نسخة مذيلة من "بلاد فارس والشأن الفارسي" بقلم جورج كرزون، مع أوراق مدرجة [ظ‎‎٤‎٨‎٥] (١٨١٤/٩٨١)

16
PERSIA
relief from this remedy. 1 There is a tradition that still survives that
the creatures do not attack strangers, but this modest display of
hospitality is hardly likely to induce a longer stay than is possible
in so unattractive a spot.
About four miles to the south-west of Kashan, on the slopes of
the mountains, is situated the palace of Fin, the springs of which
Pai aC e of h ave rendered it a favourite resort of royalty from early
Fin times. Shah Abbas built a residence here, but the present
structure, now in a state of great decay, is the work of Fath Ali
Shah, who made it one of his favourite summer retreats, though
originally intended for his brother Husein Kuli Khan. Cypress
avenues, water flowing in marble canals, and jets for fountains
adorned its gardens; a picture of Fath Ali and his sons and hunt
ing and battle scenes hung upon its walls. Sir J. Malcolm and
his escort were accommodated here on their upward march to Teheran
in 1810. In later times, a gloomier memory has attached to the
palace of Fin ; for here, in 1852, Mirza Taki Khan, the first great
minister of the reigning Shah, and brother-in-law of the king, was
put to death by the Royal order, his veins being opened in a bath.
The place is now deserted.
After leaving Kashan, the track runs for a distance of about
sixteen miles over a stony expanse, nearly flat, though with a slight
^ ^ f rise, to the foot of the mountains, where it turns sharply
Shall to the right and plunges into the main range. At a little
Abbas distance up the pass, in what the foolish Ker Porter de
scribed as ‘ a confined dell of this darkling labyrinth,’ stands the
large dilapidated caravanserai of Guebrabad—a ruined settlement
of the Zoroastrians. Here we finally lose sight of the snowy spire
of Demavend, which has accompanied us all the way from Teheran,
gaining each day in pride and stature as his inferior satellites have
sunk from view, and the monarch has stood forth alone with his
crowned head in the heavens. The distance, as the crow flies, is
a little over 150 miles. 2 Continuing up the pass, the road enters
1 The same notion has prevailed in countries widely removed from Persia.
Madame de Sevigne, in a letter dated July 8,1672, wrote : £ Je vous prie, quoi qu’on
dise, de faire faire de I’huile de scorpion, afin que nous trouvions en meme temps
les maux et les medecines.’
2 Demavend has been seen at much greater distances. Morier {First Journey,
p. 402) was told that it could be seen from the minaret of the Musjid-i-Shah at
Isfahan, a distance of 230 miles; but this, for physical reasons, must be impos
sible. General Monteith {Proc. R.G.8. vol. iii. p. 18) saw it from Mount Savalan,
above Ardebil, a distance of 270 miles. Similarly, P. H. Bruce {Memoirs, p. 282)
saw Mount Ararat from Derbend on the Caspian, a distance of 240 miles.