212 
RUINS OF THE CITY 
dry water-courses, rugged promontories, short stony plains, in 
short, every species of mountain difficulties, diversified our path 
for full fifteen miles, till we arrived at a once formidable barrier ; 
not far from which we again caught a view of the meandering 
river Zohaub. Along the alpine ridge we mounted, runs a 
massy wall of large hewn stones, which in places, like a curtain, 
closes the openings left by nature in the rocky bulwarks of the 
country. It had evidently been intended for a defence against 
any hostile approach from the eastward, and on passing it we 
went through what had formed one of its gates. Journeying on 
a mile or two farther, a second wall still higher and stronger, 
presented itself to our sight, the front of which had a north¬ 
eastern aspect; and from it ran a third wall along a rocky ridge, 
nearly due east, till it joined the other wall, partly inclosing a 
vast angular space of ground. On various spots lay large stones 
of a great length, and hollowed in the middle, as if they were 
the remains of some ancient covered channel to convey water. 
The natives, to this day, call it the aqueduct of Khosroo Purviz ; 
saying, it was one of the works constructed by Ferhaud, to pur¬ 
chase the smiles of his beloved Shirene. Numerous fragments, and 
continuations of the great rampart-wall, tracked our way while we 
rode westward, till these vast remains met the ruins of another 
wall; the position and extent of which seemed to declare it to 
have been one side of the battlements of some ancient city of 
consequence. On enquiring of an intelligent travelling Arab 
who had joined us, he informed me that I did not mistake, and 
that it was called Kesra-Shirene ; near which, I knew, was to be 
our purposed place of halt; and, on making this discovery, I 
despatched my little troop with the baggage, on to the menzil; 
while myself, with my faithful Sedak, (who, when his eyes were 
