'A Journey from Bengal to England, through the Northern part of India, Kashmire, Afghanistan, and Persia, and into Russia, by the Caspian-Sea. By George Forster. In the Civil Service of the Honourable the East-India Company in Two Volumes. Vol. II.' [‎68] (81/314)

mm
6 g FORSTER'S TRAVELS*
fe£t ? to eat them, at the fame time exprefsing ftrong doubts of theif
efficacy. But whether from not being a member of the orthodox
faith, as the Armenian urged, or according to the Georgian, from
the heretical preparation of the charm, I received no benefit, in
deed 1 grew daily worfe, as the fickneft was then in its progreffive
ilage.
Observing on my arrival at Kabul, a common toleration of
religion; that Chriftians, Hindoos and Jews, openly profeffed
their creed, and purfued their occupations without moleftation;
and aware alfo that the Mahometan charadler would deprive me
of the advantage of Bagdafir’s connexion, I had informed him
that I was a native of Europe, returning from India into my
own country. At firft I defigned to take the name of a French
man, but the wandering temper of that people, who Array into
every corner of the earth, made me,fear detection; and had I been
hardy enough to become an Englifhman, one of thofe who have
abforbed the Mahometan power in India, and in this country have
obtained a fuperior military reputation, I fhould perhaps at this
day, have been a bombadier in the corps of Timur Shah’s artillery.
To avoid thefe rifques, I denominated myfelf a Spaniard.
It was with much fatisfaftion I faw the road from Kabul to
Perfia open, and a fair profpeft of performing the journey into
Europe, by the route which I had originally propofed. Two Ar
menian travellers, who had gone by fea* from Aftracan to Ure
Gunje, a Tartar Ration on one of the rivers at the head of the
Cafpiam,