'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎146] (177/582)

146
FROM KERMANSHAH
its eastern part, which obtained for the mountain the distinction
of being sacred to Jupiter, since, bare and forbidding as is its
aspect, there is much of majesty and sublimity in its frown.
Diodorus Siculus, in describing the route of Alexander from
Susa to Ecbatana, speaks of Baghistan as a most delicious country,
and fit for the recreation of the Gods themselves. In this respect
also, the situation is still consistent; for, with such mountain
boundaries, so fine a plain, such an abundance of excellent water,
and so pure an air, there is no charm of Nature that might not be
commanded here.
De Sacy, in his " Memoires sur diverses Antiquites de la Perse,"
has proved satisfactorily that the caves and sculptures at the
Tauk-e-Bostan are more in harmony with the traditions of the
country, which assign them to Khosrou, Shirine, and Shapoor, than
they are with the works of Semiramis alluded to. It is probable,
indeed, as he has suggested, that there are still other sculptures
in this mountain, not generally known, among which the Baby
lonian Queen and her hundred guards might be found. From
the remarkable correspondence of the spot, I have little doubt
but that those which we had seen this morning, were really the
works alluded to, and imperfectly or erroneously described by an
historian who had only heard of the sculptures and their general
character and object, without seeing them himself.
From this place we continued our way nearly north, for about
an hour, when we turned to the east and crossed the river Kome-
shah, over a bridge of six arches. This stream has its source to
the northward, within the limits of the plain, and goes from hence
south and south-easterly, until it falls into the Kara Soo. Its
waters aie beautifully transparent, and pure and sweet to the taste,
ontinuing oui course easterly from hence, we passed over a
e soi, watered by a second stream, called Aub-Zerdoo, coming
^ ^ north-east, and falling into the Komeshah, besides seve-
100 S ^ ne c ^ ear water > P^haps leading from these
artihcially, as they now irrigated grounds sown with rice and