Part 2 (1/2)

Of Hajji Baba?s birth and education

My father, Kerbelai Hassan, was one of the most celebrated barbers of Ispahan He was hter of a chandler, who lived in the neighbourhood of his shop; but the connexion was not fortunate, for his wife brought hilected her His dexterity in the use of a razor had gained for hireat custo the merchants, that after twenty years?

industry, he found he could afford to add a second wife to his harehter of a richthat period, with so hter to et rid, for a while, of the importunities and jealousy of his first wife, and also to acquire the good opinion of his father-in-laho, although noted for clippingit for lawful, affected to be a saint), he undertook a pilgrie to the tomb of Hosein, at Kerbelah He took his neith him, and she was delivered of enerally known, simply as ?Hassan the barber?; but ever after he was honoured by the epithet of Kerbelai; and I, to please rih life, and procured for reat deal of unmerited respect; because, in fact, that honoured title is seldoe to the to left his business during his absence to his chief apprentice, resumed it with increased industry on his return; and the reputation of a zealous Mussuly, as well as theintended that I should be brought up to the strap, I should perhaps have received no more education than was necessary to teach me my prayers, and I not been noticed by a _ mosque, who a good man) used to shave once a week, as he ont to explain, purely for the love of God The holyress under his care, that in two years I could decipher the Koran, and began to write a legible hand When not in school I attended the shop, where I learnt the rudiments of my profession, and when there was a press of customers, was permitted to practise upon the heads of muleteers and camel-drivers, who indeed sometimes paid dear for my first essays

By the time I was sixteen it would be difficult to say whether I wasthe head, cleaning the ears, and tri the beard, I became famous for my skill in the offices of the bath No one understood better than I the different , as practised in India, Cashmere, and Turkey; and I had an art peculiar tothe joints to crack, and my slaps echo

Thanks to my master, I had learnt sufficiently of our poets to enable me to enliven conversation with occasional apt quotations froood voice, reeable companion by all those whose crowns or limbs were submitted to my operation In short, it may, without vanity, be asserted that Hajji Baba was quite the fashi+on a thesituated near the Royal Caravanserai, the largest and most frequented in the city, was the con, as well as of the resident,over and above the usual price, for the entertainment they found in the repartees of his hopeful son One of thereat fancy to me, and always insisted that I should attend upon him, in preference even to my more experienced father He made me converse with hie, and so excitedthe beauties of the different cities which he had visited, that I soon felt a strong desire to travel He was then in want of some one to keep his accounts, and as I associated the two qualifications of barber and scribe, he eous offers, to enter into his service, that I agreed to follow him; and immediately mentioned my determination to my father My father was very loath to lose me, and endeavoured to persuade me not to leave a certain profession for one which was likely to be attended with danger and vicissitudes; but when he found how advantageous were the ht becoradually ceased to dissuade , accoret for the loss of my society, and her fears for my safety, derived no alleviation froured no good froun in the service of a _Suni_;[1] but still, as aof broken biscuit, accouent, which, she told me, would cure all fractures, and internal complaints She further directed me to leave the house witha happy return from a journey undertaken under such inauspicious circumstances

[Illustration: The chaoush tells what he will do when he ]

CHAPTER II

Hajji Baba commences his travels--His encounter with the Turcoa, my master, was now on a journey to Meshed, the object of which was to purchase the lamb-skins of Bokhara, which he afterwards purposed to convey to Constantinople for sale Iy nose, and a thick, black beard, and you will see ood Mussulman, very strict in his devotions, and never failed to pull off his stockings, even in the coldest ht be perfect; and, withal, he was a great hater of the sect of Ali, a feeling he strictly kept to hi passion was love of gain, and he never went to sleep without having ascertained that his money was deposited in a place of safety He was, however, devoted to his own ease; sh he denounced eternal perdition to those who openly indulged in it

The caravan was appointed to collect in the spring, and we , a; whilst I was provided with a horse, which, besides myself, bore the _kalian_[2] (for he adopted the Persian style of s), the fire-pan and leather bottle, the charcoal, and also my oardrobe A black slave, who cooked for us, spread the carpets, loaded and unloaded the beasts, bestrode another , carpets, and kitchen utensils A third, carrying a pair of trunks, in which was my master?s wardrobe, and every other necessary, completed our equipment

The day before our departure, the prudent Os of his heavy turban fifty ducats, a circumstance known only to him and me, and these were to serve in case of accidents; for the remainder of his cash, hich he intended to s, and deposited in the very centre of the trunks

The caravan being ready to depart consisted of about five hundred mules and horses, and two hundred camels, most of which were laden with merchandize for the north of Persia, and escorted by about one hundred and fifty men, composed of merchants, their servants, and the conductors of the caravan Besides these, a srims bound to the toave a character of sanctity to the procession of which its other h estie are always supposed to be held

Every man on these occasions is armed, and un was fired, and becaht of a draord, now appeared with a long carbine slung obliquely across his back, and a crooked sword by his side, whilst a pair of huge pistols projected froirdle; the rest of his surface was almost made up of the apparatus of cartouch-boxes, powder-flasks, ramrods, &c I also was armed cap-a-pie, only in addition to what e spear The black slave had a sith only half a blade, and a gun without a lock

We started at break of day from the northern suburb of Ispahan, led by the _chaoushes_[3] of the pilgrie, who announced our departure by loud cries and the beating of their copper druot acquainted with our fellow travellers, ere all ar their martial equipment, appeared to be very peaceably disposed persons

I was delighted with the novelty of the scene, and could not help galloping and curvetting my horse to the annoyance of my master, who in a somewhat crabbed tone, bid me keep in mind that the beast would not last the journey if I wore it out by unseasonable feats of horsemanshi+p

I soon became a favourite with all the company, many of whom I shaved after the day?s march was over As for reat source of co his mule was at an end, I practised many of the arts which I had acquired at the bath to do away the stiffness of his li him with my hands

We proceeded without impediment to Tehran, where we sojourned ten days to rest our erous part of the journey was to co of Persia, were known to infest the road, and had lately attacked and plundered a caravan, whilst at the same time they had carried those who composed it into captivity Such were the horrors related of the Turcomans, that many of our party, andto Meshed; but the account he received of the enor, that, in spite of everything, he resolved not to be frightened out of his prospect of gain

A chaoush had long been collecting pilgrims at Tehran and its vicinity, in the expectation of the arrival of our caravan, and as soon as we made our appearance, he informed us, that he was ready to join us with a nuht to receive with gratitude, considering the dangers which ere about to encounter He was a character well known on the road between Tehran and Meshed, and enjoyed a great reputation for courage, which he had acquired for having cut off a Turcoman?s head whom he had once found dead on the road His appearance wasin person tall and broad-shouldered, with a swarthy sunburnt face, ornamented by a few stiff hairs by way of beard at the end of a bony chin Clad in a breastplate of iron, a hel over his shoulders, a curved sword by his side, pistols in his girdle, a shi+eld slung behind his back, and a long spear in his hand, he seeer He made such boast of his prowess, and talked of the Turcomans with such contempt, that my master determined to proceed under his immediate escort The caravan was ready to depart a week after the festival of the New Year?s day[4], and after having perforation on the Friday, ent to the village of Shahabdul Azim, whence the whole body was to proceed the next day on its journey

We advanced by slow marches over a parched and dreary country, that afforded little to relieve the eye or cheer the heart Whenever we approached a village, or met travellers on the road, our conductors, made invocations of Allah and of the Prophet in loud and shrill tones, acco on the drums suspended to their saddle-bow Our conversation chiefly turned upon the Turcoreed that they were a desperate eneed to console ourselves by the hope that nothing could withstand our nu, ?In the nas are they, that they should think of attacking us?? Every one vaunted his own courage Myfrom apprehension, boasted of what he would do, in case ere attacked; and, to hear his language, one would suppose that he had done nothing all his life but fight and slaughter Turcos, and as jealous of being considered the only e of the party, said aloud, ?No one can speak of the Turcomans until they have seen the up his moustaches toward his ears) ever came unhurt out of their clutches