MARCH IN A RIVER. 
81 
from the great Ardashir Babigan, king of Persia, who observes, 
that “ The authority of princes must be maintained by taxes; 
all taxes must at last fall upon agriculture; and agriculture can 
only flourish under the protection of justice and moderation.” 
These observations might give a useful lesson to many of the 
deputy-governed provinces of this country ; but all Persian de¬ 
puties, no more than all middle men with us, are not of the 
unworthy stamp; and I should surmise, that in the case of the 
kalentour of Kazaz, mine host saw, rather through his own con¬ 
stitutional spleen, than the presence of facts. The prosperous 
and happy appearance of the whole valley, seemed to me two 
witnesses that might be believed in behalf of the deputy. Kazaz 
is five farsangs from Amerat. Both own the same master, and 
I heard no complaints against him from my friends of the 
mesched. 
September 9th. — Having at last got into a land of streams, 
the members of my party, whom the more arid climates had 
rendered sick and weak, now strengthened every hour ; and, 
this morning at four o’clock, I may say invited by the laving 
sounds of the many waters which flowed near our quarters, we 
eagerly issued from close apartments into the open air, to lite¬ 
rally enjoy a passage through the refreshing element, whose 
influence alone had already been so genial to us all. On quitting 
the gates of Kazaz, we proceeded north-west along the valley, 
under the occasional shade of thick groves of trees; and on a 
road which lay in the shallow bed of a little river, now in full 
stream, and through which we gaily took our way ; the good 
people of my train splashing the water about themselves and 
their horses, with all the delight of happy children. After the 
enjoyment of this new and amusing style of road, for nearly a 
VOL. II. 
M 
