296 
TABRIZ TO ARZ-ROUM. 
verdure, on the right; Shinwar, on the left again; Kuzec-dunar, on the 
right, three fur sungs before we reached our stage at Tasouj ; and on 
the left, about two miles from the borders of the lake, Alibanglou , the 
first place in the Bolouk of Aeenzaub. In this line we stopt and fed 
our cattle and ourselves ; while a refreshing breeze from the Westward 
just curled up the waters of the lake, and waved the corn fields which 
extended themselves on all sides of us. 
Our bread and moss was shared bj a stranger who was going to 
Oroumi, a large town, distant thirt y farsungs from Tabriz; and situated, 
by the pointing of his hand, S. 50 W. from us, on the left or West side 
of the lake, which the road continues to skirt through its whole course. 
On the East of the lake is Saouk Bolag , the site of the ancient city of 
Slielierivan. The country, through which we passed in the day, was 
interesting and picturesque; in every turn of the view enriched by the 
lake and its surrounding capes and mountains. 
From all that I could learn in this region, (and I inquired of many 
who had travelled repeatedly over this part of Aderbigian ), there ap¬ 
peared to exist no other lake than this of Shahee. And I have as regu¬ 
larly made direct inquiries about the situation of the city of Van and its 
lake, without obtaining any thing like a satisfactory answer. On the con¬ 
trary, the very existence of such a place, and such a lake, was always 
denied ; I mention this, when the position of Van has been clearly 
ascertained, to shew how general was the ignorance of the people on 
every subject which was not immediately within their own circum¬ 
scribed district. Nor Avas I more successful in my inquiries on the 
real extent of the lake before them: every one said that it was very 
large, and that it reached further, than from its appearance Ave might 
suppose. 
At about five miles from Tasouj , there is a village on the left called 
Bahdar Khont , and then a station of Rahdars , or custom-house officers. 
As avc passed it, one of them, a man of a much more respectable ap¬ 
pearance than any of the class Avhom Ave had seen on other occasions, 
told us that a driver with seven loaded mules had gone fonvards, and 
