MISCELLANIES. 



S19 



thermometer wns at 47", the heat 

 of the sun produced a partial thaw, 

 which was succeeded by a frost so 

 sharp, that before the close of the 

 day, an officer of the suite, who 

 weighed fourteen stone, was able 

 to walk and slide upon a square re- 

 servoir before the Dewau Khoneh, 

 even though the surface had been 

 already broken at one corner. The 

 fall of snow was a seasonable 

 supply of moisture to the country, 

 which had long been without anj*. 

 On the new moon of March (the 

 15th of the month) the rain began, 

 and for some days continued re- 

 gularly, clearing up about four or 

 five hours before sunset, and ga- 

 thering again at night. From the 

 height of the walls which sur- 

 rounded us, and the want of wea- 

 thercocks or chimnies, I could 

 collect but imperfectly the quarter 

 of the wind ; but, as far as I could 

 judge, it was generally from the 

 S. E. There is a wind sometimes 

 rushing from the Albores on the 

 N. of the ]>leakness of which the 

 natives speak with dread. From 

 the 23d March (the first quarter of 

 the moon) we had the true ethereal 

 mildness of spring, with light 

 breezes from the westward in the 

 evening. Vegetation was making 

 rapid advances : the rose-trees in 

 the court of our house were already 

 green, and the chenars had just 

 begun to bud. The snow on the 

 Albores was diminishing fast ; and 

 the weather generally, which 

 sometimes lowered and then 

 brightened up, [was that of an 

 English spring. The thermometer 

 was about 61° to 64°, but in the 

 middle of the day it reached 75°, 

 and the heat in the close streets 

 of the town was very sensible. In 

 the first week of April the morn- 



ings were beautiful ; but about 

 noon a hot wind set in from the 

 S. E. which increased towards the 

 evening, and died away at night. 

 About the second week, the wea- 

 ther became cooler. Every thing 

 was in high foliage, and ail our 

 horses were at grass. The heat 

 was then becoming great ; on the 

 19th the thermometer was at 82° 

 in the shade, and at night we had 

 thunder and lightning with a thick 

 haze over the Albores. On the 

 2Ist the temperature, which in the 

 interval had been at 86°, sunk to 

 67°. On the night of the 20th 

 there had been a storm : and on 

 the dawn of day we discovered 

 that the Albores, which before had 

 lost their snow, were again cover- 

 ed. These transitions are common 

 to situations like that of Teheran. 

 The rain refreshed the air, and 

 gave strength to the grass, which 

 in the more immediate neighbour- 

 hood of the town requires much 

 moisture to enable it to pierce the 

 hardness of the soil. From this 

 time the days continued cool, with 

 rain and frequent storms ; and the 

 evenings became almost piercing ; 

 but the showers gave a new force 

 to vegetation. 



Teheran is considered an un- 

 wholesome situation. The town 

 is low and built on a salt, moist 

 soil. In the summer the heats are 

 said to be so insufferable, that all 

 those who are able (all perhaps ex- 

 cept a few old women) quit the 

 town and live in tents nearer the 

 foot of the Albores, where it is 

 comparatively cool. 



It is interesting to trace the pro- 

 gress of a capital. At about the 

 same distance from Rhages, (at 

 which the present city of Teheran 

 may be placed from the remains of 



