A Journal of Two Years' Travel in Persia, Ceylon, etc

Front matter

Published immediately on arrival of the Marseilles portion of each Overland Dispatch from India. Thirty-two closely-printed pages (stamped), price Is., or 24s. per Annum. ALLEN'S INDIAN MAIL, AND 5Eig!t$tCT ®l IiretdMpirwu FROM INDIA, CHINA, AND ALL PARTS OF THE EAST. Allen's Indian Mail contains the fullest and most authentic Reports of all important Occurrences in the Countries to which it is devoted, com piled chiefly from private and exclusive sources. It has been pronounced by the Press in general to be indispensable to all who have Friends or Rela tives in the East, as affording the only correct information regarding the Services, Movements of Troops, Shipping, and all events of Domestic and individual interest. The subjoined list of the usual Contents will show the importance and variety of the information concentrated in Allen's Indian Mail.

Summary and Review of Eastern News. Precis of Public Intelligence Her Majesty's Forces in the East Selections from the Indian Press Domestic Intelligence— Births Movements of Troops ,, ,, Marriages Government General Orders ,, ,, Deaths Courts Martial Shipping —Arrival of Ships Appointments, Furloughs, Sec. ,, ,, Passengers ,, Civil ,, Departure of Ships ,, Military ,, ,, Passengers ,, Ecclesiastical and Commercial- State of the Markets ,, Marine ,, Indian Securities Under the head of each ,, Freights Presidency &c. &c. &c. Some Intelligence relating to India, Sfc. Original Articles Arrivals reported in England Miscellaneous Information Departures ,, ,, Appointments, Extensions, of Shipping— Arrival of Ships Furloughs, &c. „ „ Passengers „ Civil „ Departure of Ships ,, Military ,, ,, Passengers „ Ecclesiastical and „ Vessels spoken with „ Marine &c. &c. &c. Review of Works on the East And Notices of all affairs connected with India and the Services.

Throughout the Taper one uniform 6ystem of arrangement prevails, the Appointments.itc. are placed alphabetically, and at the conclusion of each year an Index is (gratuitoiulv) furnished, to enable Subscribers to bind up the Volume, which forms a complete ASIATIC ANNUAL REGISTER AND LIBRARY OF REFERENCE. London : Wm. H. ALLEN & CO., 7, LEADENHALL STREET. To whom Communications for the Editor, and Advertisements are requested to be addressed. MAPS OF INDIA, CHINA, <fcc. ALL FROM THE LATEST SURVEYS, AND DRAWN BIT JOHN WALKER, Geographer to the E. I. Company. MAP OF INDIA; Showing the British Territories subdivided into Collectorates, and the position and boundary of each Native State : chiefly compiled from Trigonometrical Surveys, executed by order of the Honourable Court of Directors of the East-India Company.

Introduction

. It is with considerable reluctance that the writer of the following leaves ventures on the somewhat hackneyed assurance, that when this Journal was penned, it was never intended for the public eye — but such an assurance is nevertheless strictly true. The circumstances which have led to its present appearance in print, may be briefly ex plained. About the middle of the year 1850, the author was induced, or more properly speaking, com pelled to quit India, by bad health ; his constitu tion having become much impaired by a residence in a country, where existence is passed, as the old lady in Boz's story describes it, in "living on a sand-heap beneath a burning-glass :" and a change of scene and climate having become ne cessary, he was by no means sorry when a sen- A VI

INTRODUCTION.

. tence of two years' leave of absence from the torrid clime of Southern India, on Medical Cer tificate, was passed on him. In fulfilment of a promise made to a dear relative in Britain, these pages, containing a Journal of nearly two years' travel, were indited. They were hurriedly written in the form of letters, from the various parts of the countries in which the writer then happened to be ; and con sequently it will be no matter of surprize should their contents occasionally appear ill-digested, and their style abrupt and unpolished. After his return to England, in the course of the present year, the author happened to show his epistolary diary to his old friend and preceptor Dr. Duncan Forbes, Professor of Oriental Lan guages in King's College, London ; who at once recommended its being published (recent events having awakened some public interest in regard to Persia), and, having offered it to the acceptance of the present Publishers, very kindly undertook to prepare it for the Press, by dividing the Letters, which were of irregular and inconvenient length, into more suitable Chapters and Para graphs; and suggesting a few other improve-

INTRODUCTION.

. VII ments, necessary to the artistic appearance of a book. The writer cannot but be sensible that had he bestowed more time and attention on his literary labours, he might have journalized in a fashion better worthy of perusal ; but as first impres sions, jotted down on the spot, are generally the best, being the freshest, he will be content to allow his Journal to appear before the bar of the Public, as it is, with all its imperfections on its head. B. M. B. November 15th, 1856. Page I 21 31 43 CONTENTS or THE EIEST VOLUME.

Chapter I

Passage from Madras to Ceylon The Town of Galle and its Environs. — Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants both European and Native The Boodhist Religion and Priesthood - CHAP. II. Ceylon continued. — Journey from Galle to Colombo. — . Aspect of the Country. — The Cinnamon Plant. — Description of Colombo Newspapers CHAP. III. Journey from Colombo to Kandy. — Appearance of the Country. — Arrival at Kandy. — The great Boodhist Temple. — Gotama's Tooth - CHAP. IV. Kandy continued. — The Boodhist Religion. — TheVeddahs, a wild Race of People inhabiting the Forests. — Objects of Interest in Kandy and its Environs. — Lamentable Disaster that befell Major Davie and his Troops in 1803 - CONTENTS OF X Page 56 71 83 106 120 133 152 CHAP. V. Journey from Kandy to Nuera Ellia — The Talipot Tree. — Gampalla. — Pussilava. — The Coffee Plant. — Rambodde. — Romantic Scenery. — Table-land of Nuera Ellia CHAP. VI.

Nuera Ellia. — Its great Salubrity. — Excursion to the Summit of Pedrotallagalla. — Emeute in Ceylon in 1848. — Peace-mongers and Ruffians - - - CHAP. VII. Departure from Nuera Ellia for Colombo. — Brief Sketch of Ceylon. — Its ancient Names. — Its present Government. — Language. — Christianity in Ceylon - CHAP. VIII. Return from Colombo to Galle. — Excursion to Matura. — Bombay. — Salsette. — The excavated Temple of Kanhery .----. CHAP. IX. Departure from Bombay for Bushire. — Muscat. — Description of. the Town and its Inhabitants. — The Arabic Language ------ CHAP. X. The Persian Gulf. — Ormus. — Bushire. — Description of the Town and its Inhabitants. — Its Trade and Annual Revenue - -• CHAP. XL Route from Bushire to Kauzeroon. — Chughaduk Brazgoon. — Dalikee. — Pass of Mullooh. — Persian Caravansary. — Kumaridj, — Arrival at Kauzeroon THE FIRST VOLUME.

XI Page 178 205 228 252 266 297 331 358 CHAP. XH. Kauzeroon. — Ruins of Shapoor. — The Eeliautees. — Kotuli Dokhter. — Deshti Burr. — Arrival at Sheerauz chap. xni. Sheerauz. — A Persian Supper. — My Mansion. — Gardens. — Tomb of Hafiz. — The Fal or Omen, same as the Sortes Virgilianæ of our Predecessors The Odes of Hafiz ------- CHAP. XIV. Sheerauz continued. — Garden of the Chihl Ten. — The Tomb of Sadee. — Village of Sadeeya. — The Gardens Dil-Gusha. — Jehan Nema and Baghi Now. — Persian Paintings. — Costume of the Persians CHAP. XV. Sheerauz. — Translations from the Odes of Hafiz CHAP. XVI. Description of the City of Sheerauz CHAP. XVII. Sheerauz continued. — Its Environs. — Antiquities. — State of Learning. — Manners and Customs of the Natives. — Their Meanness and Falsehood Price of Provisions ------ CHAP. XVIII.

Sheerauz. — Crops and Produce. — Police. — Administration of Justice. — Peasantry. — Taxation. — Unhealthiness. — Diseases — State of Medical Science - CHAP. XIX. Of the Mahomedan Religion CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. XII CHAP. XX. Page Of the Soofee Doctrines. — Prospects of Christianity in Persia 399 CHAP. XXI. Sheerauz. — Reminiscences of Prince Loots Alee Khan. — Festival of Omar's Assassination. — Departure from Sheerauz. — Zargoon. — Vale of Mervdasht. — Village of Kinaureh ------ 426 ERRATA.— VOL. I. Page 8, Line 4, for "civilised" read "civilized." „ 8, „ 4, „ "Christianised"... „ "Christianized." „ 8, „ 5, „ "evangelisation". „ "evangelization." „ 8, „ 6, „ "civilisation" „ "civilization." „ 48, „ 2, „ "Honourable".... „ " late Mr." „ 48, „ 28, „ "civilised" „ "civilized." „ 97, „ 19, „ "baptising" „ "baptizing." „ 99, „ 1, „ "paganise" „ "paganize." ,,100, „ 6, „ "Christianise" ... „ "Christianize.' ,,119, „ 5,8,14...,, "civilisation" „ "civilization." ,,119, „ 20,26...,, "civihsed" „ "civilized." ,,164, „ 2, „ " deraorahsation" . „ "demoralization.' ,,165, „ 4 „ "civihsed" , "civilized." „ 318, „ 1, „ "ieiolola" " " keifoola." „ 3S3, „ 12, „ "nearly" " "fully" "3S3, „ 11, „ "1242" " "1258." JOURNAL OF T E A Y E L S, &c.