44 ASIA 



interior chain of Kerman and Yezd, attaining an eleva- 

 tion of over 4,500 feet; and the plains of Khorassan, 

 Kuhistan, Registan, and northern Baluchistan which lie 

 to the north and east. The valley stretches in a south- 

 east to north-west direction and penetrates into the mour- 

 tains of Armenia. It is very cold at night, and sometimes 

 covered with snow in winter. In the centre, broad sur- 

 faces are thinly dotted with tufts of dry. short grass, 

 and with stunted, leafless thorn- bushes. In places the 

 growth of dwarf herbs becomes almost continuous and 

 forms a meagre steppe. During the rainy spells, how- 

 ever, the" landscape is strangely enlivened by a carpet of 

 low herbs with gorgeous flowers which burst forth from 

 the barren soil as though by magic. This ephemeral 

 flora of annuals is quite European in its composition and 

 appearance. 



The influence of the mountain streams does not extend 

 far in the plains. These streams are absorbed by the 

 sands and evaporated at no great distance from the foot- 

 hills; but before losing themselves, they create a fertile 

 belt of terraces, alluvial fans, flats and marshes where 

 life is concentrated. In consequence, towns are always 

 found in the vicinity of the mountains. In past ages 

 the natives developed great skill in the search for water 

 and the appropriation of the ground moisture, and the 

 necessity of walling in the gardens against the winds 

 was early recognized. Orchards have been planted with 

 most of our European fruit and other deciduous trees : 

 such as the walnut, apricot, peach and almond, plane, 

 Euphrates poplar, &c. The gardens are renowned for 

 the incomparable beauty of their roses, but the tops 

 of the trees above the sheltering walls are soon killed 

 by the dry winds. Such vegetation is also represented 

 in the vallevs of, and in the belt around, the mountains 



