'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.' [‎15] (46/582)

TO KESRABAD, OR DASTAGHERD. 25
Nahr-el-Khan-e-Keen, from its rising near a place of that name
farther on in our road, and it goes from hence into the Diala,
discharging itself to the southward of the branch which we
crossed yesterday. Like this, however, its stream is not more
than twenty yards wide, its current slow, and its bed lying deep
between two steep banks covered with rushes.
From hence, we continued nearly the same course as before,
and in another hour reached the foot of a ridge of sandstone-hills,
called Jebel-el-Shahraban. It seemed to be the only practicable
pass through them to which our road led, and even this was not an
easy one. The ascent was very gentle, over a gravelly road; but,
from the soft nature of the rock, several narrow passages had been
worn, which barely admitted of a horse going through, and for
bade the passage of a laden mule.. Masses of the rock, the layers
of which were generally oblique to the horizon, had also fallen,
and obstructed some points of the way; so that, few as our num
bers were, great confusion prevailed. This was increased, too, by
the general alarm which was felt, as it was here that the road was
considered the most dangerous, from its being favourable to any
small party obstructing it.
Accordingly the bravest and the lightest of the troop ascended
the points of the hills to reconnoitre, and fired their muskets as a
signal of defiance. As all these were of the match-lock kind
throughout our company, excepting only the one which my Der
vish carried, the matches were all lighted; but though we were
thus fully prepared to repel an attack, it was evident that every
one advanced with fear and trembling.
In half an hour we gained the summit of the hills, from
whence we could see the plain to the eastward of them before us;
and, as this appeared to be clear of wanderers, a shout of joy was
set up, thus giving vent to fear, as tears are found to afford
a momentary relief to sorrow.
The line of these hills stretched generally from north-north
west to south-south-east, and their highest point did not appear to