Feb. 9, 1857.] RAWLINSON ON SOUTHERN PERSIA. 293 



path has been cut, but it is so easily defended, that a small body of men could 

 easily repel a large force. It was, however, taken by the Persians about twenty 

 years ago. That was the last attempt made by the Persians to bring the tribes 

 into some sort of order, for they are the greatest thieves in the world, plunder- 

 ing caravans, and everybody they possibly can. We were not robbed by them, 

 owing to our strong escort of Persian troops. From this point there is a pass 

 which would require to be repaired, and which would be forced without any 

 great difficulty. Between this pass and Shiraz there is no great obstacle to be 

 encountered. On returning from Bushir to Tehran in 1820, I spent a month 

 in examining the passes leading from Bushir to Shiraz, and thought them 

 less formidable than they appeared to be. I had a good number of men with 

 me, and I sent them up to the right and left to see whether these rocks, 

 apparently inaccessible, could be gained, and I saw them in a short time 

 crowning both sides of the pass. I took up twelve pieces of artillery ; but with 

 500 men, and it took us three weeks to get them up. The plan I adopted, 

 was to dismount the guns entirely and put them upon cradles made with 

 trees. Twenty-four men to each gun, could only convey it a short distance ; 

 then they were relieved by others, and by that means we forced a way up the 

 pass : of course that could not be done, if opposed, until you had crowned the 

 heights. After passing the worst part of the first pass you could, by throwing 

 a bridge across the ravine, reach a tract of country of much less diflSculty. 

 After passing through Konar-Tukht there is another pass, which descends 

 towards Kazerun : here there is nothing but stones, which could be blasted or 

 removed. From Kazerun you have a very strong pass, the Virgin's pass, 

 which is carried almost up the perpendicular face of a steep hill ; and the 

 dilapidated condition of the parapet scarcely prevents cattle tumbling over. I 

 followed the salt marsh down for about a mile, and saw a gap in the moun- 

 tains which would require a bridge over the marsh. From that you get to 

 the last pass, the Old Woman's pass, which is very steep but not very rocky, 

 and a road could be made without any impediment. After that there is no 

 further obstacle to Shiraz. I have only one thing to say as regards Chab, the 

 country to the right of the Kariin. In my day it was governed by a chief 

 who was nominally subject to Persia. His predecessor cut a canal for the 

 purpose not only of irrigation, but of turning the navigation, and bringing the 

 commerce of that part of the country into his own territory. Some creek or 

 channel must have been navigable, for I saw within the walls of the city 

 some of the largest vessels, although there was not more than three inches of 

 water at the time, but it could be augmented by returning the water of the 

 irrigation canals into its natural bed. The vessels were about 300 or 400 tons 

 burden. 



Mr. a. H. Layard, m.p., f.r.g.s. — Mr. President, as you have done me the 

 honour to call upon me, I may perhaps say a few words, more to verify what 

 Sir Henry Eawlinson has stated, than to advance anything new on the subject. 

 I quite agree with him, that if this war is unhappily to be continued, the site 

 of our operations, at least of the position which our army must hold, must be 

 transferred from Bushir to the upper country, on the banks of the Karun, in 

 the neighbourhood of Shuster. It is a very rich, fertile province, perhaps the 

 richest of the whole of Persia. I am pretty well acquainted with the whole 

 of that country, having resided there nearly two years ; and as Sir Henry 

 Rawlinson stated, I was not there with any evil designs. Indeed, I had not 

 the remotest idea at that period that we should ever be engaged in warfare with 

 Persia. The origin of my entering that country is principally attributable to 

 the Memoir of my friend upon the site of the ancient city of Susa. Perhaps 

 the best account I can give of it is to state shortly how I got there, which was 

 not very easy at that time. My first intention was to penetrate through the 

 centre of Asia ; but at that period wars had broken out, and the roads were 



