Page:Kennedy, Robert John - A Journey in Khorassan (1890).djvu/59

 resembles, although he is a man of far less active habits. His chief Minister, the 'Pishkar,' upon whom I also called, and who lost no time in returning my visit, is a jolly old Persian, very courteous, and possessing a strong sense of humour. The 'Karguzar,' or Foreign Office Agent residing at Meshed, during the course of my visit to him conducted me over his extensive and shady garden. We were accompanied during our stroll by a retinue of about twenty servants, and every few minutes my host would stop, call for his 'kalian' or water pipe,' and indulge, with much gurgling and puffing, in a few whiffs, which would give him energy to proceed, or rather to crawl, another dozen yards. On my return to General MacLean's house, I found that all the Persians whose acquaintance I had made, including Abbas Khan, our ex-Agent at Meshed, as well as our present Herat Agent, at that time absent on leave, had sent me the usual Persian offerings of welcome, and I consequently found myself the possessor of a small flock of sheep and lambs, and of a shop-full of sticky sweetmeats.