«sas» i
P E R S I A.
S » M » i < l . mbden. geography. D'Ataffifffuppofa, « h
probability, that Margiaha derived itsnatne'from- the nvff ^argqs,
which g f e .hi* M ir, n u , W in * e ne%l*ou**h of
Ba^h e Perfian forefts are unhappily relMSed ^ f e v ifp b B .in Corafa;
th em o uS in so f Mazendran'ahd Shilau, » « f f g j S u r d 'to .
But timber is chiegy fuppUed by Mazeudran, which thence *ce«M
“^ ^ m S ^ o u n U i f the indigenous- tigetaWra-of’Pa-fra yet rev
matTs a d e fid e r a tum in the fdence of Botany 1 the produaloue of the
nZ,«j fonth eaftern provinces arehlruuft wholly unknown to «4
we m m * * * « g g of
S S S S and L frontiers of Ruffia, is almOftentuely denved from
the fhort and imperfea notices that occur in the travels of Pallas land .
Gmelin in the nd^rhuurh&od of the Calpran. _
A confiderable portion of the Perfian territory, ef^erally oji th e « *
of great Tatdry, appears to bo occupied by fait d e fa t.: thdfc arc tfpr
tL m o f t p ^ d e ftitn te <tf trees, and fupport hardly any planB, M | |
fuch of the Crime fucculcnt kind Us are alfo ftrnid oft thofeadhoret of
Atfe the chief are known among botamfts by the names o f falfola
proftrata, ample* portnlacoldes, plantago falfa, and ftat.ce Tatarica.-
Of the high mountains, is far as they have been M i M P
only informed in general that their vegetable inhabitants are for the
m l part the fame as thofe obferved on the Alps of Swiflerfad and
I t a l y : and that a large proportion of thefe are-of the cruc*rai, or
tetrady namious order. - , , • , „ r . c
The plants of the hills and cultivated parts adjoining the Cafpian fea
are better known to us, and from the few whofe names we *re already
- in poffeffion of, it is eafy and reafonable to infer the preface of many
■ more that ate nfually obferved to. accompany them. On the mountainous
ridge, are found the cyprefs, the cedar and facial other kinds
of pines, while the lower hills and fears of rock are (haded and adorned
with lime trees,'oaks, acacias, and chefouts: the fumach, whpfe
aftringent ‘wood is fo eflential to.the.>arts of dying and tanning, grows Botany.
here in-vaft ahundancej and the fraxihus' ornus, or Manna afli tree is
fcarcely lefs common. ; The moftefteemed of the cultivated fruits of
Europei are truly indigenous in Perfia, and have probably hence been
diffufed- over the whpj^weft.I „ Thefe are the, fig, the pomegranate, the
mulberry,; the almond, ■ peachy a^d'^pricsti,Orange trees alfo, iof an
enormous, fize,. and apparently wild,' are met with in ' the flieltered recedes
of bhe*mountai‘nS j.«and: the deeg-wjanji fand oir the fhore of the
Cafpian isrpeculiarly fàvourableAÔtthe cufere of the citron, and the
dHgnprice. .The yineigrhws greats luxuriance, and further to
.the- foath both i cotton5j and- fiagar,are 'articles of common cultivation.
’Pépiant of unufual fize and beauty, and .the1 weeping willow, border the
-ceurfe of the ftreams, and the marfhy -tradts abound with a peculiar
fcirad.nf' r ufh that.. forms, th e . material o f the -fine, Peril an matting. The.
Ornamental ftiruhs and herbaceous plants- of this country .are -but little
known, fojir of them however,'* from their abundance and beauty,' give
an air of elegance to, the country, efpecially jn the-eyes of an European,
Superior to that- of any Other region ; thefe are the jafmlne, and the
blue and fcarlet anemone in the thickets, and the tulip, arid ranunculus
in th&paftureSs :
•According to Chardin the Perfian horfes are the mod beautiful even Zoology,
in the'eaft;but in fpeed they yield -to the Arabian, which are lefs
diftinguifh'fed hy elegance of form. The Perfian fteeds are rather taller
than the laddie horfes in England ; 5 the head fmall, the legs delicate,
and the body well proportioned j Of a mjld difpofition, vefy laborious, N
lively, and fwift. Tatarian horfesare alfo ufed, of lower ftaturc, and
not fo well-fowned as the Perfian, but more capable of fatigue.1** Mules
are alfo in confiderable requeft ; and1 the - afs refemfiles the European,
-hut a breed of this animal is brought from Arabia, which is excellent,
the hair being fmooth, the head high, while they move with fpirit
and agility. This .valuable race might probably thrive in Europe as
well, as the other. The dung of hories, inftead of bring ufed for
manure, is dried and employed as litter. The camel is alio common,
but not admitted into the province of Mazendran, where they eagerly'
H 7$
y a t eat