RIVER KONSAR. 
373 
sight of a rapid stream, called the Roudkonah Konsar, which 
runs from west to east; and is crossed by a stone-bridge, said 
to have been built by Shah Abbas the Great, and, since that 
time, repaired at the private charge of the public-spirited barber 
Poohl-Dowlak. The caravansary stands close to the bank of the 
river, and is delightfully cooled by that near neighbourhood to 
so rapid a stream. Shah Abbas has the credit of being its 
founder ; and the Ameen-i-Dowlah has lately restored all its de¬ 
cayed walls ; but still, the memory of the honest shaver so pre¬ 
vails over the titles of these two great personages, that both the 
bridge and the hostel bear his name. 
May 16th. At the usual hour, five o’clock, we left our night 
quarters, crossing the bridge. The river, at this point, was not 
more than twenty yards broad. It takes its rise in the vicinity 
of Sava; and, from that circumstance, is sometimes called by 
the same name, but that of Konsar is its most common appella¬ 
tion. This side of the screen of hills we had just passed fore¬ 
tokens an approach to a more genial country ; two or three 
streams breaking the dusky hue of the ground, and here and 
there enlivening it with a few spots of verdure. But from these 
brooks partaking the saline properties of the soil, the general 
fertilizing effects of “ many waters” are not to be found. Our 
troop had scarcely ridden from the bridge a hundred yards, before 
we had to ford one of these streams ; which, after washing the 
walls of the holy city of Room, and winding through that less 
arid plain, finds its way to these barren tracks, where it mingles 
its waters with the Konsar. Another river, called the Khour 
Shutur, which springs out of the line of mountains that over¬ 
hang Room, also works its path to the Konsar. 
Our road lay south-west; at first amongst low meagre bushes, 
