JEHANABAD. 
262 
them all his most valuable apparel and furniture, appointing a force 
to conduct them.* The simplicity of Asiatic manners makes emigration 
very easy; for it is only to pack up a few carpets, bed clothes, and 
cooking utensils, to load them upon mules and asses, and every thing is 
done. 
At our next stage, we should have been in great distress for provi¬ 
sions; if the son of Nasr Oollah Khan, a great chief of the tribe of 
Kara guzloos, and owner of the village and territory of Jehanabad, had 
not. come to our assistance, and introduced plenty into our camp. At 
this village we arrived on the 8th, after having crossed a stream 
of some consequence, called the Hamadan river, on the borders of 
which was situated the large village of Kherwar. Jehanabad was well 
peopled; the exterior of its houses was good, and it had the appear¬ 
ance of a place that enjoyed the protection of a man of consequence. 
It is situated on a part of the plain, as even as a bowling-green, the soil 
of which is salt. The Kara-sou flows not far from it; and, amongst 
other tributary streams, received that of the Hamadan river. At 
about one fursung distant from our camp was a small hill, marking 
the situation of three springs of the purest water, (which gush out from 
the earth in a iarge stream,) and of a natural cavern, the interior of 
which is delightfully cool, and refreshed by water of a peculiar trans¬ 
parency. 
On the next day we reached Surkhabad, which is a large village, 
situated at the extremity of the plain of Hamadan, surrounded on all 
sides by trees, and abounding in running water. Hamadan is to be 
seen for several miles before reaching this village, and Alwend, the 
high mountain, at the base of which it is situated, for several stages. 
Coming from a desart and woodless region, we were delighted with the 
prospect which the country before us presented. We had not yet seen 
any thing in Persia that wore such an appearance of prosperity; for the 
whole plain, about nine miles in breadth and fifteen in length, was one 
continued series of fields and orchards; and if it had not been for the 
uniformity of the poplar, the tree which most prevails throughout the 
* CjropjEdia, lib. iii. c. 1. 
