Proceed to Teheran—Takhtrowan—Duties—Gulhaek—Lawn-tennis—Guebre gardener—A good road—The Shah—Custom of the Kūrūk—M. Gersteiger—Cossack regiments—Austrian officers—New coinage—Count Monteforte—New police—Boulevard des Ambassadeurs—English Embassy—Tile gates—Summer palaces—Bazaars—Russian goods—Demarvend—Drive to Ispahan—Difficulties of the journey—Accidents—Danger of sunstroke—Turkeys—Keeping peacocks—Armenian tribute of poultry—Burmese and Japanese embassies—Entertainment and fireworks—Cruel treatment of Jews—Oil paintings—Bahram and his queen—Practice makes perfect—Pharaoh and the Red Sea—Pharaoh and the magicians 368 CHAPTER XXXV. WE RETURN VIÂ THE CASPIAN. New Year’s presents—Shiraz custom—Our cook’s weaknesses—He takes the pledge—And becomes an opium-eater—Decide to go home—Dispose of kit—Start for Europe—Our own arrangements—Diary of our journey home—Arrival 379 APPENDIX A. Table of Post Stages and Ordinary Marches from Bushire, Persian Gulf, to Teheran 410 APPENDIX B. Duration of our Journey from Ispahan to London 412 APPENDIX C. Travelling in Persia 413 APPENDIX D. RUSSIAN GOODS VERSUS ENGLISH. The Karūn River route—The best means of reaching the Commercial Centres of Persia—Opinions of Experts—Wishes of Merchants 417 GLOSSARY OF PERSIAN WORDS 420 INDEX 429 LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. SOLOMON IN ALL HIS GLORY _Frontispiece._ PERSIAN BAND _To face page_ 91 FEMALE DANCERS AND EQUILIBRIST ” 114 THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS (NAKSH-I-RŪSTAM) ” 119 ARMENIAN WOMEN ” 132 THE BASTINADO ” 147 THREE SHOPS IN BAZAAR ” 189 THE PUL-I-KOJŪ ” 195 TENT LIFE—WANDERING TRIBES ” 262 A ROSEH-KHANA, OR PRAYER-MEETING ” 283 LION AND LUHLIS ” 307 MIDDLE-CLASS PERSIANS—PERSIAN BOY ” 317 OUTDOOR DRESS OF PERSIAN WOMEN ” 325