t
of cheating. They have tried for sixteen years to start electric trams,
but everyone wants too much for his own pocket. The morals become
dingier and dingier as one gets nearer Tartar influence, and no shame is
thought of it. Most of the stories one hears would blister the pages of
a diary. When a house of ill-fame is opened it is publicly blessed by
the priest!

_Kasvin. 18 February._.--We spent a week at Baku and grumbled all the
time, although really we were not at all unhappy. The MacDonells were
always with us, and we had good games of bridge with Ignatieff in the
evenings. We went to see the oil city at Baku, and one day we motored to
the far larger one further out. One of the directors, an Armenian, went
with us, and gave us at his house the very largest lunch I have ever
seen. It began with many plates of zakouska (hors d'oeuvres), and went
on to a cold entree of cream and chickens' livers; then grilled salmon,
with some excellent sauce, and a salad of beetroot and cranberries. This
was followed by an entree of kidneys, and then we came to soup, the best
I have ever eaten; after soup, roast turkey, followed by chicken pilau,
sweets and cheese. It was impossible even to taste all the things, but
the Georgian cook must have been a "cordon bleu."

On February 16th one of the long-delayed cars arrived, and we were in
ecstasies, and took our places on the steamer for Persia; but the
radiator had been broken on the way down, and Mrs. Wynne was delayed
again. I started, as my car was arranged for, and had to go on board.
Also, I found I could be of use to Mr. Scott of the Tehran Legation, who
was going there. We travelled on the boat together, and had an excellent
crossing to Enzeli, a lovely little port, and then we took my car and
drove to Resht, where Mr. and Mrs. McLaren, the Consul and his wife,
kindly put us up. Their garden is quiet and damp; the house is damp too,
and very ugly. There are only two other English people (at the bank) to
form the society of the place, and it must be a bit lonely for a young
woman. I found the situation a little tragic.

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We drove on next day to this place (Kasvin), and Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin
were good enough to ask us to stay with them. The big fires in the house
were very cheering after our cold drive in the snow. The moonlight was
marvellous, and the mountain passes were beyond words picturesque. We
passed a string of 150 camels pacing along in the moo