FIROUZ KOH. 
363 
either one, three, or seven days and nights successively. The elevation 
of the region just described, and of Firouz Koh, must be great above 
the level of the sea, if we may judge either by our own sensation or by 
the progress of cultivation. The whole tract over which we travelled this 
day did not present one spot of cultivated ground until we reached 
our stage, where the corn was scarcely ripe. Firouz Koh is a large 
village situated at the base and on the acclivity of a high lime-stone rock, 
that is situated close to a perpendicular mountain of the same. Its peculiar 
position makes it a remarkable object, and we may believe what its in¬ 
habitants assert, that its site is ancient. Of positive antiquity we saw 
nothing, nor were we inclined to scramble up the steep rock to see 
what were described to us as the remains of a wind-mill and a bath as 
old as Iskander or Alexander. A hill forming a suburb to the village is 
pierced with small caverns, which have been excavated for the recep¬ 
tion of cattle in the winter, making the best and warmest stabling dur¬ 
ing the great colds and snows which here are more peculiarly felt. A 
plentiful stream, that rises about five fursungs to the eastward near 
Gour Sefid, runs between the village and the mountain, and fertilizes 
the greater part of the adjacent territory, which is sown for the most 
part with wheat and barley. It has, besides, large tracts of chemen or 
pasture land, which is one of its principal attractions to the King, who 
was encamped close to it for a long time during this summer. The 
ground here yields but poor crops, giving only three maims of produce 
for one of seed. 
The mountains to the north, north-east, and north-west of the valley 
of Firouz Koh, have a particular hard appearance, being composed of 
nothing but bare rock. On a N. E. bearing, through these mountains, 
there are two passes which are great natural curiosities, and which well re¬ 
paid the trouble we took to visit them. We rode for about eight miles in 
the plain, and leaving a small village on the left hand, we came to the 
foot of mountains without any appearance of an apperture. On ap¬ 
proaching nearer we perceived a dark and narrow passage, extending 
from the foot to the summit of the mountain as if it had been rent 
asunder, which on entering we found about six or ten feet wide, extend- 
3 A 2 
