A RECENT EIDE TO HERAT. 127 



so far the Amir's orders against entering the city were 

 strict. However, there was a great deal to be seen, 

 and a great deal to be done, outside the city ; so we 

 congratulated ourselves on our success so far, and 

 girded up our loins for what was to be done outside. 

 ' Early next morning we were off to the hills on the 

 north and north-east, which command a very com- 

 plete view of Herat and the plains about it. The 

 walls and towers and gates of Herat stood up white 

 and distinct out of a green sea of trees and cultiva- 

 tion, which fills up the valley from side to side. 

 Only at the foot of the hills on each side a long 

 sweeping glacis curves down to a distance of one or 

 two miles, and leaves Herat in the somewhat unusual 

 position, for a fortress, of occupying the lowest level 

 in the valley. The river Hari Rud twists itself along 

 a channel (or many channels) about four miles south 

 of the city, and between the river and where we stood 

 could be traced the lines of innumerable other chan- 

 nels intersecting the fields and orchards for cultiva- 

 tion. Here and there the bee-hived tops of village 

 houses, close set, in long rows, peeped out from be- 

 tween the trees, but not nearly so many of them as 

 we had expected to see. In front of all stood up the 

 minarets of the Masalla, bent as if they too had had 

 to recognise the force of the fierce north-western 

 blasts with which Herat is assailed, like gigantic 

 sentinels, broken, but unsubdued. Amongst other 

 points of interest we visited the ziarat (or shrine) at 



