SULIMANIA. 
449 
3000 houses ; the pasha’s palace standing without tower or ex¬ 
terior wall, as exposed as the most inconsiderable part of the 
city. The inhabitants amount to nearly 15,000 people. The 
bazars appeared extensive, and well filled with merchandise; 
and the gardens, with their thickly planted fruit-trees, added 
greatly to the show of a general plenty in the place ; but yet 
the whole view around had an air of nakedness. The towering 
mountain which overshadows it to the east, besides its name of 
Shar-i-zool, is sometimes called by that of Shehr-e-Zoor. As 
the district of Sulimania is one of the largest within the pashalic 
of Bagdad, extending to the very boundary of Persian Cour- 
distan, to the Tahet river on the north; eastward, to the 
valley of Zenguida; southward, to the district of Zohaub; and 
westward to that of Kirkook; from the natural fastnesses of the 
country, and the proud, independent jealousy of the natives, 
the Porte is obliged to allow them a governor of their own 
nation, with the high title of pasha; whereas all other places 
within the jurisdiction of Bagdad, are governed by officers in the 
immediate service of the Grand Seignior. The present pasha of 
Sulimania, fortunately for me, was absent on a hunting party; 
so we passed on, without any more state ceremonies occurring 
to delay my passage over the mountains. 
The people of this district are, in general, of low stature, but 
well proportioned, robust and healthy ; and of a much fairer tint 
than the swarthy Arabs, or their Courdish brethren in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Kermanshah. Their physiognomies do not indicate 
the shrewdness which marks the tribes more to the southward : 
and certainly the nearer any people in any sort of dependence on 
an arbitrary government approach its seat, there they must find 
more frequent demands on caution, tricks, and cunning; hence 
3 M 
VOL. II. 
