Armenian, whose only notions regarding cases were acquired in the course of his mercantile transactions, and who believed a plague case and a six dozen champagne case to be much about the same article, ejaculated, “Three cases of plague!  Merciful heavens!—­if the major wanted to preserve such abominable virus, could he not have brought a smaller quantity?  Three cases!  If it should run out, how it might spread about the town!”

(The “divinity” of the sheikh of the Chabeans is worth record.  He was pleased with Mr. Stocqueler’s medical zeal, and more so with a box of ointment which he laid “at his feet as a certain remedy for the impaired vision of his left eye.  He had been stone blind from his childhood, but he held it disrespectful to be told so.”

The levee of the sheikh of Fellahi is amusing.)

He was in a spacious veranda in front of his harem, looking out on the palace court, above which it was raised for about three feet.  Three or four beautiful hawks were perched near the sheikh, and he was patting a couple of favourite greyhounds.  Below, in the court, stood a considerable guard, and about the sheikh’s person were a number of subordinate sheikhs.  Those of the highest rank merely bowed and took their places, others advanced and kissed the sheikh’s hand while the humblest officers knelt on one knee to perform the same ceremony.  I observed, however, that great respect was always paid to age in this little court, for when the head of a village, far advanced in years, limped up to the nummud, the sheikh rose and embraced him, though he held but a trifling post, and was a man of little personal merit.  My own reception was most flattering.  “Ah, ha! khoob! khoob! shahbas!” (good, good, admirable!) exclaimed Mobader Khan, in Persian—­“you are now yourself.  It is long since I looked upon an Englishman, but I do not forget that they are a great nation.”  He then discoursed with me about my plans for the future prosecution of my journey, and gave me some instructions for going through the Chab territory.  Talking of hunting, and more especially of falconry, he told me that his deserts abounded with game, and that if I would stay with him, I should see herds of antelopes fall to his noble hawks.  He was curious about our field sports, but showed very little interest in more important matters; because, said he, “I am already well informed in all that concerns Europeans and their empires.”

The sheikh is held in great veneration by all the tribes, who fly to Fellahi at his summons, bringing their own materiel of war.  In this way he can command the services of six or seven thousand cavalry, and above fifteen thousand infantry, independently of the wandering Illyauts, who inhabit the deserts of Chab.

(At Bebuhan are some interesting notes.)