1844.] Itinerary from Yezd to Herat. 837 



full of very minute holes, which took so much from their value ; further 

 to the East on the same range is a lead mine, which Prince Kamran 

 works on his own account. The mountains which extend to the North 

 are said to be wooded, and among many kinds of trees, is to be found 

 the pistachio and other fruit trees in a wild state. The druggists also 

 gather many herbs from these hills, and the dyers also find seeds and 

 roots which they use with advantage in dyeing their clothes, and in which 

 they excel us Europeans. The valley of Herat is of a fertility seldom 

 to be met with in Asia. In approaching it, the richness of its enclosures 

 and the number of villages, gladden the traveller's sight after the fati- 

 guing journey he has to make over barren deserts to reach it. It 

 must be about four pharsacs in breadth from N. to S., and about thirty 

 from E. to W. The inhabitants are calculated to possess twelve thousand 

 pair of bullocks for agricultural purposes ; the fruits are in great num- 

 bers and excellent, they reckon as high as thirty-two kinds of grapes, 

 of which the best are the Kaye Goramun and the Resil Baba. I observed 

 that the vine was cultivated in a manner peculiar to this place. The 

 country is everywhere intersected by canals fed by the Heri river, 

 which almost leave the latter dry. The principal one is called the 

 Eedzil canal, which passing by the royal garden, fills the ditch of the 

 fort. The Heri river has its source in the hills to the E., its course is to 

 the W., and loses itself in the desert which stretches to the N. of Khoras- 

 san ; it is therefore a mistake in some geographers making it discharge 

 itself in the Zeri lake. It is crossed by a bridge called the Poolmalan to 

 go to Candahar ; on the Mushed road it is crossed several times. 



The city of Herat from the time of Nadir Shah has always been an 

 " apple of discord" between the Persians and the Affghans, who have 

 disputed each other's right to it by sanguinary wars, the latter having 

 almost always the advantage. In 1818, the Persians wishing to take 

 advantage of the troubles which then existed in Affganistan, did their 

 utmost to reconquer it ; in consequence a battle took place at Kafir Kala, 

 where the Persians, although victorious, were obliged to give up the at- 

 tempt. Since that time it has remained with the Affghans, who have not 

 been molested, from the frequent insurrections in Khorassan keeping the 

 Persian troops in check. Soon after this, the Barukzyes having de- 

 throned Mahomed Shah, this city only and its dependencies remained 

 the property of this unfortunate king, who had again the weakness to 



