one bf the moft fmgular features of the country is i j divifion into two
parts by 'défarts and mountains ; a circumdance which in all ages:5,as
already explained, has greatly influenceddtsdri dory and deftimes. jj t
The foil may be regarded as unfertile, and Chardin fqppoftsYthat not
above one' tenth .part was cultivated even in his time. To ■ his las ob-
fervation, thatPerfia "is the molt mountainóushGöuntry in the world, he
adds that the mountains are extremely arid, being moftly rocks, without
wood or plants. * Thëy are, however,‘ i'ntcffperfcd with .vallies,' Tome-
times Tandy and ftony, fometimes of a hard dry clay; botlmmprpduaivc,
. if I j Well watered. Hence the chief induftry of the Perfian fiirm® is
employed in. wa^ H B silands! ; 'however mutt he ^
ftridted to the-central and Pputhern provinces; for thole in the. north arc
Sufficiently rich and fertile, and it; is faid that the proyince o f Segiftan
is e n r ic h e d by the inundations of the river Hinmend : but of this part of
Peifiaour knowledge remains imperfect, :
The moft common ,.grain oT'Pcrfia is' wheat, :whiicn is excd&nt^ but
•rice is a more univerfal aliment, and regarded by the Pèrfians as the
moft delicious of food." It is generally produced in the. northern,, or
Beft watered, provinces. Barley and mill^^re;alfo down, but oats Little,
if at'all, cultivated. The Armenians fqw fome rye. The: plough is
hnall, and the ground merely fcratched : it is drawn by lean oxen,Tor
there are np'paftpres.to Tatten. cattleman cl the harhefs is attached .to^thc
hreaft, while the chief ftrength of the animal is in the head. After the
plough and harrow,, the fpade, as ulfo ufed to form the ..ground .into
fqiiares, with.ledges or little banks to retain the water. Timdun|p is
chiéfly human,, and that of pigeons mingled with earth, and preferved
• for two years to abate its heat. In the N.
interred 'during'the winter ; and wben'-infefts attack the tiêë, they, lay
frefh earth to the roots, f 1
The noble ftreams. óf thpTuphrates and the Tigris.can fcarcely at any
period be cortfidéred as. ftridly Perfian, though Ctefiphon, the capital qf
the Parthian monarchy, and Seleucia, ftood on the latter river.1 1 h|
river of Ahwaz fifes in the mountains of’Elwend, and purfues a foythern
* courfe till one b r a n c h enter the Tigris above its jundtion with the Eu-
1 Chardin, iv. 22*. 1
i phrates,
phiates, while the' main ftream flows into the eftuary of ttefe conjundt Rivsiu.
livers.' > This feetns to be the Gyndes of Herodotus, now,)according to
©■Anville, called the - Eekidebg and; by fthe Turks Kara Sou, or the
black river.* The couffe'bf this ftfeam, one-of the moft bpafiderable
in Perlia,’ little exceeds,400 B. miles., ft
From the range11 o f mountains on th&'N. E,, fevered rivers o f ftiort ■
fcoi&fe fall into .'the Perfian: gulf, one of ..{he mbft. edetfid crifile: being the
Rud orr Divriidf which joins the; mouth of that.; gulf .The rivers of
Mekran. are; .oft more confidef jUg^onffe, as'.the. Krenk ;aMft Mekfhid,' •
•which?eoftjjpioedtf&fm the liven oPJVEend, To called, fern a tovgn by
-whieh^it paffes.-a ilrhd .^lanr ^nd'Tlje.cAcaha ace of fmcftl «opfequenpe,
except .that the-latter ferv.es ,as:a nominal boundary towards Hindofta^.
’ Pin the tNiEc the Barge ..rifver „of Gihbii, better jftyJ.edj.Ajpu, to- avoid Amu.
tettger: ri^err . t f e HfePj.rather ftet-
Jongs' to Independent Tatary, with its numerous tributary ftreams ; except.
the Mahgus or, Margatecalled, abb the Mourgah, w%%%ofevej:,
m fhe.qpiffiqnjqf D’Aft^iUe^nd Ea.^s^J:se,Kl^pathei; joft
To the. W., the river of'Tedjen or Tedyep,^, ftre,japciqpt Ochu?,
the ; which fhQ.yqc,givfes;, ms-ny;ftpall, ftreBirns from
the -nrQfpit-aiHS of 4%zen^ran. UlRnyihe ;af%nsjia jy^ry fymtirjprah1r
;coinrfi^ta the river of Kizil Ozep,. or Sefifi Rud, which he. derives; ft,offi
the ;mountain of Elwend, not .far to the of IIamad.au ; fo' that, by a
yery winding,eorrrfe,,tp the. Cafpian,. itM^Kth. doub^whafdiV*ffio^'npA
h.1 more recent maps. This river is the Mardus :;.of andquity, ^and inuft
be 'the.^Swidur.a of Gmelin, jifimgrqn the,,,confines .©ƒ■ Turkey^ md falling
into the ifea-helpw, Langorod. It produces numcepus. pike,- carp, (and
o,theft‘'kin.d;s |of, fiffi,. c^emed by the Perf ians , Gindin fays that it
abounds in fturgeona.
* See his map of the. Euphrates and the Tigris, 1779, in which the Choafpes is fuppofed to
nin.hy Deurak into the Perfian.guif op the, E. .of the Shat el Arab ; blit hiajbf’i'hhneli, in his
map of the;.Satrapies; as1 as the
r;ver*of MenSeli. J.The geography1 of pjffia y,emams'Vii;y lni^fefKS’.'.'
1 In the ea'K, as in many E aropean countries’-the y'is Rbpea'A or a T . ‘:
- ' J;f h G i uXc s Rulfes, iAp.73. See aiio JHanway, i. tso, and 275, .where this fiver is .called
Selietfoo'd. •' There is a bar at the'entrance, Whd € b n ^ a ^ 'k ixfA't)i''^ril:lm.‘' - I t is of a reddilh
tinge. Ibi tyg. -
VOL. U. Z 7. Further