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sador was deferred till the 20th of May, when a Court was held at Carlton
House, and the greatest preparations made to receive the distinguished foreigner
in a style suited to his rank, and worthy of the British Court. The civil and
military force assembled in as great display as in 1814, when the Allied
Sovereigns were in England. On the right side of the grand hall was placed a
large painting of the King of Persia on horseback.
‘‘ The procession of his Excellency was preceded by a numerous detachment from the corps
of Lancers, followed by six of the Prince Regent’s carriages, with servants in their state liveries,
five of them drawn by six bays, and the sixth by six black horses, surrounded by a numerous
detachment of Royal Horse Guards. The Arabian horses brought by his Excellency to England,
as a present to the Prince Regent, were drawn up in front of Carlton House, in the courtyard,
ut the time of the arrival of his Excellency. In five of the carriages were four of his Excellency’s
attendants, dressed in the costume of their country, Mr. Morier, the highmander, and Captain
Willock. Two of the caniages contained presents brought for the Prince Regent, among which
was a magnificent, costly sword ; the sheath was ornamented with emeralds, rubies, and diamonds ;
also two large silver salvers, on one of which was a splendid cabinet, and on the other a numerous
collection of large pearls, and other valuable articles.
‘( His Excellency was attended in his carriage by the Marquis of Headford, who was specially
appointed, with Sir Robert Chester, to conduct the ambassador into the presence of the Regent.
His Excellency was dressed in a richly embroidered robe, his turban ornamented with jewels,
and in his hand a silver stick or staff. His Excellencyleaned on the arm of Sir Robert Chester,
being a little lame from a kick he received on Tuesday from one of his horses. The Prince
Regent being seated on his throne, Viscount Castlcreagh, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
and Sir Robert Chester, the Master of the Ceremonies, introduced and conducted his Excellency
into the presence of the Regent to deliver his credentials. His Excellency had the honour of an
audience, and was graciously received. After the Ambassador had retired from the Royal
presence, he viewed several of the State apartments previous to his departure.”
At a ball subsequently given at Carlton House, the Prince Regent presented
the Ambassador with a portrait of himself. The miniature, suspended by a
blue ribbon, was placed by his Royal Highness round the neck of the Persiana
condescension of which he seemed exceedingly proud.
After residing in London nearly six months, and having visited and inspected
every place of note, besides making several excursions into the country, to
Epsom races, and elsewhere, Mirza Aboul began to prepare for his departure.
Designing to return himself overland, he hired a vessel to convey his fair companion
to Constantinople, from whence she would proceed to Persia. This
much-talked-of female accordingly left London on the 30th of September.
From an account of her departure, written apparently by one well acquainted
with the circumstances, we gather the following interesting particulars respecting
the “ Fair Circassian : ”-
“That she is a native of Circassia is an undoubted fact ; and it is equally true that the
inhabitants of that country are neither a polished nor a well-civilised people, but still they have
the reputation of possessing many excellent qualities, and are proverbial for bravery and romantic
hospitality. Constantly engaged in warfare or the chase, the males are a hardy Face of beings ;
and it is a lamentable fact, that excites horror in the mind of a European, that their daughters,
even in infancy, are made an article of traffic with the Turkish slave merchants, though they as
frequently become subject to a state of vassalage from the chance of war. It is, however, believed
that the female in question became so by the voluntary act of unfeeling parents for the sake of
lucre j although, from every inquiry I have made, it cannot be reduced to a certainty. Be this
as it may, she was undoubtedly a vassal of one of the Pashas of Constantinople, and waa ransomed
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