The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-11-26

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. D. CO
~ ERSIA, whose throne has just
- been assumed by Riga Khan
after the deposition of the
shah, Is one of the oldest
empires In existence. 1t has had
royal ruler for % centuries-ever
since Cyrus the Great, about $50 3. G.
conquered Media and united that coun-
try to his under the name of Persia.
1t has had many glorious episodes in
its long history; has produced the
great teacher Zoroaster, such world
famous poets as Firdawsi, Omar
Khayyam, Saadi and Hafiz, and such
great soldiers and rulers as Darius l,
Shapur ! and Shah Abbas.
Again and again the empire has
been prey to anarchy; again and
again conquering hosts have swept
through the country. The most de-
structive conqueror was Genghis Khan
with his hordes of savage Mongols-
a leader who boosted that he had
slain 100000 of his fellow erea-
lures
AT the present day, though shorn of
it's former dimensions, Persia is more
than three times the size of France,
yet it has only nine and half mil
lions of inhabitants-fiftee to a
square mile. AS the population of the
whole country is not equal to that of
London, New York and Paris COM
bined, none will be astonished to learn
that it is possible to travel for days
at time without coming across vii
lage or even a human being.
The center of the country is great
plateau, rising from 1000 to 5000 feet,
and crossed by FREQUENT chains of
mountains, while a lofty mountain
barrier bounds it on the north and
south.
The climate on this plateau is
fine one-dry and bracing, cold in win
ter and often intensely hot in summer.
The Lut, or desert. once an inland
sea, occupies the center of Persia, cut
ting off the north from the south and
the east from the west, and thus rem
dering communication difficult. In
fact, it helps to make transport so
costly that the different districts and
principal towns are practically iso-
lated and cannot depend upon other
parts of the country, even in such a
case as that of famine.
There are great differences of eli
In hn III m lnrxy-Ixyinu
feverish district around the Caspian
with it's dense forests and 80 inches Of
rainfall, being in complete contrast to
the arid uplands. where as q rule not
tree or blade of grass is to be seen
save on the irrigated ground round a
village.
Again, on the shores Of the Persian
gulf, the humid heat during summer
is well-nigh intolerable to Europeans,
and the groves of date-palms that
constitute the wealth as well as staple
food of the inhabitants are only pos
sible where there is irrigation. so rain
less Is this torrid region.
Poor Transport and Hotels.
In the whole Persian empire there
are only $50 miles of railway. There
is only one navigable river, the Karun,
that flows into the head of the Per-
sian gulf, and on this sea the so-called
ports are merely open roadsteads. at
which cargo cannot be landed in
stormy weather.
The merchandise of Persia is prac-
tically all carried on the backs of
camels, mules and donkeys slow and
expensive mode of transport, and the
traveller usually rides through the
country following the tracks made by
the passage of caravans during the
centuries.
1t will be readily understood that
hotels must be bad if not nonexistent;
and indeed the ordinary caravanserai,
swarming with verrnin, with only open
ings in it's walls in place of doors and
windows, with no furniture of any de-
scription, and hardly any food, would
appal any one unaccNlstomed to east
ern travel.
The Persian is of Aryan stock and
has the same words as ourselves for
father, mother, brother. and daughter
(pidar, madar, bradar, and dukhtar),
and the construction Of his language is
like that of English. He is hand
some. well-built man with regular fea-
lures and fine black eyes his complex
ion being no darker than that Of an
italian In manner, he is most cour
teous he is quick. alert fond of con
versation and discussion and has been