Zengan is a large town, and is the capital of the Mahalé of Hamzé, which contains one hundred villages. The whole district, by the gift of the King, is the property and government of Ferrajoula Khan, the Nasakchee Bashee. The Mahalé pays no revenue, but it furnishes the King five thousand horsemen complete, who are paid, fed, and clothed from its own produce. On entering the town there is an immense enclosed garden full of every species of trees.
16th. From Zengan we went to Armaghanéh, and were six hours on the road; on a general bearing of N. I call this also twenty-four miles, as we walked a good pace. On the left, in a valley, I saw several villages; the two principal of which are Koushek and Barri. Others are also situated on the declivity of the hills; the road all the way is full of ascents and descents; and at about five miles from Zengan we came to a valley, perhaps a bend and a continuation of that which we had already noticed. At the bottom flowed from E. to W. a stream of beautiful water, which came from the mountains to the N. E. of our route, and which was formed indeed principally by the melting of their snows and the rains. In its vicinity was much cultivated ground; and the peasants had raised its waters in many places to carry the fertility still further into the fields. At the interval of about six miles there is a similar valley and a similar stream, the waters of which equally assist the cultivation of the country, and redeem it from the waste of the intermediate tract. We saw many tents of Elauts of the tribe Choisevend, whose cattle were grazing in the line between the two streams. They were represented to me as very warlike and brave, on which account the King enrolled many of them in his Goolams and troops; and I was told, that they had been the principal heroes in the war with the Russians. Their tribe consists of six thousand families. Their chief is at Teheran, and is a Khan of much consequence. They live always in tents, changing their situation with the seasons, and are very rich in camels. After having crossed the second stream we rested, and fed our horses on the new barley, which was there about a knee high. As we proceeded we met a caravan of pilgrims, from Derbend on the Caspian, going to the Zeeauret of Mesched. Not one could speak a word of Persian; indeed Turkish, from this point and henceforward, is the vernacular language spoken by the people of the villages; and it is rather rare to find any one of the inhabitants who can talk Persian fluently. These pilgrims wore a white band about their sheep-skin caps as a mark of their holy destination; and preceded by a Chaoush bearing a green flag, joined all in loud cries as he excited them.
About four miles before we reached our stage we came to a third stream, which run with great velocity through different artificial channels, and the borders of which were richly cultivated with rice and barley. On the right, just before Armaghanéh, is a little village called Houlouléh.
The whole region from Zengan is intersected at almost regular distances by vallies; in one of which lies Armaghanéh, so concealed by its situation, that it is scarcely seen till it is entered. To the Westward appears a long range of mountains; but the hills which we had passed in the day’s march, though sometimes of rock and flint, were generally green to their very summits; and the soil was mostly rich earth, which, in some places, was spread with the hues of a thousand flowers. Throughout the whole tract, indeed, every thing was in life and spring. The animals felt the influence of the season; and our horses in passing the herds around were scarcely manageable. One threw his rider; and after having given him a bite on the shoulder, attacked his fellows, and fought with some fury. The singing of the larks in the morning, and the whole tribes that swept along the air, gave a zest to the freshness of the dawn that was beyond description. The whole creation seemed to give praise to its great Creator.
Armaghanéh also is included in the Bolouk of Hamzé. In the town there is a square fort. In the room, into which we were introduced, there were several European inscriptions, mostly in Russian, but one in Latin, written I suspect by a Frenchman’s pencil, and worthy therefore to be transcribed, as displaying the spirit and temper with which they left the country:
“VENIMUS, VIDIMUS, ET MALEDIXIMUS PERSIDI;
“REGIQUE, AULÆQ; MAGNATIBUSQ; POPULOQ;—
“SCRIBEBANT IDIBUS APRILIS, 1809 * * *.”
M. Jouannin and his companion indeed, by all the accounts which I received in following the line of their route, had no greater reason to be satisfied with their accommodations on the road, than with the mode of their leaving Teheran. We were told at Sultaniéh, that no one there would furnish them with mules to transport their baggage, and they were obliged to be content with asses.
The night was so cold at Armaghanéh that we had a fire, and our people wore their sheep-skins. Armaghanéh indeed, and our next stage, Auk-kend, are very high.
17th. We quitted Armaghanéh at four o’clock (an hour before sun-rise, and enjoyed the freshness, not to say cold) of the twilight, and the beauty of the breaking morning. We were seven hours on the road to Auk-kend, which I shall reckon a distance of twenty-eight miles, on a general bearing of N. 15 W. Our road was over a succession of hills, the vallies of which were mostly cultivated. The whole surface indeed was generally green, and displayed an appearance of more prosperity than any part which we had seen on the other side of Teheran. The soil, though in many places broken by rocks and slate, was fine, and watered by many small streams. At about twelve miles from Armaghanéh on the left of the road, is the village of Dasht-Bolagh, situated nearly between two conical hills; on the tops of which are collections of rocks, appearing at a distance like the ruins of towers.
After this we reached an eminence, from which an immense range of high mountains covered with snow, extended itself before us. The highest peaks bore on a general line of North; and, from all that I could learn, are not far distant from Resht. The general chain approaches the shores of the Caspian; but on all geographical subjects it is difficult to trust the class of persons, from whom alone on the spot the information can be obtained. They very generally exaggerate, and are at any rate very ignorant.