TEHERAN TO TABRIZ. 
271 
On the 20th, we went to Tekm6-dash, twenty-one miles, on a bearing 
of N. 40 W. over the same sort of country as that which we had 
crossed on the preceding day; but the ground was much saturated 
by the late rain, and, as the soil was soft, our road was rendered very 
disagreeable. At about six miles from Turkomen Cheyee we came to 
a valley richly cultivated; and about two miles on the right, was the 
village of Uzumchee. We saw some other villages, situated at a 
distance from the road, on the heights of the mountain. We passed 
two ruined caravanserais. The last was about three miles from 
Tekmfcdash; and, by an inscription on the gate, was built by a servant 
of Shah Abbas. Not a tree appears over all the country, but 
there is generally much cultivation. A little after sunrise we saw 
some high mountains bearing about N. W. Soon after our arrival a 
smiling lad came in with a paper in his hand, and presented it to the 
Mirza. It was a petition from himself and his school fellows, to beg 
a holiday for them from their master; an address which they never 
fail to make to any man of consequence, who may happen to pass 
through their village. The children here are taught Persian in the 
schools; the Turkish being the native tongue of the country. There 
was a very strong wind from the West, which, as the people told us, 
had blown for five or six days ; and, though it fell as the sun went 
down, the cold during the night was very severe. 
21st. The six hours and a half which we spent on the road 
to Saidabad to-day, were very pleasant, as we had covered weather 
with a fine fresh breeze from the W. We went twenty-five 
miles in the direction of N. 40 W. on a good road, which had 
been hardened by the late wind. At about five miles from 
Tekme-dash , on the left, is the village of Bini Kieu; and a little 
further, (on a rising ground through which the road passes,) are a col¬ 
lection of large stones, apparently the remains of a building, with a 
few large oblong blocks curiously carved, which certainly belonged to it. 
They resembled, indeed, rather the tomb-stones which I had remarked 
