576 
BORDERS OF THE 
sublimity. Engaged in its contemplation, it was some time 
before my attention was called to our having lost our way; 
when I found, that notwithstanding all the protestations of 
adequate knowledge from our guides of the Mamian horde, 
they had missed the right track; and we continued wandering 
about, off and on the winding margin of the lake, for two com¬ 
pletely bewildered hours. At last they fortunately came up with 
a party of Courds, who were close to the brink, loading a drove 
of asses with its salt; and while our men were recovering the road 
by the directions of their brethren, I had an opportunity of ob¬ 
serving the salt they were digging. In many places it lies more 
than a foot thick ; and where the bed of the lake slopes gently 
from the land, the salt left by evaporation in summer often 
exceeds a breadth of three or four miles, down to the verge of 
the waves. Soon after we had well turned the most southern 
point of the lake, and entered the winding ways on its more 
westerly shore, in some parts we found the mountains so close, 
that their very cliffs stood in the water. In other places their 
bases declined by easy slopes to the margin; and then again 
receding inward, left the broad shore of the lake, either covered 
with shingles, or expanding in pure sand; or exposing a morass 
of mud, sending forth a more loathsome stench than can be 
conceived. 
The first village we saw, on regaining our road, was one 
amongst the hills to the south-west, and not far from us. It is 
called Shir wan shally, and our guides estimate it at four farsangs 
from Mamian. Nearly opposite, I observed several small islands, 
or rather rocks, breaking the surface of the water. Travelling 
an hour and half more, brought us to the village of Julbar, 
situated in the gorge of a romantic valley, amongst the nu~ 
