Year: 1873

Life in Persia.


The New York Herald, which


now employs the most brilliant stat


of correspondents in the world, has a
| a letter apropos of the sbah's visit
descriptive of life in Persia, from
which we make copious extracts
Mr.. Murray is a reliable writer:
and his accounts may be considered
as true and like, as they are IN


teresting:


THE SHAH AT HOME.


The little dark manih spectacles
about whom 80 much fuss has beer


made, was, and still is likely to DC
for a short time, q very terrible
person indeed upon his own terri
tory. There is no one to oppose
him-rlo middle class, no nobility
no rich men; for the theory OF the
Persian law is that His Majesty is
the universal heir of everybody in
his dominions. Every one who
holds any sort of power or authorl' : o.
ty is merely q creature OF the
Shah 'stbreath. He could make a
Prime Minister out of a water car
rier and by a word hurl him down
as easily. His wrath is altogether
a surprising thing to modern ma
tions. Now and then he causes
some solemn looking Khan to be
seized and tied with bis face to a
donkeg's tail. In this pitiable
plight7he is marched about the cap
ital, and his mouth is filled with
human excrement at every street
corner.


THE LATE PRIME MINISTER.


TheiPersian Prime Minister who
insisted on having his relatives
money! from the Maltese Stevens
was one of the most vigorous
minded Oriental statesmen who has
been seen for some generations.
His rule was very firm, and upon
the whole benefcent. He rose to
great wealth and authority; for the
Shah, after short trial at the be-
ginning of his reign, never inter-
fered with State affairs. However,
Notwithstanding his ability and re-
sources, he was cut down to moth
ingness in single day. All his
connections were seized and SUBJ
iected to horrible tortures.


Few of the public men in Persia
have escaped the stick, and they
actually seem to like it. It is q
terrible punishment, consisting of
blows with stout stick, welded by
stout arms and applied to the soles
Of the feet. It makes the very nails
of them fall off, and ,obliges the
sufferer to keep his bed, Tor rather
his carpet), in recumbent position
for weeks or months. Nevertheless,
It carries no disgrace with it, and a
Persian Minister, once speaking
even in private with o British En-
voy, said meaningly: "The Shah is
q very great king; a very great
king indeed. Look at my feet!"
There was not a nail upon either of
them.


Not long ago the Shah used him
self to sit in Judgment after the
fashion of David and Solomon.
By a simple horizontal motion of
the right hand he ordered peoples
heads,to be cut off by the dozen,
and one Of his courtiers sagaciously
observed that he always felt his
head to know if it was really on
when he quilted the royal presence.
One day. however, when the Rus
sian Ambassador received an audi
ence to present his credentials,
bloody. head rolled under bis feet
and so startled him that he begged
such sights might not be forced on
him again. Since then the Shah
does his killing privately-but he
does it. Some years ago he had a
culprit cut into forty pieces. There
is really no law in Persia but his
will, and this energetic sovereign
is the potentate whom Europe has
delighted to honor.


THE BANDITS OF PERSIA.


It is quite true that living was
formerly cheap in Persia, and per-
haps it is still so as compared with
the prices of New York, Paris and
London; but it will be cheap only
so long as foreign consumers are
kept, as they have been hitherto
kept, out of the country, by the
difficulty of getting into it. During
half the year the roads are covered
by snow; for three months more
they are perilous from mud and
slush.. In the hot season the sun
and the east wind beat pitilessly on
tie traveller. There are no inns on
the way, nothing but a few empty
and desolate barns and posting
houses, which swarm with vermin
and afford nothing but a dubious
shelter. The wild tribes on the
frontier between Turkey and Persia
are always in movement, and wan
der about in armed bands thousands
strong. They are ferocious and