The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-09-16
A JAUNT IN PERSIA.
ProParaffons Necessary for q MountaiAeef
ing Trip In the Shah's Dominions.

Prepara4fons Necessary for q MountAineer>
ing Trip In the Shah's Donainions.
This Is the way VIC were obliged 10
prepare for the trip in order to roach
our destination. 1t was essential that
We should take with us tents, bedding,
crockery and sufficient animals to carry
ourselves, the servants and the outfit
This required the employment OF much
talking and OF occasional thrashing
when the insoienee OF the c1ssCadar'. or
muletser. interfercd with the clinching
OF . bargain After several days Of
preparation AL seemed ready for the
start One curious circumstance about
the journey. however, was the fact that
we were obliged to journey by night
The great heat makes It Impossible to
travel in Persia in the middle of the
day during the greater part Of tho year.
Our departure Mas therefore so timed
that We could have the benefit Of the
full moon Once on the road, and
winding through narrow lanes at
moderate walk, we were able to OBJ
serve what an imposing procession we
made. At the head rode the siliodar.
or eQuerry. mounted on white Shira~
zee Arab stallion Two gentlemen fol-
lowed. aud next to them came several
ladies on donkeys The taclstracan was
next in order. carrying the invalid Of
the party. This is curious vehicle
peculiar to Persia and Turkey. 1t is
a covered litter borne between two
mulsS, and contains sliding doors and
windows It is rendered reasonably
comfortable by mattresses on which 8
AL i, y,
tachtrsvan OF the wealthy is sometimes
made OF Kings OF Persia using it many
centuries ago But generally this con-
veyance is more heavily constructed
than is necessary, owing to the diff
Guilty Of finding wood which is at once
light and strong In Persia The march
of tachtravsn is necessarily tediously
slow, but It is announced for long dis
tancs by the strings of jangling bells
carried by the gayly-decoratsd mules,
which do not, however, seem TO appre-
date the wealth and weight Of orna-
meht lavished upon them. On level
roads the tachtravan is q real luxury;
but when there Is steep ascent or de-
scent combined with bad roads. this
form Of locomotion IS not only very try
ing TO the mules. but is also a severe
sfrHin on the rider, both on account of
the exertion requisite in preserving his
position and the nervous strain caused
by watching the frequent peril of being
hurled over : precipice At the
head Of the leading mule marched
8 stately Arab, AbduIlah Tbn Hassan-
His gait was that Of q prince; he
was Six feet in height spaEefy built and
perfectly erect a came's-hair tunic
reached to the ankles. His head was
muf1ed with a striped mantle bound
around the forehead with white cord
His swarthy features were haggard but
yet handsome, and the dark ofbs which
flashed from under cayegnous brows
were marked by proud and romantic
melancholy, deepening into . glow OF
injured pride tinged With sadneas when
he was refused q backsheesh, as if he
would fsproacA yQq for having dfssP>
pointed tie confidence he had TepQetd
IN your elevated generosity. What q
standard Is 70 an aTmy was thi{ son 81
the desert to our humber train He
gave to It spcA bearing that he seemed
to Be the chief person ID it instead Of a
poor mule-driver earning twenty cents g
day trsversing the wastes of an ancient
land male-driver by descent and the
father Of mule-drivers of the future In
| looking At Abdullah Ibn Hassan vas
led by very whimsical turn Of the mind
to think of La Fotheringay, in Thack-
ery's 'Psndennis" Did that great
| reader Of human nature realize when he
delineated her character what q type
she Ia Of Q numerous class who are sc
richly endowed with lofty mien and
aspect that uptIl they open their mouths
and betray themselves they pass fol
something far highe. than they 500