this pass, taking the name of Elburz, it runs S.S.E., along
the remainder of Ghilan and the province of Mazanderan,
following the Caspian with its concave side as far as the
mountain of Damavend, the crater-shaped summit of which
is 14,700 feet above the Persian Gulf.1 From this point to
the mountain pass of Bestam, S.S.E. of Aster-abad, the direction
of the chain is a little east of south; its width, including
the hills on each side, is 50 or 60 miles; and its elevation
approaches occasionally to 8000 feet.
A little to the eastward of the pass the main branch curves
to the N.E., and again about as far to the S.W., towards
Mushed, nearly in the same latitude as the pass. Near the
southern side of the holy city of the Shi’ahs the mountains
of Khorasan take an east-south-easterly direction, and thus
they continue till they are interrupted by the valley of Herat,
having on each side numerous ridges rising about 1000 feet
from the plain.2 One of these runs from the main chain
near Sherif-abad to the southward of Herat, whilst the ridge
itself inclines towards the northern side of that city, at an
elevation of about 3000 feet from the plain. Beyond the
break just mentioned it bears the name of the Ghur mountains,
or ancient Parapamisus, and its direction is nearly
east; but afterwards it becomes the Hindu Kush, or Indian
Caucasus: it skirts the northern side of Kabul, and, near the
eastern frontier, it is lost in the stupendous Himalaya, after
having formed an almost unbroken range to an extent of 25°
from the banks of the Araxes to the vicinity of Attock.
The geological structure of the great mountain-chains has
been already slightly noticed; that of the intervening space
remains to be glanced at. In most places the surface is
largely impregnated with salt and saltpetre, which prevail to
some extent on the plains of Fars and the conterminous
provinces of ’Irak and Kirman. Between Abu-Shehr and
Dalaki, crystallized sulphate of lime is found; and, a little
westward (in Khuzistan), an abundant supply of sulphur;
1 Mr. Thomson’s Ascent of Mount Damdvend: Journal of the Royal
Geographical Society, Vol. VIII. Part I., p. 112.
2 Conolly’s Overland Journey, Vol. I., p. 277.
while rock-salt, alum, antimony, and orpiment, as well as
mineral waters, are found in different parts of Iran. But
one of the most remarkable productions is mineral pitch,
which is found in abundance in different states, from petroleum
to the choicest kind of naphtha, and is applied to many useful
purposes. The places most known are Baku and Mazanderan
towards the north ; Kerkuk, Hit, Bandi-Kir, the Bactiari
mountains, and Dalaki, towards the south ; and both Kirman
and Affghânistân towards the east. Iron and native steel is
met with in Mazanderan, Khorassan, and Bactria.1 The
former, as well as copper8 and lead ores, prevail in different
parts of the eastern provinces ; but more abundantly3 in the
pâshâlics of Diyâr Bekr and Sivas, with the addition of gold,
silver,4 and precious stones.6 The ordinary, as well as some
of the more precious metals and valuable stones, are likewise
found in the eastern provinces,6 and also in Azerbaijan; copper
and other ores abound in Kurdistan, the Julamerik, and
other mountain districts.
Since the days of Pliny, and even more anciently, the
slopes of the Caucasus have been remarkable for an abundance
of precious stones, as well as metals ; all of which are described
in a work written in the seventh century of the
Hejirah, by Muhammed Ben Maussur, for the use of the
Shah Abu Nassr Behardirchan, of the Abassides. We are
indebted to the talented orientalist, Von Hammer, for a
translation7 of part of the work ; in which the author not
only describes the precious stones, and gives their Persian
names, but also shows, by a minute classification, that almost
all the existing gems were known to the Persians in that age.
1 Voyages de Chardin, Tome IV., p. 63.
2 At Ma’den Kapur.—Ainsworth’s Assyria and Babylonia, p. 273.
8 The valley of Ekmah Châï contains boulders of native iron, some of which
aie three feet long.—Ibid., p. 285,
4 At Ma’den Gomush there are lead, silver, antimony, and iron.
5 In the Dumbu Tàgh mountains the granite abounds with interesting
minerals, more particularly topaz, beryl, schorl, and disseminated gold.—
Ibid., p. 285.
8 Elphinstone’s Kdbul, pp. 146 and 147. London, 1815.
7 Mines de l’Orient exploités par une Société d’Amateurs, Tome VI., pp.
112 to 142.