DESCRIPTION OF RAMADAN. 
‘^64. 
although they had already seen the passage of three English Embassies, 
(once Mr. Manesty, and twice General Malcolm,) they still seemed to 
gaze upon us as monsters of an unknown genus. On this subject, I re¬ 
collect once when going through the streets of Teheran on horseback, 
with some other English gentlemen, a Persian met us at an abrupt turn¬ 
ing, and surveying us with the greatest surprize, exclaimed to his com¬ 
panion, EenJia Chinee and f are these Chinese ? 
The day after our arrival we visited the houses that had been ap¬ 
pointed for our reception ; and although they were reputed to be the 
best in the city, yet they were in reality so bad, that it was easy to fore¬ 
see that the scheme of remaining at Hamadan throughout the summer 
would not be carried into effect. 
The situation of this city at the foot of the mountain of Alwend, 
resembles that of Brousa, so beautifully situated on the declivity of the 
Asiatic Olympus, although the former mountain, neither in height nor 
beauty of form can enter into a competition with the latter. It evidently 
was once an immense city, but at present it is a confused and melan¬ 
choly heap of ruins. The roads which lead to its inhabited parts, wind 
through a long succession of broken walls, which, by the appearance of 
their fragments, attest the former existence of fine buildings. Like 
Olympus, Alwend abounds in fine springs of water, a torrent of which 
constantly flows through the city into the flat country, and renders Ha¬ 
madan one of the best watered places in Persia. Its present habitations 
are profusely interspersed with trees, which give variety, and even 
beauty to what would otherwise be an unpleasing view. Besides the 
poplar, the narwend, a species of the elm, is a very common tree, and 
grows into shapes so formal, as to raise the supposition that they have 
acquired them by art. On the skirts of the city bordering upon the 
mountain, we were led to a most extensive garden, in the centre of 
which was an alley of poplar, willow, and narwend trees nearly a mile 
long, and in which, besides the great crowd that followed us through 
curiosity, were many of the natives singing and taking their pleasure. 
Among them, was a group seated under the trees, around a basin of 
water, and as we passed, every man stood up out of respect, except 
