'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.' [‎162] (193/582)

162 ENTRY INTO HAMAD AN,
sidered that Tabreez was the site of the ancient Ecbatana; but
subsequent authorities almost universally agree in placing this
capital of the Median Empire at Hamadan. The data on which
this conclusion is founded are very clearly and concisely stated
by Macdonald Kinnier, * and can leave no further doubt on the
subject. As we have seen before, Ecbatana was a city existing in
the time of Semiramis, by whom it was visited nearly two thou
sand years before the Christian era; and Diodorus Siculus, in
• ' There is every reason to believe, that the city of Hamadan either stands upon, or near
the site of the ancient Ecbatana. Pliny says, that Susa is equidistant from Selencia and
Ecbatana, and that the capital of Atropotia (Azerbijan) is midway between Artaxata and
Ecbatana. Isidore of Charax places it in the way between Seleucia and Parthia; and Dio
dorus Siculus describes it as situated in a low plain, distant twelve fursungs from a moun
tain called Orontes. These testimonies are as strong in favour of the position of Hamadan
as they are irreconcilable to that of Tabreez, which Sir William Jones supposes to be the
Median capital. The former is nearly equidistant from Susa and Seleucia, is in the direct
road from Seleuc.a to Parthia, and situated in a low plain, at the foot of the celebrated Mount
Elwund : but Tabreez is neither equidistant from Seleucia and Susa, nor is it in the road from
Seleucia to Parthia; on the contrary, it is situated in a distant province, which has almost
as often been included m the kingdom of Armenia as in Persia. When I was at Hama-
dan in 1810,1 was shown the tomb of Mordecai and Esther: f a circumstance, of itself, suffi-
sumL T T" 1 y f the PlaCe - ^ PerSianS ' themSelveS ' sa y ™ ^e favourite
residence of most of their sovereigns, from the days of Darius to that of Jungeez
Uon Dull 14 ,S r SOn t ble t0 SU PP 0se ' that a might be given to its 8ne situa-
cessive and f f T vk " , ' ^ ^ " deli ^ ful = ^ - "™ter the cold is ex-
streams c , 7 . 7 Pr0CUred ' The plain is ^"^d by innumerable little
streams, covered with gardens and villages, and the vegetation is the most luxurious I ever beheld.
has theTnn ^ ^ M0Unt 0r0nte8 0f DiodomS ' when ™ wed at a
! more riia t 06 , ' 'T mOI,ntainS ' The len S th Elwund proper is, however,
its summit ^vhicb ^ ' . " COmpIetely from the northCT " —
ful vallev Derf ' h 7i! COn , t ' nUal snow and seldom obscured by clouds, is a beauti-
East fon'ts mi ^ a r Sand Smet - S,:ented fl °wers. This mouLin is famed in the
the Mo leXl" a ;i vegetable The Indians suppose that it contains
power oTtransinut tVi T^ Hamadan ^ that some of its S— have the
power ot transmuting the basest metals intn o-nM o- n ^
the human frame is exposed. The only curiositv I h ^ ^ distemper t0 which
tioii upon a rock called Gum n , • obseive d on this mountain was an inscrip-
received from a ter^tlattltar 8 ' ^ ^ ^ treaSUre : a " ame which " haS
tion is in the same character as those at TuktU ^ V'TTr b !l rled Dear ''' ThiS inSOriP '
Babylonian bricks.'-Gcog. Mem. on Perm, Uo.' MaUdlr ' Solima,,e ' and on the
t f The tomb of Avicenua is also at Hamadau.'