These "false starts" became a recognized thing after a time, and when, in 1888, his Majesty embarked on his yacht and set sail for Baku, it came as a surprise, pleasant or otherwise, to his subjects at Teheran.

The final undertaking of the journey may have been advised by his astrologers, for the Shah is intensely superstitious, and never travels without them.

Nor will he, on any account, start on a journey on a Friday, or the thirteenth day of the month.
The palace of Teheran is, seen from the outside, a shapeless, ramshackle structure.

The outside walls are whitewashed, and covered with gaudy red and blue pictures of men and horses, the former in modern military tunics and shakos, the latter painted a bright red.
The figures, rudely drawn, remind one of a charity schoolboy's artistic efforts on a slate, but are somewhat out of place on the walls of a royal residence.

The interior of the "Ark," as it is called, is a pleasant contrast to the outside, although even here, in the museum, which contains some of the finest gems and _objets d'art_ in the world, the various objects are placed with singular disregard of order, not to say good taste.