'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎77] (108/360)

HOUSEKEEPING AT KERMAN 77
self, and felt considerably elated when Sultan Sukru
informed me one day that all the servants were blaming
him, and saying that he had told the Khanuin so much
that they could hardly cheat at all now! I also learnt by
experience that a margin must be allowed for housekeeping
in the East, as, if not, the friction becomes incessant,
and this margin was no trifle when a dinner-party was in
prospect, as every house-servant, on such an occasion,
expected to share in the meal which I had to provide for
the servants of our guests.
On the whole, I had a harassing six months with Seyid
Abu, and was only too thankful when I was at last quit of
this descendant of the Prophet and engaged two small
boys in his stead, who made capital cooks.
In Persia, and I believe throughout the East, it is not
possible for the upper classes, be they European or
Oriental, to do their own shopping in the bazaars. If a
Persian gentleman ventured to buy anything at a stall
in riding through the long, covered alleys, he would be
considered to have laid a deadly insult on the servant
accompanying him, and would at once get a ' bad name x
in the place, a thing much dreaded in the East.
The custom of the country is to entrust all purchases
to a nazir, or steward, who goes every day to make them^
handing in his account periodically. An honest nazir
takes about ten per cent, on all commissions, and this
custom cuts both ways, because, although your servant
makes his profit, yet he gets the articles far cheaper than
you could possibly do, bargain as you might.
Seyid Abu, my cook, used to do the shopping at first,
but as his ideas of percentage were seldom lower than fifty,
and as we had, in consequence, unpleasant scenes over