VILLAGE OF BIJAH. 
237 
and whose source I was told was in the mountain of Samanlou, six fur- 
sungs distant, situated about south, according to the direction of mj 
informer’s hand. This stream joins the Ahar river, not far from Ah- 
medbeglou. Our former station, Kishlak, and our present are both 
in the district of Meshkin. 
Our next stage was at the small village of Bijah, situated on a 
slope, near to a picturesque tree. A tree was still a rarity; and when 
it occurred became a land-mark. Although destitute of this in- 
dispensable feature of fine scenery, yet the country we had traversed 
since we left Ahar, was not deficient in beauty. The plains were ver¬ 
dant, and the mountains of picturesque forms, and there was a charm 
in the softness of the climate, that made us enjoy the wild and una¬ 
dorned scenery by which we were surrounded. On this day’s march, 
cultivation was to be seen in patches all over the country 5 and, at short 
intervals from each other, villages skirted by willows and poplars. A 
set of the black tents of the Eelauts happened to be close to our en¬ 
campment ; and as I was making a sketch of them, of the tree and of 
the village, an unbreeched urchin that could scarcely lisp, saluted me 
with the appellation of Mupek oglu, a dog’s son. Then came an old 
shepherd with grave and suspicious looks, who said, “ There are some 
“ fierce dogs in these tents which will bite you, if you stay here much 
“ longer.” Upon which I detained him as a sentinel over his dogs, of 
which he did not much approve; for it was easy to discover that his ap¬ 
prehension for my safety, was only another mode of expressing his 
jealousy about a pack of his ragged and dirty wives in the tents. 
On the 15 th we went four miles farther on to the village of Karakiah, 
situated on and about a curious black rock. Our encampment appeared 
so close to the foot of Savalan, that some of our party were making 
preparations to ascend it, when the villagers informed us that we were 
at least four fursungs from it, that there was no regular road leading to 
it, and that we could not expect to return until the next day. Such is 
the deception of the distances and heights of mountains, in a very 
open and unwooded country, which presents no succession of objects 
by which the eye may calculate relative distance. 
The mountain of Savalan is held in high veneration by the Persians, 
