'A Journey from Bengal to England, through the Northern part of India, Kashmire, Afghanistan, and Persia, and into Russia, by the Caspian-Sea. By George Forster. In the Civil Service of the Honourable the East-India Company in Two Volumes. Vol. II.' [‎216] (229/314)

21 6
FORSTER’S TRAVELS.
mountainous tract of foreft which has been already noticed.
Though the fort of Sari, from its ftrength and centrical htua-
the capital of the province
This town occupies an irregular oblong fpace, of about a
mile and a half in circumference, and Handing on a low moift
ground, its fereets are at this feafon of the year choaked with
The karavanferas of which there are four, have little of that neat-
' ■ ' i
nefs and conveniency, which is feen in thofe: of upper Ferfia,
and are of a much lefs fize; but the market-place, which in the
manner of Afiatic towns, forms the principal ftreet, denotes an
a drive traffick.
The rice of Mazanderan is of an excellent quality, and com-
pofes the ufual food of the people, who find it difficult in their
marfhy lands, to cultivate a fufficient quantity of wheat for com
mon confumption, and that produced is of a coarfe fort. The
bread ufed by the higher claffes of inhabitants, is made of the
flour of Shirwan, a confiderabie amount of which is annually
imported at Mufchid Sir. This deficiency is in fome degree, com-
penfated to Mazanderan by the growth of fugar, which though
of an inferior kind, is' adequate to moft of its common ufes.
When the general demand of this article in Perfia is confidered
and that it is rarely produced on this fide of the Indus, it might
lion has become the refidence of the chief, Balfrofh is confidered
mud. The houfes are coarfe]y built of brick or $lay, with a
fiat roof, and being generally fmall have a mean appearance.
be