'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.' [‎160] (191/582)

ENTRY INTO HAMAD AN.
range may be perhaps about seven thousand feet above the level
of the sea.
We found the air very sharp and cold, and were exceedingly
glad to hasten our descent on its eastern side, which showed every
where the same materials, but was more rugged, and broken into
deeper ravines and bolder cliffs. In the way we met some Per
sian shepherds, with their flocks, and passed a few springs of
bitter water, descending into the eastern plain.
Near the foot of the hill we came to a small khan, called Kar-
wansera Meear Kotel Sadawah, which had been erected by some
humane individual, as a shelter for passengers. During the four
winter months, this mountain is said to be impassable by caravans,
from the snows with which it is covered ; and it is asserted that
not a season passes without the death of many shepherds and
peasants from the cold alone.
Our descent on the east was not much more than half the
distance of our ascent on the west in perpendicular height, when
we came out on an extensive and fine plain, covered with villages,
gardens, and brown ploughed fields; and, turning to the south
east, we opened the prospect of Hamadan, seated in the same
plain, and standing amidst a profusion of trees and verdure.
The whole distance of our journey from Sadawah to Hamadan
was about eight hours, and our course on the whole about east-
south-east. On entering this town, we passed through a burying-
ground, of which the tombs were of an unusual kind; some of
these were like stone chests, or sarcophagi, of the common size of
the human form, closely covered on the top, and sculptured all
over the sides and ends with devices of flowers, &c., and very
ancient characters of Arabic inscription on them: others, again,
were four times the human size, in height, breadth, and depth,
and were formed of large slabs of polished stone, like the planks
of a chest, each side in one piece, and all perfectly plain, except
the upper part, in the centre of which was a small tablet, for the
inscription. The tombs of the females had devices of combs, and