492 
THE FRONTIERS OF AZERBIJAN. 
Soak Boulak ; but our mishaps, and the season, augmented it 
to eleven. 
New Mean do, or Mean-aub, is so called from being situated 
between the rivers Tattawa and Gigatti, the courses of which I 
have described. This village, or rather town, is of recent erec¬ 
tion, and possesses walls of considerable height and strength. 
Within, are the usual narrow streets ; but a good bazar presents 
itself, also a large caravansary, and two mescheds. The houses 
in the town may amount to 500, and some others are without, 
forming a sort of suburb. It is governed by a magistrate holding 
the proud title of Beglerbeg, usually reserved for the governors 
of provinces; but his authority extends to merely the small 
district round Meando. Here I found the names and dresses 
so completely Persian, that I considered myself as quite returned 
into that country, being, indeed, close upon the confines of 
Azerbijan. 
December 21st. — At nine o’clock this morning, we passed 
the northern gate of the town ; a vast white untrodden plain 
before us ; and having ridden about a mile, crossed the Gigatti; 
its stream dashing along with the rapidity of a mountain- 
torrent. As we advanced, the day gradually cleared, something 
like Sir Lucius O’Trigger’s courage, “ bright, and pointed as a 
swordthe wind cutting in every direction, but its effects on 
the atmosphere were so far friendly as to shew us the way we 
should go ; and I could now see around me, that we were on an 
immense far-stretching plain, perfectly flat, till at a vast distance 
south-east, the ranges of the Sehand mountains bounded it on 
that side ; and to the north-west, rose the chain towards Ma- 
rande and Ivoiy. The level country between, seemed well 
inhabited ; the russet walls, and fruit-tree gardens of many vil- 
