m 
TABRIZ TO ARZ-ROUM. 
with any accuracy the nature of the country, which we traversed in 
the first part of our route; though we discerned indistinctly groves of 
trees, and heard the falling cascade in the recesses of the vallies. The 
first view of the plain of Khoi, from the summit of the pass in the 
mountains, is sublime. The city and its more immediate territory are 
seen on the N. but separated from the rest of the plain by a border 
of green hills, which seem to divide the expanse into two parts. At 
the distance of two fursungs from Khoi , we passed on the right the 
village of Disajiz, surrounded by fields of wheat and barley. On the 
left of the plain are some more villages; and one curious mound of red 
soil, crowned by a hillock of salt, besides several other white mounds, 
which are described as entirety of the same substance. We passed 
the small range of hills, and came all at once upon the more circum¬ 
scribed plain of Khoi, which is opened by a seven-arched bridge, 
bordered on each side by rocks, and forming with the fine stream 
below a complete picture. The river is called the Otour , and flows 
from W. to E. falling into the Arras or Araxes , about twelve fursungs 
further to the Eastward. 
The plain of Khoi (in breadth from N. to S. five miles, and in 
length ten) was the richest tract that we had seen. It was covered 
with corn, broken only here and there by the foliage of enclosed gar¬ 
dens. Of these gardens we ventured to enter one, which was re¬ 
nowned all over the country for its beauty and fruitfulness. It stands 
on the left of the road about two miles from the walls of Khoi , and was 
made by Hossein Khan, Governor of the city in the time of Aga 
Mohamed Khan; but it has now become the property of the govern¬ 
ment. It consists of a fine alley of chenar trees, which leads up to a 
pleasure-house, now falling into decay, built on the elevation of six 
terraces, from each of which falls a beautiful cascade, conducted by 
kanauts from the neighbouring mountains. On the right and left is a 
w ood of fruit trees of every sort and description, with a fine crop of 
glass at their roots. From the pleasure-house is seen, through the 
alleys of chernrs , the whole territory of Khoi, one of the most lively 
