A Fortnight in N.W. Luristan
with round hills one behind the other basking in the si
The valley opened to a broad green bottom of rice-fie.
where men were ploughing. It was warmer here than Kha
or Duliskan: tamarisk bushes began to show among t
willows. As far as we could see down the river track, whc
it ascends from the Saidmarreh in the south-west, caravans
charcoal-sellers were plodding up behind their small bla
oxen and enormous sacks: they rested in the shade of t
rocks, and ate wild pears gathered in die jungle: Keram tc
me that down the valley one soon conies to big trees,
thick that the sun never penetrates, where panthers are si
to be found: and after the forest one comes out again into t
open basins of Hulailan and Tarhan, where most of t
ancient graves and bronzes are.
Even here we were in a country of graves. We passed
rifled cemetery by the side of the path, and tombs have be
found all over the slopes of Chia Dozdan. Most of them
this region contain ajar with the skeleton inside; but there a
also round graves, with bones of men and horses, so they sa
After about two hours we forded the Giza Rud, and turn
south-eastward over grassy downs under the cliff of Peri Ku
and then followed a stream called Kangaveri, which leads
Sar-i Kashti. Here also were graveyards scattered on t
lower ledges of the hills, where the river flowed in loncline
A few tamarisk bushes grew among the white stones of
bed, and flocks and herds of the Ittivend were grazing about
with no human being in sight.
This is thoroughly risky country. A bullet may meet o
round any corner. Keram, to whom our expedition was
the nature of a lark, rode on murmuring to himself at interva
" The hand of the Lady has shattered the Talisman of Lu
stan," and assured me that no European woman had ever be
here before.
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