MARCH BY MOONLIGHT.

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CHAPTER XIV.

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March by Moonlight-Our Chief Muleteer-Pool Zohaub-Stupendous Scenery-Curious Custom of Illyaut Women Ancient Sculpture - Ascent of the Zagri Pila-Magnificent Scenery - Pa-ee Takht— Suridage-Vexatious Delay of the Muleteer-Town of Kurund-Visit from the Governor.

WE commenced our march this evening as the moon was majestically rising from behind the mountains. The night was delightfully cool, and we all felt the difference between our present situation and when suffering from the heat of a burning sun, augmented by the reflection from the surrounding rocks; nor do I think we were losers by the change, even on the score of scenery. Daylight is necessary to

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OUR CHIEF MULETEER.

develope the beauties of a landscape, marked by a variety of tints; but in such as we here passed, the uniform colour of the hills, and the want of wood, soon palled on the eye. On the other hand, the bright beams of an Eastern moon striking upon the projecting points of the mountains, and presenting to our view their tops silvered by the snow, while the recesses were thrown into the deepest shade, left fancy to raise up images which reality could not identify.

We had frequent occasion to admire the activity and skilful arrangement of our intelligent muleteer. Mounted on a small high-bred Arab, he galloped over the most broken ground with the same fearless security, as if he was scouring his native plains, constantly passing from front to rear, admonishing the indolent and encouraging the active, himself setting an example which seemed to inspire the others with emulation. When we approached any narrow pass where robbers were accustomed to take post,

he galloped on several hundred yards to reconnoitre; thus forming an advance picket to afford us time to put ourselves on our guard.

Indefatigable as was his attention to the duties of his situation, he was equally mindful to those of his religion. Daily as the sun was about to rise, he would gallop forward with the rapidity of an arrow, throw himself from his horse, which grazed unrestrained by his side, and falling on his knees would finish his devotion about the time we came up.

April 17.-The weather continued temperate till a short time before dawn, when we came to a low swampy plain, and felt a chilly rawness in the air that was very unpleasant.

We reached Pool Zohaub, or Serpool, at sunrise, crossed the river over a well-built bridge, and pitched our tents on a rich plain, about half a mile to the south-east of the village, near an immense wall of limestone, which divides this from another fertile valley, about

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MAGNIFICENT SCENERY.

two miles wide, extending to the bottom of the higher range of the Hamerine Mountains.

Viewed from a distance in the dim twilight of morning, this singular rocky mass had the appearance of being the wall of a large caravanserai; although it was upwards of six hundred feet high, so small did it appear in comparison with the rest of the mountain range behind it. To the west, it rises almost perpendicular from the plain, presenting a vast wall of rugged rock of astonishing magnitude. The eastern side rises in a steep slope to about a hundred yards from the summit, when it shoots up in rugged perpendicular masses, pointed at the top, giving the form of a wedge flattened at one side.

As we were still shivering with the cold, we were not sorry to crowd round a large fire which some neighbouring Illyauts had assisted us in making. Mr. Lamb, who had strolled from our party to view the country, now returned, much pleased with the magnificence of the prospect. In ascending the mountain, he

CURIOUS CUSTOM OF ILLYAUTS.

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saw in a ravine near the top, some sheep's wool and some bones, and smelt a strong odour so like to that of a lion, that it accelerated his return, hearing that lions were often seen in this neighbourhood.

He passed, in the plain, a small horde of miserable-looking Illyauts, and was surrounded by the females of the party, who importuned him for alms till they had completely emptied his pockets; some of them seized him by the arm, others kissed his sleeve, and others, in soliciting charity, opened their robes in front, and exposed their bosoms and nearly the whole of their persons to view. This was practised by young and old, and might be intended to excite his commiseration by an appeal to their wretched condition. Such a freedom is always remarkable, when compared with the distance and fastidious reserve of Oriental females in general. Mr. Lamb says they were mostly good-looking, and all of them had very beautiful teeth.