The caravansary did not
appear to the cheprasse very safe, and he had requested a guard in
the evening from the serdar (magistrate). The people might have
slept quite soundly in some corner of the court-yard, and, perhaps,
have dreamt of watching, for although I had looked out several times
during the night, there was not one of them to be seen; however,
what can one expect for a few pence? I satisfied them with a small
present, upon which they made a regular military movement, and
allowed us to proceed.
If I had been inclined to be timid, I must have been in continual
anxiety for several days from the appearance of the natives.
All of them were armed with sabres, bows and arrows, matchlocks,
formidable clubs bound with iron, and even shields of ironplate.
These arms were also carried by the cattle tenders in the fields.
But nothing disturbed my equanimity, although ignorant of the
language, and with only the old cheprasse with me; I always felt as
though my last hours were not yet come. Nevertheless, I was glad
that we had passed by clear daylight the dangerous ravines and deep
gorges through which our road lay for several miles.
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