we have taken many prisoners; amongst them one such as has never before been seen in Tartary. We were on the very verge of the desert, posted behind that hill with which you are acquainted, commanding the road from Meshed, when we saw, in the very first call of the morning,' a cloud of dust, and heard the camel-bells. Here is the caravan,' said we as we seized our lances, and we immediately prepared to attack. Our chief rode on a-head, and having reconnoitred, came back, exclaiming, Bismillah! in the name of the Prophet, let us kill.'» Well, we attacked, and exclaiming, Yallah!' fell upon them like the arrow from the bow. We were all lions. I was a male lion; by your soul I was wonderful. Very soon everything fled from before us; the camels only remained, and one man-man shall I call him? one of the strangest-looking beings, with clothes fitting tight to his body, a black thing like a cauldron on his head, with a white face and smooth chin; and there he stood, sword in hand, ready to bid defiance to our whole company. He spoke a stranger jargon ; crying out, Dam! dam! off! off!' and so fierce did he look, that we did not like to approach him like other men; when, little by little, we surrounded him, and falling upon him, bound his hands, and seized upon everything he had. Mashallah! how we did beat him! » Ajaib! wonderful!" said Timour. Who and what is he?" Omar answered, "What know I? Some say he is a Frank, one of the nation without faith, and worthy of death; others, that he is a magician going to Hind, coming from the pilgrimage at Badkoo." " Does he talk our language? inquired the mirza. Yes, a little; like a calf beginning to low," said Omar. "You have heard of the Siamorg, the great bird of the mountain; you have heard of Eblis, or the Devil; you have heard of the beast with a cow's head and a fish's tail; well, he is a thousand times more extraordinary than all these. " Does he wear a beard like us? said the mirza. ་ A beard he does wear, indeed, said Omar; but, then, it is not on his chin,-it is on the top of his head.. « Allah! Allah!» exclaimed Timour, that must be a lie ! . As you live, and by your soul, I swear that I do not lie. He has eyes, nose, and mouth, like ourselves, it is true; but what can I say about the other parts of his body? He is so tightly-buttoned up, and fitted in, that he looks as if he had no skin; he took one skin off his hands, and might have taken off a second for what I know. » "What can I say?» rejoined the other; he never thinks of washing, or saying his prayers.» « Strange!» exclaimed the scribe. Had he any gold about him? Was it taken from him? » Gold! what say you?" cried Omar. "He had plenty; we stripped him in an instant as clean as my head; he wore a girdle full of gold; he had many things, which have all been secured for the Khan. But, see here,» pulling out from his breast a golden locket, containing hair, suspended to a piece of riband, see here; I took this to myself, for I had the stripping of him. What can this be? there is hair-old hair withinside. » It must be the hairs of one of his saints," said Timour, with great gravity, inspecting the trinket for several minutes. So these infidels have saints, have they! I will defile the graves of such saints. But, where have you put him, Omar Aga?" He is confined hard by in the castle, well guarded. » The mirza, brim-full of this news, hurried off to the Vizier, his master; whilst Omar Aga, overpowered by the fatigue of long journey, was glad to retire to his obah. (') The unfortunate Frengi, or European, the subject of this conversation, was an English gentleman, who had determined to travel to India overland, and was one of that sturdy race, who, in defiance of the experience of others, are resolved not to depart one iota from their usual modes of life as to dress, (1) A Tartar or Turcoman camp is called the obah. equipage, and hours; avowing that all precaution was beneath the character he bore, and that all submission to native customs was sheer prejudice. He had succeeded in reaching Meshed, the sacred, in safety, and it was not till the fatal moment of the attack of the Turcomans, that he felt how great had been his imprudence and folly; for, ere he could look around and determine what to do, he found himself a prisoner in the hands of a ruthless band of savages, his servants fled, and his baggage dispersed to the four winds of heaven. The scene which presented itself at the castle-gate in the morning, after the return of the Tartars from their excursion, was full of interest. About three hundred men, dusty, wayworn, armed with sword, lance, bows and arrows, and somewith fire-arms, were seated or standing about in groups; horses equally jaded, whilst a collection of wretched-looking Persians, chained and bound, who, in addition to the Englishman, had been made prisoners, were huddled 'together in a body, all awaiting the inspection of the great Khan or Chief. The hour for this ceremony was now fast approaching, and the Yesaouls, or heralds, were busily preparing for his reception. At one end of the court was the hall of audience, a room supported in front by two wooden pillars, carpeted with rude felts; in the corner of which was spread a tiger's skin, marking the post of honour, the place where the chieftain was to be seated. Everything that surrounded him wore a beggarly appearance. The house was built of sun-burnt bricks whitewashed, the courtyard unpaved, with here and there a few stunted bushes; his attendants were clothed in coarse brown cloth and sheep-skins, and the surrounding country appeared a desert; still he was one of those of whom it has been said, that after he had eaten his dinner, and washed his hands, a herald was sent to proclaim, Now that the King of Kings is satisfied, the rest of the monarchs of the earth are at liberty to sit down to their meals. » " At length the cry of Khan geldy! (the Khan is come) was heard, and soon all the dignitaries were at their posts. The chief himself then made his appearance: a square high shouldered man, with the true Tartar face, flat forehead, high and broad cheek-bones, small eyes, running up obliquely into the side of his head; a thin peaked chin, from which sprouted a very scanty beard. His countenance was fierce, and wore an ominous bad look. His principal distinction, in point of dress, was an enormous pair of boots with high heels, drawn up above his knees; and, as he walked, or rather tottered, towards his seat, (without thinking of taking them off, as is usual,) he sat down upon the tiger's skins,-no bad emblem, be it said, of himself. The vizier having announced the return of the marauders, and given an explicit and numerical detail of the prisoners they had made, the captain, accompanied by Omar Aga, the second in command, came forward, and heard their Chief say, "Aferin! Aferin! well done! O commander of a hundred! And you, his Naib, or deputy, you have rendered good service. Your faces are white: you have come back with fair countenances. » Among those who stood before the Chief must not be forgotten a Khojah, or priest, a man of great influence, and an Aksakal, or white beard, the principal elder of the tribe, who were appealed to for their opinions on all occasions of difficulty. As soon as the Persian prisoners had been inspected and dismissed, with the greatest part of the marauders, the Vizier announced the capture of a new species of man, "One," he said, whom Allah had made, no doubt, for a very good purpose; but that he, for one, could not tell wherefore, none such having ever been seen in Tartary before. Upon this, the Englishman was brought forward, until he stood immediately facing the Khan; his hands in his coat-pockets; his head erect; and his hat independently fixed on one side. As soon as the Chief perceived him, he exclaimedWhat is that? Is it a man? » As I am your sacrifice,» said the vizier, «it is a Frankone of those who live further than the end of the world. beyond the Russ. » The Chief, now raising his voice, said to the Englishman, You, who are you? Can you speak?» I am an Englishman-an Ingliz, said the prisoner. After a pause, the Chief said to his prisoner, «Have you got a country?—I have, said the other. it. » What, with trees, and houses, and men and women in Yes," said the Englishman, "we have got all that." Have you a government?»--« Yes, a government too. » No, a queen-a woman. » Upon which the Chief, turning to his vizier, said, Lies! lies ! » "What do you eat in your country? » "We eat beef, mutton, bread, and vegetables,» said the prisoner. Do you eat pillao, and drink camel's milk?» "No," said the other. It is plain they are beasts, said the Chief to his vizier. "Do you smoke the kalian? No, replied the English Have you melons like Have you any horses in your country ? »— have! said the Englishman. « Have you any camels ? »——« No," said the other. "Do you eat of the unclean beast-the hog ? » "We do, said the Englishman, nothing daunted. Beasts worthy of death! Eh! what say you? said he, turning towards his priest. Curses be on all infidels ! Curses on all the unclean of the earth!» said the priest. After a long pause, the Chief addressed the Englishman "Have you but little cloth in your country?». Then why do you make your clothes so tight? » It is the custom, said the prisoner. Have you no beards in your country?" We have, but we cut them off. » |