A Land March from England to Ceylon Forty Years Ago Through Dalmatia Montenegro Turkey Asia Minor Syria Palestine Assyria Persia Afghanistan Scinde and India

27 the communication with Nishapour and Mushed ; cosequently it is to their interest to encourage this fear of the Turcomans and impress passengers with an idea of the danger of the roads ; and they themselves spread the reports of the numbers of these brigands fearing that if the roads acquired the reputation of being safe and unimpeded they would be deprived of their immunities ; in additi [...] It was now quite dark and I was in danger of losing my bearings ; judging however from the faint light which had not yet disappeared in the west and the outlines of the mountains which were indistinctly traced on the northern sky I took a north-easterly course as I was sure of finding villages on the lower slopes of the mountains and soon the appearance of a bright blaze in the same direct [...] The people however are careless and do not even keep a guard at the gates ; a broad street traverses the middle of the town and the houses are closely built together the population being numerous ; the natives seemed to have no determinate character ; they have neither the marked deceitful physiognomy of the Persian nor the open countenance of the Afghan but are a combination of both with th [...] The next day the 27th was the first day of the Rhamazaun the new moon having appeared last night ; the guide not being early in attendance I set off by myself: a large party of townspeople had collected to see me start and fearing to incur the anger of the Khan if I were allowed to go alone they despatched a man to the gates to order the keeper to prevent my egress : but as my horse walked [...] About half a mile from the town on the north side is the ruin of a most magnificent mosque the shell of which remains with eight or nine minarets the principal of which are massive and very lofty ; the minarets and facades are inlaid with glazed tiles in beautiful patterns and of the most brilliant colours and surpass anything of the kind I have ever seen ; the Persians purposely avoided inj