'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎236] (273/360)

236 THROUGH PERSIA ON A SIDE-SADDLE
the hilly path in dense, dirty, white masses to see the
tomasha. We made our way past mules, camels, sowars,
and infantry with all their accompaniments of bells, cries,
and trampling, and came in sight of an old brick-domed
tomb to the right of the road, while ahead of us the usual
picturesque grey fort reared itself from among a grove of
date-palms, in strong contrast to the barren route along
which we had come. The braying of the trumpets of the
Assad-i-Dowleh's army resounded near at hand, and in
another moment we were upon the shabby soldiers in
their dirty grey cotton coats and red trousers, marshalled
by common ferashes armed with sticks with which to keep
the defenders of their country in line.
As we spent a fortnight at Jalk, I must try to give some
account of the place and its special points of interest, of
most of which we took photos.
On the day following our arrival we rode out with the
1 ersian Commission and a great following of Baluchis to
explore the neighbourhood, Jalk consisted of about three
miles of date-groves, watered by running streams, and
was rich in crops of barley and wheat, millet and beans,
its gardens being crammed with fig, pomegranate, and
orange-trees and vines. Here and there were strong forts
built of large stones embedded in mud, and in them the
people lived, emerging in veritable swarms to gaze at us
as our cavalcade passed.
The most interesting feature in the place were the tombs
of the Kaianian Maliks, this dynasty reigning as late as
the eighteenth century until conquered by Nadir Shah.
These mausoleums were mostly square enclosures
varying from twenty to sixty feet in height, built of sun-
dried mud bricks, and roofed in with mud domes. The
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