'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.' [‎11] (42/582)

to kesrabad, or dastagherd.
11
five peasants on foot who had occasioned all this panic,—an acci
dent which gave us no favourable impression of the coolness or
courage of our numerous party.
In another hour we reached the stream from which this canal
led, over which we crossed, by a steep and high bridge of one
arch. The stream itself appeared to me an artificial one, as it ran
slowly between steep banks like mounds, and was not more than
twenty yards wide. It was called Nahr el Shahraban; it came
from the north, and was said to go into the Diala, south of Ba-
kouba, having small canals leading off from it in the way. From
this bridge was seen on the left of us, distant less than half a mile
to the westward of the road, some palm-trees rising from a village
called Aghwashek. This was originally the retreat of a dozen
Fakeers, who lived here in indolence on the charities of devout
passengers; but their easy way of life having attracted others of
the same class about them, the settlement has increased, and now
contains about five hundred persons, chiefly of the original de
scription.
From the bridge, our course went again north-easterly, and in
about an hour from thence we reached the town of Shahraban,
which we entered through mud-walled lanes and dusty roads, just
as the moon was setting; and with some difficulty, at this unsea
sonable hour, found our way to a khan.
S ept. 5th.—The village of Shahraban is composed, like that of
Bakouba, of scattered brick dwellings, some few regular streets, and
mud-walled gardens and palm-grounds. It has one mosque with
a well-built minaret, and two khans, but nothing else worthy of
notice. Some canals from the branch of the Diala, which we
crossed over by the one-arched bridge an hour before entering
Shahraban, run through the town itself, and supply the inhabitants
with water for their daily use, as well as the peasantry for cultiva
tion. The population may be estimated at about two thousand five
hundred, of whom two-thirds are Soonnees, and the remainder
c 2