but which Niebuhr feems to haw represented with-» the greateft acGU-
récyf ‘' letters ^oiltówhat referable nails, dilpofed in »various'directions,
in which Angularity they, approach to what are caHedjthe Helfing
runes o f Scandinavia ^ but.the form and difppfiti<®tfe<?in moremOrppiex,,
and perhaps a clue might arife from ybmparing the.picJ^n charadteh-pf
Tibet, Behind the ruin to thenorth there is a curious, apartment cut
out in the roclcY and a Subterranean -pafiage, which feems toyéxtend a
éonfidérable way. The front .ofthe -palace^ Sop; paces, N. to ST, and
'3po E. to W:, and1 the ’mountaim.behind has heep.,deeply ipSOotheS, to
make, way for the foundation. 4 About three miles and a half to the
N. E. öi thefe mins is the tomb of Ruftan, the ancient Perfian hero.
Several, Imall edifices and.caverns, o f fimilar architëéhure,-ai*e,feund in
various parts.jof ;Perfiayl all which undoubtedly preceded therMa^ip--
me.t3n.;nouaueft,-hyt ï j s * f: j-t-r.is;
however generally fuppofed. that they-belong to.-tjie .firft r^fgrfjpe^anj
kings, fucceffors o f Cyrus* for tbe_chara£ter_s do not^refembfe yKqjk op
the coins b f the' SafFahida*, and the Parthian monarchs feéin to have
employed, Qrgek -artifts. The. bricks Recently brought tpf£ni^a®6f and
Francé frpm. the ruins o f ancient Babylon are irapreflfed. with/inferip*
tidhs_ih thé fame ^hafaéfêr with /thehFfrregmitan; find as therp^ ï^
norénciént‘ evïdehcé that ‘thé Peffians'ëféöEed any éaificeyat Babylon,
there. Teems reafon • tóf conclude that -thefe letters are o f AHyrian -origin,
and imported into Perfia. with.other features .of.early .civilization. But
the religious worfhip. feems in all ages-to have been wholly different, the
Perilans worfliipping fire as a pure fymbol ó f the divinity, and entertaining
a rooted averfion tó the numerous -idols of their weftern .neighbours
; and in the deftruétiön o f the Egyptian temples -and idols by
Cambyfes, there is no-doubt that, religious zeal was a great tuptive.
In many parts of Perfia there,muftremain feyeral curious, monuments
of antiquity,; which might well; excite the. duriofity of .the learned
traveller to inveftigate . this, interefting country. The defigri, ófi,.,the
prefént work rath er requires fome information concerning the.modern
Hate" pf this once powerful monarchy, which fhall he chiefly derived
from'Mr. Franklin’s -view* of the tranfabfcibhs- in Perfia'-lrdm the .death' of
Nadir Shah,' 1747, to‘; 1788'; combined"with thé' accounts".of Grhelin,
who
:wBo f by, command-of the eitfprfefs ; of Ruffiâ infp"e£tgd' the /northern à *
'provinces andf ©Bilan,{f his daft tràvéfë, during the Mo
. years' 1793» and 1.794..
Nadir Shah was fuçceeded by his nephew Adil, who, after- a' tran- Mod,
- fttbryr-eign', was followed by his brother Ibrahim. Timur
)Bbi.hi¥èîg#ëd in Gabul, ©andabay and & h f to
Hindoftan ; and availing himfelf d f the’ eonfüjfioà in Perfia,‘he befieged
Melhid, which he took after a blockade ©f eight monthSic il
This event Was followed by fuch anarchy and eenfufi'on, that iffeer^a
imptfffible to fettle the chronology o f the Infinite -cfiipes which were .
-committed during the contefts of numerous çÜtefs;? which dêfolafed
him oft every province from Gombroon fo Rfiffiàj,p a y in g indelible
'ïnàtksbpf Aeteuâion through®«! theiMm’giofm'» iand' changing;,,$yen-the .
very dharasajer of the people, whofe prudenee i^ degenerated into' cun- ,
ningf and thFeltt courage into Ferocity. .
; At dëhgth the government dCvimftern Pfirna was feppil^iïfeilpdjfor â '
eonfiderahle fpacé of time in the perfon df Kerim Khaf%; whohowevçr
never* affufned the title of Shah',! But was contented witjii tjmtj o f Vakeel
or Regent« As h eA ted ittïthf:ihiriielh.Yéar of hrs- reignyfyygj itmnft
have-eomtaenced in 1749 j bift at firft. he had competitors fo. e.ne.oun|ëf,
and the rèignsofhis predeceflfors fometimesdidnptexceed a mpnth or
two-, their number being computed at hot left .than eight** This: great
and mild prince had been a favourite officer of Nadir; $ and at th e time
-of that tyrant’s death was jn the fouthem -proyirtees, wheffevhe- alfumed
thé power at, Shiraz, and was warmly Supported by the inhabitants ti,f
that city, who had obferved and revered;his juftice .and beneficeppe.
In reward, he embëllilhed this city
gardens, and molks, improved the highways^ and r e b » l| the caray|in-
feràs. His reign was eftabli’fhed by the:fw(3rd, .hut was af^rward^iptiLw
fullied by blood ; and its- ch&f peril arofe from extreme mercy.- plis
charity to the poor, and his attempt ifc> reftore the e'opnjeree o f the
country, are' gratefully remembered ; by natives and. Eii/dpeansu , The
Turkilh emperor, and the Hindoo IUltart Hyder Ali, afcknbwredged Ke-
* Dr. Pallas, ’ iî. 2 6 2 . faya that't&ritn died io his eigfey-tliifiÿéSr, »fttr an uticoMcfied reiga.
ff fixtefen yéâ|#oiiIÿ". " ■ - . . . 1
vol. n. , < v v rim