'Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde; accompanied by a geographical and historical account of those countries, with a map.' [‎233] (275/476)

MEENAN. Qgg
of Agha Mohummud Khan, when he passed here on his way to be
siege Kirman. fhe fort has been since repaired, and there is a
tolerable Bazar, in which all kinds of supplies requisite for a travel
ler are to be had. The Kud Khoda or chief man of the town, hear
ing that I was an European, came to visit me, and seemed much
amazed to find me in the Persian costume, which I now completely
assumed. He was in the room some time staring about, before he
asked where I was, and to the last expressed his doubts of my beina
a real T irmgee or European ; nevertheless he was extremely polite!
and sent me a large dish of remarkably fine cherries, in return for
which I gave his man a small present of money.
2m May. From Killahe Agha to Pa Killah * a small fort built
on the summit of a rocky precipice. This stage is above thirty miles,
whereof the first fifteen were across a fertile plain, and the latter
among, or over mountains with an excessively intricate and bad road.
hese mountains stretch to the northward to the city of Yezd, the
road to which branches off about three miles from Killahe Agha. 'The
average direction was a little to the southward of west; and there is
plenty of forage fbr horses and camels in this route; but it is hazard
ous to travel it without a well armed party, being a famous rendez
vous for highwaymen. My fellow-travellers fully expected to have
encountered some of them ; and we all rode while it was dark (hav
ing set out about three a. m.) with our pieces loaded, and the matches
ready lighted.
29^ May. We left Pa Killah at two in the afternoon, and havin..
clambered and toiled over a continued series of difficult and rocky
Kothuls or defiles, at the end of eight miles we came to the town of
Meenan, consisting of three or four hundred caverns excavated out
of the face of the mountain, along which they extend for a quarter
of a mile. Some of these subterraneous dwellings were dun- one
above another, with a shelving path or steps, to ascend to the upper
* The firm fort.
II H