Part 5 (1/2)

When we had reached our resting-place at night, which was a lonely caravanserai half in ruins, situated on the skirts of the desert, I determined to endeavour to procure adain my fifty ducats, andasa certain little voice within ht to thely watched an opportunity, just before the evening prayer, of presenting myself to him He was seated on a carpet that had been spread on the terrace of the caravanserai, reposing himself on his cushi+on, and before his attendants had time to beat me off, I exclaimed, ?_Arzi darum_, I have a petition to make? Upon which he ordered me to approach, and asked me what I wanted? I complained of the treatment I had received from his servants who had first seized me--related how they had robbed me of ht be restored tohim who the men were that I complained of, and when their names were mentioned, he sent his chief tent-pitcher to conduct thenized the aggressors, and affirs,? said he to them, ?where is the ,? they immediately exclaimed

?We shall soon see that,? answered he ?Call the ferashes,? said he to one of his officers, ?and let theues on the soles of their feet till they produce the fifty ducats?

They were ily tied in the noose, and after receiving a fes, they confessed that they had taken the money, and produced it It was forthwith carried to the prince, who deliberately counted it over, and, putting it under the cushi+on upon which he was reclining, released the culprits, and said in a loud voice to me, ?You are dis to see the money handed over to me, when his master of the ceremonies took me by the shoulders and pushed me away I exclaimed, ?And my money, where is it??

?What does he say?? said the prince: ?give hiain?

When the reen slipper, struck , ?Do you speak to a king?s son thus? Go in peace, and keep your eyes open, or you?ll have your ears cut off?; and so I was pushed and dragged violently away

I returned in utter despair to my muleteer, who appeared not in the least surprised at what had happened and said, ?What could you expect more? After all, is he not a prince? When once he or any , do you think that they will ever restore it?

You rass, when once it has got it within its ive up money that has once been in his hands?

[Illustration: Hajji carries the great water-sack 7jpg]

CHAPTER IX

Hajji Baba, in his distress, becomes a saka, or water-carrier

We reached Meshed in due time, and the prince made his solemn entry amidst all the noise, parade, and confusion, attendant upon such ceree city, distant froht look for assistance, and without even a pair of razors to comfort me When I looked at my present means, I found that they consisted of five toed to secrete from the sack I had stolen in the caravanserai, and which I put between the lining of my cap--of a brooollen coat, of a sheep-skin jacket, a shi+rt, a pair of trousers, and a heavy pair of boots I had lived upon theas he enjoyed the daily allowance of provisions that he received during the time when he was attached to the suite of the prince; but now that he and his ed, I could not expect that he should continue to supportto my profession; but ould trust their throats to aa Turcoht purchase razors, yet h to set up a shop, and I was determined not to become a journeyman

My friend the muleteer, who knew the ways and ly to beco,? said he: ?you have a good voice, and would entice people to drink by a harreat talent for cant and palaver, and for laughing at one?s beard The nurims who come to Meshed to perforreat, and charity being one of the principal instruive freely to those who proht in the name and for the sake Iratis; but be sure you get money in hand before you pour it out; and when your custoht be propitious! May the holy Imam take you under his protection! May you never suffer the thirst of the blessed Hossein!?

and such like sort of speeches, which you must chant out so loud that everybody may hear you In short, to devotees who cos to say their prayers, you , and you will be sure to be believed I myself have been a saka at Meshed, and know the trade It has enabledof mules, and to be the man you see?

I followeda leather sack, with a brass cock, which I slung roundfilled my sack ater, and let it soak for some time, in order to do away the bad smell of the leather, I sallied forth, and proceeded to the toan my operations The cry I adopted was ?Water, water! in the name of the Imam, water? This I chanted with all the force and swell ofpractised under the tuition of the muleteer for two days before, I was assured that I acquitted myself as well as the oldest practitioners As soon as I appeared, I immediately drew the attention of the other sakas, who seeht I had to exercise their profession When I showed myself at the reservoir, to draater, they would have quarrelled with me, and one attempted to push me in; but they found I was resolute, and thatand active lie, of which being the entire ot the lead, and completely silenced them Nature, in fact, seemed to have intended me for a saka The water which I had a moment before drawn fro flowed fro created by Ali in person equal to the sacred well of Zeh Paradise It is inconceivable hoas relished, and how considerable was the ratis I was always on the watch to discover when a new set of pilgrihted from theirescaped the Turcomans, I plied theht, andthe first devotional act which they perforratitude for their safe arrival, they ought to reward arded

The coiously kept throughout Persia, was now close at hand, and I deter to appear as the water-carrier, who on the last day of the festival, which is held the edy This was to be acted in public before the prince in the great open square of the city, and I expected to acquire th which I should perfor an immense sack full of water on the back, accompanied by additional exertions I had a rival, who accomplished the task on the last festival; but as the sack I was about to carry contained infinitely more water than he could support, my claim to superiority was not to be disputed However, I was advised to be on uard, for he was of a jealous character, and would not lose an opportunity of doing me an injury if he could When the day arrived, the prince being seated in an upper rooate of his palace, and the whole population of the city asseious cere with blood, sloalking under the weight ofreached the hich the prince was seated, I attracted his notice by loud exclaold coin, and expressed himself pleased with my performance In my exultation I invited several boys, ere near at hand for the purpose, to pile themselves upon my load, which they did, to the astonished me by their cries and applause I called for another boy, whenforwards and , no doubt, to crush th, I carriedshouts of the staring h in the heat of the exertion I felt no inconvenience, yet when I was disencumbered I found that my back was sprained so severely, that I was totally unfitted for the trade of a water-carrier for the future I therefore sold ained in water-selling, found myself well off, compared to the deplorable situation in which I was on my arrival at Meshed My friend the muleteer had departed some time before the festival with a caravan for Tehran, so I was deprived of his counsels I should have deht have dragged him before the cadi; but I was assured that in the Mohammedan law there is no provision made for a sprain It is written an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but there is no sprain for a sprain Had I had some powerful protector, ould have prosecuted the business for ot redress; but a miserable creature like , and should perhaps have stood a chance of losing the little money I had acquired

CHAPTER X

He makes a soliloquy, and becomes an itinerant vendor of smoke

I held a consultation with myself as to what I should do next for ing line was an excellent one in Meshed, and, judging from my success as water-carrier, I should very soon have been at the head of the profession I ht also have become a _luti_,[23] and kept a bear; but it required some apprenticeshi+p to learn the tricks of the one, and to kno to taht have followed my own profession, and have taken a shop; but I could not bear the thoughts of settling, particularly in so reth I followed the bent of , I deterly I bought pipes of various sizes, a wooden tray, containing the pipe-heads, which was strapped round my waist, an iron pot for fire, which I carried infor water, that was suspended by a hook, behind s for my tobacco All these commodities were fastened about ht be said to look like a porcupine with all its quills erect My tobacco was of various sorts--Tabas, shi+raz, Susa, and Da it pure; for with a very se store, with the assistance of different sorts of dungs I had a great tact in discovering aave it alenuine My whole profits, in fact, depended upon my discri ranks, I gave it half-mixed; to the lower sort, three-quarters; and to the lowest, alht I could perceive a wry face, I ienuity in favour of the excellence of ood, descanted on its superior qualities, and gave the history of the very gardener who had reared it, and pledged rew