large silver
maces. and behind these about hundred
mil nd having
bic. bairelled fowIing- pieces and old-fashion-
ed Persian muskets sluDg at their backs.
All these people were dressed very plainly
in sombre. colored civilian costumes. To
these succeeded some fifty oddly-costumed
proceeding at trot on either side
OF The wey. They were the Kings run
Each man wore a rather long-skirted red
tu,ic. ornamented with Il few scraps OF gold
lace sewn horizontally on the breast; a
pair OF dark knee-breeches, white cotton
stockings, and shoes with buckles and ro-
se,tes. The oldest part OF the costume was
the hat. II was OF black glazed leather, and
was not unlike fireman's helmet develop
Ing into a lancer's casque; or tbc-head-
dress worn by the eccentric pencil mer-
chant in Paris some years ago, when
he used TO drive about the streets in
a carriage selling his wares. From The cen'
ire and forward and rear ends OF the tall,
straight crest rise three punches OF red
artificial flowers, made TO resemble sweet
william blossoms. These are fixed on long
stems, that in the centre being the taller,
all nodding comicslly with every movement
Of the head Of the wearer. On all occasions
W ben the Shah appears in public be Is iDya-
riably accompanied by these comical-looking
persons, who run ahead, on each side OF and
behind his horse or carriage. In she midst
Of these rode group OF forty or fifty OF the
highest dignitaries OF the State, including
he First Minister and the COMMANDMENT.
Chief Of the army, the Hessem ell Seltaneb,
or "Sword OF the Kingdom"
All these functionaries were dressed 10
an exceedingly plain manner. AT the head
eode The Shah himself, il possible, still more
MAINLY dressed than the members OF the
rroup around him. Were ii not for the
crimson umbrella which be carried above
his head as an emblem OF supreme author
ity, / should certainly have been unable to
make him out in the crowd. AS | saw him
be seemed TO me much younger and hand
;omer man than his photographs would lead
one TO believe. Perhaps it was the glow cat
by the led umbrella which made him seem
Younger. Behind him came an immense con-
course OF horsemen, presumably belonging
70 the ROYAL household. Then followed a
closed carriage respondent with plate glass
and gliding, not unlike the Lord Mayors
State coach. Next came some horses, splen.
didly caparisoned, aud q number OF police
closed the procession. Perhaps the oldest
part OF the procession consisted OF the apes
and balloons, led along by their keepers and
intended TO amuse tae ladies OF the harem.
There was new feature introduced into
the scene-new for Persia, believe-the
scattering of flowers along the way In
front OF the Shah. One would have ex-
pected that children, or at least some tole.
Tably good-looking persons, would baye
this graceful act. Instead, there
were q couple Of ugly old men. whose Or
binary avocation 1t Is to throw water from
the leather bags they carry on their backs
10 alIay the dust when the Shah passes, and
who, having first performed the more use
full part OF their duties, were now TO be
seen hurrying about with articles resem-
bling wooden coal-scuttles under their
arms, scattering what looked like the sweep
ings OF nursery-garden in very business
like and unpoeical fashion. His Majesty
certainly had whatever physical advantage
that might accrue from walking over yege-
table matter. The allegorical element OF
the ceremony was decidedly In allegiance.