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.  We halted at Tschomarichen.

19th July.  The road and country was the same as those of yesterday, except that we had more hilly ground to ascend.  We very nearly reached the height of the first snow region.

Towards evening, we came to Raid, a miserable place with a half-ruined citadel.  Scarcely had we encamped, when several well-armed soldiers, headed by an officer, made their appearance.  They spoke for some time with Ali, and at last the officer introduced himself to me, took his place at my side, showed me a written paper, and made several signs.  As far as I could understand, he meant to say that I was now in Persia, and that he wanted to see my passport.  However, I did not wish to take it out of my portmanteau in the presence of the whole of the villagers, who were already assembled round me, and, therefore, explained to him that I did not understand him.  With this assurance he left me, saying to Ali:  “What shall I do with her?  She does not understand me, and may go on further.” {279} I do not think that I should have been so leniently dealt with in any European state!

In almost every village, a great part of the people immediately assembled round me.  The reader may imagine what a crowd had gathered together during this discussion.  To be continually stared at in this way was one of the greatest inconveniences of my journey.  Sometimes I quite lost my patience, when the women and children pressed round me, handling my clothes and head.  Although quite alone among them, I gave them several slight blows with my riding-whip.  This always had the desired effect; the people either went away altogether or drew back in a ring.  But here, a boy about sixteen was inclined to punish my boldness.  As usual, I went to the river to fill my leathern flask, to wash my hands and face, and bathe my feet.  This boy slipped after me, picked up a stone, and threatened to throw it at me.  I dare not, of course, evince any fear; and I went, therefore, quite composedly into the river.  The stone came flying, although I observed, by the way in which it was thrown, that he was more desirous of frightening than hitting me; it was not thrown with force, and fell several feet away.  After throwing a second and third, he went away; perhaps because he saw that I did not heed him.