AMEENABAD. 
455 
government. Ameenabad is seven farsangs from Koomishah ; 
and, of measured British miles, twenty-six. We reached it at 
ten o’clock in the forenoon, passing a few of the ragged natives 
in the way to our caravansary. Some bore evident marks of the 
sloth they were accused of, in their pale, lifeless visages, and 
the dragging step of their miserably clad limbs; but others 
mixed looks of a fierce cunning with their haggard features, 
which seemed to hint the probability of our finding robbers 
nearer home than from the Bactiara mountains. 
June 6th. We left our disagreeable quarters at five o’clock 
this morning ; on a road south 45 1 east, over the plain, bearing 
still no appearance of culture; though we found something more 
than the hard and hot surface of a totally barren soil to gaze on, 
the earth being thinly covered with the plant which sheds the 
gum-ammonium. The inhabitants of Yezdikhast come this 
® p- 
length to gather it; and the profit well repays their labour. In 
the course of this day’s travel, we passed close to a conical, in¬ 
sulated hill, on our right; and through an extensive burying- 
ground, lying along its base. ] Amongst the numerous tomb- J_ 
stones, I remarked several in the form of a lion, with a naked 
scimitar, in bas-relief, at its side. On observing a similar tomb 
in the beautiful mountain valley of Kourood, I was told that 
this style of monument always designates the grave of some 
pelhiva, or warrior of the early heroic age of Persia. And now, 
approaching the native realm of the great prince, to whose re¬ 
nowned leading, the fame of these very ancient Knights of the 
Lion and the Swo?'d, is attributed, I passed, with deeper interest, 
into their more appropriate country, amongst so many of their 
tombs. In the same cemetery we saw a monument of a far dif¬ 
ferent form, and greater elevation, covering the remains of a ;' 
