'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎53] (84/360)

TO THE GOAL OF OUR JOURNEY VIA YEZD 53
We halted for the night at the village of Guchkun, a
curious place, perhaps never before visited by Europeans.
The mud domes of the old village were built on the crest
of a high hill, in order to secure the inhabitants from the
raiding parties so frequent half a century ago. However,
during the peaceful reign of the present Shah (now the
late one), most of the villagers have descended from their
eyrie and constructed new dwellings at the foot of the
hill, many of the old houses being in ruins. It was one
of the most picturesque spots imaginable, the rocky spur
rising up boldly, distinct from all the neighbouring hills,
although so well hidden by them, that the traveller comes
almost by chance on the village.
The ruined domes and arches seemed a part of the rock
itself, so closely did they resemble it in colour, and from
a short distance it was hard to believe that the fantastic
outline of the hill before us was due to art and not to
nature. It was a mystery how the people made their
way in safety along the narrowest of paths into their
special rabbit-warrens, the entrances to which in many
cases were hewn out from the side of the precipice; and
we were convinced that there must have been a great
mortality among the children when the old village was
inhabited.
The great fast of Ramazan had begun, coinciding this
year with our Lent, and the villagers worked as usual,
eating nothing from sunrise to sunset. It is a religious
observance which presses cruelly on the poor, as they are
forced to toil on empty stomachs ; while the rich sleep and
visit the mosques during the day, and at night feast with
parties of their friends.
Our servants came in a body to ask whether they ought