It has three principal arches, the one to the W. is modern compared with the other part of the structure, having been restored by Aga Mahomed Khan; as a small inscription on the new buttress intimates. The original bridge is attributed to Shah Abbas; but, from its structure, which does not resemble that of the Seffis, and from an inscription in the Cufick character (which is worked in brick all around the principal arch) and another in a square on one of the old buttresses, I should suspect that it is much more ancient, and must be referred indeed to the earliest ages of Mahomedanism. When on the borders of the stream I was too distant to see the characters distinctly enough to copy them.
We commenced the ascent of the Coflan Kou immediately on quitting the river, and were just one hour in gaining its greatest height, and half an hour in descending into the plain on the opposite side. The chain of mountains, of which this forms a part, is the proper boundary of Aderbigian. Near the bridge on the right, in ascending the mountain, there is a singular rock which has been fortified with walls and turrets, probably coeval with the bridge. This also, however, appears to have been restored in some parts by a modern hand, as in front there is a structure of fresh brick, which does not correspond with the turrets of the main building. All is now in ruins: indeed it could have been of value as a military hold, only in times when artillery was not used, as it is commanded by every hill around. I took a sketch of it from the ascent of the mountains. The old bridge below adds a very picturesque object to the surrounding heights and the scenery of the stream. On the ascent of the mountain, (over that part which in winter must be of more difficult passage,) there are the remains of a causeway, attributed in like manner, to a Shah Abbas, and extending for several miles.
In descending to the plain on the Western side of the Coflan Kou, we saw another river called Rood Khonéh Miaunéh, which also flows from West to East, having combined before we crossed it, three several streams (the Ceransou, the Sheher Cheyee, and the Aye Dogmoush,) and about one fursung to the Eastward, carrying their united waters into the Kizzil Ozan. The sources, according to my informer, an old mountaineer at Miaunéh, were about two day’s journey from his town; in a direction, by the pointing of his hand, of N. 70 W. among the mountains of Sahat Dun. We passed the river over a bridge of twenty-one arches, in appearance indeed as old as that just described, but in style of structure resembling so much the bridge of Aliverdy Khan at Ispahan, a work of the age of the Seffis, that it may be ascribed to a Prince of the same race with much less improbability, than that over the Kizzil Ozan can be attributed to Shah Abbas. If there are not immediate repairs, the whole in a few years will fall into the water.
It was extremely hot in the recess of the mountains, with a light haze from the Westward. The sun set N. 73 W. Miaunéh, where we passed the night, was once a large town, and its broken walls and gates are still to be seen. It is now, indeed, a poor miserable village, yet is the chief place of a tribe called Chedaughee, who are reputed to be very ferocious. The master of the house, where we lodged, was gone to Tabriz; and his son, a boy of fourteen, officiated in his place with a propriety and dexterity which were quite amusing. He asked the Mehmandar for his firman, very gravely sat down and read it, then with a fine flow of compliments said, that every thing that he had was freely at our command; and that we must make his kitchen ours, and that, in short, he was our slave. In these countries the manners and faculties ripen long before those of Northern climates. An English boy in the same predicament would have run and hid himself in the stable.
We were, however, rather annoyed by a great big fellow, a Ferosh of Prince Abbas Mirza, who pretended to much power in the place. In the firman which the Mehmandar carried from the King, one of the articles with which the village was required to provide him was the sum of three tomauns. These he was wont to receive as his own perquisite; and this is one of the various modes by which the King pays his servants without the necessity of applying to his own treasures. But to this, in this instance, the Ferosh objected, swearing that there was no money in Miaunéh, and that none could be raised. The Mehmandar, on his side, talked of nothing but the King’s Royal command, which must be obeyed before all things: to this again the Ferosh objected, and said that he would abide by nothing but an order from his own immediate superior, the Ferosh Bashee of Prince Abbas Mirza. The Mirza was at length obliged to interfere: the Ferosh, in fact, had been paid by the peasantry to guard them from the extortion of strangers, and like a faithful servant he was endeavouring to do all that he could in their favour. To complete the business however, the Mehmandar, on our arrival at the close of the day’s journey, missed a pair of new green slippers, which loss he naturally charged to the dishonesty of his antagonist the Ferosh.
Since there have been such great interests pending in the North of Persia with the Russians, the Government has established Chopper Khonéh, or post-houses, from Tabriz to Teheran, to facilitate the transmission of news, so that a courier may traverse the distance easily in three days. A Ferosh has been placed by the Prince Governor of Aderbigian, in each of the villages within his territory, (in which these establishments are formed) to see that every department be carried on with dispatch and regularity. Twenty to twenty-five horses (purchased by the Prince, and kept at his own expence) are always ready at each of these houses, and the whole institution is supported from his own purse. But beyond the bounds of his province, this public service is defrayed by the Rayat on the line of road.
19th. We were six hours and a half on the road, a distance of twenty-one miles, from Miaunéh to Turkomen Cheyee. The road is one succession of high hills, generally with a small stream in the vallies below, flowing from the mountains of Bisgoush, which extend almost to Tabriz on the N. W. and to near Resht in the territory of Khalcal, on the N. E. and the snows of which seemed then to be rapidly melting, and (by the discolouration of the water) to have formed these streams. On setting out from Miaunéh, we rode by the banks, and frequently crossed one of these streams, which was up to the bellies of the horses and very rapid. I frequently set the bearing of our road from the top of the hills, which was N. 70 W. and (though varying now to the W. then to the E.) may be fixed generally at that point. The whole is very easy of access, nor indeed did I see any part on this side of Teheran, where an army would meet with impediment, except on the Coflan Kou, and there only in a few passes: and from the present appearance of the country, magazines might be formed every where.
The weather during the last two days was extremely sultry, and we suffered greatly from the heat. The tract indeed, over which we were passing, is called by the Persians Germesir, or the hot, from the notoriety of its temperature. The corn at Miaunéh was accordingly much more advanced than in any previous part of the country.
There is a small village to the S. of Turkomen Cheyee, called Carayeh, situated on the back of the hill. The valley of Turkomen Cheyee is one carpet of green, richly cultivated in every part. About noon the clouds gathered; and as we were feeding our horses, a shower of rain, with thunder, surprised and refreshed us after our hot ride.
On the 20th, we went to Tekmé-dash, twenty-one miles, on a bearing of N. 40 W. over the same sort of country as that which we had crossed on the preceding day; but the ground was much saturated by the late rain, and, as the soil was soft, our road was rendered very disagreeable. At about six miles from Turkomen Cheyee we came to a valley richly cultivated; and about two miles on the right, was the village of Uzumchee. We saw some other villages, situated at a distance from the road, on the heights of the mountain. We passed two ruined caravanserais. The last was about three miles from Tekmé-dash; and, by an inscription on the gate, was built by a servant of Shah Abbas. Not a tree appears over all the country, but there is generally much cultivation. A little after sun-rise we saw some high mountains bearing about N. W. Soon after our arrival a smiling lad came in with a paper in his hand, and presented it to the Mirza. It was a petition from himself and his school fellows, to beg a holiday for them from their master; an address which they never fail to make to any man of consequence, who may happen to pass through their village. The children here are taught Persian in the schools; the Turkish being the native tongue of the country. There was a very strong wind from the West, which, as the people told us, had blown for five or six days; and, though it fell as the sun went down, the cold during the night was very severe.