'A second journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, between the years 1810 and 1816. With a journal of the voyage by the Brazils and Bombay to the Persian Gulf. Together with an account of the proceedings of His Majesty's embassy under Sir Gore Ouseley, Bart. K.L.S. With two maps, and engravings from the designs of the author.' [‎363] (429/516)

FIROUZ KOH.
363
m m
either one, three, or seven days and nights successively. The elevation
of the region just described, and of Firouz Koh, must be great above
the level of the sea, if we may judge either by our own sensation or by
the progress of cultivation. The whole tract over which we travelled this
day did not present one spot of cultivated ground until we reached
our stage, where the corn was scarcely ripe. Firouz Koh is a large
village situated at the base and on the acclivity of a high lime-stone rock,
that is situated close to a perpendicular mountain of the same. Its peculiar
position makes it a remarkable object, and we may believe what its in
habitants assert, that its site is ancient. Of positive antiquity we saw
nothing, nor were we inclined to scramble up the steep rock to see
what were described to us as the remains ol a wind-mill and a bath as
old as Iskander or Alexander. A hill forming a suburb to the village is
pierced with small caverns, which have been excavated for the recep
tion of cattle in the winter, making the best and warmest stabling dur
ing the great colds and snows which here are more peculiarly felt. A
plentiful stream, that rises about five fursungs to the eastward near
Gour Sefid, runs between the village and the mountain, and fertilizes
the greater part of the adjacent territory, which is sown for the most
part with wheat and barley. It has, besides, large tracts of chemen or
pasture land, which is one of its principal attractions to the King, who
was encamped close to it for a long time during this summer. The
ground here yields but poor crops, giving only three mauns of produce
for one of seed.
The mountains to the north, north-east, and north-west of the valley
of Firouz Koh, have a particular hard appearance, being composed of
nothing but bare rock. On a N.E. bearing, through these mountains,
there are two passes which are great natural curiosities, and which well re
paid the trouble we took to visit them. We rode for about eight miles in
the plain, and leaving a small village on the left hand, we came to the
foot of mountains without any appearance ol an apperture. On ap
proaching nearer we perceived a dark and narrow passage, extending
from the foot to the summit of the mountain as if it had been rent
asunder, which on entering we found about six or ten feet wide, extend-
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