121 



PERSIA. 



PERSIA. 



122 



town of Miana, about 37 25' N. lat., 47 40' E. long. The united 

 stream, here called the Sefid-Rud, immediately sweeps round to the 

 north-east, and then to the south-east, in which direction it flows for 

 about 100 miles through the plain of Tarora, the upper part of which 

 is very narrow, the high mountains, seamed by ravines and narrow 

 valleys, reaching down on both sides nearly to the banks of the river, 

 but wider at the lower extremity. The territory* on the left bank 

 of the river, along the southern declivity of the Massula Moun- 

 tains, is also called the Pushti-Kuh. The plaiu of Tarom (which is only 

 about 500 feet high above the Caspian) produces excellent cotton and 

 abundance of fruits. At its eastern extremity the Sefid-Rud receives 

 the Shah-Rud, and the river then flows through the Rudbar Pass, 

 between the Elburz and the Massula Mountains, into the plain of Ghilan, 

 and enters the Caspian Sea a little east of 50 E. long, and about 30 

 miles E. from the town of Rcsht. The Massula Mountains, which run 

 north-north-west from the Rudbar Pass and nearly parallel to the 

 Caspian, are from 6000 to 7000 feet high above the sea, and about 

 2000 feet above the table-land. To the west of it, along the right brink 

 of the Sefid-Rud, at a distance of from 6 to 30 miles, is another higher 

 range, one of the passes in which, called Ak-Oeduk, is about SOOO feet 

 above the level of the sea. This high range bounds the table-land of 

 Media in the north. It is covered with snow for many months in the 

 year. 



The narrow tract of level ground which surrounds the southern 

 extremity of the Caspian Sea, and goes under the name of the Plain 

 of Ghilan and Mazanderan, extends from the mouth of the river 

 Gourgan, which fulls into the most south-eastern angle of the sea, to 

 the mouth of the rivar Astarah. This tract considerably exceeds 

 300 mile* in length ; the width varies from 5 to 30 miles ; the level is 

 very little above that of the Caspian Sea. In climate and productions 

 this region bears an extraordinary resemblance to intertropical coun- 

 tries. The swampy tracts along the shores of the Caspian Sea are 

 overgrown with saline plants and canes. In the interior are extensive 

 forests, mulberry plantations, rice-fields, vineyards, orchards, orange- 

 ries, and sugar and cotton plantations. 



The western portion of the plain of Ghilan separates the Caspian 

 Sea from the table-land of Azerbijan, which constitute* the most 

 northern portion of the great table Und of Iran, and lie* between 36 

 and 40 N. lat, 44* and 49* E. long. The general elevation of this 

 tabU-Und is 4500 feet above the sea-level. The table-land is bounded 

 oa the west by the numerous ranges of the Kurdistan Mountains, 

 and by the Massula Mountains on the east; it is also diversified 

 with numerous cross range*, one of which runs nearly eastward 

 from the Seln-nd Mountains to the north of the great bend of the 

 Sefid-Kud Mow Miana, along the edge of the basins of Lake Urumiyeh, 

 the Sefid-Rud, and the Aras. To the north of this range the Aji Bows 

 westward from Mount Sevilan, a lofty summit 12,000 feet high, to the 

 lake, crossing the plain of Tabriz a little to the north of that city. 

 Mount Sevilan, which is the culminating point of a more northerly 

 nnge, is also the source of the Derahi, or Kara-Su, which flows past 

 Ardebil and thence northward to join the Araxes. 



The surface of the table-land is in parts hilly, but generally the 

 hills do not rise into mountains; between 36* 30' and 37 30' V. lat, 

 several high ranges occur, as the mountains of Kibleh and the Kafilan- 

 Kob, before mentioned, which perhaps rise to 2000 feet above their 

 base. The levels between these ranges are not in general extensive 

 mf^ngk to be called plains, though in some parts they are several miles 

 wide. But farther north there are several extensive plain*, among 

 which that surrounding the Lake of Urnmiyeh u by far the largest. 

 Though in several places traversed by narrow and low range* of hill", 

 which terminate at a small distance from the shore* of the lake, the 

 plain extends in general from 20 to 30 mile* from it, and at Tabriz 

 even 60 mile*. From the hills and mountains which inclose the basin 

 of the lake great numbers of perennial streams descend, and are 

 much used for irrigation. The rice-fields are extensive, and produce 

 rich crop*. The meadow* are also large, and horses, buffaloes, 

 cows, and sheep are abundant on the pasture-ground*. Orchards, 

 which are large and very numerous in this plain, yield abundance of 

 peaches, nectarine*, apricots, plum* of all sort*, cherries, )>carf, apples, 

 and grape*. There are also plantations of poplar and cbinar, but the 

 mountain* and hills are generally devoid of wood. In the other 

 plain*, which are much less in extent, and have not the advantage of 

 abundant water, the cultivation is limited, and they are chiefly used 

 a* pasture-ground* by the nomadic tribe*. The climate of this table- 

 land ia cold in winter, but very temperate in summer. During several 

 of the winter month* it U covered with snow, and the cold is some- 

 time* very intense, except on the plain around Lake Urumiyeh. The 

 royal family of Persia abandon the town of Teheran in summer, and 

 retire to Sultaniyeh, in the southern districts of the table-land. 



The monntaius of Kurdistan occupy a broad belt of country along 

 the western edge of toe table-land of Iran. Mount Ararat may be 

 onaidered a* standing at the northern extremity of the mountains of 

 Kurdistan. [ARARAT.] From it* southern baae mountains branch off 

 to the south and south-west, which inclose the Lake of Van ; and the 

 mountain region then extends southward, with a width varying from 

 70 to } 80 miles, till its termination in the mountains of Farautan, 

 about 30* N. lat The northern portion of this extensive mountain 

 region i* nominally subject to the Turkish emperor ; but the nomadic 



tribes which inhabit it are nearly independent under their hereditary 

 chiefs. The mountain system consists of several parallel ridges, between 

 which are many narrow deep valleys, and a few plains fitted for 

 pasturage. The declivities are wooded with oak, which, near the 

 base of the mountains, grows to a large tree, but higher up is stunted. 



The ridges, frequently four, five, or even six in number, run in the 

 direction of the whole range, and are frequently united by transverse 

 ridges. But there are also some valleys in the southern part of the 

 system which run across the ranges, as is evident from the courses of 

 the rivers ; for nearly all those rivers which join the Tigris south of 

 30 N. lat., and traverse this mountain region, do not rise within the 

 range, but to the east of it, ou the plains of the table-land of Iran, such 

 as the Great Zab, the Diyalah, and the Kerkhah. Several summits 

 and ridges attain a great elevation, being for nine or ten mouths 

 covered with snow; two summits of the Kurdistan Mountains rise 

 above the snow-line : one on the most western ridge called Kebir-Koh, 

 near 33 15' N. lat, and the other in the ridge, called Koh-Mungasht, 

 near 31 25' N. lat 



That part of the great plain traversed by the Euphrates and Tigris, 

 which belongs to Persia, lies between the mountains of Kurdistan, 

 and the banks of the Tigris and Shat-el-Arab. It is about 100 miles 

 long, and, on the average, 30 miles wide. The lower portion of it, 

 which lies along the great river, and comprehends nearly one-half of 

 the country, is swampy and uninhabited. About fifteen miles from 

 the banks of the river, the country is considerably higher, but as the 

 soil U composed partly of sand aud partly of a hard clay, it cannot be 

 cultivated, except along the banks of the rivers, and even there culti- 

 vation is very limited. The greater part of the country is a waste, 

 which does not yield pasture, except for camels. This more elevated 

 tract is called Chad, or Kaabuu. 



The country which lies east of the Kurdistan Mountains, and between 

 them and the Kuweer, or Salt Desert, belongs to the table-laud of Iran. 

 Its general elevation above the sea in the southern districts exceeds 

 4000 feet, and rises in some parts to 6000 feet ; but north of Ispahan 

 it sinks down to 2500 feet, and in some places even lower. It is a 

 plain traversed by numerous ridges of rocky hills, which generally 

 run from west to east, and sink gradually into the desert farther east. 

 Few of these hills are more than 1000 feet above their base, and gene- 

 rally not half so much. The valleys are open aud wide, in some parts 

 exceeding ten or fifteen miles in width ; they are also very long. Here 

 too, as in most places on the table-land of Iran, cultivation is limited 

 for want of water. As the eastern ridge of the Kurdistan Mountains 

 does not rise high enough to be covered with snow fur many mouths, 

 the rivers which descend from them are scarcely provided with water 

 during a great part of the year ; and the little that they furnish is 

 absorbed in irrigation. The valleys are consequently, for the most 

 part, uncultivated, except in the vicinity of the villages. 



The mountain region of Farsistan and Kerman occupies the whole 

 of Persia south of 30 N. lat, from the mouth of the river Tub to 

 Cape Jask (from 50 to 53 K long.), a distance of nearly 500 miles in 

 length, and nearly 200 miles in average width. On the south it is 

 washed by the Persian Gulf, and on the north- it borders on the desert 

 of Kerman. Along the shores of the gulf is a low aud sandy tract, 

 varying in width from 20 to 30 miles, the soil of which in impregnated 

 with salt, and produces little else than dates. This district, which 

 has a very warm climate, is called Dushtistan or Guruisir, that is, 

 'warm region.' At the back of this low tract the country rises in 

 ste.-p and bare rocks to the hei.-ht of mountains, and constitutes an 

 elevated region which extends more than 100 miles inland, where it 

 stretche* out in a plain traversed by low rocky ridges running east 

 and west About 50 miles from the sea, the lowest part of the moun- 

 tainous tract is about 2500 fuet above the sea-level, but where it 

 approaches the plain it attains the height of 4000 feet. This moun- 

 tainous region is called Sirhud (the cold country), in opposition to 

 Qurmsir. In it* northern districts, where it is connected with the 

 mountains of Kurdistan, the rocky ridges, which traverse the surface 

 longitudinally from west to east, rise to 7000 or 8000 feet, aud in 

 these parts they are partially wooded. But south of 29 N. lat. they 

 do not appear to attain so great an elevation, rising probably only 

 from 1000 to 2000 feet above their base, which in many places cannot 

 attain a great elevation above the sea, as the valleys inclosed by the 

 ridges produce the date. The ridges, though generally of inconsi- 

 derable width, are numerous, and the valleys are narrow, except 

 towards the north, where they are from 15 to 20 miles across. The 

 mountains are barren and destitute of vegetation, but the valleys are 

 rich in fruits, and even grain, where they can be irrigated. The 

 plain which extends along the northern side of the mountain region, 

 and which is from 60 to 100 miles in width, has a soil strongly im- 

 pregnated with salt, and contains several smaller salt lakes, besides 

 the great salt lake of Bakhtegan. It would form a portion of the 

 Great Desert, if it were not divided from it by a series of oases, which 

 stretch east and west through it, between 29 and 30 N. lat, and 

 which are inclosed on the north and south by two low ridge* of 

 rocky hills. This narrow fertile tract, called the Nurmanshtr, produces 

 some grain, but it is particularly rich in several kinds of fruit, which 

 attain great perfection. 



The central desert of Persia, included between these several moun- 

 tain ranges, extends from 40 to 350 miles in width from north to 



