"عبر بلاد فارس على سرج ركوب جانبي" [‎٣‎٩] (٣٦٠/٧٠)

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FROM THE CAPITAL TO FA TIM A'S SHRINE 39
struck we would eat our breakfast at a table in the open,
huddled up in capes, and finding the whole landscape
exceedingly grey and chilly-looking, after which we were
obliged to wait about an hour, until the loading up of the
mules was finished. We usually walked for another hour,
leading our horses, until by nine o'clock the sun was well
up in the heavens, and we could discard our wraps, mount
and proceed slowly, often across stony deserts with the
scantiest sprinkling of thorny scrub, and our destination,
some fifteen miles off, well in view.
About noon we would make a halt for lunch, near water
if possible, but often in the open desert, sitting on a carpet,
to partake of pillau, or kabob-i-sikh. The former dish is
usually a mound of chopped-up meat, rice, liquid butter,
and peas, saffron, etc., while the latter is composed of
pieces of meat with alternate layers of fat and onions
stuck on skewers, and roasted over a charcoal fire, the
skewers being constantly turned.
While eating our lunch the procession of mules would
pass us, slowly jogging along to the night's resting-place,
and we usually waited two hours, so as to give them a good
start, amusing ourselves by studying Persian, and practising
with my small rook-rifle, one of the numerous skulls
scattered about serving as a target. About two o'clock we
would proceed on our way, and generally had a good
canter into camp, as all the horses were exceedingly fit
and up to anything, despite the marching day after day of
a distance, on an average, about fifteen miles.
The second waiter. Shah Sowar, had tea ready for us,
and while tents were being pitched we often strolled off to
look for game, and if we were in the region of kanat holes,
I would fling stones into their depths, and my brother
i S ah
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