A t length we reached the largest of the eight houses
set apart for guests, and which proved to be, on the
whole, the finest house we entered in the khanate.
I was disposed to christen it “ the house of Haman, *
for it had been the residence of a fallen favourite, one
Barat Bek, who, four years previously, was at the
head of 5,000 troops, and had enriched himself by
withholding. their pay. Besides this he drank, and
having had the batchas one night, he went out inflamed
with strong drink, and insulted not only the people,
but the Emir also. His master caused him to be
bound and thrown into the Kana-Khaneh, the prison,
I believe, where the English officers were confined,
out of which the corpse of the man was taken 15 days
afterwards, when it was found he had bitten himself to
death.
On leaving the street to enter this good specimen
o f a Bokhariot noble’s residence, we rode into a horse
yard in the shape of the letter L, bounded on one side
with stables, and on another with men-servants’ apartments,
and two rooms that served, apparently, for
men-servants’ wives. From this yard we rode into a
second small court, out of which a screened door led
into the women’s quarters, and a narrow passage conducted
us into the principal court, or square, with a
fountain in the midst. The side opposite the entrance
was occupied by a raised platform, and four rooms en
suite, and a fifth. T h e centre one was an entrance
hall, in which, at the entrance, was a place for ceremonial
bathing, with a chamber overhead ; on the right was
the room of the Bek, and on the deft that intended
for his guests, whilst further to the left was a small
sleeping-room. T h e other sides of the principal court
■ Esther viii. 1.
were occupied by offices, and rooms for the Bek’s
officers and attendants. Also on one side of the
women’s court were two rooms with upper stories and
CARDEN.
FOUNTAIN.
WITH TR E E S
A R O U N D .
GARDEN.
hULd1
DC hcn
LdO<d
:
id
STABLES.
Y A R D FOR H O R S E S .
WOMEN'S
COURT.
S E R V A N T ’S
ROOM.
PRINCIPAL
COURT.
P L A T F O RM
MASTER'S
ROOM.
M BATH
ROOM.
GUEST
ROOM.
I §] K O J
W.C.
OFFICERS ]
ROOM.
.OFFICERS
OFFICERS
SLEEPING
ROOM.
ENI RANCE
FROM STR EET .
&. UPPER
STOREY.
GROUND P LAN OF TH E PRINCIPAL GUEST-HOUSE A T BO KH AR A .
an entrance hall, opening at either end into the court,
or into a splendid garden, where near at hand was a
pool with adjacent trees. Somewhat further off was a
v o l . 11. 6