, 1886-08-14

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Capital. -'
But there is yet a play ground almost
~untrodden BY tho tourist's1 loot aland
where hotels axe not-or Whtrs, q aAy
rate, there Il but one; = land whore the
eastern c~aravansary opens its hospitable
doors to every man. rich or poor; . land
where one can travel en- prino4, or PA
the hoof' and live decently. On ~ninepsece .
day; a country to ali iutents and purposes
the far east, ye. touchius Europe: . coun-
try interesting to the botanist and natu-
ralist, for Us verdant soil teens with ami
ma life, its streams ara full OF nsh limo
cont OF the arts Of the angler: . country
of magnificent forests, aboundinga with
game large and smali-pheassats, par
tridges, wild duck snipe, bears. wild
sheep. antelope, p~anthers, tigers-aye, and
lions; a country where . serviceable horse
is &c, be had for q 2lo note, and where feed
mate, perfection. aa1 rl airfrr@
N NORTHERN PERSIA.
This Is not a mere land OF dreams-it is
northern Persia Here peace reigns, the
roads are safe. crimes of violence are I'M
known. the people are tranquil London
to Berlin, aday and . half; Berlin to En-
xelli. on the Caspian. ten days; total eleven
days n = half. And this eleven and q
half days of travel II very vsxied From
Berlin to wilma (we1 worth = halt;
thence to ~Eydtkhunen aud then Russia-
dear old dirty -Russia-where they may be
rough, but where they are SO kind and
hospitable, charging nothing for the chill
dren on rail or boat. Orel-Griazi-Tzarit-
zin. Then the river steamer. With Its
good living, its zakouskas or snacks, Its
vodki, and its piver or Russian beer. and
fresh caviare a discretion. 1t Is almost
worth the journey to eat fresh c~aviare, to
say nothing OF sterlet. Then Astrakhan
md the Caspian sea. And here good. bye
civilization; goodbye tall hats and var
nished boots; goodbye to female society;
goodbye to Europe and European ~civiliza-
ton, hut not to civilization OF another
kind and hospitality Of a more than even
russian excellence. A few hours halt Ia
made at Derbend- This La an Asiatic, not
a European town, In fact. On TO Baku-a
halt OF two days; you land to ride to the
eternal hres, aud to marvel at the streets,
watered Will naphtha water. Just out
side the town you scratch the earth, apply
a match, and, 10, n flame. The surface Of
the sen may In some spots be iguited. The
place Is greasy with naphtha; the ruble
notes smell or it. Baku, since 1t struck
ile,s has become very rich The inhab-
itants seem to do little else but talk OF
naphtha, play at cards, u drink cham
payne.
On the twelfth day, having passed
thickly-wooded Lenkoran, you arrive at
your destination. The shah's tower, with
its bright colors, looms into sight like a
fairy pagods- The orange groves of En-
zelli run down to the waters edge. The
blue cloudless sky hangs over an earthly
paradise; while the distant dim blue
mountains, capped In places with snow,
tower above the dRrk and many-shaded
greens Of the dense forests. This Ia Pernia:
the land whose customs never change; the
land OF Hadji Baba; the land where a
despot rules patriarchally, where almost
all religions are tolerated.; and, be 1t, not
forgotten, where a pound goes further
h anywhere else. u
Here, then, Ia the country for the sports
man, the botanist, the entomologist, and
the artist. Also here is change, novelty,
freedom from restraint. Here Is the place
for the dreamer OF dreams and the smoker
OF pipes. For the Persian water pipe or
hubble bubble is the poetry of smoking.
and a pound Of the best Shiraz tobacco
costs o pence. I1'1
The bric-a-brac hunter will go on to
Teheran or Ispahan. The antiquarian or
archaologist will proceed to Rhe, the
ancient Rhages-to the tomb Of Cyrus, to
the statute OF Shahpur; he will visit Per
sepo.is and the tombs Of the kings. or he
will cross to Hamadan and see the ruins
OF Ecbatana, Shushan the palace, and the
tombs Of Esther and Mordecai. Thence
he will go on to Kermanshah. and visit
B stun for the sake of the rock sculp-
lures Of Darius the Mede, with the temple
Of Diana on the way. Returning home
via Bagdad, he will ponder over what was
once the Tower Of b ,bel. As for the man
who journeys for change of scene, a few
stages will take him put OF the fertile belt
near the Caspian sea, and, after travers-
ing many mountain passes and rocky
river gorges, he enters a bowling desert,
leaving the dense forests and plains OF
pasture. Not a tree, no water. an arid
plain, high mountains on all sides, and in
habitants none, or next to none
In thevcapital Europeans are few, and
the gorgeous magnincence of the shah
and his court Is somewhat oppressive.
Yelled beauties with their eunuchs are in
evidence; the crowded bazaars, the loaded
camels, mules. horses. and asses, all as in
the picture-books. The prodigality of
dress and of and the habitual
aFS " ~ HttNAOao hoto1ibu hAo I'LL
travelled and even the Travelled European.
Here men are bastinadoed and blown from
guns In true eastern manner. The Jew is
prosecuted by the Mussulman. Wine and
spirits are forbidden; but the court and
the lower classes in the capital indulge in
hearty libationz- The dervish, in his tall
hat and leopard skin. stalks the streets
with his club or huge ak. or stops o and
asks for aims stark naked The palaces
and country seats Of the king and his
mobiles are open to all Even the royal
jewels, the Deryah-iNur. or Sea OF Light,
the great diamond; the pigeon's-egg pearls;
the coffee-cup followed from a huge tur-
quois; the ruby ring-hoop. c%ollet, and
all carved from one stone; the heaps and
skeins of royal gems-all these win be
shown to the inquiring foreigner.-St
James Gazette.
Brain Work for Old Folks.
liant Welsh Carlyle said she. always
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