mules and camels, laden with
beds, carpets, cooking utensils, tents, horse furniture and provisions
of all sorts, were soon making their way through each avenue, raising an
impenetrable dust, whilst their conductors mingled their cries with the
various toned bells which decked their beasts.

On the morning of departure, I was stationed at the Casbin gate to keep
order, and to prevent any impediment to the Shah's passage. The peasants
bringing provisions to the city, who are in waiting every day previously
to opening the gates, were ordered to take another direction. The road
was watered by all the sakas of the town, and every precaution taken
to make the royal exit as propitious as possible. In particular, no old
woman was permitted to be seen, lest the Shah might cast a look upon
her, and thus get a stroke of the evil eye.

I found within myself an energy and a vigour in driving the people
about, that I never thought appertained to my character; for I
recollected well, when one of the mob, how entirely I abominated every
man in office. I made use of my stick so freely upon the heads and backs
of the crowd, that my brother executioners quite stared, and wondered
what demon they had got amongst them. I was anxious to establish a
reputation for courage, which I expected would in time promote me to a
higher situation.

At length the procession began to move forwards. A detachment of camel
artillery had proceeded on the evening before to receive the Shah when
he should alight at Sulimanieh; and now was heard the salute which
announced his leaving the palace at Tehran. All was hushed into anxiety
and expectation. The chief executioner himself, mounted upon a superb
charger, galloped through the streets in haste; and horsemen were seen
running to and fro, all intent upon the one object of preparing the
road. First came the heralds; then the led horses, magnificently
caparisoned in jewellery, shawls, and cloth of gold; after them the
running footmen; then the Shah in person; the princes succeeded,
followed by the viziers; and last of all an immense body of cavalry.

When it is mentioned that every man of any consequence was accompanied
by his train of attendants, most of whom had also their trains; and
when the sum total of mirzas, of servants, of pipe-bearers, of cooks
and scullions, of carpet-spreaders, of running-footmen, of grooms and
horses, of mule drivers and camel drivers, and of ten thousand other
camp followers i