124 
SHIRAZ TO PERSEPOLIS. 
tative verses of one or two poor Mollahs, and had trampled over two 
or three bottles of sugar-candy, we arrived at our encampment at 
Zergoon. 
Zergoon, when first seen, looks a respectable place: a mud wall sur¬ 
rounds it; but, as it was broken down in many places, it was not diffi¬ 
cult to observe that the greater part of the houses within were mere 
shells, and their inhabitants proportionably wretched. It is situated 
close at the foot of a range of mountains at the southern extremity of 
a small plain, which is of the finest soil, and towards the town not ill 
cultivated. We calculated our march to have been thirteen miles from 
our tents at the Bagh-a-Vakeel at Shiraz, and on an average our route 
lay North-East. 
The night was interrupted by the disputes of the mule-drivers and 
the bustle of feroshes. We quitted Zergoon at nine o'clock, and, at 
the distance of about two miles, entered into the plain of the same 
name (confounded with that of Merciasht) of a most delightful soil and 
partially cultivated, which extends near fifteen miles East and West. 
We proceeded three miles further, and crossing the river Bend-emir , 
entered the real plain of Merdaslit . The bridge is thrown over the 
river immediately behind a projecting foot of the mountains; it is 
called the Pool Khan, and has (besides two lesser arches, which in this 
season were unoccupied by water) two principal arches, and another of 
a second size, through which three the river runs. The Bend-emir is 
the ancient Araoces , and runs in a general direction from North to 
South: where we crossed it indeed, it was flowing from N. N. E. to S.W. 
It does not fall into the sea at Cape Jasques, (now at least, as has been 
said) though it still enters Kerman. I am told that it goes to Corbal, 
ten fur snngs from Persepolis, a large place in the province of Kerman, 
where its waters are received and kept up by a very considerable dam 
called the Bund Emir, i. e. the Bund Emir Timoor, or the dam of 
Tamerlane* There are several Bunds at Corbal, and in the neigh- 
* The Bend-emir or Araxes is said to fall into the large lake of Baktegian, near 
Darabgherd. R» 
