92 
BUSHIRE TO SHIRAZ. 
the city, to each of which there are one or more wells. These wc 
supposed to be ruins of separate houses. The people of Kauzeroon 
relate that there are immense subterraneous passages at Shapour , and 
connect the most extraordinary stories with them. Certainly one of 
the least extraordinary is, that a horse and mare were lost in them, and 
some time after re-appeared with a foal. Our informer added that one 
of his own acquaintance was sent into these passages, and had ad¬ 
vanced some way when he perceived a gigantic figure, which to his 
fears appeared approaching towards him. He recovered himself how¬ 
ever so far as to venture up to it, when, instead of a living monster, he 
found a sculptured figure, the same as those on the exterior of the rock. 
As a measure of the extent of these labyrinths, they say, that it would 
require twenty maims of oil, (a maun is seven pounds and a quarter) to 
light any one through all their intricacies. 
The plants that we noticed near the river, on the site of the city, and 
about the surrounding plain, were the palma christi, rodo-dendron , the 
willow, wild fig, a plant which the Persians call shauk-a-booz, and caveer , 
reeds, and benak or spice plant. The plain towards Shapour is much 
more cultivated than towards Kauzeroon , and is intersected by a variety 
of small artificial channels, which receive their supplies from the river. 
The river itself is a stream of very fine water, but after having run 
for about eighteen miles, it meets with a bed of salt among the moun¬ 
tains, which renders its waters in its farther progress towards the sea 
v[uite salt. 
After having enjoyed the pleasure of exploring these remains, we re¬ 
turned to Kauzeroon. This town covers a large extent of country, but 
its walls and skirts are almost all in ruins. There is one green spot 
near it, a garden planted chiefly with cypress and orange trees, and 
belonging to the Governor. We walked there in the evening: at the 
entrance is a pleasure house, from which the principal avenue and 
garden are seen. We drank coffee in an upper room, neatly matted 
and stuccoed, with painted glass windows; and after having so long 
roamed over barren mountains and desert plains, were much pleased to 
