The New York herald., 1870-12-25

OF the kings. behind the Theban suburb OF Koorneh,
taat thought there might be something there.
n0ni tllis ravine In the spring. Following the LETT
bank or II we entered the pass formed by IT, and after
its intricate windings. with the dark upright noun.
tans, iull OF manifold assures and cavernous per-
ora5hoas n s5s and immense noudsry crags Impending
iur,her anu We came to winding gallery which
Was was cut ont OF the perpendicular face OF oasato
q q. ra,argaas aeSR there pass they were basal.
blocks at their base ia the greatest profusion ANA
dcep cuttings above them whence they had been
DISPLACED That pass, to my mind. Is geo-historical
volume We need not wonder now that Pasar-
gade was 40 opulent In marble and basat pillars, In
Diue stone Jahbs and pedestals, In marble palaces
but couple Of miles from the valley OF Cyrus aud
city OF pasargadn-it ID syene and Siiscs over
again. The prodiglous solidlty and spendor OF the
buildings rivanlnR those OF Egypt could never have
been obtained but for the ready access to such vast
mine Of vaiuablc material. For here are no Niles,
might be transported close TO their destination. IL
was oil heavy work overlsndi fortunately the DIS
lance was but short
The stones were obtained by water blasts; the
e S ysDs rers
OF them On the slopes and ledges OF the
Gins, and there are hundreds more resting yet
III their beds but prepared by the chlsels for the
water-basts. There are also traces OF the workmen
about in square inches, about foot deep, such as
but some of these inches deepen into tombs, ike
those In the face OF the Arabian hills which are seen
so often from the Nile.
The gallery which saw is about 1000 feet long
ana about Ave iect wide From the saddle. as you
M ride through the gallery. you may easily look over
tect passengers from the danger OF the precpce
low. As l have never seen book where this
quarry, or gallery, or ravine has been described and
am sure have read over fifteen "rravels In Per.
sia" am compelled TO be accurate In Its descrIp.
ton.
Left 10 my own Judgment, have not the least
which built Pasargadn. Everything tends to con-
1rm IL. For instance, tile minute marks Uf the
chisei IN The rock arc similar to those which may be
seen In the troughs made In the quarries where
blocks yet In their beds prepared FOR the water
blasts, and. again. Its near neighb0rh00d to Pasar-
gade, It's evident antiquity and It's position lying,
as II does, between PasargadH and Its quarries.
As We advanced the quarries became more exten.
slve The ravine al intervals expanded into pretty
valleys overgrown with wild almond trees and
acacias About i've miles from the gallery we were
aware OF stream rushing over the bottom Of the
ravine, Which gradually became quite q river. The
name OF II ID kasri Agaub as learned from mem.
Der OF an Ecliant camp which we came across.
About three farsakhs from Pfsargade, the quarrles
extending a Intervals all along the ravine we came
f0r the nrst time TO dark slate stone quarry OF no
great extent which puts to confusion even the
native traveller and geoyrapher "Hamdalah,n who
OF Which % stana m
one hundred thousand maums (7750oo poundsl, ana
there Is not in the Vicinity any stone OF the same
appearance or Kind Three farsakhS further ar
rived at Kawamabad q most beautiful valley well
cultivated, with several groves oil trees scattered
about II.
MOUNTAIN GoRGEs
From Kawamabad We proceeded along the valley
and shortly turned east towards Saidoon, through
another Wild scene Of mountains and passes, with
vestigeS mere and there showing that marble has
been extracted from some OF the hills In ancient
times At 3ad0on, as the vale In which it Il
situated leads to Persepos and lstako distant Ave
miles, and as evening was drawing near, we halted
for the night