But besides this shoe difficulty at the Court of Persia, there was also a divergence of opinion regarding the lower garments, as the tight knee-breeches and hose of the West were considered improper in the East, and it is believed that the roomy Turkish shalwar trousers were required to be worn as ‘overalls’ to hide the legs on occasions of royal audience.  In connection with this phase of Eastern idea, an incident happened with Sir Douglas Forsyth’s diplomatic mission to the Amir of Kashgar in 1873-74, which is worth mentioning here.  The camp-sergeant with the mission was Sergeant Rhind, of the 92nd Highlanders, and on the Envoy and staff being received at Yarkand by the Governor of that province, the second highest dignitary in the kingdom, it was understood that, as he was most exacting in the full observance of all formalities, much would depend upon his report of our demeanour, appearance, and general conduct.  This Governor kept quite a little Court, and we accordingly paid our visit in all the show of a dress parade.  Sergeant Rhind attended in kilted uniform, and his appearance attracted considerable shy and sly notice.  Mahomed Yunis, the Governor, was a man of severe ideas, and while pretending not to see the Highlander, who stood behind us during the interview, he was reported to say after our departure that his costume appeared to be incomplete.  Some weeks afterwards, on our reaching Kashgar, the capital in the North, and preparing for the formal audience of the Sovereign, the famous Ataligh Ghazi, the Court master of the ceremonies, appeared suddenly before the appointed time, and announced most peremptorily that the sergeant was to accompany us fully dressed.  He explained that the kilt with bare knees was objectionable, and could not be tolerated at the Ataligh’s Court; so the trews had to be substituted for the showy garb of old Gaul.  The indoor dress worn by Persian ladies is not unlike our Highland kilt.

The shoe question was finally settled in a clause of the Turkmanchai treaty of 1828, which is accepted by all the foreign legations.  It provides that goloshes or shoe-coverings shall be worn, to be removed before entering the audience-room or going into the Shah’s presence, and this practice continues at the present time.  The ‘dragoman’ establishments are much more attached to old ideas than Turks and Persians, and they cling to their presumed monopoly of knowledge of all Court and social customs in order to enhance their importance.  The Persians move with the times, and understand Western modes of showing respect; yet I heard it said by a local light that it was a breach of good taste to salute the Shah by lifting the hat, and that it offended Mohammedan notions of propriety to remove the head-covering in society.  Accordingly, I once saw some European gentlemen wearing their hats in the reception-room of one of the Shah’s Ministers; but on observing others who were known to be well acquainted with Persian