'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.' [‎57] (88/582)

BY THE PASS OF THE ARCH.
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rupted pass, and dragging out the lion from his den,—being con
tent, if both should escape destruction, that the voice of their
beloved should decide on their respective claims, and if one only
fell a victim, that the other would have his dying consent to
marry her.
They sallied forth, and amid applauses of their comrades, and
the wish of all that the bravest should have his reward; when one
of them was torn in pieces by the beast, and the other came off
triumphant by slaying the animal as he feasted on his companion's
corpse. #
From this pass we went up easterly, over a gently ascending
plain, well cultivated, and thickly strewed with clusters of Koord
hamlets in every part; while on the hills before us were wood
and water, the former supplying an abundance of fuel, and the
latter descending in small rivulets to fertilize the land.
In about an hour and half we began to ascend the steeper side
of the mountain, having the stream of the Alwund close on our
right; and about half-way up we came to its source, which issued
out from a narrow cleft in the side of the steep rock, and produced
* The determined valour of the people who formerly inhabited this country was observed
and admitted by ancient writers. Arrian, describing the march of Alexander against the Cos-
sseans, who refused to submit to his government, says :—" This people are a very warlike nation,
and inhabit the hilly and mountainous parts of Media; and therefore, confiding in their own
valour, and tlie fastnesses of their country, would never be brought to admit of any foreign
prince to reign over them, and were never subdued during all the time of the Persian Empire.
And at that time they were so very high, that they slighted the valour of the Macedonians.
Alexander, however, conquered them in the space of forty days, and, building some towns at
the most difficult passes through their country, he marched away." See b. xvii. c. 11. and
Plin. Nat. Hist. b. vi. c. 27.
The existence of wild beasts, caverns, and rocky passes in this part of the country, is also
noticed in ancient writers.—We learn from Arrian, that in the struggles for dominion which
followed the death of Alexander, when Antigonus marched from Mesopotamia into Media, after
Eumenes, he took his army through the mountains inhabited by the Cosseeans. They are
described by the historian as having been a free people, time out of mind, who inhabit in
caves, and feed upon acorns and the salted flesh of wild beasts ;—and, contemptible as they
were held by Antigonus, who declined purchasing his passage through their country, he found
more difficulties to surmount in forcing their passes, and lost more men in so doing, than
if he had been opposed by a numerous and well-disciplined army. See b. xix. c. 2.
i