'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.' [‎73] (104/582)

BY THE PASS OF THE ARCH. 73
the great fertility and excellent qualities of the soil; and that in
either case the epithet was sufficiently expressive.
We continued to go east-north-east over the plain, for upwards
of an hour, when we reached the caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). , having been about six
hours on our road from Harounabad, on a general course of east-
north-east. There were only a few dwellings near the khan,
which had been erected on the banks of the stream that ran by
it, for the shelter and supply of passengers halting on the road ;
and even from these, though small, we procured what we had not
been able to do from the largest towns since leaving Bagdad. We
found here milk, lebben, cheese, dates, good bread, and fruits of
several kinds, in abundance; so that we enjoyed our repose, and
prolonged it until noon before we prepared to move.
After prayers, we remounted and continued our way, still going
across the plain in an east-north-east direction, and having the
high and ragged summits of the mountains of Bisitoon in sight
above the range that formed the boundary of the plain before us
In about two hours we reached the foot of this boundary, when
we began to ascend over bare hills, and through uninteresting
scenery, with a total absence of wood. In half an hour we halted,
and drank at a fountain of excellent water, rising in the hills,
called in Koordish " Ain-el-Koosh," and considered to be exactly
half-way between the khan of Mahee-Dusht and Kermanshah.
From hence, after a short ascent, we went over two or three swell
ing eminences, till we came in sight of the gardens of Kerman
shah, the fresh and verdant bowers of which offered a beautiful
contrast to the brown aspect of the barren hills. We now began
to meet crowds of passengers issuing from the town, many of them
apparently coming out on an evening excursion only; and about
sunset we came in sight of the town itself.
We watered our horses at a small stream just below, and in the
immediate skirts of the town; but not at the Kara Soo, as the maps
had led me to expect from their placing that river west of Ker-