The journey has, under favourable conditions, been ridden in under two days, but this is very unusual, and has seldom been done except for a wager by Europeans.

In our case speed was, of course, out of the question, with the road in the state it was.

The ordinary pace is, on an average, six to eight miles an hour, unless the horses are very bad.

It was nearly a week, however, before we rode through the gates of Ispahan, and even this was accounted a fair performance considering the difficulties we had to contend with.
Towards sunset the wind rose--a sharp north-easter that made face and ears feel as if they were being flogged with stinging-nettles.

It was not until dusk that we reached Rabat Kerim, a small mud village, with a filthy windowless post-house.