The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-02
IN THE LAND OF THE SUN
Mr.. M,D0yhLD TELLS MORE OF MS
STAY IN PEESIA.
Vivid Experiences OF Journey from 'e-
heran to the Caspian Porf-2oO Mice
Across the Countrywide Route
r.,chh,irg. July 2s. iS6i'

Lynchburg. July 2s' iooi'
Editor rrtr,os. The "Interyle"
with Mr. Alex. Mcdonald. our "ii'' en-
to Persia. published by you on iH9s .,ors
day. concluded with his prepdi'., ~
to start for America, upon - nv
absence have been entertainer -,
another conversation with him anu W.
endeavor TO share with pour readeFS ''e
enjoyment Of the narrative. .,.os,
well. Mr.. Minister" said in tne ,'o',
inslnuating tone could assume "i'.
had talked Won on recent OCCASION VIZ
I'll your patience was exhausted you
intinated that at a more convenient
season | might cali on you AGAIN are
you able to undergo another
infection this morning ,,-,..
"Oh. / must try" responder Mf. roi,ort-
aid. Though far from well; l"u Icp .J,,,,
cd me so correctly in the last intetsleHG
$50 unlike the drigel in the ~" ,
Herald attributed TO me- NM ,,o,
encouraged and. constrained 10 ~ JIe.
another talk But II am u, III, r have
pressing thought and spel tnaI diean-
Come home only 20 be SICK ana hi9dp,
pointed in ali my pleasant, plans anu
Expectations YOU must not aloW the III
teryiew' thereby to DE tihseu "''"
Wen. I don't think it is hardship,
said for Won TO talk about Persia
either sick or we'll as that Land oil tn5
sun seems TO have taken sTonbhoi"
YES. admit it: so you may proceed.
T'pOn nv suggesting that II was no
doubt with a light heart that ne pau
adieU TO Teheran. and Ike the star Oh
Empire. westward took ms way, ne re-
piled that while full of eager anticipation
Of meeting his old friends again. II was
nevertheless not without certain heaEi-
ness Of heart that he set forth from uIS
Persian capital. The year tuaL nd
passed there" said he, was very pleas
ant one. | had made many aSgrcapIe az
quaintances, and / may say some warm
friendships. And, then, / had srau"alE
iamiliarized both my bodily ana inehlal
vision 20 a new world Of oriental pomp
and splendOr and beauty and TO pohtlcal
and social usages transmitted win but
little change from an as~ mat ante,
dates all authentic hiStory-a novel anu
affOrbingly interesting experience.
But these novel occupations ana pleas
ures were never able for single day
10 emancipate my thoughts from my
Virginia home.
"Teheran is i'm the northern part %
Persia that borders on the Caspian sea,
and this province is in the same lati-
tude as the southern portion OF Virginia.
The aspect of the heavens there is con-
scquently Identical with that which We
mosphere is such that The floor Of heav-
on appears I'm very truth 20 be- IN slc
phrase OF Lorenzo. thick inl1i1 with
patines Of bright gold. OFTEN have ! sat
and musinsly looked out upon the SPLEEN
did panorama until ] 'OutWatched the
bear remembering that the same bright
lunnarics nightly looked down on my
distant home upon the James. But On
ough OF this. or | viii be taken for a
sentmentalist or Ike Caesar I'm Cassius
satire no better than sick girl"
TrHEEAS's ATTRACTIONS.
"We}I, Air. Mcdonald. my suggestion
that YOU doubtless babe adieu 20 Tehe-
ran with a light heart has indeed led
YOU into mcdltative sOliiOqTy; but
your relied tons seem TO me most natural
10 a contemplative and rational person
under such circumstances as surrounded
You. Before taking final leave of Tehe-
ran ! viii ask You whether the physi-
cal features Of the region about the
city are attractive: / know that for
months Al time II does not rain in Per
STA ana / suppose that much Of the cOun-
try must be arid and uninteresting: and
| recall Byron's designation OF Land of
the sun 70 which you have referred"
Yes. that Is so. From April 10 Novem-
Der IL does not, as rule. rain at all,
ana there are vast regions covered only
with sand and gravel and salt. deserts
that' are oyerhung and half hidden by
ml1aSeS. This is the case I'm the central
and southern provinces. among them
khorasSan. where Moore locates his
Yelled Prophet But even there you will
ma much luxLriant vegetation border
ing the occasional streams or produced
by artificial irrigation, for II has been
truly said II this country that wherever
there Is the smell OF water il blossoms
ike the rose The transition from barren
a",dity 10 tecnlng Verdure is often so
abrupt as TO both bewider ana delight.
"Teherdn Is situated I'm an elevated re-
zion many thousand feet above the sea
Just where the central plateau begins
90 rise into the northern provinces mat
border on the Caspian. Indeed. at the
very walls Of the city he gradual rise
begins towards the Shimran, a part OF
the lofty Eiburg range Upon this slope
az distance Of ten or twelve miles from
the city, and an elevation higher than
the city 10y fifteen hundred feet many
Europeans and Persiars. including the
court ana most Of the foreign legations |
pass tho summer i'm private villas. CT
Eamiets and villages. Here during the |
DAY there Is constant breeze. while at |
niEht blanket Is necessary FOR comfort |
Thirty miles distant 10 tho northwest tie |
famous DemanVend lifts its heaven pierre |
'c mead 90 tLe enormous height OF twan- |
tN-twO thous1nG feet. or over four mii"s !
being mile higher than Mont Blarc |
mat The spirits in Manfred crowned |
Monarch Of Mountains Ten thousand |
feet above the surrounding range THIS |
majestic 1bject towers in eternal sofa
ton
1T is in the shape Of a ryramidal cone
the summit covered With perpftNal snow. |
u Is about the same distance from the |
city as the Peaks Of otter from Lynch |
burg. our peaks are less than four thOus-
ana feet above the sea level.
Now. imagine five such peaks, piled one
above the other, Ike PeiiOn upon Ossa.
ana YOU viii have some idea or the sub
lisne spectacle and lonely grandeur Of |
The mighty Dsmavend Whenever there
are clouds the top IS obscured and when
mus contemplating In tha lines of cold |
smith often come into my mind:
Tho round its breast the rolling clouds
are spread
Eternal sunshine settles on its head.
IN ,fKmcAN's JOURNEY.
Upon t..dt head the foot Of man. as far
as / know. has but once been planted.
An American missionary scaled the peril
Gus ACTIVITY ana unfurled the American
flag IN the azure depths where Eternity |
seemed thIored in Icy halls Of cold
subimity'"
THAT illustrates" remarked THE IA
miiar proyefb that there Is no spot upon !
The known world whore the everlasting
Yankee may not be- found. But you have
fingered SO long ia Persia that | shall
nave but little Of your journey home
unless start You upon your travels az
once. Tel me something about that"
II will try" said Mr. Mcdonald but
very inadequstely could / hope 10 con
sey To any one the various and vivid ex-
perlences OF that journey. The dis
lance from Teheran. by the usual route.
10 the Caspian port is about two hundred
and thirty miles. though the distance
TO that sea by direct line IS probably
less than a hundred. The FIRST hundred
miles was along broad. smooth high
way 10 the city Of kasvin; from thar
place 20 the sea the road lay over the
)recipiious passes Of the Elburz chain.
ITO kasVin the journey was made IN