2 c; 2 The P e R s i a n Travels Book V. 



The 2.0th of MaYcb, by ten in the morning, I came to an Inn which was calfd 

 Moufhekif which is a-lonc-Houfeat the foot of a Rock, there is a Spring about 

 five hunder'd paces from it, but the water is hot, and has a fulphury tait 5 fo that 

 rheCattel will hardly drink it. Therefore you mult go to a Ciitern about two 

 Mufquet-fhot from the Inn, where there is one newly let up, inftead of another 

 that was there before, into which a Jew once chane'd to fall in, and was therefore 

 broken by the fiiperititious Mahometans. 



Three quarters of a league from Mottfhetz. are two roads that lead to Lor. the 

 one for the Camels, the other for the Horfes and Mules. The ririt is the loac;- 

 eif by three days journey, and is calfd the Road of the Defert } for after you 

 have part a great Town inhabited only by CameT-Mairers, where you lye the firft 

 night, between that and Lar 3 you fhall meet with nothing of Houlcs but only 

 Herdfmens Tents, that feed fbmetimes in one place, fbmetimes in another. Upon 

 the Camels Road there are another fort of Fowl like the great Partridges in their 

 bodies, but their legs and feet reiemble thofe of wild Ducks. The Camels take 

 this Road, becaufe it is impoilible for them to pais the Mountain famn, over 

 which the Horfes and Mules are hardly able to travel. 



I let out from Mtmjbekxhe 21th of March, at two in the morning, and having 

 travell'd till eight through a plain, but ftony Countrey, I came to the little City of 

 farrat, which is rather to be caft'd a Forreft of Palm-trees that bear excellent 

 Dates. I lodgd in an Inn five hunder'd paces from the City., and liaid -here two 

 days. 



The 24?//, fetting out prefently after midnight, I travell'd a good hour, and then 

 I began to mount the fteep Mountain offarron, which is very high, and very lung ; 

 but the defcent is the moit dangerous that ever I faw in ail my Travelsjand beftdes 

 that, the Moon did not iTiir.e. Being at the top, after you have defcended three or 

 four hunder'd paces, you meet with a Bridg of one Arch, that reaches from one 

 Mountain to another ? a bold piece of Architecture, not enough to be admir'd 

 being rais'd at the charges of Iman-K<mli-Kan for the benefit ofTravellers. Be- 

 ing come to the bottom of this, you mufr pais two others as fteep in their Went 

 as in the defcent j upon the top of one of which Hands a Cittern, which, though 

 it be very large, is generally emptied by the end of the Summer. Upon thefe 

 Mountains there is fuch an infinite quantity -of Parrridg. that a man cannot mils 

 that will but moot. By eight in the Morning I came XQ an Inn which is calfd 

 Sbakal, which is a-lone Houle in a Defert Countrey, but ftor'd with bitter Almond- 

 trees, and Turpentine-trees. Approaching neer to the Inn, you meet with two 

 or three Cifterns, which are a great comfort to Travellers, water being very 

 fcarce upon this Road. There are at Sbakal nine or ten Radars for the Guard of 

 the Road, who are alio Matters of the Inn : So foon as you are alighted they ask 

 you if you will eat any Kid, being fure of their blow, and having no more to'do 

 but to go to the Mountain and fetch one, where they fwarm. There are ftore of 

 Partridges, which are almoft as big as Pullets j of which you may eafily kill as 

 many as you pleafe. 



The ifth I travell'd five hours, from morning till noon. An hour after I took 

 Horfe, I met with a Mountain, the defcent whereof was very fteep. They call it 

 the Mountain of Ebtjben* at the foot whereof is a Fountain of excellent water 

 A good league farther you meet with a fair Inn call'd Meuez.ere, in the midft of a 

 pleafant Grove, where there is an excellent Spring of water j but becaufe there 

 is no food to be had, you mult go as far as Detadombe, a Village feated in a plain 

 A quarter of a league on this fide, up6n the top of a Mountain, appears the ruins 

 of an old Caftle 3 the Village it (elf being furrounded with Palm-trees. The Ian 

 is a good one, provided with a very good Ciftern. 



The 2 S th I travell'd through a plain for three hours, and ftopt at Banarott a lit- 

 tle City well built, at the foot of a high Mountain 5 upon which appears the re- 

 mains of a large Caftle. Benarou is the Frontier Town of the Province of Pars 

 bordering upon the Province of Lar. ' 



The %6tk I departed an hour after midnight, and travell'd till nine in the morn- 

 ing, partly through the Plain, and partly through the Mountains, where I faw an 

 o d Tower for the guard of the Road. I itaid at Bihr h a little City feated upon a 

 plain, that borders upon a high Mountain. The Inn is new, and very magnifi- 

 cently 



