'A Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, in the years 1808 and 1809, in which is included some account of the proceedings of his Majesty's Mission, under Sir Harford Jones, Bart., to the Court of the King of Persia. With twenty-five engravings from the designs of the author; a plate of inscriptions; and three maps.' [‎32] (67/524)

32
RESIDENCE OP THE MISSION AT BUSHIRE.
Persia had received, to add, that by second orders from Teheran, as they
were reported to us, the Princes of the districts were required to adopt
in their own persons the Russian uniform. The Prince of Tabriz, Abbas
Mirza, had already conformed to the costume; and the Prince at
ShiraZi with a hundred of his immediate attendants, was preparing to
assume the same garb; and as we learned on the 10th, by other dis
patches, already appeared in it. The proposed adoption by Sultan
Selim, of the dress of the Nizam Gedid troops, was the signal of revolt
to his Janizaries, and the direct cause of his dethronement. The na
tional levity of the Persians counteracts the original rigour of their reli
gious principles, and disposes them, from the mere love of change, to
admit the encroachments of European manners, which would rouse to
despair and revenge the less volatile character of the Turks, and ani
mate them in defence of their least usage with all the first enthusiasm of
their faith.*
" *A circumstance, connected with the more permanent superstitions of Persia, occurred
"during the first part of our stay at Bus hire, which may be worth mentioning. A
" Derveish settled himself for many days at the door of the Assistant Resident's house,
" and did not quit it till he had extorted from the Envoy a donation often rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. . These
" men wander about from place to place ; and, as their demands are sanctioned by long
" usage? they levy wherever they go, their established dues.* Mr. B ruce told me, that
" on his first arrival in the country, a Derveish came to him and asked the sum of ten
« piastres; he was refused, but he persisted that he would not depart till he should receive
" it. He accordingly stationed himself at the door, and commenced his conjuring, crying
" 4 Hag, Hag, Hag,' unceasingly for days and nights, till he had worked himself up into
" a frenzy, in which his cries became quite horrible. To get rid of such a nuisance, Mr.
" B ruce was glad at last to pay the price which his tormentor originally charged. Mr.
<£ M anesty , the East India Company's Resident at Bussorah, was attacked more
" formidably, and defended himself with more perseverance, but without better success.
" A Derveish demanded a hundred piastres, and being of course refused, settled himself
" at the door, and remained there two years, when Mr. M anesty was at last forced to
" yield, and paid the full sum required.
* L ord T bignmouth , in an interesting Paper in the Asiat. Res. IV. p. 334-5, mentions a similar custom {"sitting
" meraa ^ iu a diffe rent religion. « Brahmins even in CalculU have been known to obtain charity or subsistence from
•nhe Hindus, by posting themselves before the door of their houses, under a declaration to remain there until their
" soIicita tion3 were granted." The religious mendicants of India have sometimes assembled in a body of 5000 men-