'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎131] (162/582)

OF TAUK-E-BOSTAN. 23J
ornamented with a similar representation of a verandah, and large
and small windows, through which the pictures there are seen.
These spaces are crowded with a much greater number and
variety of figures than on the opposite side. The same want of
perspective, and confusion of grouping, is observed in both; but
the figures are in general better drawn, and the whole detail of
the sculpture is of infinitely more laboured and perfect workman
ship than the other. The high finish of these is equal to any
thing that I remember in Egypt, either at Tentyra, Edfou, As
souan, or even the temples in Nubia ; and the difference, in this
respect, between this and the other side of the cave, impressed
me at once with an idea that they had been executed by differ
ent hands, and at very distant periods of time.
The general subject on this side seemed to be a hunting of
wild boars in lakes and marshes. Water was sometimes fancifully
represented in wavy lines, like a whirlpool; and though fishes were
represented in this, yet a tree was also seen through it, and land
animals and birds near it. The chief personage of all this multi
tude stood erect in a boat, and was sometimes seen drawing his
bow, and at others with it relaxed. The dress of this chief was
of the richest kind; and among the devices on the robes were
large dragons, as if of Tartar or Chinese origin. By him sat a
musician, who played on a harp of many strings, holding the per
pendicular part towards his body, and resting the horizontal part
on the knee. The boats were of the rudest form, and the oars were
long poles, with flat square pieces of wood fastened to their ex
tremes, in the Indian fashion. Two of these oars only were used,
one ahead and one astern ; being plied as paddles over each quarter,
to act rather as rudders than as oars.
In one of the boats was a company of female harpers, play
ing on instruments of the same form as those described. These
were very richly dressed in embroidered robes, and their attitudes
were a combination of kneeling and sitting, as in use among Mo
hammedans in some parts of their prayers, and by most of the
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