Page:Kennedy, Robert John - A Journey in Khorassan (1890).djvu/54

 MacLean's servants, so we felt as if we were once more entering the circle of civilisation.

The next morning we started at 8.30 for our final ride — twenty-four miles, into Meshed. The road was rough over the mountains for about five miles, when a broad valley was crossed, after which there is an ascent over the spur of the mountain range which bounds the Meshed plain on the south-south-west. After crossing this spur the plain of Meshed, with the sacred city itself, burst upon our view. A descent of four or five miles brought us to the caravanserai of Turukh, where we were met by Mr. Stagno Navarra, who had ridden out to meet us, and from whom we received a very warm greeting. He told us that General MacLean would meet us near the city, but that he had not recovered sufficiently from his recent illness to ride out any great distance. We rode for some six miles along a broad road, with young trees on each side and cultivated ground, keeping the golden cupola of the shrine of Imaum Riza well in view, and met with no further mishap beyond seeing our gholam's weary horse stumble and