Journey in Furs, S.W. Persia. 513 



the next day. We descended the western side to about 

 8300 feet, and then camped some 1000 feet above the little 

 village of Sisakht. 



The people about Dinar had seen " Faranghis " before. 

 About 25 years ago a " Faranghi " had come and climbed 

 to the top of Dinar (the roof of the world they called it). I. 

 asked why he bad done so, and they all answered, "To find 

 a certain herb which had the power of turning everything 

 into gold." When asked why they did not search for this 

 plant, they answered, " The Faranghi alone knew where it 

 grew and how to use it. Have you also come for this plant ? " 

 This traveller must have been Captain (now Sir Edward) 

 Durand, while Colonel M. S. Bell, V.C., has also crossed the 

 Gardan-i-Bijan. 



From our camp on the west side of the Kuh-i-Dinar we 

 descended to the oak-woods, and travelled for some days over 

 steep ridges and down deep gorges until we came to the 

 Khersun River, where the track was somewhat easier. A 

 day's march further on we came to a fine valley where the 

 o;ik trees grew more luxuriantly than usual. Here, near 

 Chinar, we had some varied experiences. We were camped 

 amongst the trees in a good place for birds, and I was par- 

 ticularly anxious to stay some days in order to get specimens 

 especially of Tawny Owls and Green Woodpeckers, of which 

 there were a few in the vicinity. But everything seemed 

 against us. On the second night we were visited by robbers, 

 who got clear away, owing to its being moonless and, conse- 

 quently, very dark in the wood where we were camped. The 

 next morning I sent Camburn to complain to the chief at 

 Chinar, some ten miles distant. But when he arrived within 

 five hundred yards of the village he was fired at from a fort, 

 and such good practice was made that he and his escort were 

 forced to retire. The next night we proposed to give the 

 robbers a warm reception. 1 placed sentries, and to give 

 courage to our men armed our chief servant, Hassan, with 

 a 12-bore, telling him to be sure to fire into the air and not to 

 aim at anyone. In the middle of the night we were awakened 

 by great shouting, and on jumping out of the tent found that 

 one at the sentries had suddenly arisen to see the most 



