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DAMGAN. 
southward, bounded in some places only by the horizon, and in others 
by very distant mountains. The town is recognized at a distance of 
two or three miles by two minarets, standing conspicuous on the un¬ 
broken view. It is at present little better than a mass of ruin, the 
extent of which denotes how large it formerly must have been. 
Among these, the inhabitants count three hundred habitable houses, 
which contain its present population. The Governor of this place 
and its adjacent territory, is Mutaleb Khan, brother to the King’s 
favorite, Ismael Khan, who has a very good house here, in which we 
were lodged. We heard that he gives the King annually one thousand 
kherwar of corn, which is produced in part from the cultivation of 
forty to fifty villages that surround the town. The river flowing from 
Cheshmeh Ali, is the principal source of irrigation to these villages, 
to which is added another small stream and several kanauts. The 
ground here yields eight or ten for one, and its principal produce is 
corn. 
The natives say that Damgan was founded by Housheng, who, 
according to the Persian historians, was the son of Siamek, the son 
of Kaiumers, second Prince of the first and most antient dynasty of 
Persia. It has several remains of its more modern consequence, in 
some well-built domes and cupolas, one of which is at present used as 
a mosque. It was ransacked by Jenghiz, and thoroughly destroyed by 
Nadir; and as long as the present government of Persia lasts, most 
likely will never rise above the rank of a large village. There is 
an old ark or citadel defended by patched-up walls, falling to pieces, 
where with much care is preserved a house in which the present 
King was born. The region in which it is situated, though nearly 
on a level with Teheran, enjoys a pure and delicious air: over the 
whole extent of its immense plain scarcely a tree is to be seen, except 
a few near the villages ; the soil is hard and gravelly, and where un¬ 
cultivated, is covered with soapwert and the khor shutur. Here the 
want of timber for building becomes manifest, almost all the houses 
being entirely roofed with arches and domes. To the eastward, the 
plain stretches over to Bostan, Sharoot, Subswar, Nishapoor, as far as 
