On the Yamud and Gokldn Tribes of Turkomania. 203 



The wall commences at the mountain of Pushti-Kemer, 

 about fifteen miles below the source of the Gurgan river, 

 along which it is carried nearly in a parallel line with the 

 stream, on the right bank, till it reaches the shores of the 

 Caspian, and the continuation of it is said to be seen under 

 water for some distance. The whole length of the wall may 

 be ninety miles, or thereabouts. I must observe, however, 

 that it does not form an uninterrupted rampart, but consists 

 of mounds of various heights — in some parts from eight, to ten 

 or twelve feet high, in others level with the ground, and im- 

 perceptible. The wall, externally, is covered with earth, and 

 overgrown with grass and brambles ; and it is only from the 

 intersections, and the bricks strewed about, one can judge 

 that it was built of large square bricks. 



At fixed intervals there are square redoubts, each face of 

 the redoubt measuring 150 paces ; on some of them the Tur- 

 komans have their burying-ground. 



This wall goes by the name of Kizil-Alldn, (Kizil meaning 

 gold, and Allan probably borrowed from the once powerful 

 nation of that name, who were settled for a time near the 

 Caspian, and who, during the rush of the Asiatic hordes into 

 Western Europe, penetrated, with the Suevi and the Vandals, 

 into Spain.) Klaproth is of opinion, that the Ossets, spread 

 in the Kabarda and the valleys of the Caucasus, are a remnant 

 of the Allans. Deguignes says nearly the same thing. 



Beyond the Kizil-A114n is another wall, running parallel to 

 it, but much lower, and in many places imperceptible. The 

 intervening ground forms a road at present ; but I suspect 

 that formerly it must have been a canal or ditch, serving two 

 purposes — that of strengthening the line of defence, and, in 

 time of peace, supplying water to the fields beyond the Gur- 

 gan. What bears me out in this conjecture is the following 

 fact : — As the Gurgan, with its tributaries, flows between 

 very high banks, water could not be procured for irrigating 

 the fields ; the cultivators of the land were obliged, therefore, 

 by means of canals, to bring the water from a distance, where 

 its level was higher than the fields which required irrigation. 

 I met with several of such canals, brought from the mountains, 

 and extending to the Gurgan, with remains of aqueducts, 



