MOUNDS OF TULLI SHAHAN, AND ASHTOUKAN. 431 
stream close to a fine brick bridge of six arches, built by Ali 
Pasha about twelve years ago. Our road lay due north across 
this low ground, which, for the most part was arid, but at inter¬ 
vals swampy, and often saline to so great a degree as to appear 
surfaced with snow. A couple of hours more brought us to a 
very respectable village called Kara Tuppa, where we were re¬ 
ceived with every mark of civility. We had travelled about 25 
miles in seven hours. 
December 6th, — Our quarters of the night lay at the loot of 
a range of gravelly hills, and on setting forth next morning at 
eight o’clock, we began to ascend them. Having traversed their 
irregular brows for more than an hour, we descended into 
another extensive flat, which proved a melancholy waste till we 
reached a deep swampy chasm, crossed by a bridge called that 
of the Chummin. Having passed over it, all beyond, to the foot 
of the next chain of hills, appeared in cultivation ; numbers of 
ploughs and husbandmen animating this part of the vale. At a 
little distance from the road to the westward, rose an enormous 
mass of mounded earth, of a semicircular form, in length about 
400 yards, and in height 80 feet: broken tiles, pottery, &c., 
covered its sides. Other minor elevations of the same import, 
appeared in its neighbourhood, starting up amidst these fertile 
tracks, and connecting themselves with another mound of more 
than double the dimensions of the first. These are named by 
the natives Tulli Shahan, and Ashtoukan, who add, “ they were 
the palace and Kala (citadel) of a great town, built ages back 
by the Guebres.” 
It must have been near this plain that Heraclius marched after 
the battle of Nineveh, “ where, (we are told) the cities and 
palaces of Assyria were the first time laid open to the Romans 
