NOKARA KHONEH. 
73 
Persepolis. From this it may be learnt what faith to place in the de¬ 
scriptions made by Persians, who, when they see any one, whom it is 
their interest to please, making enquiries upon a subject with an appa¬ 
rent wish that they may lead to a particular result, are sure to adapt 
their replies agreeably to that wish, totally careless of the opprobrium 
which they are likely to incur, when they are afterwards proved to be 
false. In this instance, however, some allowance may be made for 
them ; because, even to nearer observers than they generally are, the 
rock in question and those surrounding it have an appearance of muti¬ 
lated sculptures, but which, upon a close examination, prove to be 
nothing but the plain stone, worked into inequalities by the action of 
the elements upon its surface. The designation of Nokara Khoneh, as 
applied to this place, appears to rest upon no other foundation than the 
tradition by which the present Persians believe that the sounds of the 
drums and trumpets in this place in the days of Jemsheed was so great, 
that they could be heard in his palace of Chehel Minar, which, mea¬ 
sured in a straight line, is distant nine geographic miles. 
I was, however, in some manner recompensed for my disappoint¬ 
ment by meeting with a very picturesque scene, close to the object of 
my research. The river of the Bend Emir having accompanied us 
through the plain on our left hand, here flows close to the Nokara 
Khoneh. On both its banks is situated a village, which is connected by 
means of a bridge or causeway of thirteen arches; through this the 
river flows, and immediately falls the height of thirty to forty feet, over 
an inclined wall, into a new and more extensive bed. Houses and 
trees are prettily disposed all around, which, backed by the wild-shaped 
rocks of the Nokara Khoneh, produce a picture seldom seen in the 
monotonous landscape of Persia. The falling river, with its foam and 
impetuosity, has all the effect of a cascade; whilst there is a strong 
contrast kept up by the tranquillity of the village scenery around it.^ 
This Bendi which gives its name to both the village and the river, 
deserves attention, from its being a specimen of the hydraulic art of 
* See Plate II. 
li 
