DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15174#0058
42
SHURUKHS. — CAMELS.
CHAP. XIII.
we were travelling. Men with arms in their hands,
and in power, are not to be restrained. After
losing all traces of this band, we suddenly came
upon a small party of Allamans, seven in number,
who were returning from an unsuccessful expedi-
tion. They were young men, well mounted and
caparisoned, in the Toorkmun manner ; a lance and
a sword formed their arms ; they had no bows, and
but one led horse. Their party had been dis.
comfited, and four of them had fallen into the hands
of the Persians. They told us of their disasters,
and asked for bread, which some of our party gave
them. I wish that all their expeditions would ter-
minate like this.
We reached Shurukhs at sunrise on the 2d, after
having performed a journey of seventy miles in
forty-four hours, including every halt. During this
period we had only marched for thirty-two hours,
and the camels sometimes stepped out at the rate
of two miles and a half an hour, which I had never
before seen. All the camels were males, since they
are believed to undergo fatigue better than females.
Our caravan alighted round an old tomb, with a
lofty dome, and it was unanimously decided, that,
so long as the Allamans were abroad, it would not
be prudent to prosecute our journey. It was
therefore resolved to sleep in Shurukhs (to use a
phrase of their own), the greatest haunt of the
Toorkmun robbers : a paradox truly, since we were
to settle among thieves to avoid the thieves abroad.
We, however, possessed but humble influence in
the party, and had only to meet the general wish.
SHURUKHS. — CAMELS.
CHAP. XIII.
we were travelling. Men with arms in their hands,
and in power, are not to be restrained. After
losing all traces of this band, we suddenly came
upon a small party of Allamans, seven in number,
who were returning from an unsuccessful expedi-
tion. They were young men, well mounted and
caparisoned, in the Toorkmun manner ; a lance and
a sword formed their arms ; they had no bows, and
but one led horse. Their party had been dis.
comfited, and four of them had fallen into the hands
of the Persians. They told us of their disasters,
and asked for bread, which some of our party gave
them. I wish that all their expeditions would ter-
minate like this.
We reached Shurukhs at sunrise on the 2d, after
having performed a journey of seventy miles in
forty-four hours, including every halt. During this
period we had only marched for thirty-two hours,
and the camels sometimes stepped out at the rate
of two miles and a half an hour, which I had never
before seen. All the camels were males, since they
are believed to undergo fatigue better than females.
Our caravan alighted round an old tomb, with a
lofty dome, and it was unanimously decided, that,
so long as the Allamans were abroad, it would not
be prudent to prosecute our journey. It was
therefore resolved to sleep in Shurukhs (to use a
phrase of their own), the greatest haunt of the
Toorkmun robbers : a paradox truly, since we were
to settle among thieves to avoid the thieves abroad.
We, however, possessed but humble influence in
the party, and had only to meet the general wish.