CHAP. XV 
TABRIZ. 
APPROACH TO TABRIZ--ENTRANCE-HEALTHINESS OF THE 
SITUATION-GARDENS-MARBLE OF TABRIZ-DESCRIPTION OF 
the city—Character of the prince—anecdotes—Per¬ 
sian HORSEMANSHIP-MILITARY QUALITIES-FORCE OF THE 
PROVINCE-THE FIRST MINISTER-GOVERNMENT AND SUCCESS 
OF THE PRINCE-PROJECTS OF IMPROVEMENT-SHIPS—REVE¬ 
NUE OF THE PROVINCE—POPULATION OF TABRIZ-ENTERTAIN¬ 
MENT-PERSIAN CONVERSATION-MANORS-ACCOUNT OF MA- 
ZANDERAN-FAUCES HYRCANI2E?-VESSELS OF THE CASPIAN- 
GHILAN-THE GOUDARS-TURCOMANS; INROADS; CONDUCT 
TO THEIR PRISONERS-KAMCHAUKS. 
The road across the plain towards Tabriz is very fine; and on each 
side of it we saw numerous ploughs. Four oxen were employed to 
each; for the soil is here hard, and turned with more difficulty. The 
implement itself, however, appeared more ponderous than any that we 
had seen before. About three miles from Tabriz the road is intersected 
by hills of a sandy and stony soil. Here we were met by an officer 
N N 2 
