It. FRASER'S PERSIAN JOURNEY.

THESE volumes contain the narrative of a journey from London to Tehran, and of a subsequent excursion through various parts

of Persia. The object of the first trip was to convey despatches to our Ambassador in Persia ; and the second, most probably, was undertaken with the diplomatic purpose of communicating with the minister of the future monarch, as well as to callect toformatton touching the state of the country.

After having been kept dangling an unconscionable time by the Foreign Office, for his papers, Mr. FRASER was finally despatched

in December 1S33. From London lie posted day and night to Bel- grade ; whence (save a short sojourn at Constantinople) lie rode with his Tartar till he reached Tehran, a distance of 2,600 miles: resting only when nature was exhausted, or the snow-storms of Armenia and Koordistan rendered their mountains impassable. At Tehran lie mingled w ith tninistcrs ; saw the Shah ; and partook

in common with his diplomatic friends, Persian us well as Eng- lish, of the anxieties consequent upon the unsettled state of affairs. The sources of the public troubles were twofold. The first ori- ginated in the Monarch's numerous progeny, who were " pro- vided for " at the public expense, with '• governments," where they fleeced the people and devastated the country. The second and still gloomier prospect arose from the Shah's ill-health : it being expected that on his death a general anarchy would ensue through the many competitors for his crown. Partly, as- we have divined, to collect information, partly to give hints and cont;ive plots with the Shah's grandson* and his minister, Mr. FRASER joined them in camp; and afterwards travelled with the Prince's army, or with a slight escort, through various parts of Khorassan.

The work is in the forms of letters ; written with much vigour, vivacity, and skill,--the last, indeed, far too prominent, for the art of a practised penman obtrudes itself upon the mind, in the manner in which many incidents, landscapes, and scenes, are made the most of, and obviously worked up for effect. In little- known countries, like Persia, or Turkey in Asia, or even in the interior of Turkey in Europe, this is of no consequence, except that it occasionally throws a doubt upon the truth of the author's pictures. But to spin out two long letters in describing a well- travelled journey from London to Semlin, when the writer never left his chaise save for necessary refreshments, and could not see above half of what he passed through, smacks too much of the bookmaker. The appetite of the reader also gets palled before the feast begins, independent of sundry misgivings as to the perfect genuineness of every dish. The work consists of two parts,—the first a Tatar (or to write English a Tartar) Journey; the other a picture of Persia in its natural, social, and political features. Of "riding Tartar," the reader may have often heard, or probably read ; but he will never have met so complete a description of its nature and its perils as in the volume before us. The meaning of the word is to ride post ; its derivation, from the Tartars, who were, and still con- tinue to be, the leading postmen. Although these men are mere messengers, the mode of relays never seems to have suggested itself to Oriental intellects; and hence one man always travels the whole distance, be it what it may. In better times and in passable roads, Tartars never, we believe, rested, save on horse- back, unless at the different post-houses where they changed horses and snatched a scanty meal : but mere travellers, journey- ing under their guidance, generally require a few hours' sleep out of the saddle, after some days' constant riding. By what training an iron constitution is enabled to undergo this toil, we cannot guess : what that toil may be, the reader will conceive, when he is informed that one Tartar rode two thousand miles in seventeen days. Nay, how Europeans unaccustomed to severe horse exercise, go through the feats they do, or say they do, is be- yond our comprehension. A few days journey, "Tartar," requires some preparation ; but

a ride of nearly three thousand miles in the depth of winter, through mountainous regions where there is scarcely a road, and

where men and animals arc frequently frozen to death, demanded a very careful equipment : and such was Mr. FRASER'S when he left Constantinople.

"My own equipment was, however, somewhat improved in point of com- pactness from its state when I left Semlin. Taught by experience, I had made further provision against the cold. Two pair of stockings, one of fleecy hosiery, such as gouty subjects wear, and the other of large thick worsted, covered my lower extremities ; and over these were drawn the thick Tatar stockings and large boots I had already found so useful. I had cut down my • He was subsequently appointed by the will of the Monarch. On his death, the expected outbreaks ensued; but England and Russia supporting the legitimate heir, he was enabled to overcome his competitors. Turkish shulwars to a more manageable size; and they, with cotton and chamois-leather drawers, besides a pair of English cloth pantaloons, bid fair to guarantee my lower man from the nipping blasts. That chamois leather forms an excellent protection for the traveller, for it assists greatly in keeping out the wind, which, after all, is his worst enemy in cold weather; but It should be worn above the ordinary flannel, anti not, as some persons have erroneously imagined, next the skin : indeed, it is best, as I believe, over flanuel, shirt, and all : but wear it as they will, I should strongly recommend those who are likely to be exposed to much cold never to be without it. A stout flannel-lined long- skirted riding-coat, and a fur cloak, or rather gown, which I hail procured at Frankfort, promised well for excluding the enemy from the ' nobler parts,' as they are called, including. I presume, that important organ the stomach, to • keep the cold out of' which, by a liberal internal application of cordial drops, is the zealous business of main a good oil gentleinau and lady at home. But as my furs alone would have wade a poor defence against rain or falling snow, I had provided myself with a good Macintosh india-rubber cloak, which now did worthy service. My upper %yolks ware guarded by a travelling furseap, and sundry shawls and wrappers see at baud to comfort ears and nose in case of nie.riall"e. Tartars of course are capital horsemen : however rugged the road or steep the ascent, on they go at the top of their speeds keeping their horse up, by some seeming miracle, or recovering him should he go down. Not less remarkable is the manner in which they get out of horses all the qualities that arc in them, by sheer dint of a determination to take no excuse, and to spare no exercise of their heavy whip. As the postmaster is not always duly paid in Turkey, the animals he provides are frequently of the worst kind to look at, " but goall 'tins to go." The Tartar gallop has been described by other writers, but never with the spirit of Mr. FRASER.

" I was calculating with some satisfdrtion on a peaceful stage, as we rode quietly along ; but no sooner had we clei red tile broKen country, than Al-lah- e-n11,112 ' once snore roared out the Tatar ; 114o-lwo-hoo—eyah ! ' echoed Soorake, down conies the shower of blow:, and off stilt the horses again full tilt. Again setting teeth and knees, I stuck close to my saddle tnt prepared for a tumble, horse and man. Soon did we iipproach a ridge of rising, grounds, which it was not unreasonable to imagine would bring us up; but • quite the contrary' a renewed volley of heavy thump: on the crozips of the beasts, and a fresh and louder roar from Soorajee aud Tatar, was all the notice taken of this new feature of the road. Fp spring the horses, and away go their riders like hey-go-mail, over height and hollow, hill and dale : the d-1! ' muttered I, internally, as I gathered up the reins with a firmer gripe, n%.t looked at the gallant Tatar sitting like i rock, his looser garment. flying in the wind, and the load-horses shrinking and skippiog from his formidable whip, and bending and squattering along, so that I expected every moment to see their slender limbs snap and fly from under them. It was more like a ...Mop of the ' wild huntsman, than anv horsemanship of mortal strain. .3Chlood curdled more than once as I saw the little animals urged down steep docents with sharp turns, where a false step would have tilted them over the rock, and every moment I looked for an ;ter:Went. And false steps there were in emu- dance; but though down on knees, on breast, on nose, the skill of the Sour.- jet's and the spirit of the beasts saved the tumble and recovered them when one would have sworn it was impossible. " At last, by the blessing oh Providence, we gained the height, where there was a hit of plain, aud then away we scouri..1 again. For a while, not a the dirt flew in large clods from the heels of the horses, spattering the face and hitting heavy thumps on the breast of the biodinost of the party ; and I in. stinctively inclined to the left, cut of the woke of the rest."

A mountain pass in Asia Minor.

" Recrossing the river, which we now left, we ascended the valley of a tribu- tar' stream to another tremendous pass, rendered still more formi;iable by the obscurity of the night. Our approach to it seemed to be through the very bowels of the mountain, in the bed of a furious torrent, where no man could have imagined a path to have existence; and from which, turning up a narrow fissure, we scrambled on in the darkness, leaving all to the instinct of our horses, till we emerged, far above, upon the very brink of a black abyss, along which we still continued ascending by a narrow, rocky, zigzag path, paved here and there, but without any parapets, for a height of, I suppose, sot or seven hundred feet. It was a frightful tog. You must know that the Turks do not frost or sharpen their horses' shoes, an we do, to keep them from slip- ping on the ice ; and here was all ice and inciting snow ; and the track was on the very verge of the precipice : there was no getting off to lead the horses, or walk ; we did not even dare to stop. It was neck or nothing; a breathless scramble up—up ; often holding on by the mane to keep from slipping off behind. Nothing but the conviction of this, and of my own helplessness, embarrassed with great boots glued to the stirrups by ice, mud our heavy cloaks frozen rigid as a hoard in their folds, could have kept use in the saddle. The descent was not so long, but fully as dangerous, and even more horrible, for there you were constantly looking down into the black yawning gulf, from whence the fariotf sound of the winter-torrent came roaring up in tits as the wind sighed down.the glen. The scenery was magnificent—perhaps darkness increased the effect. I do not know whether the mountains are very lofty, but the clouds were cir- cling round each tall spiry cliff, as if they were propping the heavy sky. Day- light might have detracted Prim the grandeur and gloom—it scarcely could have lessened the toil or the danger; arid well as 1 love mountain-passes and mountain-scenery, I never desire to cross the Drekler-daugh pass again in • stormy winter-night."

Looking out for subjects, Mr. FRASER has hit off more fully than former travellers, Turkish posters, Turkish post-horses, and Turkish soorafees or post-house grooms. Each he thought as had as well could be, till he had to long for them amongst the Koords.

Thus far of Turkey; we will close our present extracts with a touch of the Persians. Mr. FRASER'S party has just struggled up the steep ascent of' one of the frontier mountains, having deviated from the snowed-up road, to follow a track left by a caravan they had met of

PaRSIAN 311.7LETEERg.

The summit attained, we cast our eyes over—I will not say. enjoyed, ac- cording to the customary phrase—one of the most withering and hopeless- looking prospects of endless mountains of snow that ever greeted the inthtmd optics of miserable travellers; it seemed as if, in truth, the morning sun coining forth could " wake no eye to life in that wild solitude ; " and on these altitudes we continued, plunging down one side of a peak to mount up another, thus making our way along the crest of the ridge for several hours, with a continuation of effort quite exhausting, until our alpine trajeet terminated in one of the steepest and longest descent. I ever made. I am certain we came sheer down an uninterrupted mountain-side of' full three thousand feet it height, upon it little hollow, rather than a valley, of unbrokets snow, in which. lay a village like a black.winged bat sleeping in a nest of eiderdown. It was one of the severest things I ever had to do. There was no riding; my saddle came twice over the borse's neck in the attempt, and then I gave it up. It was just one long slipping and scrambling.match the whole way down; and I got halfa-dozen severe tumbles to help my poor wrenched back, by the heels of my clumsy boots sliding from under me on the old frozen snow.

We stopped awhile to put ourselves to rights nod take breath, at the bottom ; and often as I have had occasion to nilmire the courage of Persian muleteers, I never did so more than at this moment, w hen, still panting with the exertion of merely descending, I looked back, and measuring the height from which we had atuoped, reflected what the first ascent must have been. The caravan which opened this track bad come from Khoee, and when they reached this little valley, and observed the state of the snow, knowing that the defile must be impassable, had taken the bold resolution of breasting up this precipitous acclivity, which, even when free from suuw, would be considered as a desperate attempt. What, then, must the performance of it have been when the embarrasnd animals had to flounder upwards, shoulder-deep iu tough snow ? when not a moment could pase without lo,ols tailing and going wrong ; horses tied mules tumbling into holes, sinking, giving up, and all the other exciting occurrences incident to such a struggle against difficulties that are often insur- mountable even in the plain? Veiny, these rough, hardy muleteers merit a crown of honour for their perseverance, and a place for indefatigable courage beside the bold Soorajees of Turkey.

Perhaps there cannot be a more interesting and exciting spectacle than the progress of a large caravan of nodes and yalmes, conducted through the un- broken snow of a stage that Las been shut up by 'hill or A heavy fall, by these Fenian muleteers; and the behaviour of their animals is as gallant, as striking. as their own. A large aed powerful unloaded mule is generally chosen to lead on such occasions; and the animal, caparisoaed in handsome harness, with bells and hinges, seems conscious of the trust that is reposed in, aterthe exertiens that are ex; cited from him. Far from beii.g dismayed at the laborious exertions that await him. he is ready to tight fur the post of honour, awl kicks and bites at any of the lest that attempt to pass him or to share his toils: with a saga- city that stems miraculous, be smells out as it were the obliterated track, or searches Mr a fresh one in the must promising ground. Through the deep but cviii siLDW be plunges with uniAetitig pinseverauce, listening occasionally to the shouts or directions of his wawa, until, quite done up, he is withdrawn to be replaced by a fresh leader. Dors a wreath oecur, he smells about 'tor awhile to discover the soundest and shallowest p at, then haldly dashes at it with his full force, and never halts until he flounders thronoli or gets so deeply entan • gled as tu require help to eKet his exti iemien. If the snow is very deep, there must be many such leaders put forward in front, fur the finek of one is nor suf- ficient to open op a passage for the loaded beasts; and truly it is a fine thing to see these bold sagacious brutes pet forming the duty which they !mow falls to their share. The loaded animals follow with more caution, butt their sagacity is scarcely less admirable. If they WI or stmk, there is momentary flounder, and a strong effort to get free; but if this fail', they know as well as if they were endowed with reason, that they are reoverless without tire aid of mem Si) they lie quite cumposed in the snow till that aid crones ; and then, to be iie. the practised manner in which they assist t:,ese ethets is womb:: ful. Then for the nice ; to see these hardy fellows, i their heavy felt coda or sheepskios, plunging after their beasts, now dashing for wird to help the leaders tilt ough 'bad step, in another moment loosing the load of a fallen nude, covered with snow ; often forced to carry the packages themselves for a considerahle way,

their mules now and then roll Mg head over hr ci town the bill.side, and landing in the ravine below, themselves working on leeast deep ahead with their long

staves, to sound the depth of suspicious place. Then the shouting, and the whinnying, and the braying, and the ringing of bells, and the shrieks or cries of the passengers, as ho may he pent up in kajawahe ic b.a.kets on either side a mule, form altogether a acene of juiciest and vacitement which it is nut easy to forget.

In this notice we have cobflued et,r,elves to the journey, and the first velume of Mr. FitasEir's work : in our next number we shall take up the second volume, which seems to paint to the lite the present condition of Persia.