'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎222] (285/905)

222
KHORisiN.
[CHAP. X.
periods antecedently to the time of Ptolemy, who treats of
Media in its latter and most extended limits, as touching
Armenia, Assyria, Parthia, Hyrcania, and parts of Susis
and Persis to the south; thus making it correspond nearly
with Asiatic Cush. 1
Extent of The extensive provinces of Khorasan and Kirman form
Khorasan, eas tern border of Persia, and the base of the triangle.
In its present state, and including the province of Aster-
abad, the former extends 358 miles from the territory of
Herat, 2 on the borders of Afghanistan, 3 to those of 'Irak, 4
and 355 miles from the desert of Kirman, 5 northward, to
that of Khiva; 6 it has, therefore, a superficies of about
138,026 square geographical miles, or 15,336 square leagues,
its mountains. The northern parts of this province are mountainous.
One branch quits the great range near the southern portion
of Aster-abad, and runs eastward, by Abbas-abad and Nisha-
pur, to Mushed, making, with the former, a crescent-shaped
mountain district nearly 100 miles in extent where widest.
From the vicinity of the capital, this double chain runs
W.S.W. to Herat, but with less width than before. A little
to the southward of Mushed two branches diverge from the
northern roots towards the opposite extremity of the pro
vince. One of these runs nearly S.W., by Turshiz,
Tubbus, and Yezd, into Fars; whilst the other runs nearly
south, and parallel to the position of Afghanistan,
character of The slopes and sides of the mountains towards the northern
t e country. ex t rem ity of the province contain fine table-lands, with nu
merous rich valleys interspersed; but the central and south-
couchant, la Tropatene au levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. , et la Chorosmithene au sud, et renfermoit
ce qu'on appelle aujourd'hui le Schirvan, 1'Aderbretzjan, le KiMn, et la partie
occidentale d'Irac Ajeme.—Baundrand's Geography, art. Media.
1 See Chap. XII.
8 Herat is included in the territory of Shdh Shujd; but, previously to the
late siege, it acknowledged the Shdh of Persia, by annual presents, and usually
also a tribute in money.
3 In 60° 24' E. longitude.
4 In 53° 5' E. longitude, and 33° N. latitude.
5 In 57° E. longitude, and 31° 45' N. latitude.
6 In 31° 10' N. latitude.