^36 CUSTOMS OF THE PERSIANS AND TURKS, 
Regarding the culture of the sugar- 
cane, in addition to the opinion given by 
Fitzmaurice, we shall in our next advert to 
that alForded by Porter. 
Art. III. — Narrative of a Residence in 
Koordistan, and on the site of Ancient 
Nineveh: ivith Journal of a, Voyage 
down the Tigris to Bagdad, and an Ac- 
count of a Visit to Shirauz and Perse- 
polis. By the late Cl.\udiu3 James 
Rich, Esq., the Hon. East India 
Company's Resident at Bagdad, Author 
of “ an Account of Ancient Babylon." 
2 Voh. Octavo. James Duncan, 
Paternoster-Row, London, 1836. 
(Continued from page 577.J 
Our author states that the population of 
Toozkhoormattee is estimated at about 5000 
souls. Towards the latter end of April, the 
thermometer stood at 6 a. m. at 64*^, at 
noon 70«>, and at 3 p. m. 66° ; wind south 
east, blowing hard. Our travellers quit 
Toozkhoormattee in May. We find nothing 
worthy of notice until our author alludes to 
the Kifri hills. 
“ The easternmost branch of the Kifri hills 
(which is, ill fact, the main trunk or artery) 
passes by Kei kook, and Altoon Kinpii, thence 
runs off l elow Arbil to the iigiis, and is 
there called the Karaichukdagh. 'I his east- 
ern branch contains gypsum and naphtha. 
The VVestein, or Metara hills, are pure sand- 
stone and giavel, and resemble in every res- 
pect the Hamreen chain most completely, 
'i'hey offer many circumstances worthy of 
note. On entering them in the pass ot 
Jumeila, we lode through a ridge or two 
of perfectly vertical strata, looking as if they 
had been forced up into their present position. 
These are succeeded by some perfectly hori- 
zontal strata, also of pure bare sandstone, 
large blocks of which have tumbled out, and 
are strewed about; the rest look of a 
crumbling texture , and indeed the whole 
range bears strongly the appearance of a 
mountain in ruins. We next came to 
inclined strata, and, what is curious, the 
inclination of it is exactly as at the Hamreen. 
These bills slope to the east, at an angle of 
60? from the vertical, or 30 below the hori- 
zontal. All the strata, throughout the chain, 
are exactly paiallel, and have precisely the 
same direction, as if they had been drawn 
with a line N. 45 W. The ascent is very 
gentle, in an easterly direction ; but winding 
in the narrow clefts worn by the rain in the 
sandstone. 
We reached ai twenty ininules before eight 
a dismal plaleau, or wide extent of gravelly 
ruins, in heaps, and wild-looking furrowc. 
Our load through it was N 50 1'.. At eight 
we came to oilier ndves of incdined strata, 
answering the former description ; but more 
and more covered with gravelly soil as we 
advanced. Here ami liiere were patches of 
bailey. We met a small Koordisli caravan, 
laden with myrtle (mord), packed in bags ; it 
gave out a delicious fragrance. It is used, I 
believe, in the dyeries. 
The soil and gravel now predominated, as in 
the east (ace of the Hamreen ; ami at a quarter 
before nine we readied a spot, overlooking 
tile plain of Leilatj, where the hills slope 
gradually and gently down.’’ 
Capt. Rich relates a custom prevailing 
among the Persians and Turks which belong 
to the people of this country, that is, of the 
villagers keeping their grain in pits or wells 
near the village, which, when covered over 
and levelled with the soil, cannot always be 
discovered, even by the native armies, with- 
out some one to show them the spot. The 
country between Leilan and Kerlook is a 
perfect plain, with several artificial mounts 
scattered all over it. Travelling along the 
Leilan stream, its course is marked by a suc- 
cession of hills, each of which has a small 
round tower of stone attached to it, which 
makes it look like a little fort. In one, a 
miller was crying out ‘Ver, Allah F Give, 
God ! — the constant practice when the mill 
is empty ; upon which those who have grain 
to grind bring it to the mill. Our travellers 
reach the mount of Tchemtchemal, from 
which Captain Rich surveys the country 
and gives the following description of the 
Koordish ranges of mountains. 
“ The line which we see immediately be- 
fore us, extending from N. to S. E. is a nar- 
row precipitous bare ridee, which is called 
the Bazian mountains. To tiie north of the 
pass of Deibenl i Bazian, which, as I have 
already remarked, is just before us, the 
mountains soon make a turn towards the 
west, where they form the mountains called 
Khalkhalan, which hound the Pashalik of 
Keuy iSanjak on the south. To the south of 
the pass of Derbent, the ridge is continued 
in a straight line south and a little east. 
Here is another pass called Derbent i Bas- 
terra ; beyond which the ridge, continuing in 
the same line, assumes the name of Karadagh, 
and becomes vvell wooded. Here is the third 
road intoKoordistan from the plains of Assyria. 
It is called Seghirmeh, or ladder, and, passing 
directly over the crest of the mountain, has 
been esteemed difficult, if not impossible, for 
an army. 
