'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.' [‎119] (150/582)

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an allusion to this subject, though he uses the licence of a
poet in making this the drink of kings alone, instead of confin
ing them to the use of this water solely ; and it is a fact worthy
of remark, that at this moment, while all the inhabitants of Ker-
manshah drink of the stream of Aub Dedoong, at which we
watered our horses on the day of entry, and of the spring called
Aubi-i-Hassan-Khan, the King's son alone has the water for him
self and his harem brought from the stream of the Kara Soo. We
drank of it ourselves as we passed; and from its superiority to all
the waters of which we had tasted since leaving the banks of the
Tigris, added to the thirst of our noon ride, and animating conver
sation by the way, the draught was delicious enough to be sweet
even to the palsied taste of royalty itself. #
After quitting the Kara Soo, we continued our way on the
same course as before, seeing many villages on each side of us on
the plain; when, after passing by some smaller streams, gardens,
and shady bowers of closely planted trees, we came in little more
than half an hour to the foot of the rock in which the Caves are
excavated.
We alighted, fastened our horses to the trees before them, and,
crossing the little brook which flows along their front, entered the
largest of these recesses to look around us. We found here a
* Khosroo Purveez was encamped on the banks of the Kara-Soo river, when he received a
letter from Mahommed. Enraged at being called upon by an Arabian whose name he had
probably never before heard, to renounce the religion of his fathers, he tore the letter and cast
it into the Kara-Soo.— Malcolm's Persia, v. 1. p. 158.
' It appears not that the golden water and the water of Choaspes were the same. It may be granted, and
it is not at all improbable, that the king alone drank of that water of Choaspes, which was boiled and barrelled
up for his use in his military expeditions.'
Jortin concludes by saying, that Milton, by his calling it Amber Stream, seems to have had in view the
golden water of Agathocles. To me, this does not seem likely; I think Milton would not have scrupled to have
called it at once Golden Stream, if he had thought of the passage from Athenseus before quoted.
^Elian relates, that Xerxes during his march came to a desert place, and was exceedingly thirsty; his
attendants with his baggage were at some distance: proclamation was made, that whoever had any of the water
of Choaspes should produce it for the use of the king. One person was found who possessed a small quantity,
but it was quite putrid t Xerxes, however, drank it, and considered the person who supplied it as his friend
and benefactor, as he must otherwise have perished with thirst.—.Befoe's Herodotus, vol. i. p. 254.