478 
KOURTAK MOUNTAIN. 
it, exhibiting rich wooded banks, mingled with cultivation. My 
new conductor, who could speak a little Persian, told me, that 
after winding along several similar valleys, it joins a large river 
in the Bilbossi country, which, from the description he gave of 
its situation, can be no other than one of the upper branches of 
the Lesser Zab. The Kaloo-Zug rises amongst the hills east of 
the Kourtak mountain. On completing our descent into this 
pleasant vale, we reached the river, and forded it near a wicker 
bridge, at a breadth of about fifty feet; and from thence the 
highest point of the I)aroo bore S. 10° E. That immense 
mountain is covered with groves of oak in many places, and 
hence it takes its name; Deroo or Daroo meaning oak, in the 
language of the country. There appears a curious coincidence 
between this derivation, and that of Druid in the Welsh. Our 
course now lay through fertile grounds, and low wooded lands. 
In half an hour we passed by an artificial conical hill about 
eighty feet in height; at the foot of which stands the village of 
Kala Bobat, so called from the kala, or castle, that formerly 
covered its summit. On an average, our road lay N. 45° E., 
first along this richly cultivated vale, and next through one of 
narrower dimensions terminated by the village of Urmoozan. 
At that point we commenced our ascent of the Kourtak moun¬ 
tain ; it was gradual, and the path highly picturesque, as well 
as excellent, running between forests of oak, some trees of which, 
for the dwarf sort, were of a prodigious size. In about an hour 
and a half we had gained a considerable elevation, and the 
mountain began to shew a more rugged aspect; our road became 
broken by ravines and jutting rocks, but still the noble over¬ 
shadowing scenery continued amongst the cliffs ; and we climbed 
on without much suffering from the increased cold, till arriving 
