'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎257] (298/360)

UP THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. TO BUSREH 257
and a place of great wealth in the days when the
entire overland trade of Europe with India poured into
it by way of the city twice visited in its prime by Marco
Polo.
We had but few first-class passengers on board, one
European, a Turkish officer, a Persian merchant, and
a party of ceaselessly chattering, white-clothed Hindoos
who were bound for the pearl-fisheries. The British India
steamers, however, take large numbers of deck-passengers,
from whom they often have great difficulty in extracting
their fares.
It is practically useless to search these wily Orientals,
who will hide their money in most unlikely places, between
the soles of their shoes for example, and the only
efficacious plan is to threaten to put all defaulters ashore.
Even then the required money is very often withheld, and
the man allows himself to be landed, waits for the next
steamer to stop at the port where he is left, gets on board
and plays the same game, with the satisfactory result of
being taken yet a further stage on his journey. As it is
impossible to collect the fares until the vessel has started,
and as time is of absolutely no account to these dwellers
in the East, the latter often get decidedly the best of it
with the British India line.
The officers occasionally carry their lives in their hands
when great mobs of deck-passengers are on board, be
cause, if a fight arises, the English, when trying to separate
the opponents, are very likely to be set upon by one
and all. It has also happened that attempts have been
made to loot the steamers by some gang who have come
on board for that purpose, so altogether it may be seen
that the carrying of deck-passengers (who are often
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