HOLIDAYS IN PERSIA
How to ensure a prosperous journey--Natanz--Astonishment of natives
at sight of hairpins--Pulivagoon--Mahoon--Aliabad--Prince under
canvas--Visit from a Persian princess--A Persian deer-hunt.
"If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work."
Shakespeare.
In a climate such as has been described in the foregoing chapter,
it is necessary for the sake of health to get away during a part of
the hot season. Fortunately there are suitable places near at hand to
each of the large cities, so it is no very difficult matter to get
away for a few weeks. The difficulties lie rather in reaching these
places, and in transporting all one's belongings--at least all those
that are absolutely necessary--to the place chosen.
After having decided upon the desirability of having a holiday, the
next thing is to fix a day of departure. This sounds easy to say. Yes,
it is quite a simple matter for you to say, "We will start on such
and such a day," but you are perhaps reckoning without considering
your muleteer. On the morning appointed you rise early, see that
everything is in readiness, and then sit down to wait for the baggage
animals to arrive. Time goes on, the sun begins to get hot, and no
sign of the muleteer or mules, so by-and-by you send your servant to
investigate matters, and he brings back with him the muleteer, who
smiles sweetly and says, "Ensha'allah farda (to-morrow, God willing)
we will start on our journey." His mules have gone to a village, and
will be back "ensha'allah farda." We can console ourselves that very
likely the same thing will occur again on the next day. It is always
"farda" with these people, so we must try to possess our souls in
patience, and hope for the best. Persians are never in a hurry, and
cannot understand why it should make any difference whether we start
"to-day" or "to-morrow." Oh, those endless "fardas"! how tired we got
of them before we had been very long in the land. But it is good to
learn patience, and the sooner you have mastered this lesson well,
the happier will you be living in the East.
Preparing for a holiday in Persia is rather a different matter to
starting off at home for the seaside or elsewhere. Everything has to
be taken--pots and pans, tables, chairs, beds and bedding--in fact,
everything that is necessary for four or five weeks' stay in a house
where nothing is provided but the bare walls. It is wonderful what a
number of things are necessary even for a short stay, in the so-called
simple life.
The natives are very superstitious about many things when starting on
a journey. For instance, it is very unlucky, in their eyes, to proceed
if any of the party happens to sneeze on the point of starting. They
would much rather postpone the start for a more propitious occasion,
than disregard this bad omen. I heard of one man who insisted on
continuing his journey in spite of the warning given in the form of
a sneeze, and the consequence was he fell off his mule and broke his
leg! The natives also are careful to have a good supply of copper coins
ready when starting on a journey, to give to the beggars. Whenever
we left home our servants always distributed freely to the poor who
were living around, to ensure a blessing on our journey, but they
never forgot to put the amount down in the daily account!
While in Persia we had some very enjoyable holidays, but as I could
not endure the altitude we were never able to go to the mountains,
which of course make the ideal summer resorts. However, we managed
to find some very pretty and fairly cool places in the plains or on
slightly elevated ground. Our first holiday in Persia was spent in a
very pretty little village called Natanz. I had been taken ill on our
way to Isphahan, and the lady doctor who came out to meet us suggested
our going for a week or so to this little village before entering
Isphahan. Spring was already well advanced, and it is difficult to
recruit in the hot season.
Natanz is a picturesque little village, slightly off the general route,
so that the natives had not then become very much used to Feringhis
staying with them, and our coming caused no little excitement. We
arrived there about twelve o'clock one night, and were conducted to
our room by an admiring throng, and this throng continued to "admire"
for the whole time we were there. The windows of our room were
composed of lattice work only, so all interested could always have a
good view of our movements. On waking in the morning there were our
faithful followers to be seen with their faces flattened against the
trellis work, waiting for us to wake, and see what we were going to
do next! At times this interest shown on the part of the inhabitants
was a trifle embarrassing, but as often as they were driven away by
our servant just as often did they return again whenever his back
was turned. For the first day or two I did not leave the room, but
when I felt stronger I used to sit in a chair outside the window
reading or writing. The moment my husband left me the women all
swarmed round like bees, full of curious questions. Unfortunately at
that time I was not able to talk to them, not knowing the language,
but I could make out what they were saying to a great extent from
their gestures. My fountain pen was a cause of great amusement and
astonishment, as were also my hairpins. The delight of some of the
women on being presented with a hairpin was very funny. They seemed to
think I stuck them into my head, as into a pincushion. At first the
women were rather shy, as they could not be quite sure whether I was
a man or a woman, but one of them came and peeped under my hat and
seeing I had long hair concluded I was a woman. My husband received
a visit from the governor of the village, who was very delighted to
see an English hakeem. We were quite sorry when our little holiday
in Natanz was over, but being anxious to push on to Isphahan, did
not care to prolong our stay longer than was necessary.
Our next holiday was in the summer of the same year 1900. This time
we went only a few hours' drive out of Isphahan to a place called
Pulivagoon. It was a very pretty little village, and a nice house,
belonging to the Zil es Sultan, had been lent to us for a month. The
house was built practically on the river, as our windows hung right
over the water, and the sound of its rushing torrent reminded us of the
lapping of the waves on the seashore in dear Old England. There were
some lovely woods near by, to which we often used to take our tea,
and pass the time pleasantly paddling, bathing, and fishing in the
river. The following year we were at Kerman, and went for our holidays
to a lovely garden about nine hours' ride from the city. Mahoon lies
very high; it must be at least 6700 feet above sea-level. The climate
is beautiful, but the altitude proved too high for me to enjoy it
much. We had a very tiring ride from Kerman; starting one day soon
after noon we rode for three or four hours, then had a refreshing cup
of tea under the shadow of a large spreading tree. But we could not
afford to linger, for we still had a good half of our journey before
us, so once more we mounted our respective steeds, hoping to reach
our destination about nine o'clock, but alas for our hopes! Nine
o'clock came and went, and still we seemed no nearer; ten o'clock,
and still no sign of our village. It was now pitch dark, and we
were all very tired and hungry, and I was so dead beat that I could
hardly sit upright on my animal. My husband rode close by my side,
to be in readiness in case I should fall off in my sleep. To the
oft-repeated question, "How much farther?" the answer always came,
"Ensha'allah--only half-an-hour." Oh, those half-hours, how wearisome
they became! I did so wish that they would say two hours or three hours
for a change, for the everlasting half-hour was so tantalising. Our
servants told me afterwards that they said this to keep up my spirits,
as they thought, if they told the truth about the distance, "the
Khanum's heart would melt within her." At last, just after midnight,
we heard a very energetic coo-ing ahead of us, and knew that at
last we were within sound of rest and food. It was so dark that we
could not find the path leading to the garden, and our animals went
floundering about over great boulders of stones or stumbling into
ditches, and of course all in the wrong direction, till some one met
us and conducted our tired party into the house. Here we found that
our baggage animals, with Bagi and the other servants, had not yet
turned up, though they had started an hour or two before us. They did
not arrive till morning, so there was nothing for it but to lie down
on bare boards and go to sleep supperless. The only drinking vessel
to be found was a saucepan, from which we had a most refreshing drink
of water and retired to our luxurious couch, sleeping as well and as
soundly as if we were lying on beds of softest down. We were awakened
about eight o'clock next morning by the sound of bells, and knew that
our belated caravan had come in. While they were settling disputes
and unpacking we strolled off into the garden to dip our faces into
the cool water that was flowing through the grounds. It was, or rather
had been, a magnificent garden, but, like everything else in Persia,
was even then fast falling into decay. There was water in abundance,
flowing on both sides, and fountains playing on the top terrace and
also at the foot of the garden. The whole garden was built in a series
of terraces, and steps led from one level to the next. The houses and
gardens had been built by H.H. Farman Farma, at one time governor of
Kerman, and must have cost a great deal of money.
We took up our quarters in the house at the top of the garden, and
after a few days our consul came out from Kerman and occupied the
lower one. We spent a very enjoyable month here, riding, shooting,
bathing, &c. My husband opened a dispensary for the villagers,
to which he went two mornings each week, and the people appreciated
this very much, as I do not think they had ever had an English doctor
amongst them before. We much enjoyed the use of the Persian "hammam"
(bath) while there. It comprised a series of rooms built a little way
off from the house; each room was built of marble and blue tiles. The
first or outer room was simply for resting in, having a fountain in
the centre; passing through this, you entered a large vaulted room,
which was used for a dressing-room and "cooling-down" place; from this
you passed to the actual hammam, which was a large tank of water about
15 feet by 10 feet, and from 1 to 6 feet deep, shelving gradually in
depth from the edge. This had not been used for some years apparently,
but my husband had it cleaned out and filled with fresh water, and
we were very thankful for it during the hot weather. At first we
tried taking our afternoon siesta in the outer or resting-room, but
found it too feverish; however, we were able to sit in it during the
early part of the day, and generally had our Persian lesson there,
as it was easier to work in the cool. We always made our holidays
a time for language study, as my husband rarely could find time for
it while at work in the city, and we both longed to be able to speak
Persian properly. I must say the natives were always wonderfully good
and patient over our mistakes, and never laughed, however terrible
and feeble our attempts at conversation might be. Unfortunately,
just as we were beginning to feel our way in Persian a little, we
had to start learning a new language, so to a great extent we have
forgotten our Persian.
Our last holiday in Persia was spent in Aliabad, a dear little village
about ten hours' drive from Yezd. H.R.H. the Jalal el Dowleh (nephew
of the late Shah) kindly lent us a house there, and as it was rather
a small one, he erected a large tent in the garden for us, which did
duty as dining and sitting-room combined. The Jalal also kindly lent
us one of his carriages to drive from Yezd to Aliabad. The first part
of the way the road was very good. We left Yezd just before sunset,
reaching our half-way place shortly before midnight. Here we had to
rest the horses till morning, so we spent the night in a garden by
permission of the owner. Spreading a rug on the ground, and using
two of the carriage cushions as pillows, we spent a very comfortable
night, and awoke in the early morning fresh and ready for the second
part of our journey. We were off before sunrise, as we wished to reach
our destination before the great heat of the day began. I shall never
forget that drive. For the greater part of the way there was not even a
semblance of a road, and the whole path was strewn with huge stones and
boulders; it was a marvel to me how the carriage ever got safely over
them. But oh, the jolting and the shaking! Driving up the Pyramids
would be smooth and easy compared to the horrors of that road! We
repented often of having accepted the kind offer of the carriage, as
the saddle is much more preferable on such roads. However, all things
come to an end to those who have patience; so at last this memorable
drive ended, and we were very thankful, about ten o'clock, to see the
trees of our village rising on the horizon. We found the little house
very comfortably arranged and breakfast waiting for us in the tent,
as our servants had pushed on instead of resting during the night.
Aliabad contained, I suppose, some fifty houses, all of which were
occupied by Moslems of rather a fanatical type. It was surrounded on
all sides by mountains and hills, and this gave it a rather shut-in
feeling at times. After sunset, too, it was very chilly and damp, as
there were so many gardens lying under water at that time, this being
the usual method of irrigation. I wanted to make the acquaintance of
the village women, so I let it be known that I should generally be
in the garden during the morning, and should welcome all who came
to see me. In this way I saw most of the women, but they were not
very responsive on the whole. It was here, sitting in the garden one
morning, that I tried to learn from them how to "tell the beads"
according to the Moslem method, but I found it too intricate and
difficult. I managed, however, to master one very simple method of
trying the beads for good or ill fortune. This was as follows: holding
the rosary before you in both hands, you separate a certain number of
the beads; then, closing your eyes, you "tell" them, repeating the
mystic words "Adam, Eve, Satan," until the last bead is reached. If
this happens to be "Adam," the luck is sure to be of the best; if
"Eve," the result is neutral, and the beads must be counted again;
while "Satan" indicates the worst of fortune, and would absolutely
prevent any one from undertaking any contemplated action.
It was no uncommon sight to see the women counting their beads and
mumbling to themselves, "Adam, Hava, Shaitan (Adam, Eve, Satan), Adam,
Hava, Shaitan," before making up their minds as to whether they should
drink their medicine or not. Or perhaps some patient has been advised
an operation, and he is trying his beads to see whether the doctor's
advice is to be taken or not. It is a strange thing that, when they
very badly want to do a thing, they can generally make it come to
"Adam," or else they keep on repeating the words till it does come
to the lucky name, and then they are happy.
When we had been in Aliabad some days the prince-governor of Yezd
brought his "anderoon" to the same village. Of course there was no
accommodation for them in the village, so they erected a town for
themselves. It sprang up in one night, and looked in the morning as
if a large company of soldiers had suddenly come along and fixed their
camp. The ladies' quarters consisted of about twenty large tents, and
were enclosed by a huge canvas wall, quite shutting them off from the
outside world. The prince had his reception tents and others outside
the wall, but quite near to it.
A day or two after their arrival the princess sent down her carriage
for me, with a request that I would go and see her, which I gladly did,
and found her surrounded by all her home comforts, and dressed, as
usual, in some lovely silk costume. After this she always sent for me
about three times a week, and we had walks and talks together. Whenever
we came to a garden, she and her ladies always gathered the cucumbers
and onions and ate them, thoroughly enjoying the impromptu picnic,
and never giving a thought to the poor unfortunate owner, who dared
not voice a remonstrance, however much his garden was stripped of
its produce.
A eunuch or two always went before when the princess walked out, to
warn off any of the dreaded menkind who happened to be about. One
day the prince gave permission for his wife to come and call upon
me. This was the first time she had ever been allowed to pay a
visit. I was sorry we were not in our own house, as I should have
liked to show her an English home. However, we made the place as
tidy and home-like as possible for her reception. My husband had to
be banished, and also all the men-servants. Bagi (our woman servant)
prepared all the refreshments, but the princess's own servants handed
them to her, as Bagi was a Parsee, and it would have meant defilement
for a Moslem to take food from a despised follower of Zoroaster.
The prince spent most of his time hunting, and my husband went with
him on several occasions. The sport did not seem to be very exciting,
from all accounts. The Jalal would take with him about thirty to forty
of his followers, and form a kind of cordon round the spot where the
gazelles were known to be; they then gradually closed in, each rider
knowing and keeping his own position. At last the gazelles would be
sighted, and all would gallop madly towards the spot, and shoot as
they got within range.
We were kept so well supplied with venison during those holidays that
I felt I never wanted to taste it again!
Quite near to Aliabad there were some large caves in which the natives
had stored frozen snow, so that even in the height of summer we were
able to have a large block of ice every day.
Altogether our time at this little village was very enjoyable, and
we were quite sorry when our holiday was over and we had to return
to the broiling heat of Yezd.