OR THE GOLDEN CITY. 
435 
masonry marking the site of the city. The peasant who guided us 
to the spot, mentioned that vaulted rooms of different dimensions, 
are frequently discovered under ground by the falling in of the 
earth under the action of the plough. But none of these 
soutterains being at that time accessible to us, and nothing on 
the surface, besides the arch, appearing worthy a particular ob¬ 
servation, we rode on quickl} 7 , and over a most excellent road, to 
fall in with that which brought us direct to our quarters. In 
our way I had opportunities of observing the manner in which 
these industrious sons of the mountain and the vale use their 
plough; and for the first time in my life I saw that sort of 
machine drawn by asses. In general two were yoked to it; 
sometimes a single bullock supplied their place ; which certainly 
proves the lightness of the soil, and the ease with which their 
plough could be managed. These rural occupations amused our 
eyes for nearly a three hours’ ride from the ruins to our menzil, 
Tooz-koormati ; which we found delightfully embowered in 
woods of orange, date, and olive trees, close to the foot of the 
sulphur hills. The latter trees grow here in such abundance, as 
to render their produce a most profitable branch of trade. The 
fruit of some are salted, and of an exceeding large size, with a 
flavour like the fresh olive. Others are pressed, for their pecu¬ 
liarly fine oil. A spring from the adjoining hills supplies the 
place plentifully with pure water; and also serves to irrigate the 
land. We had been six hours and a half in coming from Kifri. 
The distance between that town and Tooz-koormati is estimated 
by the natives at ten miles, our detour made it twenty-four. 
Dec. 8th. — Left our last night’s quarters at eight o’clock this 
morning, considering it one of the most opulent little towns we 
had yet seen; the houses were on a spacious scale ; and a large 
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