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APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 
On the 23d July we travelled to Firouz Koh. At about two miles 
from the Bagh Shah, the valley terminates, and the road strikes at 
once into the mountains, which gradually become extremely wild. Their 
asperities are grander, and in general appearance they are much more 
remarkable as mountain scenery than any we had seen in Persia, 
Here we saw the pine-tree growing to the very top, with other hardy 
trees denoting a cold region. The pine grew to large sizes, and added 
greatly to the wildness of the scenery ; besides which, we remarked the 
wild almond, and some stunted oaks. The sides of the road swarmed 
with the red-leg partridge. After three hours travelling from the Bagh 
Shah, we descended into a deep glen, at the bottom of which runs 
a river to the southward, called the Deli chai, or the Mad R,iver, from 
the violence with which it flows in the spring. 
When we had issued from this tract, we opened a view more ex¬ 
tensive, but more dreary than that which we had before seen. Moun¬ 
tains rose over each other in long brown ranges, the strata of which 
generally inclined obliquely to the eastward. The direction of the 
ranges was also east and west. 
About six miles from Firouz Koh, we crossed another river, called 
the Rood Nimroud, that flows to Khawar, and thence to Veramin, upon 
the banks of which are many villages, and much cultivation. We con¬ 
tinued to descend as we approached the valley of Firouz Koh, which is 
enclosed with mountains on all sides, except on the more immediate 
approaches from the westward. On a bearing of N. 67° W. the superb 
cone of Demawend appears conspicuous, overtopping every other 
mountain. The northerly mountains were covered by clouds, the pro¬ 
duce of the boisterous Caspian, brought thither by a remarkable fierce 
and cold wind, quite peculiar to this part of the country : it is so violent 
and cutting in the winter, that travellers are said to be frequently killed 
by it. It first announces itself by covering the northerly mountains 
bounding Mazanderan, with a low ridge of white clouds, which as 
it increases, like those over the Table Mountain at the Cape, 
roll down their sides, and frequently overspread the adjacent country 
by a mist, which they call mey. It is said to be periodical, blowing 
