Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1883 — A PERSIAN PAGEANT. [ARTICLE]

A PERSIAN PAGEANT.

How the Shah Received the First Diplomatic Representative of This Country. Hie Name Is Benjamin and He Was Presented with Grand Ceremonies. 11 1 * [Washington Telegram,] 8 CL W. Benjamin, the first diplomatic representative of the United States to Pecala, gives the following aooount of his reooption by the Shah: A. brilliant pageant had been prepared outside the walls of Teheran at one of the royal pavilions. At the stairway of the pavilion Mu Benjamin was met tyNas’rel Mulls, or the Generel-ln-Ohlef of the armies of Persia, sad a guttering crowd of prominent officers biasing with bine, soarlet, stiver, and gold and dooorattona innumerable of diamonds and oostly gems Mr. Benjamin was escorted to an audience hall by the General-in-Chief, where an exchange of courtesies was ottered and accepted. Next Mr. Benjamin was taken to the oourfe below and mounted upon a fine horse to continue his travels. This was the signal for every one to mount and the cortege of nearly 1,000 royal guards was put in motion, they being brilliantly and elaborately costumed. As the procession moved across the plain toward uhe beautiful turreted gate of the city, which is decorated with particolored glased tiles, the Oossaeks dashed hither and thither between the lines, firing muskets in the air nnd exhibiting Che mom brilliant feats of horsemanship. The streets were lined with spectators At intervals ware stationed poUoe or squads of military. Passing through the grand square of tttb Department of War, the cortege filed into the new or European quarter of the olty. On approaohing bin quarters Mr. Benjamin was told by an aid that aOO soldiers were marshaled at the entrance to receive him. Mr. Benjamin dismounted, returned the salute, ana. accompanied by the General-in-Chief and his staff, was escorted to a recep-tion-room. where further oourtestes were shown sad refreshments enjoyed Mr Beniamin next nude an informal call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs at his residence, according to the custom of the eountry. He has held offloe thirty-six years and is a conservative and astute statesman of kindly manners and disposition. Tho 10th of June Mr. Benjamin reoeived a call from the Grand Chamberlain, who Is a son-in-law of the Shah, nnd who Informed Mr. Benjamin that his Majesty desired to reoeive him nil o'olook p m. the 11th. Mr Benjamin was taken to the palace in n landau furnished by his Majesty and drawn by six horses, each mourned by a Mverted postillion. Twenfy royal Ferqtubes or footrunners dlsd in scarlet and wearing plumed tiaras preceded the carriage, together with a score of horsemen acoompanied by Mohamondan, the second master of oeremonlea Mr. Benjamin arrived at the gardens of the palace, which are beautified with fountains and shrubbery end foliage arranged artfully wild, after a style peculiarly Persian. All were ushered intp a spacious end handsome hall, where the first master of ceremonies and other gentlemen and dignitaries gorgeously arrayed were in waiting. Here Mr. Benjamin was invited to make the seat of honor and treated to “tea and kallaun,” or water pipe Soon after the announcement was made to Mr. Benjamin that his Majesty was in readiness to reoeive him, and thereupon ho was oondueted by the find master of oeremonles to the paiaoe itself. “At this moment," says Mr. Benjamin, “a salute fired in honor of the United States thundered over the city, and on entering we amended a magnificent staircase. The walls were decorated in part with paintings of European masters, From the stairoase wa entered an audience-hall of vast proportions, and moot impressive in effect His Majesty stood at the upper end Leaving my outer shoos at the door, as prescribed by tho treaty of Kourmantohlo, I made a lew bow and walked up to where tho King was standfer. Benjamin then addressed the King in French, and presented his letter es oredenoe. His Majesty replied that it gave him great satisfaction to see an American Legation at Teheran, and bo considered that both Governments would be farther bonefitted by Increasing the intercourse and diplomatic relations es the two peoples. After this oerembny his Majesty expressed strong hopes that the United States, now that it had established a Legation intends, should maintain one permanently at Teheran. At the conclusion of tho audience with his Majesty, Mr. Benjamin made a formal call upon the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and paid his respects also to bis Royal Highness, Nalb Sultan, who ia Secretary of War and one of the sons of the King, and thanked him for his military esoort