GUEBEllABAD. 
391 
found amongst fragments of rock, and other dusky-hued relics, 
she would appear of a varied brown. I leave this fact to 
naturalists to explain, confessing myself totally ignorant of its 
secret. 
May 20th. We did not leave our pleasant quarters in the 
royal Khooleh Frangy of Kashan, until eight o’clock in the even¬ 
ing of the next day after we had entered them. I wished to 
give my party, men and beasts, a good rest before commencing 
the mountainous journey in prospect; and also to prosecute it 
under the advantage of the present moon-light nights. Hence, 
we sounded to horse, at the hour named; and again went 
cheerily forward, meeting the bright uprise of the full-orbed 
planet. Our road lay south 5 east, traversing the plain ; and 
holding the mountains to our right, at a distance of about a 
couple of miles. We soon came up to a cluster of dilapidated 
walls, called Assyab-i-Shah, or the Kings mill; close to which 
flows a fine stream, that is afterwards lost in irrigation. Three 
farsangs farther, brought us to what we may call the offsets of 
the great stem of the mountains on this side; namely, a range 
of low hills. We entered their close upland defiles; and soon 
found that at every winding, their heights increased in altitude, 
and the road became more tortuous and difficult over the broken, 
and sometimes under the pendant, rocks. This darkling laby¬ 
rinth at last brought us to a confined valley, or dell, in the 
bosom of which stood the ruins of the village of Gueberabad. 
Not a living creature was there, excepting the grey lizards, 
which we saw glancing under the moonlight, as they glided 
amongst the stones. Its name told the story of its desolation. 
I had seldom seen a place more wild and lonesome. At about 
a mile further on, we came somewhat abruptly in front of a very 
