268 
IRAK. 
Having crossed the bridge, we set our foot on the land of Irak 
Ajem, a country so famed in Asiatic romance, classic history, 
and Holy Writ. Our road then lay north-east, directly over the 
mountains, which bound that side of the valley. The ascending 
track was winding, with abrupt curves, up very steep acclivities 
for full three miles, at the end of which we reached another 
commodious caravansary, built of brick. Near it, are the ruins 
of an older structure of the kind, which has been faced with 
hewn stone. The vicinity of this secluded spot has a painful 
interest attached to it, as having been the scene of a dreadful 
and mysterious murder, committed on the person of the cele¬ 
brated traveller, Mr. Browne : this sad catastrophe happened 
about five or six years ago. 
This gentleman was a man of indefatigable research ; with a 
persevering industry, in acquiring the means of pursuing his 
object, equal to the enterprising spirit with which he breasted 
every difficulty in his way. Previous to his going to Persia, he 
had stopped some time in Constantinople, to perfect himself in 
the Turkish language; and before he left that city, he spoke it 
like a native. From a mistaken idea of facilitating his progress, 
amongst the different Asiatic nations through which he might 
have occasion to pass, in the route he had laid down for himself, 
he assumed the Turkish dress. Being thus equipped, he set 
forward, with an intent to penetrate through Khorasan ; and 
thence visit the unexplored and dangerous regions south of the 
Caspian, closing his researches in that direction at Astrakhan. 
During the early part of his Persian journey, he had a confer¬ 
ence with His Britannic Majesty’s ambassador, Sir Gore Ouse- 
ley; and at Oujon, was admitted to an audience of the Persian 
