'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.' [‎382] (450/516)

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DAMGAN.
southward, bounded in some places only by the horizon, and in others
by very distant mountains. The town is recognized at a distance of
two or three miles by two minarets, standing conspicuous on the un
broken view. It is at present little better than a mass of ruin, the
extent of which denotes how large it formerly must have been.
Among these, the inhabitants count three hundred habitable houses,
which contain its present population. The Governor of this place
and its adjacent territory, is Mutaleb Khan, brother to the King's
favorite, Ismael Khan, who has a very good house here, in which we
were lodged. We heard that he gives the King annually one thousand
kherwar ot corn, which is produced in part from the cultivation of
forty to fifty villages that surround the town. The river flowing from
Cheshmeh Ali, is the principal source of irrigation to these villages,
to which is added another small stream and several kanauts. The
ground here yields eight or ten for one, and its principal produce is
corn.
The natives say that Damgan was founded by Housheng, who,
according to the Persian historians, was the son of Siamek, the son
of Kaiumers, second Prince of the first and most antient dynasty of
Persia. It has several remains of its more modern consequence, in
some well-built domes and cupolas, one of which is at present used as
a mosque. It was ransacked by Jenghiz, and thoroughly destroyed by
Nadir; and as long as the present government of Persia lasts, most
likely will never rise above the rank of a large village. There is
an old ark or citadel defended by patched-up walls, falling to pieces,
wheie with much care is preserved a house in which the present
King was born. The region in which it is situated, though nearly
on a level with Teheran, enjoys a pure and delicious air: over the
whole extent of its immense plain scarcely a tree is to be seen, except
a fev\ neai the villages ; the soil is hard and gravelly, and where un
cultivated, is covered with soapwert and the khor shutur. Here the
want of timber for building becomes manifest, almost all the houses
being entirely roofed with arches and domes. To the eastward, the
plain stretches over to Bostan, Sharoot, Subswar, Nishapoor, as far as