PERSIAN MILITARY. 
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west, through the villages of Bomene and Jezerood; and taking 
another sinuous turn, eleven farsangs to the eastward, brings you 
to Ferooz Koh village ; towards which the Caspian straits directly 
point, at scarcely a farsang’s distance. Arrian (1. 3. c. 30.) tells 
us, that when Alexander pursued Darius from Rhey, he reached 
the Caspian straits in one day’s march, and, passing through 
them, entered Partliia on the following day. This agrees 
exactly with the distance that lies between the pass, now called 
Kawar, and the ruins of that ancient capital. 
In commencing our journey from Teheran, we took a direction 
due south, across the level country, leaving the solitary and arid 
heights of Rhey about five or six miles to the left; but with 
mountains before us, along the horizon, whose much more 
rugged defiles we hoped to reach by mid-day. While we kept 
the plain, our eyes were regaled on every side by the freshness 
of the verdure, brightened and grown to luxuriance under the 
recent spring rains. Hundreds of fine horses belonging to the 
Shah, were grazing in picturesque groups, at various distances ; 
or scouring over the ground, neighing, tossing their manes, and 
rejoicing in their annual liberty. For it is an established 
practice in Persia, to give their horses grass,, during a month or 
six weeks in the vernal season; and when opportunities for 
turning them out to pasture cannot be obtained, then the 
disappointed animal is obliged to eat his green food in the stable. 
As the day advanced, the sun’s power increased to a most 
scorching heat; but still we persevered across the unshaded 
plain, although its verdant and open scene of animated freedom 
gradually changed to dust, and to droves of ill-assorted military; 
promiscuously armed with daggers, swords, musquets, short 
spears, and shields; and mounted on asses, laden already with 
