ABSTRACT
I was, perhaps, rash in thus disarming myself while staying among these barbarians. And, at the same time, I had to give up the idea of bringing my family to Husseinabad on account of the incredible quantity of snakes that infested the place. As I walked across some bushes and brambles to look after my horses, almost at every step a snake wriggled out of my way. This was not
only the case in the well-watered grounds of Husseinabad, but also in the place where my tent was pitched. I even discovered a snake-hole within my tent, and there were traces of its inmates having come out of it at night-time. It seemed quite possible that many of these snakes were harmless, but how was I to ascertain that? When I asked the Vazir, he shrugged his shoulders and remarked: 'The yellow dog is the jackal's brother.'
