'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in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon.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.' [‎231] (329/474)

JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
231
We now crossed a valley about two miles over, on
each side of which were high mountains ; and, after
passing over a lower part of the mountains, we de
scended again between hills, and reached the plain
of Zergoon, which was well cultivated with cotton
and the castor-oil plant*. We arrived at Zergoon
about half-past twelve, which is a long but narrow
town, defended by a mud wall on the west side, and
situated at the foot of a line of bare and shattered
rock running nearly north-west and south-east,
and covering the town on the east. The houses were
all built of mud; but among them there seemed some
good ones covered with a neat, thick reed-thatch, flat
at the top, and terraced with a coating of mud.
August IQth. —We were entertained to-day by a
Persian musician. I have been struck with the
number of fine voices among the Persians, Several
of them trill surprisingly well, at the full stretch of
their voices; but they are so fond of this trill as to
appear while they are singing constantly in an
ague-fit.
We left Zergoon at a quarter past five in the
afternoon, and proceeded for about half a mile in a
north-westerly direction, keeping the rocks at the
back of Zergoon on our right. We then turned north
east, into a very singular-looking plain, a& level as
the sea, except where in different parts ridges of rock
rise from it and run along, generally in a north-
* Called in Persian, Kenatoo, or Beedingeer.