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CHAPTER XXiy. 
The camp completely covered a valley two miles long, and one and 
a half broad, in the centre of which were the King’s pavilions, known 
by their crimson colour, surrounded by a long range of serperdehs. 
Through the centre of the camp, facing the royal tents, runs a long and 
broad street, which is regularly laid out by the Ferash Bashi, or head of 
the tent pitchers, but they preserve no other order in the encampment. 
The immense retinues of each chief are encamped in small tents about 
the pavilion of their master, where his horses, mules, and cattle are also 
collected. Amongst these are intermixed baths and shops. The only 
regularity in encamping, which we observed, was among the Serbaz, or 
disciplined troops, where the tents were placed in rows. On the 28th 
we departed at the break of day for Asterabad, we started at half past 
three, and arrived at twenty minutes before one. The mountains that 
surround the vale of Sawer are entirely clothed with pines. These 
trees are not of a great size; but as we proceeded, they became larger, 
and we saw also large maple trees, and the genuine oak. The highest 
summit of the range that overlooks Asterabad and the Caspian, is called 
the Jekan Nemah, or, as we might say, the Cosmorama. This is almost 
always obscured by the tnep or mist; and, therefore, very seldom is there 
a distant view of the immense expanse of sea and country which it 
commands. The King kept people there to inform him when it was 
clear, in order that he might go to enjoy the view. As we ascended to 
the Jehan Nemah, the country became more beautiful, the trees in¬ 
creased in size and beauty, hill and dale arose in a varied succession, and 
the whole had a park-like appearance, quite novel to an eye accustomed 
to the other parts of Persia. After three hours’ riding, we passed through 
a narrow rocky pass, the only entrance from the low to the high country, 
called the Derwazeh or gate, where we found a guard of Mazan- 
deranees, composed of about ten men, who at the worst of times 
