'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎109] (140/360)

OLLA PODRIDA
contain running water, shady trees, and a few mud plat
forms — all these are essential. A Persian gentleman
enjoys gathering his friends round him in such a place,
during the hot summer days, where the grateful shade
of the trees, and the plash of the water gliding by,
are conducive to those long philosophic or religious fdis-
cussions so beloved of Orientals, while tea and kalians y
slumber and hours of prayer, all play their part in helping
the time to slip pleasantly away.
And while I am on the subject of gardens, it may not
be amiss to say a few words about the system by which
they are watered. As water is perhaps the most valuable
property in Persia it is guarded with jealous care, and it is
said to be a more fruitful and fatal cause of bloodshed
than anything else. Our house, situated in the midst of
several gardens, was supplied by an underground stream
from the hills, and this was allowed to be used by the
gardens in turn for so many hours at a time. Our landlord
had only paid for twelve hours' water once in every ten
days, and this was sadly insufficient, as our vegetable and
flower-seeds from Sutton testified by withering up as soon
as they had appeared above the ground. We had our
compensations, however, as the stream which supplied the
quarter was obliged to pass through our garden on its
way to all the others, so that we were never without
running water, which, nevertheless, it would have been
little short of a crime to use for our plants, although it
was allowable to take what we wished for purposes of
washing and drinking.
The Persian rainfall is certainly a very scanty one.
During our nine months' stay at Kerman I do not think
it rained for even a week ; but if a system of storing the