zontal rope. After this a man in a kind of petticoat began a dance of the most extravagant attitudes. A large elephant which had been in waiting amid the crowd, was next brought forward, was made to give a shriek, and then to kneel down, paying as it were his selaam to the King. A company of wrestlers succeeded; and every one, who threw his antagonist on his back, ran before the King and received a tomaun. When ten such feats had been successively performed, a man led in a bear, with which in his turn he wrestled. But the bear always had the advantage; and when his antagonist attempted to throw him into the basin of water, the bear got so much out of humour, that if he had not been deprived of his teeth, he would probably have demolished the unlucky assailant. Then rams were brought into the arena, and in several couples fought for some time with much obstinacy. A poor ox was next introduced, and after him a youg lion. The scene, which we had witnessed at Shiraz, was here repeated. The ox was scarcely suffered to walk, before the lion was let loose upon him; twice was the lion dragged off, and twice permitted to return to the charge, which he always made in the rear, and of which the success was secure and easy. A less bloody display succeeded; a bear was brought forwards by a company of looties or mountebanks, and danced for some time to the rude noise and music of its leaders. Then came a man who, on his bare head balanced, among other things, two high vases full of water, which another was to break with his cane. To all these different performers, the King threw different sums, as he was severally pleased with their tricks and feats. At sunset his Majesty retired to say his Namaz, (prayers) when his Nokara Kha

nah, that is his trumpets and drums, played as usual. At this moment the Envoy retired, happy to escape the noise and smoke of the fireworks, which were to close the entertainment.

25th. The King held the rates, at which also the Envoy was desired to be present. From the Casvin gate, at which we left the city, we proceeded about half a mile to a fine even part of the country, where a tent was pitched for the King. All his new raised troops were arranged on the right and in front of it. On the left, facing the tent, we stood in a line, near the Ministers, Mirza Sheffeea, and the Ameen-ed-Doulah. Directly opposite his Majesty were eight of his sons, richly dressed in velvet and gold-brocade coats, all glittering with gold and jewels. One of these carried by his side his father's bow and his quiver thickly set with precious stones. The Master of the Ceremonies, in the field, was a young Persian who carried an ornamented and gilded spear. One or two of the Princes, were mounted on white horses, the legs, belly, and lower parts of the buttock of which were dyed a rich orange colour, terminated at the top by little flowers. The Persians much admire this species of disfigurement, nor in the East is their taste singular. At about fifty paces distance from the Princes, stood the King's band of music with a troop of looties and their monkies. The state ele phants were on the ground, on the largest of which the King, seated in a very elegant howdar, rode forth from the city.

When he alighted he was saluted by a discharge of zombooreks; the salute indeed is always fired when the King alights from his horse or mounts. In one of the courts of the palace at Shiraz we had previously noticed this artillery. The zomboo ek

zomboorek is a small gun mounted on the back of a camel. The con ductor from his seat behind guides the animal by a long bridle, and loads and fires the little cannon with out difficulty. He wears a coat of orange-coloured cloth, and a cap with a brass front; and his camel carries a triangular green and red flag. Of these there were one hundred on the field; and, when their salute was fired, they retreated in a body behind the King's tent, where the camels were made to kneel down. Collectively, they make a fine military appearance. This species of armament is common to many Asiatic states, yet the effect at best is very trifling. The Persians, how ever, place great confidence in their execution; and Mirza Sheffeea, in speaking of them to the Envoy, said, “These are what the Russians dread."

No exhibition could be more miserable than the races, the immediate object of our excursion. They are intended to try rather the bot tom than the speed of the horses. The prize is what the King may be pleased to give to the first jockies, On this occasion, there were two sets, that came severally from a distance of twelve and twenty-one miles, Each consisted of about twelve illlooking horses, mounted by boys of ten or twelve years old, who were wretchedly dressed in a shirt and pair of breeches, boots and cap. In each race, the King's horses won of course. Horses are trained in this manner for a reason sufficiently obvious, in a country where the fortunes of the state and of every individual are exposed to such sudden changes Every one likes to be prepared with some mode of escape, in case of pursuit, Now, horses thus inured to running, will continue on the gallop for a day together, whilst a high conditioned and well fed animal would drop at the end of ten

miles. For this reason, the King always keeps himself well, supplied with a stud of this description, as a resource in the event of an accident. When, on the death of his uncle Aga Mahomed Khan, he was summoned (by Hajee Ibrahim, the minister of the late King) to assume, as the heir, the sovereignty, he thus travelled from Shiraz to Teheran, a distance of five hundred miles in six days.

In the interval of the race, the King sent the Master of the Ceremonies to desire the Envoy and his suite to come before him. We dismounted from our horses, and proceeded with the Prime Minister and the Ameen-ed-Doulah, before the King's presence, making low bows as we advanced. When we were about twenty steps from his Majesty, we stopped and made our final low bow. The King was seated on a high chair under a canopy, the sides of which were formed of gold cloth, and of looking-glasses. The chair itself was beautifully embroidered with enamelled flowers and other ornaments; on one of the arms was a pot of flowers, and on the other a vase of rose-water. On one side was spread a velvet and gold cloth carpet with the pearl pillow. The King was in his riding-dress, a close coat of purple velvet embroidered in pearl, the sheep-skin cap, and a pair of Bulgar boots. As he was placed in a good light, we had an excellent view of him. His manners are perfectly easy and unconstrained, with much dignity and affability.. He first inquired after the Envoy's health, of whose good qualities the two Ministers.then entered into an immense eulogium, praising him in terms the most extravagant. Then the names of all the party were mentioned to the King, and each was asked how he did. All the conversation was complimentary; and when the comparison was made between

I

Persian Diplomacy.

(From the same.)

REGRET the omission of my notes. They would have characterized, I believe with fidelity, the habits and modes of thinking of a Persian statesman, and added an amusing document to the annals of diplomacy. The conferences of the plenipotentiaries were carried on at times with the warmest contentions, at other times interrupted by the loudest laughter on the most indifferent subject. One night the parties had sat so long, and had talked so much without producing conviction on either side, that the plenipotentiaries, by a sort of unofficial compact, fell asleep. The Prime Minister and the Ameen-ed-Doulah snored aloud in one place, and the Envoy and I stretched ourselves along in another, Though on the very first night of the discussions, the parties had separated with a full conviction that every thing was settled; and though the Prime Minister himself, laying his hand on the Envoy's shoulder, had said to him, "You have already completed what the King of England himself in person could not have done;" yet, the very next conference, they came forwards with pretensions alike new and extravagant. At the close of that meeting, however, the chief secretary was appointed to bring the treaty, written fair, to the Envoy on the following morning. Instead of this, the Prime, Minister sent a large citron, and inquired after the Envoy's health. On another occasion, the Persian plenipotentiaries swore that every thing should be as theEnvoy wished, and

instantly wrote out a corresponding form of treaty, to which (rather than start a difficulty about indifferent words) he assented. They were then so anxious that he should immediately attend them to the King's summer Palace to sign, that they would not give him time to translate it into English; he, however, refused to sign a Persian treaty till the English copy was ready. They so little expected this refusal, that they had already, by the King's desire, sent thirty mule loads of fruits, sherbets, and sweetmeats, to celebrate the event at the new palace; and were of course displeased and disappointed. At another time, in the middle of a very serious conversation, the Prime Minister stopped short, and asked the Envoy very coolly, to tell him the history of the world from the creation. This was intended as a joke upon one of the Secreta, ries, who was then writing the annals of the reign of the present King. On another occasion, in which the same Minister was deeply and personally interested, and in which he invoked every thing sacred to attest his veracity, and convince the Envoy, (now, "by the head of the King," then, "by Mecca;" then, "by the salt of Fath Ali Shah,"), he turned to me, in a pause of his discourse, and asked if I were married, and begun some absurd story,

These circumstances, however characteristic of the people, may ap¬ pear trifling in themselves, or at least, indicative of minds, over which an European negociator might easily attain an ascendancy. It is necessary therefore to premise, that the real difficulties of our situation were never diminished by any deficiency of address and diplomatic finesse in the Persian plenipotentiaries. Every fresh dispatch which the French received from Europe, while it cons tributed to raise the spirits and ac

tivity of our rivals themselves, enabled the Persians also to assume a higher tone of decision between our contending interests; while the only communications from his own countrymen, which Sir Harford Jones received in Persia, were those which would have baffled the hopes and discouraged the enterprize of almost any other man. In the alternation of the dispositions of the court of Persia, he retained the same firm and unbending policy; and when the influence of the French appeared to be regaining all its preponderance, he made no one concession which he had not offered in more favourable circumstances, and finally succeeded in concluding a treaty almost on his own original terms, while the French were signing every demand which the Persians made.

As a more detailed specimen, however, of the conduct of the negoti ation, I can reserve a portion of the concluding scene.

At length a night was fixed, in which the treaties were to be signed. The Envoy and I repaired to the house of the Ameen ed-Doulah, where we found him and his Nazir, or Superintendant, the Prime Minister, the Chief Secretary, and the Persian Agent for English affairs at Shiraz. The conversation, after a short time, fixed on learned subjects. The Persians are extremely fond of history and geography, though in general they are profoundly ignorant of both. The Prime Minister went through, in a breath, the whole history of Russia. We then entered on matters of chronology, which introduced a discussion on the relative antiquity of particular remains, as Persepolis and Nakshi Rustam. The Chief Secretary, who seemed to have read much Persian history, knew that part which related to Shapour, and mentioned that he had carried his arms into Syria, and had taken prisoner a Roman Emperor. Yet the subject of the sculptures at

Nakshi Rustam had still escaped their observation; and they had still, according to the popular belief, substituted Rustam for Shapour, as the hero of those representations. To this conversation, supper succeed, ed; as usual it was short.

The treaties were then brought in, read and approved. The date was still wanting. Sir Harford Jones desired them to insert the usual form, commencing, " In witness whereof," &c. This, however, the Persians could not understand, and objected strenuously to the word "witnesses," who were never introduced except into a court of justice. At length the Envoy produced the precedent of treaties signed at Constantinople, where the form is invariably used. They acquiesced immediately; but another difficulty succeeded; Should the year of our Lord precede the Hejera?' The Secretary proposed, that in our copy of the treaty, our era should stand first, and that the order should be reversed in that which they were to keep. At last the Minister, who suspected that the Secretary was inclined to create difficulties, finished every argument by declaring, that "as Jesus Christ lived before Mahomed, there could be no doubt but that his tarikh should stand first." The Secretary, who is esteemed one of the first composers, and one of the best penmen in Persia, resisted the plainness of the language, which Sir Harford dictated for the insertion of the date, and produced something so unlike a diplomatic style, and so full of figurative expressions, that it was rejected totally on our parts. Mirza Sheffeea then took up the pen, and drew up a

simpler formulary, which, with a few emendations, was admitted. The Secretary was then desired to copy it into the treaty; but he seemed indignant to find that a date was only to be plain matter of fact, and begged hard to make it a little finer. Mirza Sheffeea, however, desired him

to

to write as he had written, and this was at length accomplished with great difficulty. Then came the business of signing. The Prime Minister, Mirza Sheffeea, first took up the pen, and put down his own name and that of his brother plenipotentiary, who was unable to sign himself. After signing, came sealing. The Secretary applied the seals, Mirza Shef feea crying out to him, Bezun, Bezun, or, "strike, strike," as if he had been striking a bargain in the bazar. In the act of signing and sealing, the parties made frequent exclamations, such as, "God grant the friendship between the two states may be binding!". "May this prove a fortunate day!"-" Let us hope that nothing may ever break this bond!" To all which, every one present emphatically and repeatedly resounded," Inch Allah!" God grant it!"

View of the Institution at Edinburgh, for Relief of Incurables.

SIR,

THE plan of this Institution was originally suggested in the year 1805 by its present manager, Mrs Keir, widow of the late Dr Keir of Wester Rynd, and one of the physicians to St. Thomas's Hospital, London.

The purpose of the projector, was to give relief to "persons labouring under incurable disease, and incapable of gaining a livelihood;" by small annual pensions paid to them for life. She was led to prefer a relief administered in this manner, to any that might be afforded by the establishment of án hospital, from a persuasion that no aid is so effectual, as that which is given by the distribution of small sums among persons known to the giver, living within their own hou ses, and themselves disposing of it; an opinion which, in the present

instance, has been fully confirmed by an experience of seven years.

The funds of the institution were raised by subscription, to which many of the most respectable persons connected with this place, and great numbers indeed of every rank, contributed with an alacrity well worthy of the object. The sums thus subscribed, of which the particulars have at different intervals, appeared in the Edinburgh newspapers, now amount to L.1706. 11s. sterling; and of these there is vested in the three per cent. consolidated government annuities L.1696. 12s. 3d. and the treasurer holds the balance L.9. 18. 9d. The gross sum of government stock thus purchased, extends to L.2189. 11s. 5d; which yields an annual dividend of L83. 16s. 8d. sterling.

This sum is at present distributed in annual pensions for life, to 61 poor persons, and in small donations to a certain number of others selected by the manager, as proper objects of occasional charity.

The funds now stated, of which the principal sum cannot by the regulations be encroached upon, are vested in the name of Messrs James Simpson, Advocate, and James Tytler, Writer to the Signet, as trustees; and these gentlemen have granted a declaration of trust in consequence; from which, as your Magazine ought to contain a record of a Scotch establishment, so evidently beneficial as the present, I beg leave to extract the Plan of the Institution, and to request its insertion in your next Number.

The Declaration of Trust is dated. 19th March 1811, and recorded the following day in the books of Session (office W. B.)

The public will, in this manner, be best enabled to judge of the merits of the Institution, and to determine on the propriety of support