Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume VIII, No. 5 [‎53r] (108/154)

FROM TEHERAN TOWARDS THE CASPIAN. 507
buds tie size of walnuts, formed lovely masses of colour. Lavender and manv
vanet.es of a sort of white campion, of the most delicate form,™ th the Jwers
arranged with ourtous regularity, were to be recognized amongst many other blau
t.ful plants which it would require a botanist to classify and dfscribe.
A wetting mist hid all distant features. We descended rapidly, and found the
slopes further down clothed with scrub of oak, hornbeam, and mamore inter
spersed with wild pear and apple, buckthorn, and brambles. Here and there more
open patches showed hawthorns and other Bowerin- shrubs Tl,„
them was literally carpeted with Bowers. The pre"
of a flowering plant, similar in character to those observed in the helerews
and brakes in the west of England, prepared us to find cowslips, per „iX
crowsfoot, wild strawberries, and a crowd of other flowers that fringe the woods a t’
home, besides quantities that were new to us. Wild roses and sweetbriars tith
blooms of every hue from darkest pink to white, scented the air. The impres'ton
that we were following the drive to some domain on the coast of Devon conZX
recurred. We saw also a teautiful shrub of handsomer growth, but with a flo Z
resembling in shape that of the laburnum, only a richer chrome in tint. 1ZZ
was qutte beautiful, like honeysuckle both in leaf and flower; only growing as a
rounded bush of graceful form. There were quantities of everlasting pe a “ “th
dark crimson flowers, and here and there the giant poppy, already described bUzed
in deep scarlet grandeur. The roar of a torrent replaced that of waves. We could
fancy ourselves at Mount Edgcombe and that, when the mist lifted, Plymou
breakwater or the “Mewstone” would appear in the distance. The mZ did
eventually lift, to disclose the Chel-haus river boiling below, with precipitous cliffs
of ruddy rock clothed in forest wherever trees could hold. These formed the fore
ground to a magnificent view of gorge, rock, and wood, leading the eye to distant
spurs overtopped in the far distance by a snow-capped range of great altitude and
rugged outline.. Ihe moisture in the atmosphere gave the soft cobalt tint to the
distant mountains so grateful to eyes long used to the glare and the crisp outlines
of dry inland Persia. Our camp was pitched on the right hank, about 300 feet
above the river, so we were spared the deafening din of its surging torrent and
able to hear the familiar notes of a blackbird which rang out in the stillness of the
evening. About a mile south of our camp was the village of Valiabad. The
younger brother of the Nasru’s-Saltaneh, who came to visit us, thoughtfully
brought with him his two shikaris, as well as presents of rice and sheep. Talkin°-
on the prospects of sport, we were told of bear and stag in the neighbouring forest^,
and of ibex and moufflon on the hilltops; moreover, that salmon was to be found
one day s march further down-stream. The shikaris, father and son, were accom
panied by a mirza, to represent the governor himself, and see that the villages sold
us good provisions. These men were of a distinctly Mazanderani type, somewhat
darker in complexion than the ordinary Persians. Their jet-black hair was curled
in ringlets; moreover, they had brighter eyes and expressions, and were of hand
somer face, than the inhabitants of the plateau. They informed us that a certain
part of the country was the Shah’s preserve, the remainder that of their own
immediate master; but that we, having the royal permission to shoot, were
privileged to avail ourselves of the whole. We tried for trout that evening, but,
after reaching the river with great difficulty, we found it unfishable. On the 24th,
owing to the report of three of our party who made a reconnaissance, we decided
that the road towards the Caspian was too steep and dangerous for horses, and pro
ceeded to negotiate it on our baggage mules.
Looked at from our camp, the road was found to rise gently as it wound north
wards along the face of steep slopes and overhanging precipices. From it no fence