"عبر بلاد فارس على سرج ركوب جانبي" [‎١‎٩‎١] (٣٦٠/٢٢٤)

LAST MONTHS AT KERMAN
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expedition; while the mud domes and blue cupolas of
the city meant for me the Oriental life in which I was
so keenly interested ; and the sight of the ruined for
tresses recalled the legend and history of Old Kerman.
However, the feeling of depression did not last long when
once we were fairly started on our journey of six hundred
miles to the frontier. And perhaps what distracted my
thoughts more than anything else was the fact that I
was riding a new horse for the first time—a horse that
had never had a lady on its back before, or a side
saddle and English bridle; and to me there are few things
more interesting than to get the mastery over a spirited
animal, and to establish that delightful sympathy which
makes the rider and his steed as one. So hurrah for
the road again ! hurrah for nomadic existence! and
hurrah for the Wanderlust that lurks in each man's
blood, and drives our English race so far from home
and kindred over the face of the globe!
Although we began our journey during the forty days
which constitute the cold weather of Kerman, yet we
found the sun almost too hot for comfort in the middle
of the day; and I was seldom able to dispense with my
veil and blue glasses.
Our servants had professed to be filled with horror
at the idea of travelling through the dreaded country
of Baluchistan, but when it came to the point they were
greatly reassured at the sight of our fifty camels loaded
with supplies of rice, sugar, rogan, and so on, infinitely
preferring the 'rough and tumble' existence of camp
life to the regular work of a settled household.
Of the scenery during our journey I cannot say much,
for the greater part of Persia has a curious monotony about