. The science of railways . irstmarched his army. But the people are not thepeople of Cyrus; they lack their enterprise,physique and homogeneity. Persia has a mixedpopulation, such as we might expect to find in acountry that has been a battlefield for thousandsof years and the focus of many invasions andcounter-invasions. Its methods of carriage con-form to physical and social conditions and differlittle from what they were in the time of Cyrus,twenty-four hundred years ago. While the dis-position of the government is, on the whole,friendly to railroads, the country is not able tosupport them.
. The science of railways . irstmarched his army. But the people are not thepeople of Cyrus; they lack their enterprise,physique and homogeneity. Persia has a mixedpopulation, such as we might expect to find in acountry that has been a battlefield for thousandsof years and the focus of many invasions andcounter-invasions. Its methods of carriage con-form to physical and social conditions and differlittle from what they were in the time of Cyrus,twenty-four hundred years ago. While the dis-position of the government is, on the whole,friendly to railroads, the country is not able tosupport them. Internal commerce is carried onby means of horses, mules and camels. Oxenare much used for agricultural purposes. ThePersian camel is stronger than that of India orAfghanistan. It is said to be able to carry seven (3«) CARRIAGE IN PERSIA. 343 hundred pounds. The Persians cross the Bactrian(two hump) camel with the Arabian (one hump)camel. The government is an absolute despot-ism under a Shah, who is the vice-regent of the. prophet. The population is divided into thosewho live in towns and villages, and those wholive in tents. The latter generally live on thehills in summer, each having his particular 344 CARRIAGE IX PERSIA. locality, and iu the lowlands in winter. ThePersians are kind, hospitable and obliging, andcleanly in their habits. Slavery is practiced, but it is said they treat theirslaves as highly prized ser-vants rather than mere crea-tures. Persia is bounded onthe north by the Caspian Seaand the Russian Empire; onthe east by Russia, Afghanis-tan and Beloochistan; on thesouth by the Arabian Sea andPersian Gulf, and on the west by Asiatic has an estimated population of about ninemillions and an area of six hundred and thirty-five thousand square miles, much of which istableland without water.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectrailroa, bookyear1900
