ants, and in practice rank is denoted by the number of
followers. If, then, such a person enters the bazaars,
the way is ruth-
lessly cleared for
him by attend-
ants, who are re-
gardless of the
rights of other
passengers in
pretty exact pro-
portion to their

master's position."

Teheran is the largest city in Persia. The other principal cities are Tabriz, with a population of 165,000; Ispahan, Meshed, each with 60,000; Barfurush, with 50,000; Kerman, Yezd, each with 40,000; Hamadan, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Kazvin, Kom, Kashan, Resht, each with from 25,000 to 30,000 inhabitants. The principal centres of commerce are Tabriz, Teheran, and Ispahan; the principal ports, Bender Abbas, Lingah, and

snow. Half way down there mosque-school of Ispahan, w

Bushire on the

Persian Gulf, and

Enzeli, Meshed-i-Sar, and Bender-i-Gez on the Caspian "kalian," all ready for indul Sea. There are 73 post offices.

Meshed in the north-east, in Khorassan, is the Mecca of Persia, and probably from India, Afghanistan, and from all parts of Persia, not fewer than 100,000 pilgrims yearly pass up the great avenue of Meshed, called Khyabán, which crosses the city from gate to gate, and leads from either side to the gilded

of smoking. The traveler, if and after sucking from one other, leaves it, and a copp with the second pair of pip it probably with a "Mashall Persia everything is donename of Allah. If a box is

dynasty of the Kajars, which took possession of the crown after a civil war extending over fifteen years, from 1779 to 1794.

The eldest son of the Shah, Mazud Mirza, is, next to the Shah, the most powerful man in Persia. He was born in 1850, and for ten years has been Governor of the great province of Ispahan (about one-half of Persia). He is called Zil-i-Sultan, "Shadow of the King." Though the eldest son, he is not the heir to the throne because his mother was not a princess.

The heir apparent is Mouzaffer-ed-Din, who was born March 25, 1853, and is now the Governor of

of his elder brother

country is divided into ministrative purposes, are ernors-general who are di tral government. Under t mayors of towns, chiefs of

Justice is administered representatives, and by t priesthood. The Persian [ works steadily against all of reading the Koran, and as a priest (Mollah). As known for his just interp

for his knowledge of the

are much opposed to image worship, but most of them are only nominal Christians. They believe the remains of the martyrs and saints are endowed with supernatural virtues, and they invoke the Virgin and the saints, asking for their prayers to Christ. Those among them who have been converted to the Roman Catholic faith are called Chaldeans.

The Armenians "believe in the 'real presence' in the Eucharist, and adore the host in the mass. They believe the souls of the departed may be benefited by praying for them. Saint worship is carried to an extraordinary length, the addresses to saints being often

grossly idolatrous, and the mediation of Christ lost sight of in the liturgical services of the church, as it is in the minds of the people. The cross and pictures of saints, are also objects of worship. Confession to the priesthood, in order to absolution, is deemed essential to salvation. Baptism is believed to confer regeneration and cleansing from sin; spiritual life is maintained by penances and sacraments; and the priest holds in his hand the passport to heaven."

The Dervish is everywhere in Persia. Sometimes he is nearly naked; generally he sits in the dust of the road, and gurgles noisy ejaculations. There are some Dervishes who do nothing but repeat the name of Hussein or of Allah. It is not uncommon for a Dervish to

the Sunnis is that the forme thority of twelve, and only t posterity-of whom Ali an Hussein were three; of who Meshed, was the eighth. N and last, was born in 868, a trine, became invisible in th "Some of the Persian mo Mehdee will some day retu the infallible commands of plete and perfect Koran, w delivered by Mahommed i "The life-long desire of bela, and at death to be bu feel at rest with Hussein an of the Persians is a mud-bu surrounded with a wall bu fifteen feet high. Viewed able for the thickly-gilded stands over the shrine of H rets which ornament the These minarets are built o

town wall skirts the court

to possess the two towns, Kerbela and Nedjif, lying surface is glazed with blu near to the site of Babylon, because Ali, the son-in-law. of Mahommed, is buried at the latter place, while Hussein, Ali's son, and grandson to the Prophet of Mecca, lies at Kerbela. To Persians, these shrines of Ali and Hussein are dearer even than those of Mecca and Medina, because there is touched the fount of their dissent.

"Whoever has read the life of Mahommed will not fail to have admired the bravery and devotion of Ali, the Ajax of Medina, the husband of Fatima, only surviving daughter of the Prophet. In their battles of Arabs against Arabs, Mahommed appeared as the champion of the Unknown God against the idolators of Mecca, and whether in single combat or the thickest of the fight, Ali was the bravest of the brave. There were those around the Prophet who believed, as nineteentwentieths of Persians now believe, that Ali inherited the religious government of Islam upon the death of Mahommed. But Ali did not succeed Mahommed. After the Prophet's death, Abu Bêkr was raised to the chief position. From that time to the days of the present Sultan of Turkey, the person hailed as Caliph upon the deposition or death of his predecessor has been accepted by Sunni Mahommedans as, to some extent, their chief.

AN ARMENIA

close by the graves of th pious Shiahs. But for ever