New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

y.ors font mr. t,vo dozen in liquid manure: or they
could bcsov; Themselves in one of number OF SIM
ME recesses or acovcs in the stable wall and 'hclc
SID and sleep in company WIN horses' ""i'
camels. oxen. and sheep. Mrs. Bishop frequen'iS
had to do this She would have preferred 10 pl'cn
hcr tent in some open space, away from tne Nun "u
s,tncb Of tho caravansemis, but the village herd
men would not permit this rs they are answeripc
for the safety of travellers, and feared that she
would be robbed by the prowling brigands that III
| fest the country.
Mrs Bird went 10 Isfahan, but found the popu-
Iotion tberc so fanatcal that no Christian dared
| venture into the place She stayed with pleas
ant missionary family. end made preparations for
her Journey among the Bakhtars, in the Highlands
of the Karun region. visit was made TO lcheran,
or Tihran as she spells it, and here she enjoyed the
hospitality of the EngSh Minister, Sir Drummoad
Wolf and saw the Shah and his treasure room, of
| which she riv,s Il Ccs':,Jtl3I from which VIC e.
| t-,ct q MASSAGE THE decorations of this magDf
ccnt hall are in blue and white stucco Of the hard,
| fine kind, hardly distinguishablc from marble,
known as 'gach,' and much glass is introduced in
| tbc ceiling The proportions OF the room are per-
feet The floor is of fine tiles of exquisite colOring
arranged us mosaics A table is overaid with
beaten gold and chairs in rows are treated in the
same fashion. Glass cases round the room and on
costly tables contain the fabulous treasures Of the
Shah and many of the crown jewels. Possibly the
| accumulated splendors of pearls diamonds rubics
cmcralds sapphres basins and vessels Of solid gold,
ancient armor flashing with precious stones shields
studded with diamonds and rubies, scabbards and
sword hilts incrusted with costly gems helmets red
J with rubirs, golden trays and vessels thick with
diamonds, crowns OF Jewels chains, ornaments,
| masculine solely Of every description, icwelled
coats Of mail dating back TO the reign of Shah Is
macl, exquisite enamcls Of great antiquity, all in
profuson not 10 be described, have no counterpart
| on earth. They are dream Of spendor not TO he
forgotten" Then there is the celebrated Peacock
| Throne which Nadir Shah brought from Delhi, and
which has been valued at 81, 100000. But these
are only part Of the Shah's treasures. The most
precious. including the great diamond Dar-i-Nur
Sea Of Light said to be the second diamond in the
world are kept elsewhere in strong iron safes, to-
gcther with great horlcs of bullion.
Mr. Bishop thought the Shah very brusquc in
his manner, but keen and intelligent: but he did
not dcign to converse with her When she was Mt
| Thran the English influence was predominant
there. but most of the Persian statesmen ami PEG
| pie Of distinction whom she met appeared - think
| that before long Russia would occupy and absorb
the country nor were they much disturbed by this
anticipation. Her Journey into the Ia1htiari coun-
| try took her among the Ilyc;s native tribes who
| occupy position something similar 10 that Of tie
| Scotch IlghlanGers century and a half ago. The
Ialihtars are half wild people, whose chiefs live
| in strong castles when they are not too poor IL
build them. and keep up sort Of fcudal state.
| Mrs Bishop visited many harcms in thi, region.
her reputation biased on the possession of a mcii-
| cine chest IS IIakim or physician. making her
80 greatly in request that wherever she stopped for
| the night she was mobhcd by applicants for
remedies OF every conceivable kind. In
the harcms the special demand was for drugs
which would make the husband love some par
| tcular wife. JcalousT and intrigue flourish in
these establishments tho women hfvc nothing
TO do: they are wholly uncducatcd: ~ rule
foarfullv stupid: ard are bored TO death with
their idle. cycntlcs existence II is no wonder
that they conspirc whenever possible for il is the
only excitement eycr open 70 them. Mrs.. Bishop
found them very unintcrcSting aud not often
pretty.
The Balhtiari resemble certain Americans las
in parts Of kcutWky and 1cnncsSccl in having
blood leud-. which they appear 10 cherish quite
unfortunately. These mountaincerS. in fact, are
always fighting among themselves and frankly /
avow that rcac Is unknown in their country
Our traveller encountered a great deal Of terribly
rough country On this journey. but she was gen
orally able 10 emp in tic open. and that insure,
her sound rest The provendcr also was con-
monty catab'e and abundant \ drawback WIS
tie invcterac thcving proprnsics Of the porte
As she went forward her route was punctuacl
by losses Of property conveyed" al night with
the utmost idroitncss When she arrived in the
country Of the Lurs the conditions became wG,c
for now II was question whether those pnfcS-
siora hrga1dS would not take evcrything.-ho..cs
mules and provisions. besides the goods and wen
the cloihis Of the party. They have a pleasing
custom stripping travellers 10 their shirts and
then turing them loose. and but for tie flc5
that Nh. f.rd bad three four stalwart ami RESP
lutc moi with her. all fully convcrsant with tie
PEOPLE about them. there can be little doubt TINT
the expedition would have terminated amng
the lars, and perhaps the brave lady who lee il
wouli have left her bones to Written in those in
hoSIitablc mountains But nothing is more re-
ma'kablc in these travels than the impcrtlrba-
biiiiy Of the narrator, unless it be her patience
and ccnlencsS. She never appears 10 have lost
her temper no matter what the provocatin She
engaged man as her guide and servant who
turned out an impostor He was 50 Icy that
half the time Mrs. Bishop had TO do her oyn work
but she endured lIadji with the swcctcs patience,
and Mt the Journeys end paid him in ull
Wherever she went in Persia she ound decay
and dirt and dihpdaton. Every city of i'm
portancc is half ruin Sanitary arrangements
are conspicuous by their absence. The caravan
scras are horrible Gens, already minated. II
is almost always dangerous 20 camp outside the
villages. and when raids not made upon
travellers petty thcfts are sure TO he pcrpctrated.
Mrs. Bishop owed much Of her discomfort to the
reports that she an Italian, and the crowds
that Hooked to ner tent night and morning were
not too scrupulous 10 snatch anything they fanccd
when her back turned. She had powerful
letters from the Tilran Government, requiring all
chiefs and authorities TO furnish her with armed
zaptichs for escort. and TO afford her every ac-
commodation but she discovered that in the
l'allhtiar country there were chiefs who
rocked little Of the Persian Government.
tlnunh she Avns seIlnm nnsitivcln insultnL M. |