SOAK BOULAK. 
485 
route lay over a succession of hills to the west, in which undu¬ 
lating path we were obliged to cross several valleys, all deep in 
snow. We then ascended a mountain, a difficult task, from 
its white shroud having no track; but neither its acclivities nor 
ruggedness were any thing to compare with the gigantic irregula¬ 
rities of the Kourtak and Daroo. This being achieved, our road 
twisted along the tortuous bases of a still superior chain, whose 
high and craggy peaks stood out in black masses from amongst 
the snows on their declivities. Here the general surface of 
these mountainous regions became more uneven ; and the tow¬ 
ering piles of other ranges seemed to increase in numbers to 
the north. This bleak, and now monotonous way from the 
almost universal whiteness of the whole scene, lasted for full 
four hours; during which it appeared as if we were travelling in 
a world of clouds, the endless fleecy mountain-tops on every 
side being hardly distinguishable from the white billowy heavens, 
hanging low, and big with incumbent snows. At the end of 
the four hours we descended a deep defile; which, after an hour 
and half’s farther march, brought us to the town of Soak Bou- 
lak, a considerable Courdish capital, situated at the southern 
extremitv of a fine vale. We were to halt there ; by which our 
journey of the day did not much exceed five hours, and over a 
distance of about eleven miles. 
Bonda Khan, the chief of the district, received us with parti¬ 
cular tokens of respect, even meeting our approach j and while I 
abided with him, treated me with all imaginable civilities. He is 
an old warrior, and singularly revered on account of several cir¬ 
cumstances in his history, which have proved his attachment to 
the Kadjar dynasty, and his own disinterestedness. Amongst 
other calamities his adherence incurred, the late governor of Ma- 
