It is only in the finest and driest weather that the journey can be made on wheels, and this was naturally out of the question for us.

A railway was mooted some time since along this, the only respectable carriage-road in Persia--but the project was soon abandoned.
The post-houses, however, are a great improvement on any in other parts of the country.

At Kishlak, for instance, we found a substantial brick building with a large guest-room, down the centre of which ran a long table with spotless table-cloth, spread out with plates of biscuits, apples, nuts, pears, dried fruits, and sweetmeats, beautifully decorated with gold and silver paper, and at intervals decanters of water--rather cold fare with the thermometer at a few degrees above zero.

The fruits and biscuits were shrivelled and tasteless, having evidently been there some months.

It reminded me of a children's doll dinner-party.