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Chaldæa to the great Iranian plateau, which he does not again quit until he leaves Persia. Secondly, he passes through the
important and flourishing Persian cities of Kermanshah and Hamadan, for accounts of which I must refer my readers to
Chapter XVI., and which are situated in exceedingly productive tracts of country. Lastly, at Bisitun and at Tak-i-Bostan (four
miles from Kermanshah) he encounters some of the most celebrated remains of Persian antiquity; and in the rock carvings,
sculptures, and inscriptions which look down upon him from the chiselled surface of the mountain-side, he both reads a tale
of bygone splendour and observes the most important historical document, albeit in stone, next to the Damietta Stone, that
has been discovered and deciphered in this century. Here again let me invite any inquisitive reader to read on.
I have now, at some expense of space, and at a greater expense of previous trouble than many would imagine, completed
the tour of the Persian frontier, and have supplied to the intending voyager information which he will not find collected in
any other volume, but which I have judged to be indispensable to a work that claims to be one of general reference upon the
country with which it deals. I have shown how Persia can be approached from the north, south, east, and west, and have
indicated the routes and the means of doing so. It remains only for me, before concluding this chapter, to furnish that
information regarding outfit and equipment which is as necessary to a traveller in the East as is a ticket upon a European
railway.
For the requisite equipment for caravan travelling in Persia I cannot do better than refer my readers to Appendix I. of the
second volume of Sir C. MacGregor's ‘Journey through Khorasan,’ to cap. xiii. of the second volume of Mr. E. Stack's ‘Six
Months in Persia,’ and to Appendix C of Dr. Wills's entertaining work, ‘In the Land of the Lion and the Sun.’ Few persons
will commence caravanning in Persia who have not tried it elsewhere, and already formed their own conclusions as to the
desiderata of camp life. The size of tents, the structure of beds, the irreducible minimum of furniture, the provision of
ammunition, the extent of the camp, the canteen, are matters dependent partly upon the taste or purpose of the traveller, partly
upon the fashion of the day; and any too definite instructions might easily be found superfluous or might soon become
obsolete. The case, however, is different with the chapar rider, who probably leaves England without the slightest idea of
what lies before him, and who may be saved great expense and annoyance by knowing
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clearly beforehand what to take and what to leave behind, what to expect and what to avoid.
It is useless to take out the usual European paraphernalia of portmanteaux, hatboxes, and trunks. They will merely have
to be discarded on the way, or left behind to follow at snail's pace after the owner—and be knocked to pieces in the process—
by mule or camel caravan. The first rule to be observed is that every piece of baggage must be of such a size as can easily be
suspended or strapped to one side of a galloping horse; the second, that, as far as possible, the several pieces must correspond
in size and weight. The slightest inequality makes it very hard upon the horse, and necessitates constant stoppages to readjust
the load. I took out to Persia two medium-sized Gladstone bags (measuring 22 inches in length by 14 inches in depth), and
the agreement of other travellers with my own experience leads me to recommend them as by far the best. When you arrive in
Persia you can buy in the bazaar of any Persian town, or get manufactured in a day, a pair of large native saddle-bags or
khurjins. They are made of carpet and leather. Put your Gladstone bags, one into each side, and throw the whole over the
back of your postboy's horse. The two sides will balance, and no trouble will ensue. As the postboy does not use a saddle, but
merely sits straddlewise upon the top of whatever baggage may be strapped upon his animal, he can be further made to carry
bundles of rugs, coats, and bedding to almost any extent. Your Persian servant, who must be engaged beforehand, and
without whom it would be foolish to travel, can carry upon his horse a second pair of saddle-bags, in which can be stored any
smaller bags or articles, the cooking apparatus, and his own kit. Finally, in the holsters and saddle-bags of your own mount
you will carry the immediate necessaries of the journey—flask, money, pistol, requisites of the toilette, books, &c. In
addition to my Gladstone bags, I took two stout brown canvas bags, which I found most useful. They would hold a great deal
when filled; and yet, if not wanted, could be rolled up into a very narrow compass. It will be obvious that the lighter a horse's
load the more quickly will the stage be accomplished.
As regards saddlery, the Persian saddle, which is small and high-peaked, is so unlike anything that an Englishman has
ever been accustomed to ride upon that he will only suffer from making the experiment. He must take out a roomy English
military saddle, with holsters and saddle-bags, and plenty of rings or staples fitted for straps, of which he will find that a good
surplus supply will be invaluable. In one of my holsters I carried a flask that held over a quart bottle of spirits, and whose
contents were ample for the requirements of a journey of many hundred miles. The traveller is sometimes so exhausted that
he would be tempting Providence if he had not some
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restorative at hand; and I commiserate the teetotaller who starts on a hard chapar ride through Persia. I took out an English
snaffle and two-reined bridle, and used them nearly throughout. I do not, however, recommend the former, except on the
score of mercy. It is utterly unlike the Persian bit, and a Persian horse does not understand it. If he is a crock it does not much
matter, but if he is a mettled animal he runs away. It is better, on the whole, to employ the native bit, cruel though it be. 41