Through Persia and Baluchistan ¹

Abstract

UNDER a somewhat quaint title, Mr. Landor describes a journey through Persia and Baluchistan to India. He is a keen observer, and, throughout his two large volumes, he writes pleasantly of his experiences on the road, and of much that he saw and heard by the way. He is a little inclined to dwell upon the discomforts rather than upon the pleasures of travelling, and to get excited over “a prominent geographical society,” “ royal geographo-parasites,” and “newspaper penny-a-liners,” but he is always amusing. He gives his views with great frankness upon the social condition of Persia, so far as he became acquainted with it, and upon questions of trade, education, and politics. He writes strongly upon the struggle between England and Russia for political and commercial supremacy in the kingdom of the Shah, and gives a clear idea of the smartness with which Russia takes advantage of the slowness and mistakes of her adversary.