ROCK OF ISTAKHAR. 
85 
The rock we were ascending arises abruptly from a steep conical hill. 
The collected mass, I calculated might be twelve hundred feet in height, 
the perpendicular of the rock being about five hundred. The avenues 
to the summit are so difficult, that we were told, goats were the only 
four-footed beasts that could climb them; and that in the building of 
the castle, they were used to carry up the lime in small loads, on their 
backs. However, I am sure both mules and asses might get up. We 
found it great toil, but at length reached the summit in safety. The 
remains that are to be seen, are part of a gate, the ruins of several tur¬ 
rets, four reservoirs, and the wrecks of many walls. The rock at its 
summit exhibits nothing but a few scanty shrubs, and one large fir tree, 
that is situated near to the largest reservoir, at its southern extremity. 
It has a gradual inclination from both sides towards the centre, form¬ 
ing as it were a furrow, in which the reservoirs have been constructed. 
The view from its height commands a great extent of country. I could 
discover the range of mountains which bound the plain of Shiraz to 
the south, as also those of the Peer-a-Zun, The former, in a direction 
of that city, bore by compass S. 10° W., the latter S. 35° W. To the 
westward, the eye travels over a region of high mountains, of which the 
Koh Shishpeer, on a bearing of N. 75° W. crowned with snow, is the 
most prominent feature. In the fore-ground arises another insulated 
