'Journal of the British Embassy to Persia; Embellished with Numerous Views taken in India and Persia: also a Dissertation upon the Anqituities of Persepolis' [‎9] (46/174)

KAMAREJ—KAZEROON—DIREES—SHAPOOR. 9
traverse the mountains; the roads were dreadful, but the horses seemed accustomed,
and climbed them like monkeys; after winding up several steeps, we entered upon
table land, forming a fertile plain, and another short ride brought us to the Caravansary
of Konartakhteh, near the village of Khesht; it was a neat structure, newly built; and
instead of pitching tents, we occupied apartments in the caravansary.
6 KAMAREJ.— Stage Fifth.
April 1st.—Rose at four in the morning, crossed the vale, and entered upon another
chain of mountains, with roads as bad as those of the last stage, leading over stupendous
precipices; and ascending the Kotil of Kamarej, we halted at a spot on the top, where
our tents were pitched, and the cooks were busy in preparing breakfast: the length of
this day's stage was only nine miles, owing to the badness of the road.
A Persian author gives the following description of the two last stages :—
"Khesh and Kamarej, two towns imbosomed in the mountains of the warm regions,
supplied with streams of water, but without any other fruit than the date, as their
gardens are swampy and unfruitful. The inhabitants are a mere banditti."
1 KAZEROON.— Stage Sixth.
2d.—Set off again at five in the morning : the road led between two chains of moun
tains, and crossing some hills, we passed the Rahdar or Custom-house of Kazeroon,
where several of our Persian servants stopped to regale themselves with pipes and
water; near to which was sitting a dervish, clothed in a cow-skin habit, and the badge
of his sect in his hand; passed through the Town of
DIREES,
reached the town of Kazeroon, and found our tents in a field of stubble, just before it.
This place is situated under a lofty chain of cliffs; it has gone much to decay, but the
domes of its mosques and other public buildings, give it an air of grandeur. The
governor's garden, to the left, is tastily planted with orange trees and cypresses, and is
watered by a machine worked by oxen.
3d.—We set out to see the sculptures at
SHAPOOR.
Passing through Direes, the first object was a ruined castle, called the Daughter,
situated at the pass of the mountains, and at a turn a little beyond was a sculptured
gateway, commemorating the victories of Shapoor over the Greeks or Romans : sculp
tures also appeared on several rocks. This place was formerly called Nishaver, as
appears from the following quotation from a Persian author:—
d
10 DASHTI BERM—KOTIL OP THE DAUGHTER.
^ j
j j ^ nS lSS jj
J J ^ JO J ^ jj\j J
j J j J
^ Sjso j)\ L— Lf Sjso
(J\xj ij\&± Sjj SSjs* C^]
"Nishaver was founded by Tahmuras Deevbend, sur-named Deendila; when Persia
was invaded by Alexander the Great it was levelled with the ground. Shapoor, son of
Ardesheer Babegan, re-built it, and called it after his own name; it became a consi
derable place, and in process of time the seat of learning. The air is hot, and the
north winds are prevalent and noxious ; it is watered by a stream which takes its name
from the city: it produces grain, cotton, dates, sweet and sour oranges, lemons, and all
sorts of fruit usual in hot climates plentiful and cheap, any one eating what he likes with
out interruption. The water lilly, the violet, the jessamine, and the narcissus combine
to render the place very fragrant.
" The inhabitants manufacture silks, and follow the tenets of Shafai Mezhab. There
are many sculptured figures, showing the objects larger than the life, which some
think were done by magic, while others suppose they are the works of the Divine spirit
to perpetuate the glory of the sovereigns of those countries. Many people resort to
see them and rub them with oil."
Whatever this place may have been formerly, we found no vestige of it remaining
except the sculptures and part of the castle.
V [♦y DASHTI BERM.— Stage Seventh.
4th.—Left Kazeroon soon after four in the morning, and about two parasangs dis
tant ascended the
KOTIL OF THE DAUGHTER,
by a. winding staircase; the weather was very hot below, but suddenly changed to