REVENUE, &c. OF MERDASHT. 
SS 
chiefly composed of marl. In many parts, and particularly to the S. W. 
it is of a decided clay, which, after rain, renders the roads deep. 
Although it has several streams running through it, yet the chief com¬ 
plaint is want of water. The Bend Emir traverses it from N. to S., 
the Polbar from E. to W., and several smaller streams also contribute 
to the general stock. The fact is, that depopulation is its greatest evil. 
At very distant intervals the sameness of the view is broken by a field 
of corn. A soil which in other countries would be the delight of the 
agriculturist, here lies waste ; and where otherwise the whole tract 
would exhibit a picture of rural industry, here it presents the melan¬ 
choly spectacle of a country, which, though blessed by Providence with 
every natural gift, is rendered useless by an oppressive Government. 
Merdasht is the favourite resort of the Eelauts, because it affords finer 
pastures than the plains in its vicinity ; and as the greater part of it is 
waste land, they can range about uncontrolled by the limits of culti¬ 
vation. These pastures are natural, and are neither improved nor 
maintained by art. I was delighted in my rides to observe the great 
beauty of the verdure, enlivened by thousands of wild flowers, and 
making the most beautiful vegetable carpet that can be imagined. 
Between the insulated rocks of Istakhar and the mountains, the pas¬ 
turage is the most luxuriant; and it is here the Prince’s mares are sent 
to graze. 
In the plain of Merdasht, to the northward, are several conspicuous 
masses of rock, which are insulated, and unconnected with the sur¬ 
rounding mountains. One of these was pointed out to me as the Rock 
of Istakhar, on the extreme summit of which I was informed were to 
be seen the wonderful remains of a castle. Although doubting the 
truth of all that I heard, yet I resolved to explore them, and on the 
2d May, departed several hours before sunrise, in the hope of reach¬ 
ing them before the heats of the day should commence. I was 
told the distance was only two fursungs from my habitation, but I 
found it nearer four, owing to the traverses we were obliged to make 
across the plain to pass the many dikes which intersect it, over which 
there are no bridges.—We went nearly three miles to the southward 
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