576 
GYPSOUS CHAIN OF HILLS NEAR KIFRL 
rains hav6 made deep cuts or furrows. In 
one of these furrows a small vault had been 
discovered ; it was of coarse -baked brick, and 
contained many sepulchral urns, in some 
of which gold coins were found. In digging, 
small pieces of human bones were discover- 
ed, and fragments of arms, all of which 
had a black varnish on the inside ; but the 
pottery was of different quality, some 
coarse and unornamented ; others of a 
finer kind ; and the finest, with figures of 
deer or cows in small circular compart- 
ments. 
“ I had given orders to bring me any coins 
or other antiques that might be procurable 
among the peasants here. To day Reuben 
brought me, from his Israelitish friends, three 
coins and a small intaglio : but so far from 
throwing light upon the age of the neighbour- 
ing ruins, they are as if purposely designed to 
obscure and to confuse one : one being Arsa 
cian ; another, Sassanian ; the third, Coufic ; 
and the intaglio, a Roman victory.” 
The following is a curious instance of 
Turkish tyranny. At a place called Oniki 
Imam, about fourteen miles from Kifri, in 
the gypsous chain of hills, there are naphtha 
springs. 
“ One small spring was discovered a year 
ago in the same hills, a few minutes west of 
Kifri. The peasant who discovered it was 
seized by the Turkish government, and se- 
verely bastinadoed, to make him confess if he 
had sold any of the naphtha before the disco- 
very became public. In consequence of the 
persecution which he suffered on account of 
this unlucky discovery, he was obliged to 
emigrate with his family into Persia, where 
he says he is very comfortable. He happened 
to be here on business, and told me the story 
himself. “ God,” said he. “ did not allow 
the Turks to profit by their tyranny ; for the 
spring, which was a very copious one when 
I discovered it, became dry when 1 was bas- 
tinadoed, and now only yields a few drops of 
no consequence.” 
We observe that the Eastern form of flat- 
tery exists equally among the people we are 
now describing as in all parts of Bengal and 
Hindustan. 
** We passed through much cultivation, 
principally of barley ; some portion of which 
was already ripe, and they were cutting it. 
The reapers brought us some sheaves, which 
they threw into the road before my horse, ex- 
claiming, “May your enemies be thus !” and 
they expected a few paras in return. In the 
East, everything is seized upon as an occasion 
for extracting a bakshish or present-” 
Our travellers reach Toozkhoormattee, 
which is situated close to the gypsous hills of 
Kifri. On this pass is a well of naphtha and 
salt ; and further south in the hills, is another 
spring of naphta, but no salt. Mr. Rich 
reaches the Beiats, and proceeds to view the 
curiosities of the neighbourhood, the account 
of which will be better described in the lan- 
guage of the author himself. 
“ I sallied forth this morning to view the 
curiosities of the neighbourhood- The naphtha- 
pit is in the pass of the hills about a mile S.E, 
of the town ; and, being in the bed of the toiv , 
rent, is sometimes overflowed by it, and, for a 
time, spoilt, which was the case during the heats 
last summer. The pit is about fifteen feet deep, 
and, tothe height of ten feet, filled with water; 
on the surface of which the black oil of 
naphtha floats, small air-bubbles continu- 
ally rising to the surface. They skim 
off the naphtha, and ladle out the water 
into a channel, which distributes it into a set 
of oblong, shallow compartments made in the j 
gravel, where they allow it to crystallize, 
when it bcomes very good salt, of a fine, 
white, brilliant grain, without any intermix- | 
ture of bitterne-s Great quantities of this 
are exported into Koordistan ; and it is worth i 
annually about 20,000 piastres, which is * 
distributed among the different members of j 
the family of the late Defterdar*. The oil i 
of naphtha is the property of the village. 
Part of it is consumed by the Menzil Kha- j 
neh +, or sold for its support, and part for i 
religious establishments, &c. About two j 
jars, each containing six okasj, or one Bag- 
dad batman, of naphtha may be skimmed j 
from this well in twenty-four hours. The 
spring is at the bottom of the pit or well ; 
and once a year they cleanse the well, on i 
which occasion the vrhole village turns out ; 
victuals are distributed to all the poor, and 
sacrifices of sheep are made, to the sound of 
drums and oboes, in order to insure the good 
flowing of the spring again — a ceremony, in j 
all probability, derived from remote antiquity. i 
The principal naphtha-springs are in the bills, | 
a considerable distance south of this, towards j 
Kifri, 1'hey are five or six in number, and ! 
are much more productive than this pit, but , 
no salt is found there. Indeed, it is probable ' 
that naphtha may be found in almost any ' 
part of this chain. Near the naptha-pit in i 
the hills are alum (zak or sheb) and chalk | 
('^fceheshin), of a very fine, close, white grain ; i 
but the natives make no use of these produc- j 
tions. An earth is found, which they employ 
to give an acid flavour to some of their dishes ; 
no doubt it is vitriolic. Sulphur is also j 
found, and is used by the peasants to cure 
the itch in their cattle and themselves. 
• The treasurer of the Porte, father of 
Omar Bey. 
t Post-house. 
I A.n oka contains about two and a half 
lith pints. 
