294 
CAVERN NEAR MOURDEE. 
for riches is very great; for among other instances of it, it is affirmed, 
that he sows 700 kherwar (nearly 500,000 lbs.) of grain annually: he 
breeds a race of hardy horses, much esteemed throughout Persia. 
He is one of the greatest of the elders of Persia, being called the Reish- 
sefeed (White Beard) of Aderbigian. 
After the Ambassador had returned his visit, and gone through the 
usual forms of receiving and giving presents; on the 30th October, 
we again proceeded on our journey, and pitched at the village of 
Mourdee, distant eight miles from Maragha. About four miles from 
our encampment, we turned from the road to the right, to see a cave 
in the mountains, which had been described to us by Ahmed Khan as a 
great natural wonder. We travelled through the wilds of some high 
and stupendous mountains, until we came to a river that flows at the 
bottom of a deep vale. Here we dismounted from our horses, and 
ascended a most difficult and steep mountain, at the very summit of 
which was the cave. Our conductor, an Eelaut, whom our Mehmandar 
had forced from his road to the town, in order to be our guide, stept up 
the ascent with great facility, whilst we could scarcely proceed ten yards 
without throwing ourselves on the ground to gasp for breath. Having 
reached the object of our search, we found a natural cavity, of vast di¬ 
mensions, and an admirable retreat in times of anarchy, but without 
any trace of human workmanship about it. On the opposite mountain, we 
saw a flock of wild goats, and the print of a lion’s paw was remarked 
on the banks of the river. As we returned from this fatiguing expe¬ 
dition, two men who belonged to some black tents, situated in the nook 
of the mountain, came towards us, and made a formal request to the 
Ambassador, that he would alight and breakfast, but being hurried to 
reach our stage, we were obliged to refuse their hospitality. 
^ A river which rises in the mountain of Saliand and falls into the lake, 
flows by Mourdee, and is known by the name of the Mourdee chai. 
The next day we reached Bilkabad, having traversed a country of 
slight ascents and descents, with a tendency to table land like the hills 
about Maragha. This region is of a considerable elevation; and 
