'Narrative of a journey to the site of Babylon in 1811, now first published: memoir on the ruins; with engravings from the original sketches by the author: remarks on the topography of ancient Babylon, by Major Rennell; in reference to the memoir: second memoir on the ruins; in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon. East India Company at Bagdad. Edited by his widow.' [‎217] (315/474)

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
217
another ridge by a very stony road, which was car
ried up the slope of the mountain without much
winding or any precipices.
We met a caravan of Arab pilgrims from the
East or Shiyyah Coast of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , returning
from Meshid.*
The mountains were wooded with dwarf oaks and
with broom from ten to twelve feet high The
night air was so sharp as to make us long anxiously
to be housed. However, we no sooner reached the
top of the ascent than another summit rose beyond
it. At last, continuing to ascend, we reached the
caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). at three in the morning. It is situated
under a high summit, and is kept by a soldier. We
found an oak fire burning in the centre of the open
room or divan, where we took up our quarters. On
entering the caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). an old mule was produced,
and the guard said, " This is dedicated to Kerbela,
and it is a suab, or a holy deed, for every muleteer to
give it a handful of barley." This caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). is
* Meshid, which in Arabic means the place where a martyr is
buried, is a place of pilgrimage in Khorassan to the tomb of Imaum
Reza, who was the eighth Imaum of the family of Ali, and was named
Reza, or him in whom God delights, by A1 Mamoun, the Caliph of
Bagdad, who declared him his successor, in hopes by that means of
putting an end to the disturbances in the provinces caused by the
friends of the family of x\li. The Caliph was, however, not only dis
appointed in his hopes, but had to encounter resistance in his own
family ; and, had not Imaum Reza died, it is suspected by poison, Al
Mamoun was in danger of being driven from the throne himself
Imaum Reza is supposed to have been among the founders of that
body of mystics called in Persia the Sooffees. He died in the year of
the Hejira 203, of the Christian era 818. — E d.