The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-18 00:00:00

THE HZ 41,1 H ILOAXIS or ASIA.

The high table-land of Iran, which may be termed
the Highlands of Wcstern Asia, in opposition to the deep
plains which arc adjacent to it on the north-east, called
the Turan, extends from the upper Indus through all
Western Asia, to the shores of the Grecian Archipelago.
Its centre is occupied by Persia, over its western parts
extends the dominion of the Turks, and its eastern divi-
sion contains Affghanistan : this region attains its
greatest elevation in the table-land of Khelat, which
rises, according to one estimate 7,000 feet above sea-
level. Its eastern and extremely rapid descent toward
the valley of the river Indus, which is formed by steep
rocks, and feeds no rivers, is without cultivation, and
without roads, except one. This road is that which be-
gins at Candahar, through Pisheen, Kwettah, and Baugh,
to Shikarpoor.

The northern edge of Western Asia, which extends
along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea and the
deep plains of Bukharia, is historically famous for con-
taining the Bactrian, Parthian, Hyrcanian, and Caspian
mountain passes, which are narrow defiles, and are
everywhere the abode of warlike mountain tribes. The
caravans, which travel eastward to India and Bukharia,
and westward by Tauris (Tabreez) to-Armenia and Asia
Minor, are obliged to pass throtigh these mountain passes,
which form the southern side of its mountainous boundary
girdle. Along the great road, which is invariably fixed
to this tract by the nature of the surface on the northern
boundary of the table-land, there rise numerous great
emporiums. Here we find the towns of Caubul, Canda-
har, Herat, Meshed, Nishapoor, Teheran, Rai, Casbin,
and Tauris.

The Southern border of the table land of Iran is dis-
tinctly marked by nature. It is separated from the low
and narrow coast, and the plains watered by the Tigris
and Euphrates, by a broad mountain tract, which begins
at the mouth of the Indus, and extends to where those
rivers enter the low plains. This mountain tract con-
sists of seven ridges, which rise like terraces, from the
low coast, higher and higher. Beyond them extend the
wide table-lands. There are but few mountain passes
leading through the natural entrenchment of Persia, a
ciountry which, on this account, may be considered as a
fortress erected by nature fel- the defence of the nations
which inhabit it. Among these narrow mountain passes
which lead from the sultry low coast, called the Gurinsir,
or warm region, through the great staircase of mountain
terraces to the' cool table-land in the interior, called
Sirlind, three reels hare acquired some celebrity in his-

tory, which may be divided under the names of the
eastern, middle, and western mountain roads.
THE EASTERN MOUNTAIN ROAD.--This higb-rOaCI
of Asia begins at the harbour of Bender Abassi or Gam-
. broon, near the entrance of the Gulf of Persia, and leads
northward to Kirwan, the ancient Karamania, situated on
the cool table-land, on a spot which abounds Si ith springs
arid fruit-trees, but surrounded by desert plains, in which,
Oasis-like, it lies in the midst of the Lybian Sahara.
From Gambroon a road also leads past Lar to Shiraz.
THE: MIDDLE 'MOUNTAIN ROAD.—`This road begins
at the town of Bushire, on the shores of the Persian
Gulf, and leads first over a lower ridge to Kazrun, near
Shalipoor, the residence of the Sassanidm (of King Sapor
1., A.D. 2400 which is situated in the first valley; from this
point it passes over a rocky mountain to Shiraz, once the
residence of the Arabian Caliphs, which is built in a wider
and richer valley ; farther, through winding mountain
roads and narrow ravines, to the valley in which the
ruins of Persepolis still excite •our admiration. From
these ruins the road, in a northern direction, again tra-
verses some narrow passes, through- high rocks, which
are full of monuments of the early ages of Persia, till at
last it issues out of the mountain region, and enters the
extensive table-land on which Ispahan is built, the re-
sidenca of the Sufi dynasty. Tl:e residence towns of
these different dynasties have been built on the fields
of battle, • where signal victories were obtained,
and are placed at the openings of the most difficult
mountain passes, full of narrow defiles. The Arabs
were obliged to pass this difficult road on their way to
Persepolis, and this has likewiSe been the route of
modern travellers who have entered the inland provinces
of Persia from the Persian Gulf. The Macedonians,
under Alexander, and after them Timour, made their
way from the banks of the Maroon to Persepolis, up the
valley of the Jerahi, and by the pass of Kalat-i-Sefid.
THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN ROAD.—This road, which
lies to the north-west of the former, may be called the
Median, in opposition to the Persian, which passes
through Persepolis. Beginning at or near the modern
Bagdad, it passes through the Mediae Pylte of the moun-
tain range called Zagros, runs by Kermanshaw, Besit-
toon, and the remains of the temple at Kungavur, and
terminates at Hamadan, the ancient Ectabana in Media.
This road, like the preceding, presents many historical
monuments, and it crosses the upper course of the rivers
which flow through the low lands of Susiana.