"رحلات في آشور، ميديا، وبلاد فارس، بما في ذلك رحلة من بغداد مروراً بجبل زاغروس وصولاً إلى حمدان، في أكباتانا القديمة، والبحوث في أصفهان وأطلال برسبوليس، ورحلة منها مروراً بشيراز وشابور وصولاً إلى ساحل البحر. وصف البصرة، بوشهر، البحرين، هرمز، ومسقط، وسرد لحملة ضد قراصنة الخليج العربي، مع رسومات توضيحية لرحلة بحرية لنيرتشوس، والمرور ببحر العرب إلى بومباي. [‎٢‎٦‎٤] (٥٨٢/٢٩٥)

264
RIVER BUND AMEER.—MIRAGE.—FUTHABAD.
stream was the river Bund Ameer, which had its rise in the
mountains of Komfirouze, at a distance of ten short days' journeys
to the north-west, being the limits of Fars on the borders of the
Bactiari. About five years since, he said, it had swelled so high
in winter, that it rose over the bridge, which was full fifty feet
above its present level, inundated this narrow entrance into the
plain, extending from mountain to mountain on each side, and
rendered the road impassable for several weeks. For the two
last years, however, he added, it had been almost dry, from the
general failure of the rains; and indeed it was now easily fordable
in the deepest part, though the stream was still running with
great force and rapidity.
On our departure from hence, we kept along its north-eastern
bank, going about south-east through the plain of Merdusht,
which we had now fairly entered, through its narrow opening
on the north-west. We had several villages in sight, and among
others Nisack and Palicon on our right, as well as some Farsee
tents on our left; and when we had gone two fursucks from the
bridge, we had the whole of the plain open to view before us, with
the trees of Futhabad, just appearing at the distance of about two
fursucks more. The mirage was now so strong in the line of the
south-eastern horizon, or in nearly the direction of the sun from
us, that the remote parts of the plain looked like a lake, with
wooded islands on it. This appearance is called in Persian Serah,
or the head or surface of water, and not Sahrab, or the water of
the desert, as some English writers have supposed ; this last word
being a compound of Arabic and Persian, but the former being a
purely Persian term. The Persians, indeed, having a proper name
for the desert in their own language, Choul, do not recognize the
Arabic term Saher, or Zahara, at all.
It was about noon when we reached Futhabad, where we found
excellent accommodation in an upper room, immediately over the
gate of entrance to the village, looking down on the place of