'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.' [‎314] (345/582)

314
FROM SHIRAZ
the western pass out of the valley of Shiraz, immediately before
us. As the paths were numerous, and equally beaten, we took
one of the northernmost, which led us astray; and at daylight we
found ourselves entangled in mountains, without a guide, or any
clue to extricate ourselves. The mountains here were lofty and
rugged, and composed of limestone of different qualities,—some
forming a streaked marble of cloudy white, like the slabs on the
sides and ends of Hafiz's tomb, which was probably hewn from
hence, and not brought from Tabriz,—and others of a reddish
cast. Every part, even to the summits, was covered with vege
tation and brushwood, and the narrow valleys afforded pasture to
numerous flocks.
We at length met with some shepherds, who directed us how
to cross the mountains on our left by a path known to themselves
only, and one of them took the pains, unasked, to accompany us
part of the way. The language spoken among these moun
taineers, though thus close to Shiraz, is said to be the old dialect
of Fars, from which the present language of Persia has been
formed. They are all acquainted, however, with this last, and
use it in their communication with strangers ; but what surprised
me more was, to find that Turkish, of a corrupt kind, was so
familiar to all, that it was the language of conversation between
the Dervish and themselves.*
When our shepherd ^uide left us, we went down over the
southern side of the hills, toward the high road; and as the sun
had now risen, we halted on the banks of a clear stream, flowing
from the westward through the valley, to wash and refresh.
There was just above us, to the south-west, the wreck of a ruined
village, called Kooshk Bostack, which gave its name to the stream
In the various migrations of the tribes of Tartary, several of them have at different
periods come from the plains of Syria into Persia. The Shamloo, or sons of Syria, are per
haps at this moment one of the most numerous of all the Turkish tribes of Persia. The
Karagoozaloo, the Baharloo, and several other tribes, are branches of the Shamloo, who
were brought into Persia from Syria by Timom.—Hist. of Persia, vol. i. p. 391.