ither side. The village itself, situated on the brink of these banks,
was just sufficiently lighted up to be distinguished from the rocks
among which it was built; whilst the ruins of a large structure, of
heavy architecture, rose conspicuous on the darkest side, and gave
a character of solemnity and grandeur to the whole scenery. This, my
companions informed me, was the remains of the many Armenian churches so
frequently seen in this part of Persia. The river dashed along through
its dark bed, and we could perceive the foam of its waters as we began
to cross the bridge. The rattle of our horses' hoofs over its pavement
had alarmed the village dogs, whose bark we could just distinguish; the
shrill crow of a cock was also heard, and most of our eyes were directed
towards the houses, when one of our men, stopping his horse, exclaimed,
'Ya, Ali! (oh, Ali!) what is that?' pointing with his hand to the
church: 'do not you see, there, something white?'

'Yes, yes,' said another, 'I see it: it's a _ghol_! without doubt it's a
ghol! This is the true hour: it is in search of a corpse. I dare say it
is devouring one now.'

I also could see that something was there, but it was impossible to make
it out.

We halted upon the bridge, looking up with all our eyes, every one being
satisfied that it was a supernatural being. One called upon Ali, another
upon Hossein, and a third invoked the Prophet and the twelve Imams. None
seemed inclined to approach it, but every one suggested some new mode
of exorcism. 'Untie the string of your trousers,' said an old Iraki,
'that's the way we treat our ghols, in the desert near Ispahan, and they
depart instantly.'

'What good will that do?' answered a _delikhan_ (a hare-brained youth);
'I'd rather keep the beast out than let it in.'

In short, what with joking, and what with serious talk, the morning
broke sufficiently to convince us that the apparition must have been an
illusion of our senses, for nothing now was to be seen. However, having
passed the bridge, the said delikhan, shivering in his stirrups, and
anxious to gallop his horse, exclaimed, 'I'll go and find the ghol,'
drove his horse up a steep bank, and made towards the ruined church. We
saw him return very speedily, with intelligence, that what we had taken
for a ghol was a woman, whose white veil had attracted our notice, and
that she, with a man, were apparently hiding themselves among the deep
shades of the broken walls.

Full o