'Journal of a Journey from Persia to India through Herat and Candahar. Also Report of a Journey to the Wahebee Capital of Riyadh in Central Arabia' [‎9v] (18/268)

4
I have now adopted the improvement of letting the Ghulam
come on slowly with the saddle-bags. In this way I save time
and fatigue; arrive earlier; and get preparations made for the
next stage. Towards the close of this ride the hills appeared on
our right as well as left; and narrowed in towards tho so-called
Caspian Gates.
At length we come to Eymonee Kief, a village of some size,
prettily situate among nice fruit gardens. These latter are
famous for their figs and pomegranates. They brought me a
couple of dozen fine figs, some apples, and some grapes. I
finished tho figs and a few bunches of grapes; but then restrained
myself, as I feared to spoil my breakfast. Immediately after
starting this morning we crossed the Jai-rood, which river comes
out of a gorge in the Elburz on our left hand, and is partitioned
off along numerous water courses to the several villages down in
the plain of Verameen. I remarked the old ruins of Rhages on my
right, near where I passed a few days with Sir II. Rawlinson in
tho early spring. Tho fine clear-topped Demawend* was in sight
all along the road; its beautiful cone, in its new robe of snow,
aspiring high above the intermediate mountains. A deep bed of a
river passes down through Eymonee Kief, immediately under tho
post-house. There was water in tho bed to-day after tho recent
rains.
Started at noon from Eymonee Kief, and followed the road to
where a swamp brings you to tho entrance of the Pyla Caspaoe.
This is a pass of some two miles in length shut in at the entrances
but widening at parts in tho length of the pass. Some of the hills
on your left are scorched and desolate. There is a brick built half-
ruined fortress at the western entrance, immediately over a brack
ish spring. A salt stream runs through the pass down towards
the Khar or eastern plain. Near the eastern end of the pass is
an old-looking stone ruin of a fort. From the pass you descend
gradually to tho alluvial plain of Khar, whence Teheran is largely
* The mountain Demawend was ascended last summer by some gentlemen of
the Russian and English Legations. I believe that these gentlemen considered
its altitude to be about 22,000 feet.