'Narrative of a Residence in Koordistan, and on the Site of Ancient Nineveh; with Journal of a Voyage down the Tigris to Bagdad and an Account of a Visit to Shirauz and Persepolis.' [‎285] (320/450)

tWCE Of THE COUNTRY.
285
It is a good bridge of six arches, built by Suliman,
1 aslia oi Bagdad. We then proceeded S. 15 W.
towards tlie Hamreen hills, keeping between them
on our right, and the Nareen on our left. We con
tinued going in a south-west direction to the foot of
the hills, at which we arrived about half past ten.
Ihe first part of them was composed of soil and
pebbles, and was of very gentle ascent. A\ r e reached
the summit at twenty minutes before eleven, which
being the highest ground hereabouts, I got several
sights with the compass. The appearance from the
top of the hills of the surrounding country was very
singular. The whole chain of hills, which look like
the ruins of a mountain, appeared broken into little
hillocks, or large waves, and looked like the sea
suddenly fixed. Not far from the pass, the Diala
was visible, meandering and receiving the Nareen.
As we proceeded, sandstone began to make its
appearance, always in strata inclined towards the
north side of the hill, and in many places the ex
ternal parts and fragments were rounded and waving
as if they had been washed by the sea. In some
places I observed a coating of talc, specimens of
which I brought away. The sandstone at "iast pre
dominates, and the hill terminates in a great number
of parallel successive ridges, or ledges, some just
appearing, others rising from the ground to the
height of ten or twelve feet; the south side, always
an abrupt face, and inclining down into the earth on