608 Journal of a Tour through [Nov. 



centre of the room, sung a wild air, which was neither pleasing nor 

 melodious. After this, two boys got up and danced ; placing them- 

 selves in a variety of extraordinary attitudes, which consisted princi- 

 pally of gesticulation. The old chief said, he considered dancing 

 both mean and ignoble, as it was practised by none except such as 

 make a trade of it for hire. But he must have spoken ironically ; 

 since the moment they were done, one of the boys presented me 

 with a chibouque, and was very officious, which intimated, that a 

 recompense was expected for the evening's amusement. 



April 7th. — After taking a hasty meal, and smoking a chibouque 

 with the chief of the village, we continued our way south-easterly, 

 through a glen, where it was refreshing to observe the quantity of 

 cultivation that appeared on every side. On entering a larger valley, 

 a great extent of meadow land was observed, as well as several 

 hamlets.* Here also, for the first time, did we remark wood in any 

 considerable quantity upon the hills on our right, which were a 

 ramification of the great Zagros range. The trees were bare of 

 leaves, which made it difficult to determine their species. We now 

 entered a thick jungle, intermixed with rocks, and matted over by 

 creepers. This spot I can never forget, for we were amid an endless 

 variety of forest scenery. The masses of shade thrown down from 

 the naked and fantastic crags that burst abruptly forth, the luxuriant 

 fertility of the mountains, seen thiough the transparent clouds that 

 floated along below their forest-crested summit, the awful stillness, 

 and the immensity of individual objects, were pregnant with delight 

 and amazement. I have often gazed amid these wilds, while beauty 

 after beauty bore in upon my eye and mind, till I have turned away 

 with a painful fulness at heart ; and if my delight were more than 

 was fit for the frame that felt it, I sometimes really thought there 

 must have been some deleterious power in the air breathed in these 

 scenes, until 1 remembered their palpable and irrefutable beauty. 

 I looked upon the present prospect as if I knew I should never see 

 it again. The snow-capped mountains were towering before us, the 

 sea of forests spreading around ; far below, a beautiful stream rippled 

 in the sun, and sent up the music of its plash ! The small Muhamme- 

 dan sepulchre, overshadowed by the tamarisk, crested the banks on 

 the opposite shore, whence streams spread through the bright green 

 land they fertilized, to where a bulwark of hills rose to the clouds 

 bevond the white summits of Mount Zagros. 



To clear us from this wooded bower, we hired a shepherd, who 

 appeared to have returned from the plain we had crossed in the 

 morning. The man performed his task faithfully, being allowed no 



