SHIRAZ TO BUSHIRE. 45 



across a stony plain, and led us, just as day was 

 breaking, to a ruined caravanserai called Kinaradgah. 

 Around this the hills closed in abruptly. Below was 

 a brawling mountain-torrent, which we crossed by a 

 ruined bridge. There was no sound or appearance 

 of human or animal life, and the bare hills around 

 and the ruins formed a dreary and desolate scene. 

 Through the dim light of the morning we took our 

 last view, of the valley of Shiraz, and then com- 

 menced a long tiresome ascent. It took us about 

 two hours to get to the top of this, and then we 

 found ourselves overlooking a hilly broken country, 

 well covered in the hollows with bush and shrub, 

 principally the thorny mimosa. At a distance of 

 about twenty-two miles we approached a fine stream 

 of water with a broad jungly bed. This, we were 

 told, was the Karahautch river. The road kept along 

 the left bank of it till we arrived at Khanazeneeoon. 

 The village consisted of about a dozen rude, miserable 

 hovels ; the caravanserai we found completely in 

 ruins. Provisions were scarce ; but the gholaum's 

 threats and the Pardoner's Tcrans a silver piece 

 worth about lOd. made some bread and some 

 bruised barley -straw to appear. There were some 

 patches of cultivation near the village ; and judging 

 from the backwardness of the crops and the crispness 

 and chilliness of the morning air, I should say this 

 place was at least one thousand feet higher than 

 Shiraz. There was no great heat in the middle of 



