The hair
falls in numerous thin tresses over the shoulders, and a heavy
silver chain hangs down behind from the turban. It is impossible to
imagine a head dress that looks better than this.
Neither women or girls cover their faces, and I saw here several
very beautiful girls with truly noble features. The colour of the
skin is rather brown, the eyebrows and lashes were black, and the
hair dyed reddish-brown with henna. Among the lower orders small
nose rings are sometimes worn here.
Mr. Mansur furnished me with a very good table in the morning, I had
buttermilk, bread, cucumber, and on one occasion dates roasted in
butter, which, however, was not very palatable; in the evening
mutton and rice, or a quodlibet of rice, barley, maize, cucumber,
onions and minced meat. I found it all very good as I was healthy,
and had a good appetite. The water and buttermilk are taken very
cold, and a piece of ice is always put into them. Ice is to be met
with in abundance not only in the towns, but also in every village.
It is brought from the mountains in the neighbourhood, the people
eat large pieces of it with great relish.
In spite of the endeavours of Mr. Mansur and his relations to render
my stay bearable, or perhaps, indeed, pleasant, according to their
ideas, I was agreeably surprised when Ali came one morning bringing
the news that he had met with a small freight to Sauh-Bulak (seventy
miles) a place which laid on my road. That same evening I went to
the caravansary, and the next morning, 18th July, was on the road
before sunrise.
Mr. Mansur was to the last very hospitable. He not only gave me a
letter to a Persian living in Sauh-Bulak, but also provided me with
bread for the journey, some melons, cucumbers, and a small bottle of
sour milk. The latter was particularly acceptable to me, and I
would advise every traveller to remember this nourishing and
refreshing drink.
Sour milk is put into a small bag of thick linen, the watery part
filters through, and the solid part can be taken out with a spoon,
and mixed with water as desired. In the hot season, indeed, it
dries into cheese on the fourth or fifth day, but this also tastes
very well, and in four or five days you come to places where the
supply may be renewed.
On the first day we passed continually through narrow valleys
between lofty mountains. The roads were exceedingly bad, and we
were frequently obliged to cross over high mountains to pass from
one valley into another. These stony valleys were cultivated as
much as was possible.
