452 
KOOMISHAH. 
peasant, and their ravages left without repair from his industry, 
they pour down from the mountains in free course, deluging 
cot and field. That it was not always so, we see in the deep 
and wide channel through which they once flowed a noble 
single stream, across which comparatively empty bed, many 
stately though broken arches of fine bridges, still bear testimony 
to the former consequence of Koomishah, and the full flood of 
its river. There can be no doubt that it was a town of great 
antiquity ; but I am not aware of the justness of Chardin sup¬ 
posing it to be the Orebatis of Ptolemy. 
It would be tedious, on leaving each separate ruinous spot 
of the many we visited throughout this empire, to be always 
recapitulating the causes of such melancholy effects ; suffice it 
to say, the catastrophes of most may generally be epitomised 
in a few words: civil discord, foreign invasion, and the oppres¬ 
sions of arbitrary delegated governors. Indeed, the latter evil 
is sufficient to comprise all the mischief of the two others in 
itself. 
June 5th. We left our miserable caravansary this morning at 
three o’clock, by the light of the stars ; their influence was not 
very powerful, yet enough to show the deplorable desolation of 
that part of the city, through which the warden of our quarters, 
acting as guide, convoyed myself and followers. The path was 
so involved, we appeared wandering for more than a mile 
amongst nothing but ruins, and over ground, stoney, and fissured 
with shattered water-courses, and interrupted by traversing 
ravines. Such were our difficulties, until we reached the foot of 
the opposite mountain ; whence commenced the eastern side of 
the valley, and along which our route lay, over an excellent 
road. As soon as the dawn began to render objects more 
