The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-02
THE PIPE IN PERSIA.
A SMOKING APPARATUS OF COM.
PuIcATED CONSTRUCTION.
The PersIan's Fondness for His Water
Pips-Filiing Pipe on Horseback at
Full GaIIop-Etiqustts Among
Smokers.
brooklyn Eagle. ]

brooklyn Eagle.l
The Persians, whose boast is that they, Of
all the nations Of western Asia, have the
most highly educated and refined taste. Pc
culiar mental advantages and the Oldest
civilization, have certainly attained the
SiBssss 9seS sobseco e Persian tobacco
known under the name Of tambalu, 10 some
what different from other sorts, added to
which the apparatus out Of which 1t Is en-
joyed Is decidedly different It's several
parts are as follows: First Of all Is the YES
sci for holding water, which Is made either
out OF clay, Of which the best are prepared
at Nisvahan, or Of glass, which are i'm
ported from Russia or Bohemia, or, lastly,
Of cocoanut mounted in silver. This last Ia
justly accounted the most luxurious, for the
nut Is carefully selected and then set in
silver or gold, splendidly chased, and often
adorned with precious stones.
Then the beadpiece Is hollow; often as
much as a foot high, made Of black wood,
but, among the richer classes. sometimes Of
silver, and Is adorned with little chains or
other ornaments On the top Of this Il set
the pipe bowl, which Is made either Of clay
or wood. Its inner surface is smeared
with chalk; the outer surface, on the con-
trary, is. by the rich, platei with silver or
gold, and often covered with all sorts Of
ornaments and jewels. For this purpose
enamel is especially employed, on which ex-
quisits patterns are painted, and the artists
Of Ispahan and Of Shiraz, who are the most
celebrated In this line, often receive as much
as from $50 to $40 for painting and adorn-
ing one Of these bowls. The last piece Of
the complicated apparatus Is the thin
tube, which Is fixed In the vessel
containing water In its place Is some
times used long snakelike tube made Of
leather. This, however, is considered .
piece Of luxury, and seldom used except
when travelling or riding on horseback On
such occasions. the servant, who rides be-
hind his master, carries the apparatus, while
the latter only holds the mouthpisce.
Taken all In all, the Persian water pipe Is,
when tastiiy made, a very ornamental piece
OF furniture. 1t Is also more Oriental in its
character than the chibouqus, as the smoker
Is Obliged to sit down while using It The
Persian is passionately fond Of 1t, and when,
leaning forward from his seat he breathes
around him the light wreaths Of psrfumsd
smoke, he has attained the highest Of enjoy
ment The Turkish chibouqus Is at all times
and places equally agreeable; but tho
Persian water pipe is considered to be
most enjoyable in the early morning, and
Just before sunset Every Persian house
has, in the middle Of its court, . small
fountain, by the side Of which they esps-
cially love to smoke.
Tho best tambaku Is grown In Shiraz and
its nsighborhood, especially in the village
Zergne. IL is there produced in tolerably
large quantities and the yearly export OF
this article amounts to some $50, 00G. 1t is,
for the most part. packed in sacks, with tho
leaf entire, and, as it Is very friabls, the
consumer prepares it for uss by merely rub
bing it between his fager& The tobaru0
should never be allowed to remain wet for
a longer time than an hour before being
smoked, and the water In the water holder
should be changed for every fresh
pipe. Altogether it requires more care
full attendance than the Turkish pipe.
Consequently a Persian keeps more ssrv-
ant for this eni At least two are nscss-
sary-one to fill tho pipe, and the other to
hand it when filled ID his Iua ter. When on
journey, such servant has horse especi.
ally set apart for him. On one siie Of the
saddle hangs the leather water bottle. on the
other the pan Of live Goals, while pipe and
tobacco are packed in . case fixed to the
pom mel Of the saddle. These servants are
for the most part very nimbls In doing their
work, and 1t is interesting to SEQ such a one
on journey put together the different parts
Of the whole concern and with outstretched
arm give his master the mouthpiecs while
both are in full gallop
As the Persian Is on all occasions q careful
observer of etiquette, he has numberless
ceremonies to be observed with regard to
the pipe. He has summer pipes and winter
pipes, pipes for different ranks, ages and
sexes. When q party Is given IL is customary
that pipes be offered TO the whole company
simultaneously. The servants approach in
line, each offers his pipe to the smoker for
whom 1t Il destined at one and the samo
MON ,ut. and 1t is only when they have re-
tired that the master Of tho house
opens the gurgling cJncsrt, all the
guests carefully keeping time with
him. After a few pulls the pipes
are exchanged, both parties observing set
formalitiss and making many bows as they
mutually give and receive this token Of es-
mory Is considered the height OF bad breed
ing, and to put the pips more than half an
inch la the mouth a q mark OF great greed.
iness 1t must, however. be observed that
these nceties Of behavior are not observed
merely by the higher and better edpcatsd
classes. but are in vogue among the lower
orders also, for every Persian wishes to be
ron iiersd polite.
The ladies, who in Persia enjoy cons dera-
bly, more freedom than In Turkey, can in
dnlge themselves with smoking with less
constraint than In the latter country.
Young girls and elderly matrons alike
spend hours over their pipes. the richsr ones
accompanying every third Whit with bit
Of sugar. As smoking out Of the same pipe
Is accounted az a sign OF friendly feeling
and confidence, the pipe plays IN impor-
tant part In interviews Of . tender nature.
The expression ITO eat out Of ths same dish"
Is in Persia applied TO the pipe. As the fair
sex here are even more as,iduously devoted
TO the practice Of smoking than in Turkey,
the mouths Of prinosssss and peasant women
alike have = very strong smell.