TOAK IN THE DESERT. 
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gave a show of consequence to the place. Numerous domed 
structures, fallen to decay; minarets, mosques, and pine-apple- 
spired tombs, with other remains, all ol the finest brick masonry, 
gave sufficient evidence that Toak had once been a town of 
importance. We arrived there after a march of five hours over 
a distance of eighteen miles. 
Dec. 9th. — Set forth this morning at seven o’clock, in a 
course N. 30° E. the country still level. As we bent more to 
the eastward, the lofty mountains of Courdistan grew upon our 
view, and seemed to spread wider along the horizon ; those to 
the north appearing white with snow to a considerable way 
down their sides, while the more sun-ward range hardly shewed 
a touch of their approaching winter covering. In three hours 
we reached the village of Tazik-koormati, situated on the banks 
of a shallow river, but shewing along the sides of its deep 
channel marks of the rush of waters which pour through it from 
the mountains in the spring. This stream unites with those of 
Toak and Tooz-koormati, and from the point of junction take 
the name of the Torna, or Odornah. After flowing southward 
a considerable way, and winding amongst the Hamrean Hills near 
to their south-western base, it receives the little river of Kefri. 
Thence, augmented to a fine body of waters, it takes a more 
tranquil course towards the Tigris, and falls into that river about 
fifty miles north of Bagdad. Near to the point of junction stood 
Opis, once a magnificent city, where one end of the famous 
Median wall terminated. A noble canal also, in former times, 
reached from Opis to Hit, or Iss, the great fountain of bitumen. 
Close to the steep bank of the Tazik-koormati stream, rises 
a lofty artificial hill, called the Kala, or citadel; it is above 100 
feet high and of an immense circumference. Many remains of 
