'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.' [‎56] (87/582)

56,
FROM SERPOOL, ACROSS MOUNT ZAGROS,
whole looked as if it had been blown up from the bowels of the
earth by some violent explosion.
My Dervish, who professed to be a great admirer of the wonders
of nature, and who was struck with the wild aspect of these hills,
asked me whether mountains grew progressively up from the
earth like grass, but at an infinitely slower rate? He was
a good deal surprised when I told him that observations on
the earth's surface made by men the best qualified for the study,
tended to prove that mountains, and every other part of the
mineral world in sight, were rather in a state of decay than of
growth. He confessed that, on reflection, all he had seen bore
testimony to such a doctrine; though from want of considering
with proper attention even that which he had seen, he enter
tained an idea that the mountains of Abraham's day were consi
derably higher now than they were when the good old Patriarch
lived, and that they would continue to increase in altitude until
their final destruction.
In this mountain-pass was shown to us a small natural cavern,
which a lion had made his den, and to which he had dragged many
an unwary passenger as his prey, inspiring such terror as to put a
stop to all journeying by this route. It happened that two young
Kooids were at this period disputing the possession of a Virgin of
the Plain, whom they both loved ; but as they lived on the one side
of the pass, and the object of their affections on the other, there
was an end put to their evening interviews, by the intrusion of
this destroying lion.
It was thought too bold an enterprise, even for a lover, to
force this passage alone ; but as the object to be attained by such
a step was equally dear to both, they for a moment threw aside
e jealousy of rivals, and exchanged reciprocal pledges to stand
or fall together in the attempt. Then arming themselves, and
mounting „wo of the best horses of the country, they vowed in the
^ '11 ^ ^ le ^ 1 ^ en( ^ S ' en ^ re an( l cheerful submission to the
ate, stated their intention of forcing together this inter-