IRAK, a province of Persia, being the greatest part of the ancient Media, is bounded on the south by Fars and Kuzistan; on the east by Khorassan and the great salt desert; on the west by Kurdistan; and on the north by Azerbijan, Ghilan, and Mazunderan. This great province has everywhere a most mountainous appearance. The mountains are barren and devoid of timber, and run generally from west to east, enclosing valleys from ten to fifteen miles in breadth. They either gradually sink into the desert, or throw out branches into the provinces of Kerman and Khorassan. The valleys are for the most part uncultivated, excepting in the vicinity of the villages. The land, however, is good, and is capable of yielding abundance of corn. But the country languishes under oppression, by which the valleys that were once productive are now rendered desolate; and the cities and aqueducts, which were formerly in a different condition, are now ruined. This province is divided into five great districts, and each of these into lesser districts. There are, 1sZ, Ispahan; 2d, Teheran; 3d, Naen; ⅛th, Mullager; 5th, Kermanshaw. A lofty range of mountains divides the northern frontier of Irak from the provinces bordering on the Caspian Sea. This range passes about six miles to the north of Teheran, and, about fifty to the east, suddenly advances to the south as far as latitude 36° north, and again as suddenly retiring, forms a point, at the extremity of which is the Pass of Khawar, designated in ancient geography by the appellation of the Caspian Gate. Some of the plains in this province afford excellent pasturage, and are populous and well cultivated, while others are almost in a state of nature. Towards the south-west, near the mountains of Louristan, the high country is diversified with rich valleys, inhabited by the tribes of Fity and Bucktiari; and the southern division of the district of Ispahan, lying between that capital and the towns of Yez-dikhaust and Isferjan, is more populous than the neighbouring district of Fars, and is just recovering from the deplorable state to which it had been reduced by the ravages of the Afghans. The valleys are all connected with each other, either by openings in the mountains, or narrow defiles. The villages have a picturesque and flourishing appearance; and the produce of the district is not inferior to that of the most fertile spots in Persia. It is about seventy miles in length and forty in breadth, and is irrigated by canals cut from the Zeinderood, which are surrounded with gardens and a prodigious number of pigeon-houses. These animals are kept principally for the sake of their dung, which is a rich manure, and is supposed to give to the melons of Ispahan their acknowledged superiority in flavour to all others. The largest of these pigeon-towers sells for about L.3000. The rńost arid part of Irak is that situated between this city and Yezd. The soil is poor, and light, and sandy. A general scarcity of wood and water prevails; and the climate is hot, though not unhealthy. The climate of Irak towards the north is delightful in the spring, though rather cold towards its commencement, as the snow is scarcely off the ground, and a keen north wind blows from the mountains. The heat sets in towards the middle of June, and continues to increase till the middle of August, when the harvest is collected. Snow begins to fall in the end of September, and continues to fall in great quantities during the months of December, January, and February. In the province of Irak is the high land which divides the streams that flow northward into the Caspian Sea from those which flow southward; namely, the tributary waters of the Tigris, or the Shut-ul-Arab, and their head branches, one of which, the Zeinderood, passes through the city of Ispahan. Within the limits of this province are comprehended many great and celebrated cities, the largest of which is Ispahan, for many ages the capital of the Persian monarchy; Yezd, which is large and populous; Natunz; Cashan, a flourishing city; Koom; Teheran, the present capital of Persia; Casween, a commercial and populous city; Sultanea, now in ruins; Zinjan, a prosperous town; Hamadan, supposed to be the ancient Ecbatana; Kermanshaw, and others.