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Python 3 Object Oriented Programming 1st Edition
Dusty Phillips Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Dusty Phillips
ISBN(s): 9781847197900, 1849510660
Edition: 1
File Details: PDF, 5.88 MB
Year: 2010
Language: english
Python 3 Object Oriented
Programming

Harness the power of Python 3 objects

Dusty Phillips

BIRMINGHAM - MUMBAI
Python 3 Object Oriented Programming
Copyright © 2010 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written
permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in
critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy
of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book
is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author nor Packt
Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages
caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the
companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals.
However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: July 2010

Production Reference: 1160710

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

32 Lincoln Road
Olton
Birmingham, B27 6PA, UK.

ISBN 978-1-849511-26-1

www.packtpub.com

Cover Image by Asher Wishkerman (a.wishkerman@mpic.de )

 Credits

Author Editorial Team Leader

Dusty Phillips Mithun Sehgal

Reviewers Project Team Leader

Jason Chu Lata Basantani
Michael Driscoll
Dan McGee Project Coordinator
Jovita Pinto
Lawrence Oluyede

Proofreader
Acquisition Editor
Chris Smith
Steven Wilding

Graphics
Development Editor
Geetanjali Sawant
Mayuri Kokate

Production Coordinator
Technical Editor
Shantanu Zagade
Vanjeet D'souza

Cover Work
Indexer
Shantanu Zagade
Hemangini Bari
 About the Author

Dusty Phillips is a Canadian freelance software developer, teacher, martial artist,

and open source aficionado. He is closely affiliated with the Arch Linux community
and other open source projects. He maintains the Arch Linux storefronts, and
compiled the popular Arch Linux Handbook. Dusty holds a Master's degree in
Computer Science specializing in Human-Computer Interaction. He currently
has six different Python interpreters installed on his computer.

I would like to thank my editors, Steven Wilding and Mayuri Kokate

for well-timed encouragement and feedback. Many thanks to friend
and mentor Jason Chu for getting me started in Python and for
patiently answering numerous questions on Python, GIT, and life
over the years. Thanks to my father, C. C. Phillips, for inspiring me
to write while editing his terrific works of fiction. Finally, thanks
to every person who has said they can't wait to buy my book; your
enthusiasm has been a huge motivational force.
 About the Reviewers

Jason Chu is the CTO and part founder of Oprius Software Inc. He's developed
software professionally for over 8 years. Chu started using Python in 2003 with
version 2.2. When not developing personal or professional software, he spends his
time teaching karate, playing go, and having fun in his hometown: Victoria, BC,
Canada. You'll often find him out drinking the Back Hand of God Stout at Christie's
Carriage House.

Michael Driscoll has been programming Python for almost 4 years and has
dabbled in other languages since the late nineties. He graduated from university
with a Bachelor's degree in Science, majoring in Management Information Systems.
Michael enjoys programming for fun and profit. His hobbies include biblical
apologetics, blogging about Python at http://www.blog.pythonlibrary.org/,
and learning photography. Michael currently works for the local government
where he programs with Python as much as possible. This is his first book as a
technical reviewer.

I would like to thank my mom without whom I never would have

grown to love learning as much as I do. I would also like to thank
Scott Williams for forcing me to learn Python as, without him, I
wouldn't have even known that the language existed. Most of all, I
want to thank Jesus for saving me from myself.
Dan McGee is a software developer currently living in Chicago, Illinois. He has
several years of experience working full-time in the Chicago area doing primarily
Java web development; however, he has also been spotted working in a variety of
other languages. Dan has also worked on a handful of freelance projects. In 2007,
Dan became a developer for the Arch Linux distribution and has been doing various
projects related to that since, including hacking on the package manager code, being
a part-time system admin, and helping maintain and improve the website.

Lawrence Oluyede is a 26 years old software development expert in Python and

web programming. He's glad that programming is going parallel and functional
languages are becoming mainstream. He has been a co-author and reviewer for the
first Ruby book in Italian (Ruby per applicazioni web) published by Apogeo. He has also
contributed to other books in the past like the Python Cookbook (http://www.amazon.
com/Python-Cookbook-Alex-Martelli/dp/0596007973/) and The Definitive Guide
to Django (http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Guide-Django-Development-
Right/dp/1590597257).
 Table of Contents
Preface 1
Chapter 1: Object-oriented Design 7
Object-oriented? 7
Objects and classes 9
Specifying attributes and behaviors 11
Data describes objects 11
Behaviors are actions 13
Hiding details and creating the public interface 14
Composition and inheritance 17
Inheritance 20
Inheritance provides abstraction 22
Multiple inheritance 23
Case study 24
Exercises 31
Summary 32
Chapter 2: Objects in Python 33
Creating Python classes 33
Adding attributes 35
Making it do something 35
Initializing the object 38
Explaining yourself 41
Modules and packages 43
Organizing the modules 45
Absolute imports 46
Relative imports 47
Who can access my data? 50
Case study 53
Exercises 61
Summary 62
Table of Contents

Chapter 3: When Objects are Alike 63

Basic inheritance 63
Extending built-ins 66
Overriding and super 67
Multiple inheritance 68
The diamond problem 71
Different sets of arguments 75
Polymorphism 78
Case study 80
Exercises 93
Summary 94
Chapter 4: Expecting the Unexpected 95
Raising exceptions 95
Raising an exception 98
What happens when an exception occurs? 99
Handling exceptions 101
Exception hierarchy 106
Defining our own exceptions 108
Exceptions aren't exceptional 109
Case study 112
Exercises 122
Summary 123
Chapter 5: When to Use Object-oriented Programming 125
Treat objects as objects 125
Using properties to add behavior to class data 129
How it works 132
Decorators: another way to create properties 134
When should we use properties? 135
Managing objects 137
Removing duplicate code 140
In practice 142
Or we can use composition 145
Case study 147
Exercises 154
Summary 156
Chapter 6: Python Data Structures 157
Empty objects 157
Tuples and named tuples 159
Named tuples 161
Dictionaries 162
[ ii ]
 Table of Contents

When should we use dictionaries? 166

Using defaultdict 166
Lists 168
Sorting lists 171
Sets 173
Extending built-ins 177
Case study 182
Exercises 188
Summary 189
Chapter 7: Python Object-oriented Shortcuts 191
Python built-in functions 191
Len 192
Reversed 192
Enumerate 193
Zip 194
Other functions 196
Comprehensions 197
List comprehensions 198
Set and dictionary comprehensions 200
Generator expressions 201
Generators 203
An alternative to method overloading 205
Default arguments 207
Variable argument lists 208
Unpacking arguments 212
Functions are objects too 213
Using functions as attributes 218
Callable objects 219
Case study 220
Exercises 224
Summary 225
Chapter 8: Python Design Patterns I 227
Design patterns 227
Decorator pattern 229
Decorator example 230
Decorators in Python 233
Observer pattern 235
Observer example 235
Strategy pattern 237
Strategy example 238

[ iii ]
Table of Contents

Strategy in Python 240

State pattern 240
State example 241
State versus strategy 247
Singleton pattern 247
Singleton implementation 248
Module variables can mimic singletons 249
Template pattern 251
Template example 252
Exercises 255
Summary 256
Chapter 9: Python Design Patterns II 257
Adapter pattern 257
Facade pattern 260
Flyweight pattern 263
Command pattern 267
Abstract factory pattern 271
Composite pattern 276
Exercises 280
Summary 281
Chapter 10: Files and Strings 283
Strings 283
String manipulation 284
String formatting 287
Escaping braces 288
Keyword arguments 288
Container lookups 289
Object lookups 291
Making it look right 291
Strings are Unicode 294
Converting bytes to text 295
Converting text to bytes 296
Mutable byte strings 297
File IO 299
Placing it in context 301
Faking files 302
Storing objects 303
Customizing pickles 305
Serializing web objects 308
Exercises 310
Summary 312

[ iv ]
 Table of Contents

Chapter 11: Testing Object-oriented Programs 313

Why test? 313
Test-driven development 315
Unit testing 316
Assertion methods 318
Additional assertion methods in Python 3.1 319
Reducing boilerplate and cleaning up 320
Organizing and running tests 322
Ignoring broken tests 323
Testing with py.test 324
One way to do setup and cleanup 326
A completely different way to set up variables 329
Test skipping with py.test 333
py.test extras 335
How much testing is enough? 336
Case Study 339
Implementing it 340
Exercises 345
Summary 346
Chapter 12: Common Python 3 Libraries 347
Database access 348
Introducing SQLAlchemy 349
Adding and querying objects 351
SQL Expression Language 352
Pretty user interfaces 353
TkInter 354
PyQt 358
Choosing a GUI toolkit 361
XML 362
ElementTree 362
Constructing XML documents 366
lxml 366
CherryPy 368
A full web stack? 370
Exercises 377
Summary 378
Index 379

[]
 Preface
This book will introduce you to the terminology of the object-oriented paradigm,
focusing on object-oriented design with step-by-step examples. It will take you from
simple inheritance, one of the most useful tools in the object-oriented programmer's
toolbox, all the way through to cooperative inheritance, one of the most complicated.
You will be able to raise, handle, define, and manipulate exceptions.

You will be able to integrate the object-oriented and not-so-object-oriented aspects of

Python. You will also be able to create maintainable applications by studying higher-
level design patterns. You'll learn the complexities of string and file manipulation
and how Python distinguishes between binary and textual data. Not one, but
two very powerful automated testing systems will be introduced to you. You'll
understand the joy of unit testing and just how easy unit tests are to create. You'll
even study higher-level libraries such as database connectors and GUI toolkits and
how they apply object-oriented principles.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Object-oriented Design covers important object-oriented concepts. It deals
mainly with abstraction, classes, encapsulation, and inheritance. We also briefly look
into UML to model our classes and objects.

Chapter 2, Objects in Python discusses classes and objects and how they are used in
Python. We will learn about attributes and behaviors in Python objects, and also the
organization of classes into packages and modules. And lastly we shall see how to
protect our data.

Chapter 3, When Objects are Alike gives us a more in-depth look into inheritance. It
covers multiple inheritance and shows us how to inherit from built-ins. This chapter
also covers polymorphism and duck typing.
Preface

Chapter 4, Expecting the Unexpected looks into exceptions and exception handling. We
shall learn how to create our own exceptions. It also deals with the use of exceptions
for program flow control.

Chapter 5, When to Use Object-oriented Programming deals with objects; when to create
and use them. We will see how to wrap data using properties, and restricting data
access. This chapter also discusses the DRY principle and how not to repeat code.

Chapter 6, Python Data Structures covers object-oriented features of data structures.

This chapter mainly deals with tuples, dictionaries, lists, and sets. We will also see
how to extend built-in objects.

Chapter 7, Python Object-oriented Shortcuts as the name suggests, deals with little
time-savers in Python. We shall look at many useful built-in functions, then move
on to using comprehensions in lists, sets, and dictionaries. We will learn about
generators, method overloading, and default arguments. We shall also see how
to use functions as objects.

Chapter 8, Python Design Patterns I first introduces us to Python design patterns. We

shall then see the decorator pattern, observer pattern, strategy pattern, state pattern,
singleton pattern, and template pattern. These patterns are discussed with suitable
examples and programs implemented in Python.

Chapter 9, Python Design Patterns II picks up where the previous chapter left us. We
shall see the adapter pattern, facade pattern, flyweight pattern, command pattern,
abstract pattern, and composite pattern with suitable examples in Python.

Chapter 10, Files and Strings looks at strings and string formatting. Bytes and byte
arrays are also discussed. We shall also look at files, and how to write and read data
to and from files. We shall look at ways to store and pickle objects, and finally the
chapter discusses serializing objects.

Chapter 11, Testing Object-oriented Programs opens with the use of testing and why
testing is so important. It focuses on test-driven development. We shall see how to
use the unittest module, and also the py.test automated testing suite. Lastly we
shall cover code coverage using coverage.py.

Chapter 12, Common Python 3 Libraries concentrates on libraries and their utilization
in application building. We shall build databases using SQLAlchemy, and user
interfaces TkInter and PyQt. The chapter goes on to discuss how to construct XML
documents and we shall see how to use ElementTree and lxml. Lastly we will use
CherryPy and Jinja to create a web application.

[]
 Preface

What you need for this book

In order to compile and run the examples mentioned in this book you require the
following software:

• Python version 3.0 or higher

• py.test
• coverage.py
• SQLAlchemy
• pygame
• PyQt
• CherryPy
• lxml

Who this book is for

If you're new to object-oriented programming techniques, or if you have basic
Python skills, and wish to learn in depth how and when to correctly apply
object-oriented programming in Python, this is the book for you.

If you are an object-oriented programmer for other languages you will also find
this book a useful introduction to Python, as it uses terminology you are already
familiar with.

Python 2 programmers seeking a leg up in the new world of Python 3 will also find
the book beneficial but you need not necessarily know Python 2.

Conventions
In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish between
different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an
explanation of their meaning.

Code words in text are shown as follows: "We can access other Python modules
through the use of the import statement."

[]
Preface

A block of code is set as follows:

class Friend(Contact):
def __init__(self, name, email, phone):
self.name = name
self.email = email
self.phone = phone

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the
relevant lines or items are set in bold:
class Friend(Contact):
def __init__(self, name, email, phone):
self.name = name
self.email = email
self.phone = phone

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

>>> e = EmailableContact("John Smith", "jsmith@example.net")
>>> Contact.all_contacts

New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the
screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "We use
this feature to update the label to a new random value every time we click the
Roll! button".

Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.

Tips and tricks appear like this.

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to develop titles that you really get the most out of.

To send us general feedback, simply send an e-mail to feedback@packtpub.com,

and mention the book title via the subject of your message.

[]
 Preface

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[]
Preface

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At Packt, we take the protection of our copyright and licenses very seriously. If you
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[]
 Object-oriented Design
In software development, design is often considered the step done before
programming. This isn't true; in reality, analysis, programming, and design
tend to overlap, combine, and interweave. In this chapter, we will learn:

• What object-oriented means

• The difference between object-oriented design and object-oriented
programming
• The basic principles of object-oriented design
• Basic Unified Modeling Language and when it isn't evil

Object-oriented?
Everyone knows what an object is: a tangible "something" that we can sense, feel, and
manipulate. The earliest objects we interact with are typically baby toys. Wooden
blocks, plastic shapes, and over-sized puzzle pieces are common first objects. Babies
learn quickly that certain objects do certain things. Triangles fit in triangle-shaped
holes. Bells ring, buttons press, and levers pull.

The definition of an object in software development is not so very different. Objects

are not typically tangible somethings that you can pick up, sense, or feel, but they are
models of somethings that can do certain things and have certain things done to them.
Formally, an object is a collection of data and associated behaviors.

So knowing what an object is, what does it mean to be object-oriented? Oriented

simply means directed toward. So object-oriented simply means, "functionally
directed toward modeling objects". It is one of many techniques used for modeling
complex systems by describing a collection of interacting objects via their data
and behavior.
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
fancy that the explanation of the miracle lies in the hypothesis I have
suggested, the long wall on which the minarets are built having
probably settled, and so, having no communication with the side
walls, being no miracle, but merely bad building. We saw the
miracle, expressed our wonder, thanked “the hereditary functionary,”
and went home sadder and wiser than we came.
Vaccination is now happily appreciated in Persia. On my first
arrival it was unknown, and inoculation was regularly practised.
Another plan, too, was common, and the future native pastor of the
Protestant Armenians lost a child by its practice. He put his own child
in bed with a child having small-pox, that it might take the disease in
a benign form; confluent small-pox of the most virulent type resulted,
and the poor child died, to the great grief of the parent, a most
deserving and honest fellow.
This man and one other are the only teetotalers of Julfa, which
may dispute the palm with any Scotch town for capability of
swallowing liquor on a Sunday.
So common is drunkenness here, that an old cook of mine, an
English-speaking Armenian, used to say to me on Sunday night—
“Dinner finished, sir; if you no orders, I go get drunk with my
priest.” Needless to add, that they both did get drunk, and that it was
at the cook’s expense. Happily, there are some few exceptions
among the Julfa priests, for all India, Persia, and Batavia are
supplied with priests for their Armenian communities from Julfa.
Spirits are supposed to deaden pain, and a Yezdi, a guebre (fire-
worshipper), who had lodged some slugs and iron in his hand, prior
to my removing them, swallowed a quart of strong spirit without my
knowledge. I supposed him to become suddenly delirious, but he
was only suddenly drunk.
Our first care was to make a road for our little dog-cart. The gates
separating the parishes were mostly too narrow to let it pass, and we
finally made one six feet wide at the narrowest, having three bridges
without parapets (which we widened), and one was at a sharp angle,
and a deep ditch the whole way on one side, and a wall on the other.
This was capital for a small two-wheel thing, as long as the horse
didn’t jib or shy, or we didn’t meet any one. Happily, it did not in our
time, but when we got a bigger trap, a park phaeton, with a pair of
horses, the pleasure of our drive was somewhat damped by the
possibility of a capsize at night in the dark! But the cherub that
always keeps a watch over poor Jack must have been on duty, for
we never did have an accident. It was Hobson’s choice, that road or
none.
Crossing the river at Marnūn became our favourite ride, and here
one could canter for miles on a good road, the greater part of which
was shaded by the gardens and orchards on either side. A great
deal of firewood, too, is grown in this neighbourhood, water is
plentiful, and so firewood is a staple crop. Getting out beyond the
gardens, on a small mountain standing by itself on the plain, was the
ruin of an ancient fire-temple. It was merely built of mud bricks, but
here at Ispahan these remain for centuries, and it was only on
climbing up to it that one perceived that it was not all quite modern,
and a small portion built of very large bricks on an ancient wall. A
grand view was got from it, as it commanded the entire plain.
Several large plane-trees are to be seen in the villages, many with
platforms built round them, where the villagers sit and smoke in the
evenings. A sort of semi-sacred character is attached to some of
them, particularly to one which is called the “plane of Mortaza Ali.”
A striking feature at Julfa is the so-called racecourse at Ferhabad.
A couple of walls enclose a straight run of over a mile. These walls,
which are in ruins, and of mud, have at intervals various pavilions,
some of the rooms of which are still almost perfect. At the end is a
large square, having many rooms round it in a still better state. The
road turned at a right angle towards the village of Julfa; but as this is
intersected by wells and watercourses, it is not used as a cantering
ground. The place is supposed to have been the summer palace of
the Afghan conquerors.
Ruins and ancient buildings, when built of burnt bricks, rapidly
disappear in Persia. It is for a very simple reason. It is cheaper to
demolish an old building, and carry off the good seasoned bricks by
donkey-loads, than to make and burn new ones, which often
crumble.
In my own time a large and handsome college near the Char Bagh
of Ispahan has utterly disappeared, the prince having given an order
for its demolition, and that the material be used in making the new
one he has now completed. The very foundations were grubbed up.
In Ispahan itself every third house is a ruin, and in Julfa the walls of
gardens and orchards often contain the bare inner walls of ancient
houses, which retain the brightness of their painting and gilding in
the dry and pure air.
Donkeys, as beasts of burden, are much employed in a country
where there are no carts or wheeled vehicles; save in the capital, the
donkeys do all the ordinary work of vehicles. Earth, manure,
produce, firewood, charcoal, grain, are all carried on these beasts or
on mules. Each animal has his pack-saddle, in which he lives and
sleeps. It is only removed when the donkey gets a rare and very
occasional curry-combing from a very primitive sort of instrument,
having jangling rings, which produce a music supposed to be
soothing to a donkey’s soul. Every villager has his donkey; if more
than one he is well-to-do. The ordinary wage of a man is one keran,
a man and donkey one keran and a half, and each additional donkey
half a keran. They work from sunrise to sunset, with an hour’s
interval for feeding.
Julfa is a particularly healthy place, for the cesspools are
constantly kept clean by the market-gardeners, who pay for the
privilege of removing the manure. By mixing the contents of the
cesspools with ashes, a dry and portable manure is produced of the
highest efficacy, and odourless. It is removed on donkeys, and
stored in the fields until required.
In the very depth of the winter, when snow and ice had rendered
the ride to the town highly dangerous for horses, I was summoned in
haste to see my old patient the Zil-es-Sultan, now the most important
man in the kingdom next to the king. I went, though risking my
horse’s knees, and was rather disgusted to find that I was sent for to
see if he was ill or not, as he was not sure. I found him in a hot room,
temperature eighty (by the thermometer), wrapped in furs, being
shampooed by three attendants, while a fourth was reading poetry to
him. He was, I told him, in a fair way to get ill, and that air and
exercise were all he needed. He took my advice, and returned to his
usual very active life.
He showed me an armoury of some eight hundred rifles, with a
proportionate amount of fowling-pieces and pistols. I expressed the
desired amount of admiration. I suppose the time will come when his
Royal Highness will make an effort for the throne, probably on the
present Shah’s death. It will be a lucky day for Persia if he succeeds,
as he is clever, tolerant, and a good governor. His personal
popularity is very great, and his luck as a governor proverbial. He
has a dislike to deeds of blood, but is a severe governor, like his
uncle, the late Hissam-u-Sultaneh, whose virtues he emulates.
The Valliāt, or heir-apparent, on the contrary, is physically weak,
and mentally imbecile, being a bigot in the hands of a few holy men,
and as impracticable as he is obstinate. No doubt if he ever does
reign a black time will set in for the country, for religious persecution
on a gigantic scale will commence, and the future of Iran be very
sad.
The Zil-es-Sultan had just got two bull-terriers from England. He
was convinced of their ferocity; and certainly the dog, very short-
faced, and almost a bull-dog, was of terrific appearance. His Royal
Highness caused them to be let into the courtyard, cautioning me to
be very still, as not knowing me they might attack me, and providing
me with a lump of sugar to appease them. Of course nothing of the
sort took place, but the dogs ran about and smelt the various
grandees, to their great disgust. The prince made great pets of them,
feeding them with sugar. I was surprised to find that though these
dogs had not seen an Englishman for months, yet on my speaking to
them in English they followed me about, fawning on me, and
neglecting the prince, and the dog-man who was their valet.
Since this time the prince has procured two huge half-bred Dutch
mastiffs, in which he greatly rejoices, and these animals, though not
fierce, are certainly very powerful dogs. Strange that the love of
animals in a man like the Zil-es-Sultan should so overcome the
Mussulman dislike of the unclean beast. The dogs were in the habit
of licking the prince’s hand.
This particular winter was an unusually severe one. There was
much snow, and it was impossible to get out for rides for a fortnight;
and two store-rooms of my huge house fell in, from the heavy mud
roofs being soaked with water, and breaking their supports by the
enormous increase of weight.
On one occasion in the early spring we had ridden out to the
garden palace of Haft Dust, and were preparing to take tea, when
with great noise the Zil-es-Sultan rode into the place with some fifty
horsemen. No sooner did he see and recognise my servants than he
asked if I was alone. On hearing that my wife (“my house,” as my
man put it) was with me, he rode out, taking all his followers with
him, and sending me a message to “go on with my tea, that he
trusted I should enjoy my visit, that the place was mine as long as I
pleased,” etc.
Europeans avoid the Persians when with ladies, as very ridiculous
scenes are at times the result. One gentleman, whose wife was not
in her first youth, on meeting the prince when riding with her, instead
of avoiding him, stopped to speak.
It was one of his rude days, for he calmly asked, in defiance of the
rules of Persian politeness, which demand the ignoring of the
existence of any female:
“Is that your wife?”
“Yes, my wife.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have a wife so old and ugly as that. Get a young
one.”
The situation for both lady and gentleman was embarrassing.
 CHAPTER XXXIV.
JOURNEY TO AND FROM TEHERAN.

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.

After an eighteen months’ stay in Julfa (Ispahan) I received orders

to proceed to Teheran “to act” (for my chief).
We started, my wife travelling in a “takhtrowan” (moving bed). This
consists of a box with doors and windows, six feet long, three feet
wide, and four feet high. A thick mattress is placed in it, and plenty of
pillows. Where the road is fairly level, as from Ispahan to Teheran, it
is not a bad way of travelling for a lady. The great cause of
satisfaction to her was that she had her baby with her. Water was
kept out of the machine by a waterproof sheet being tacked to the
top, and a thick carpet was lashed over the roof when travelling in
strong sun. At each end of the box are shafts, and between each
pair a mule. The movement is at first rather sickening, but this is
soon got over, and the traveller sleeps the greater portion of the
stage.
Although we travelled as lightly as possible, we were forced to
take twenty-four mules, and were heartily glad when our journey,
which was twelve long stages, and without incident of any kind, was
over. I hired a little house at Gulhaek, the village where are situated
the summer quarters of the English Embassy, and where lives the
chief of my Department, in the summer.
In addition to my own work I was in charge of the staff of the Indo-
European Telegraph Company’s line who lived in Teheran. Our own
signalling staff too lived in the town. As however we had an
exceptionally healthy summer, the duties were very light.
I was also placed in medical charge of the Russian Embassy by
the Russian Ambassador, M. Zenoview, for the greater part of my six
months’ stay, their own physician having gone to Russia for a time
on private business.
Gulhaek is one of the villages at the foot of the mountains
bounding the Teheran valley, and by prescriptive right the English
Legation go to Gulhaek, the Russians to the next village, Zergendeh,
and the French to another a couple of miles higher, called Tejreesh.
These places are delightfully cool, and if the signallers of the
Department and of the Company could be moved to them, it would
be a great boon to the men, for it is terribly hot and unhealthy in the
town, and the expense would not be great: in fact it ought to be
done.
Lawn-tennis, when we arrived, was in high vogue, and was played
every afternoon on a level ground (a lawn in Persia is nearly
impossible) mudded over with what is termed “kah gil,” a mixture of
“kah” (cut straw) and “gil” (mud). This forms a sort of sheet of smooth
and springy ground, which gives a good foothold, and dries rapidly.
The tennis was justly popular, and was the most pleasant means of
obtaining exercise, and consequently health.
Our own comfort was increased by the arrival of an English nurse,
whom we had engaged to come out for a certain three years.
I was enabled to buy a small park-phaeton and a pair of well-
broken horses from a German, the master of the Shah’s mint, who
was leaving because he declined to debase the coinage, which was
contrary to the terms of his agreement.
In the garden next to ours lived a Guebre. A few of these men
have been under the protection of the English Embassy time out of
mind. He kept us supplied with strawberries at tenpence a plateful;
and as we had not tasted them since leaving England, they were a
great luxury, particularly in a warm climate.
The greater part of the road from Gulhaek to Teheran, being the
way to the Shah’s favourite summer residences, is planted on both
sides with trees and shrubs. These give a grateful shade; and as the
road is in good order, it is pleasant driving; but, when thronged, the
dust rises and covers everything, so that it is like a very dusty return
from the Derby, but with no excitement, and hotter. Still, a good road
in nearly roadless Persia was a thing to be taken advantage of.
Several times when out driving we met the Shah, and invariably
drew on one side to allow him to pass. His Majesty was always very
polite, and returned our salutes. On our passing the first time he sent
a man to inquire who we were. The Prime minister, too, was
particular in behaving in a civilised manner, but the ragamuffin
attendants on the royal ladies always used to shout “Begone,” “Be
off,” and their postilions would always drive as close as possible, and
pass one as if they wished a collision, or to take a wheel off.
The custom of the kūrūk is dying out. It used to be death for any
man to be in the neighbourhood of the royal wives when on their
numerous outings. The people always fled, or stood with faces to the
wall; and Europeans, when they saw the eunuchs’ procession
approaching, and heard the cry of “Gitchen” (Turkish “Begone”), to
avoid unpleasantness and possible rows, used to turn down the first
street. A very eccentric Austrian, the Baron Gersteiger Khan (the
latter title being, of course, a Persian dignity; for many years
instructor to the Persian army, and at last general; principal officer of
engineers, and constructor of roads, in which latter work he has
really left some striking marks of his success), on meeting the ladies
when he was on foot, turned his face to the wall like a native, and as
each carriage passed, deliberately saluted from the back of his head.
This delighted the ladies, and they informed the Shah. The Shah
sent for Gersteiger, and made him repeat his salutes, and after
laughing a good deal, gave him a handsome present.
 The king generally travelled in a carriage very like a sheriff’s, with
eight pairs of horses harnessed to it, with postilions. They went at a
fair pace, were always preceded by the royal runners (“shatirs”), clad
in their ancient Persian dress of red, with the curious turreted hat,
like a fool’s cap and bells, and each bearing a gold baton. These
men were all good runners, and some six or eight ran in front, while
one or two always kept at his Majesty’s side.
When we were in Teheran a number of Russian officers were
engaged in forming some so-called Cossack regiments. They
engaged horsemen, whom they regularly paid, and seemed to be
teaching these men their drill successfully. These so-called
Cossacks were the Shah’s favourite toy of the moment, and he was
never tired of reviewing them. They were well but plainly dressed,
well horsed and well armed, and the Russian officers were very
popular both with Shah and soldiers.
A large contingent of Austrian officers had also arrived to instruct
the infantry and artillery; but though these gentlemen were well paid,
they did not find Persia the El Dorado they expected. Some of them
resigned while I was there. They also fought among themselves; and
all have now, I fancy, left the country. The capital was ever rather a
rowdy place; murders and burglaries were common; and, as in other
towns of Persia, the “darogas,” or police-masters, and their
dependants were so mercenary, that the townspeople preferred
being robbed to complaining to them, on the principle of two evils to
choose the less.
The manufacture of false money had become a national evil, and
forgeries of the royal seals were frequent. The first evil was sought to
be got over by calling in the old rough coinage, which was hammer-
struck, and substituting a handsome series of medals in gold and
silver, having milled edges. These were introduced with great
success, and the new coinage was handsome and popular. But it
was soon counterfeited, and when the nuisance had attained its
height the Count Monteforte arrived with special credentials from the
Emperor of Austria, and was installed as head of police. This
gentleman seemed to be exactly the right man in the right place. He
got on with the natives, in a few weeks established a character for
honesty and shrewdness, detected many offenders, recovered much
stolen property, and established a regiment of policemen, well
drilled, well dressed, honest, polite, and who refused bribes. As
bribes are to the Persian what beef is to the Englishman, these
phenomena have probably ere this been either shelved or corrupted;
but when we were in Teheran in 1880, they were in full swing, and
the wonder and admiration of foreigners and natives.
Just one street in Teheran is very much Europeanised; it is fairly
paved, and lighted by lamp-posts containing candles. It is called the
Boulevard des Ambassadeurs, and as it is a wide street, the view
from the bottom is somewhat striking, ending as it does in the green
hills and black mountains covered on their tops with snow.
At the top, approached by an ornamental gate of great size, is the
palace of the English Ambassador. This has been recently erected at
enormous cost, partly from designs by the late Major Pierson, R.E. It
is surrounded by trees, and the edifice meets the requirements of the
country, and is very original in appearance. It stands in a magnificent
garden of great size, in which are placed the houses of the
secretaries, built like English villas of the better class. The interior of
the Embassy is furnished with great splendour with English furniture,
and our ambassador to the Court of Persia is lodged as he should
be, en prince.
The rest of the town is wholly Oriental. Dead walls of mud and
brick are seen in every direction. The streets are mud in winter and
dust in summer.
The principal feature in Teheran is the numerous tiled gates.
These structures, covered with floridly-coloured tiles in elaborate
patterns, mostly geometrical, having centre-pieces of
representations of scenes from the mythology of Persia, were
certainly novel and curious. As a rule, the modern tile-work is in
striking contrast to the ancient, which is much chaster, and in better
taste.
Of the many palaces none were worth description, of those that I
visited, which were all mere summer retreats. They were gaudy,
much painted and gilt, and the white plaster-work, decorated with
mirrors, was the only kind of ornamentation having the slightest
pretence to be artistic. The dry climate, however, enables this
effective style of decoration to be used for exteriors, and it retains its
pristine whiteness in the clear air for many years. Many large
buildings seen from a distance in Teheran have a great appearance
of magnificence, and it does not strike the beholder at first that they
are merely plaster-of-Paris over mud bricks. To them the term
“whitened sepulchre” is particularly appropriate; but the insecurity of
property must be considered, and a man would be unwise to build an
expensive edifice which would expose him to jealousy.
The bazaars are good, and sufficiently curious; of course much
inferior in size and richness to those of Stamboul (Constantinople).
Most of the goods exposed, not of native manufacture, are Russian.
[36]

The Russian goods are liked in the Eastern market. They are very
cheap, and very strong; in fact, are suited to the country; they are
also, alas! very ugly. The tremendous land journey from Trebizonde,
or that from the Persian Gulf, or the alternative from Baghdad viâ
Kermanshah, closes the Persian market at Teheran to the English.
Fortunes, however, are made there, an importer of French goods
(which are particularly appreciated by the Persians) having retired
with a large one. About four hundred per cent. is generally charged,
which covers the heavy freight and the duty, and leaves about cent.
per cent. profit.
We found a great deal of gaiety at Teheran. A weekly dinner at the
Embassy, generally a daily drive, and the society of many Europeans
of different nationalities, was of course a great break in the
monotony of our life in Persia. But our pleasures after four months
were interrupted by the serious illness of my wife. Our second little
boy was born, and we were lucky in having a reliable nurse.
The view of Teheran is made very unique by the great semi-extinct
volcano, Demarvend, in the distance, which gives it great grandeur,
towering, as it does, over the valley, with its top covered in eternal
snows, and taking innumerable lovely tints at the rising and setting of
the sun.
 We came to Teheran by the longer way of Natanz, thus avoiding
the great Kohrūd pass, a particularly unpleasant stage when there is
much snow; and as my wife was really an invalid, we determined to
return to Ispahan driving—a thing no one has done before, and I
fancy no one will do again. I had a new set of wheels made specially
strong and heavy, and with very strong tyres. I succeeded in buying
a second pair of half-broken horses, in case my own pair came to
grief, and we left in the autumn for Ispahan, the nurse and babies
occupying the takhtrowan, while my wife and I went in the trap.
We drove through the town with some trouble, and as soon as we
were clear of the fortifications the road became broad and level, and
we reached Hadjiabad, a garden, where we stopped the night.
The next day we crossed a rocky mountain, having to drag the
phaeton by hand some miles, and then, locking the wheels with
ropes, we got it down a very steep place. The rest was plain sailing;
the roads were generally fairly good. My wife had to get out only
some four times on a fifteen days’ journey, and it was only on getting
into or out of villages, where there were at times deep ditches, but
plenty of willing helpers, that we had any difficulty.
On our last stage but three we mistook the road, and came forty-
eight miles instead of twenty-four. We, however, only used our
second pair once, as they were very unsafe; and our horses, strange
to say, did the whole journey well, and arrived in fair condition.
At the last stage but two a ridiculous accident occurred. We had
frequently snapped the heads of bolts, and even the bolts
themselves, by going over very rough places, the jolt breaking the
heads off, as they were steel. These we generally detected and
replaced by others, which we had caused to be made in Teheran.
But Mūrchicah is a big village, with numerous twists and turns
between dead walls ere one gets to the post-house. We had come a
long stage, were very tired, and very anxious to get in, and, instead
of going over a deep dry ditch which we had to pass, and which was
very narrow, in a careful way, I was foolish enough to try to pass it
quickly. The result was a snap of all three bolts that fixed the trap to
what is, I fancy, technically termed the fore-carriage. The thing hung
together till we had got the hind wheels out of the ditch, and then the
horses, pole, and two front wheels went on, the carriage itself
remaining behind and falling forward; and, had not the apron been
up, we should have been shot out. Fortunately the reins were long,
and the horses easily pulled up. They were probably unaware of the
accident. Though we were in the village there was no one about. The
servants were either in front with the bedding, or behind with the
loads, yet in five minutes the bolts were replaced by fresh ones, and
we were proceeding on our way.
At this stage our little boy was taken very ill, and we both felt that
another march in the sun in the “kajawehs,” with his man-nurse,
might be fatal to him. So next morning we started very early, and
taking him in the trap, which had a hood and an opening with a cut
leather curtain behind, that made it very cool: we hurried over the
twenty-two miles, and did it in two hours and twenty minutes through
deep sand.
The next day’s stage was a very bad one, as, though short, we
had to pass through the town, and had to take the horses out twice,
and I dreaded our own very narrow and dangerous road to the
house. However, we got in without accident, by starting at dawn,
before ten; and the child, by rest and nursing, was soon himself
again.
The sun in Persia is a very insidious enemy. Many cases of sun-
apoplexy each year are seen, and I had a fixed rule that, except for
evening rides, my wife and I always wore an Elwood’s sun-helmet,
and this is the only real way to preserve oneself. All other things but
the topi are valueless, unless one uses the hideous pith hat, or
resorts to the turban. Of course in India these precautions are still
more necessary. I don’t know if these sun hats are made for children.
They are very necessary if children are allowed to go at all in the
sun, and they will go, and natives will let them. But really good-
looking riding-hats are turned out for ladies. My wife had a solar
riding-hat à la Gainsborough, that was almost becoming; so that
ladies at least have no excuse. I was constantly warning those under
my care of the danger of little caps, billycocks, etc., but in many
cases I was looked on as a “Molly,” though I felt it my duty to press
my warnings. Of another thing I am convinced, that the powerful
effect of the sun is much lost sight of in Europe, and I look on a
bright helmet of metal, unless air-chambered, as an invention of the
devil, and pity the poor Life Guards, etc.; the horsehair, however,
happily saves them a little.
On our journey down, at a place called Sinsin, we saw a big
turkey, and succeeded in buying a pair for fifty kerans, supposing
them to be the only pair. We found afterwards that the head-man of
the neighbouring village had a hundred birds, and the price
afterwards fell to eight shillings a bird.
We were very successful in the rearing of the young turkeys, the
hens sitting on their own eggs, and proving good mothers. So many
poults did we have, that, when we left Ispahan eighteen months
afterwards, we ate two a week for nearly six months. The turkeys
were of two varieties, the ordinary black ones, as seen in Europe,
and of large size, and a smaller bird, of lighter colour, and more
delicate, some of which latter were almost pure white.
Peacocks are much valued in Persia, and supposed only to be
kept by royalty: the English Minister has several fine birds, and the
privilege of keeping them is jealously guarded.
We brought a quantity of tame ducks down from Teheran; these
increased and multiplied amazingly, and bred with some wild ducks
of the common kind. We brought also three geese. Geese, ducks,
and turkeys were common long ago in Julfa when Ispahan was the
capital, but the Armenians, finding that they had to pay a yearly
tribute of fat birds, allowed them to die out, and so escaped the
exaction. However, when we left Julfa, all the Europeans had turkeys
and ducks, and there were plenty of geese at Soh, three stages off:
so, doubtless, by now (two years) they are plentiful.
We were glad to get back to our own home, for though Teheran
gave us most of the joys of civilisation, still we felt that our home was
in our big house at Julfa. And how we did enjoy not having to start as
usual the next morning!
 Our stay in Ispahan was not chequered by any very exciting
events, save those personal to ourselves.
During our sojourn, two ambassadors passed through it. One, the
Burmese, an old and cheery man with huge ears, accompanied by a
staff of attachés, one of whom spoke English well, and had been
educated at King’s College. He was supposed to be carrying rubies
for disposal through Europe. He had a ring with him as a present
from the King of Burmah to the Shah. Hoop, collet, and all, were cut
out of one solid and perfect ruby of the first water—a truly barbarous
present. These Burmese all wore the national apology for
unmentionables—a handsome sheet of silk, termed a “langouti.” This
is wrapped around the waist, and depends nearly to the feet; their
heads were bound with fillets of muslin. The Zil-es-Sultan gave an
entertainment in their honour, to which we were all invited. A fair
dinner was followed by fireworks; these in Persia are always fairly
good, the only thing being that Persians do not understand coloured
fireworks, otherwise their displays are very good. One very good
feature is, that the public are always freely admitted. All the walls are
marked out with clay oil-lamps, and festoons of the same hang from
wires affixed to high poles: these are lighted after sunset, as soon as
it is dark. Music of a promiscuous character is played, all the
musicians and singers joining in to different airs. The military bands
strike up, each man playing his loudest at his own sweet will. A gun
is fired, and the huge golden rains from earthen cones light up the
whole scene, disclosing the shouting throng of good-tempered
Persians of the lower orders; all people of condition having been
provided with rooms and seats. All the roofs are thronged with
crowds of veiled women, flights of rockets are continually let off, and
the set-pieces soon commence. These are supplied in great
profusion, and, save for the want of colour, they are quite equal to
any effort of European pyrotechny.
A row of wretched Jews are now pushed into the tank—a
proceeding which always accompanies any official display of
fireworks. I know not why, unless it is to let the poor Jews feel, even
in times of rejoicing, the wretchedness of their position. Dancing
boys dressed as girls twirl and tumble, buffoons dance and pose
grotesquely, the noise of music and singing is at its loudest.
“Kūrbāghah” (frogs), a kind of water firework, are thrown in the tanks
in every direction, and, as the set-pieces are fading, the whole
concludes with a tremendous bouquet of fire as in Europe.
The Japanese ambassador, or rather commissioner, was received
with less ceremony, as he was proceeding incog. on his way to
Europe, having a mission to introduce Japanese goods to the notice
of Europeans generally. His attachés, too, spoke French and
English, and were funny little fellows; but, as the Persians put it, “too
ugly to have any value, even as slaves!”
We patronised art in Ispahan by having oil-paintings, executed by
native artists, of incidents in Persian life; some of these were
sufficiently curious. Among the subjects illustrated were “The Sticks,”
a very tragic picture indeed, where the expressions of pain, terror,
supplication, and ferocity were well shown.
Another amusing series were five pictures representing the history
of Bahram and his queen. The monarch is shown as pinning, with a
master-shot from his bow, the foot of an antelope to its side while it
was scratching itself.
“What do you think of that?” says the exulting king.
“Oh, practice makes perfect,” coolly remarked the lady.
They naturally separate; for it is a dangerous thing for a wife to
disparage her husband’s shooting. And here a curious parody of an
ancient classical legend occurs. Bahram hears of a lady of great
strength, who is in the habit of carrying a full-sized bull to the top of a
tower!
He goes to see the prodigy, and sees a lovely woman perform the
feat (scene depicted); his astonishment is manifested by his placing
his finger to his mouth—the typical gesture for this sensation in
Eastern art.
“Oh, that is nothing,” says the triumphant queen, “practice makes
perfect.” She then explains that she had commenced her feat when
the bull was a little calf. The king smiled, and took her back.
 Many of the subjects illustrated were the histories from the Koran.
Thus the passage of the Egyptians, and their subsequent fate in the
Red Sea, is shown; Pharaoh and his host drowning, while a green-
winged angel exhibits to the sinking monarch a divine scroll, on
which his sentence is written. The expiring Egyptians are good, and
the look of horror on the face of Pharaoh is well done. But a small
steamer is seen in the distance! Another picture was “The staff of
Aaron changed to a serpent, having devoured the serpents of the
magicians of Egypt.” Here the winged dragon (or serpent) of Aaron is
so tremendous, that Wagner would have been glad of him at
Bayreuth: he is vomiting fire, and is a bogey of the first water.
Pharaoh, his eyes starting from his head, is depicted in horror, while
Moses has the satisfied expression of a conjurer after a successful
tour de force. Another represents Iskender (Alexander the Great),
who, having conquered the world, proceeds to the regions of eternal
night, as according to Persian legend he did in fact. The conqueror
and his warriors are well and carefully drawn, many of the figures
carrying torches and cressets; but the eternal night is shown by
painting the whole of the figures, trees, etc., on a black ground, and
a curious effect is thus produced.
Solomon in all his glory (see Frontispiece) is a favourite subject.
Solomon, who had the power of speaking the languages of animals
and all created things, and who could command the spirits of the
earth and air, is seen seated on his throne. Above his head is the
fabulous bird, the simūrgh; to his right, on a perch, is his favourite
the hoopöe, below this are two tiny efreet. The Queen of Sheba is
seated in a chair of state, behind her are her female servants and
slaves, and two gigantic jinns (genii). To the king’s left, are his Vizier
Asaph (the author of the Psalms of Asaph, or possibly the person to
whom they were dedicated), and Rūstam, the Persian Hercules,
armed with his bull-headed mace. Behind them are four jinns of
terrible aspect. The air is full of birds; and the foreground of beasts,
reptiles, and insects. The tiny figures with crowns are angels,
servants of Solomon; the turbaned figures are courtiers and
servants.
 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.

A severe winter, diversified with occasional fine weather, when the

days were even hot in the sun, brought the No Rūz (or Persian New
Year) and the commencement of spring. Our servants brought their
plates of sweetmeats to mark the day, and duly received a month’s
pay, or clothes to that amount. The woman-servant Bēbē brought her
mistress an earthen water-bottle, around the ledge of which was
sown barley, the grains being held on by a bandage, and the porous
jar keeping them constantly wet; the result was a number of rings of
bright grass, the whole forming a very pretty and original, if useless,
present. It is a common custom to do this in Shiraz at the New Year,
and even the poorest has his water-pot covered with brilliant green.
Our cook is giving some trouble just now; for though a capital chef,
and though he has been with me fourteen years—having begun at
eight shillings a month, and arrived for the last five years at forty and
the spending of all the money—yet he has his vices. When he was
first with me as a youth of nineteen, he was perpetually getting
married, and as frequently getting divorced; then he took to getting
continually arrested for debt; next drink became his foible, and this
endured for about four years; dismissal, the bastinado (by the
authorities), fining, were all tried without avail: at length, in despair, I
sent him to the head of religion in Ispahan, with a note to the Sheikh,
in which I apologised for troubling him, but stated that the man was a
very old servant in whom I had a great interest, and would he make
him take the pledge? The cook, who took the note himself, had no
idea of the contents. He told me that the Sheikh read it and told him
to wait; when the large assembly that always throngs the Sheikh’s
house had disappeared, the old gentleman produced a Koran, and
proposed that the cook should take the pledge. He dared not refuse.
After swearing to take no wine or spirits, a formal document was
drawn up, to which the cook attached his seal. The Sheikh wrote me
a very polite note, and assured me that the man would keep the
pledge.
It appeared that he exhibited a tremendous “taziana,” or cat-o’-
nine-tails, to my man, as what pledge-breakers are punished with.
The cook now was for weeks as sober as a judge, but he was
becoming a fool; the dinners were spoiled, or incongruous, or both:
in fact, as he must do something, he had become an opium-eater.
Opium, though habitually used by the aged of both sexes, is seldom
taken to excess, save by “lutis,” or confirmed debauchees.
At last, finding it impossible to cure this determined offender, I
gave my reluctant consent to his proceeding to Kermanshah, his
native place, where he wished to stay at least a year. I never saw
him again.
I don’t know if the last straw was the loss of our cook, or if we had
come to the conclusion that definitely Persia was not the place for a
lady, but we decided to go home on two years’ leave, to which I was
now entitled; and as we felt that it was very probable we should
never return, we determined to sell off our entire kit. We accordingly
drew out a catalogue of our worldly goods in Persia, and distributed
it among the telegraph officials. By a couple of months everything
was disposed of but the rubbish. This was sold by auction, and
produced a keen competition among the Armenians.
I was enabled to get rid of our phaeton without loss, for a Persian
of wealth, the “Mūllavi,” gave me within forty pounds of what I gave
for it and the horses; and the severe work we had had out of trap
and horses for two years was well worth the difference.
Captain W⸺, who was expecting his sisters out, viâ Russia, took
all our road kit and saddlery, and my wife’s mare and the
“takhtrowan,” all to be given over at Resht, on the Caspian, so we
were quite free to start.

OUR JOURNEY HOME.

March 28th, 1881.—Ispahan Julfa.—At last I hear that a muleteer
is found who will go direct to Resht, by way of Kūm, Hajeeb, and
Kasvin, avoiding the capital. I go to the house of a Baghdad
merchant in Julfa, and find the muleteer, who is being regaled with
pipes; he is the head-man of the neighbouring village of Se Deh
(three villages), and the proprietor of a hundred mules. I am told that
his son-in-law will go with the mules, and am introduced to a young
fellow some six feet high and thickly built, who is a Tabrizi, and
speaks good Turkish and bad Persian. He is wearing the large heavy
sheepskin cap of Tabriz, with the wool long. The merchant informs
me that he thinks the hire should be sixty kerans per mule. This is
said in English, and he then turns to the elder man and says:
“You will, of course, give this sahib mules at forty kerans per
mule?”
The old man replies: “I have, after much persuasion, got Jaffer
Kūli, my son-in-law, to agree to eighty.”
The young man, with many vows, raises his hands to heaven and
demands eighty-five. “Why do you throw words into air, Jaffer Kūli?
as I am this merchant’s friend let us say eighty, and the sahib will
have had mules for nothing. Of course we get a present?”
I here get up, saying, “These fellows are quite mad; let us talk to
men.”
They in turn rise and say, “Our last word is seventy-five.”
So we talk for an hour. Then, and not till then, the ceremony of
agreement is gone through, and the articles strictly drawn up by the
merchant, after much chaffering. At last he begins to read in a sing-
song drawl, for our mutual edification, the following:
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