SHIKAZ TO BUSHIKE. 61 



mules looked down in their cautious way, and went 

 on carefully picking their steps. Not a bush, or a 

 shrub, or even a blade of grass was visible nothing 

 but these huge masses of naked rock met the eye. 

 There was not a vestige of a sound of animal life ; all 

 around was the dead silence of the grave. It was a 

 place that Alastor or the Spirit of Solitude might 

 have found especial delight in ; but I, for one, was 

 glad to emerge from the gloomy pass, and to enter 

 the little valley of Ivoomaridge. For about four 

 miles we rode through fields where the villagers were 

 all busy with the harvest, though the greater part of 

 the crops, we observed, was in. At a distance that 

 we reckoned at nineteen miles, we arrived at Koom- 

 aridge, a small village, the houses in Avhich were all 

 built of stone. There was no place for us to put up 

 in save a stable ; and though this was swarming with 

 fleas and other vermin, we were glad to take refuge in it 

 from the already powerful scorching rays of the sun. 

 Every house we saw had its three or four bee-hives, 

 and the villagers brought us a quantity of fine clean- 

 looking honey. It was very sweet, though with but 

 little flavour. A happy thought of the Swede's set 

 us to work mixing it with the curds and whey, which 

 was usually the piece de resistance of our breakfast. 

 Milk in this shape is generally obtainable in the 

 smallest villages of Persia, and since we had left 

 Shiraz, it had been our principal subsistence. Tea 

 one drinks at all hours of the day and night, but 



