LETTER xvi KILLA BAZUFT 19

as if planted. The views from this natural park are
glorious. Besides the great ranges with which I have
become familiar, the Safid-Kuh, or "white mount," on
the right bank of the river, at present deserves its name,
its snows descending nearly to the forests which clothe
its lower heights. A deep chasm conceals the Tabarak
stream up to the point of its foamy junction with the
Bazuft, which emerges on the valley by an abrupt turn
through a very fine canon.

We crossed the pure green waters by a broad ford,
and camped on the right bank on a gravel plateau above
it, on which is Killa Bazuft, a large quadrangular stone
fort with round towers at the corners, an arcaded front, a
vaulted entrance, and rooms all round the quadrangle.
Tt is now ruinous. Some irrigated land near it produces
rice and mosquitos. The Sahib's camp is pitched here.
He has been badly robbed, both of clothing and cook-
ing-pots, and was left without the means of cooking any
food.

Lima, June 86.—"We retraced our steps as far c^ the
source of the Duab, crossed into the Shamisiri valley, : id
by a low pass into the Karun valley, forded the Karu \
by a strong deep ford, crossed a low range into the',
Zarin valley, where are some of the sources of the Zain-
derud, from thence marched to the Tang-i-Ghezi, through
which the Zainderud, there a vigorous river, passes into
the Ghahar Mahals, went up the Kherson valley, crossed
Gargunak, and by a very steep and rugged descent reached
this camp, a place of springs, forming the upper waters of
the Zainderud. These days have been severe, the heat
great, and the incidents few.

The ascent of the Gardan-i-Cherri was difficult. The*
guide misled us, and took us through a narrow rift in tij'"
crest of a ridge on broken ledges of rock. We cam]
at a height of 9000 feet in the vicinity of snow. f*