'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.' [‎55] (86/582)

FROM SERPOOL, ACROSS MOUNT ZAGROS, &c.
55
of Persia, for the accommodation of the Kerbelai, as they are
called, namely, those who go on pilgrimage to the Tombs of
Imam Ali and Imam Hussein, none but those who go to Mecca
being dignified with the title of Hadjee.
Serpool stands near to a remarkable pass between the two
detached masses of bare lime-stone rock, rising in spiral points
from the Plain, as if shot up from the earth by the most violent
effort of nature; and it has running by it a stream of good water,
for the comfort of those who may halt there.
The level tract extending from it to the eastward was irri
gated by canals from this stream, and covered by rice-grounds in
full verdure. Our way across this plain lay south-east for about
half an hour along the foot of the bare and steep masses of
rock described, having these on our left; while on the opposite
side, on our right, was a boundary of more even and rounder
hills, one of which was called " Mamaky," or " My Mother," and
the other " Looloo," both in the language of the Koords.
As we passed by the first opening in the rocks, called the
Boghaz, or Pass, I remarked a mound of old bricks, hewn-stones,
and other vestiges of some former building, which had either been
an old khan now entirely destroyed, or the site of some still older
fort to guard the pass, immediately opposite to which it stood.
It was about half an hour after passing this, and less than
an hour from the time of our quitting Serpool, that we went
through a second Boghaz, by turning to our left, and going north
east for a few yards, which brought us out into another cultivated
plain.
These passes, though not more than one hundred feet wide,
have both of them the appearance of being entirely natural. The
hills, of which they form the separation, are rugged masses of lime- f
stone, perfectly bare, and about five hundred feet high, rising on
their more sloping sides in a succession of spiral points, over-lap
ping each other, and showing on their more perpendicular sides,
lines of strata almost at right angles with the horizon ; so that the