264 
TEHERAN TO TABRIZ. 
M. J ouannin and his companion indeed, by all the accounts which 
I received in following the line of their route, had no greater reason to 
be satisfied with their accommodations on the road, than with the mode 
of their leaving Teheran. We were told at Sultanieh , that no one there 
would furnish them with mules to transport their baggage, and thej 
were obliged to be content with asses. 
The night was so cold at Armaghankh that we had a fire, and our 
people wore their sheep-skins. Armaghankh indeed, and our next 
stage, Auk-kend , are very high. 
17th. We quitted Armaghaneh at four o’clock (an hour before sun¬ 
rise, and enjoyed the freshness, not to say cold) of the twilight, and the 
beauty of the breaking morning. We were seven hours on the road 
to Auk-kend , which I shall reckon a distance of twenty-eight miles, on 
a general bearing of N. 15 W. Our road was over a succession of 
hills, the vallies of which were mostly cultivated. The whole surface 
indeed was generally green, and displayed an appearance of more 
prosperity than any part which we had seen on the other side of Teheran . 
The soil, though in many places broken by rocks and slate, was fine, 
and watered by many small streams. At about twelve miles from 
Armaghaneh on the left of the road, is the village of Dasht-Bolagh , 
situa ted nearly betw een two conical hills ; on the tops of which are col¬ 
lections of rocks, appearing at a distance like the ruins of towers. 
After this we reached an eminence, from which an immense range of 
high mountains covered with snow, extended itself before us. The 
highest peaks bore on a general line of North; and, from all that I 
could learn, are not far distant from Resht. The general chain ap¬ 
proaches the shores of the Caspian ; but on all geographical subjects it 
is difficult to trust the class of persons, from whom alone on the spot 
the information can be obtained. They very generally exaggerate, 
and are at any rate very ignorant. 
The whole region (between these mountains and those to the S. 
and W. indeed on every side) is undulatory, without a single clump of 
trees to enliven the sameness of the prospect; if therefore I had seen 
