262 
VALLEY OF AMADABAD. 
in a valley, on the side of a hill, near to the little river Sharrary- 
chia. As we approached it towards sun-set, the appearance of 
the place, under the vague shadows of the mountain, wore an 
aspect of considerable consequence ; we saw not only the appear¬ 
ance of a long stretch of houses, but one of the neighbouring 
heights was surmounted by a fortress of extensive walls, and 
a large tower in their centre. When we drew near, I found the 
village small, though neat, and the fortress a ruin. Of what 
date, I could not discover ; for this old bulwark being constructed 
of mud dried in the sun, (like many others of the country,) the 
materials, when left to decay, moulder into mounds and ridges ; 
obliterating all trace of their history, with the loss of their form ; 
and hence, their origin is commonly forgotten, as soon as their 
neglect and ruin begins. 
Next morning, being only the third of our journey, opened 
upon us with the weather equally severe, and a much more 
exposed route for the day. The first part of our road lay through 
the rocky valley of Amadabad, along the edge of its frozen river, 
and in a direction nearly due east. Having passed several well- 
built villages, scattered over the rising grounds on each side, we 
ascended a steep mountain, by a path curving to the north-east, 
which terminated in a plain on the summit. This kind of table¬ 
land, was broken by detached hills over its surface; amongst 
which we took our course north-eastward for some time, and 
then began to descend, on as abrupt a road as that by which we 
had gained the summit. This rough mountain-track brought us 
down into a long and very narrow valley, at the extremity of 
which lay the village of Turcoman-chia; a distance from Ama¬ 
dabad, of eight farsangs, and which we travelled in nine hours. 
The village is pleasantly situated on the side of a pretty stream, 
bearing the same name with itself. 
