TABRIZ TO ARZ-ROXJM. 305 
our wretched habitation at Cara-ainSh , to pace a miserable road; the 
bottom of which, always wet and deep, was rendered still more 
impracticable by a shower of rain that overtook us, soon after we had 
quitted the village. Almost at the extremity of the plain is a swamp ; 
on the surface of the waters of which were innumerable flocks of ducks 
and other wild-fowl. We noticed two cranes stepping away before us 
at a great pace, and hiding their legs from us by letting fall their 
tails. The soil was rich almost beyond calculation, and afforded the 
finest pastures. We crossed the village of Ak-dezeh, and then leaving 
the plain, wound through the vallies which were formed by the Western 
mountains. The whole country was watered by numerous torrents; 
on the borders of one we spread as our breakfast, the scanty remains 
of our yesterday’s meal; which, in such a spot however, would have 
been a real treat to the lovers of romance. The scene indeed, alone, 
consoled us for our bad fare at Cara-ainSh. A stupendous mass of 
rock rose perpendicularly over our heads ; and at our feet foamed and 
roared the torrent, while the whole view was enriched by the verdure 
of the distant landscape, and enlivened by the chirping of innumerable 
birds. About twelve miles from Cara-ainSh are several hills; the de¬ 
clivities of which are strewed with large masses of black rock, evidently 
from their weight and their calcined appearance, full of metal. The 
whole seems to be volcanic matter. 
After quitting these hills we came into the plain, at the extremity of 
which is situated Agajik , a miserable Armenian village, about the same 
size as our former stage. We were six hours and a half in travelling 
the distance, twenty-two miles, on a bearing of N. 20 W. In the 
centre of the plain a caravan, from Oroumi, was grazing its mules: the 
driver of it told us, that he had been eight days on the journey, at 
the rate of four agatch a day, making a total of about one hundred 
miles. Here the distances are measured by the agatch , which corres¬ 
ponds exactly to the sahat or hour. The village consisted of huts, 
surrounding an old square fort on a hill. Our lodging was a 
covered building, in the roof of which were two sjnall holes to admit 
R R 
