Page:Kennedy, Robert John - A Journey in Khorassan (1890).djvu/108

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and spring, inundate the whole of this part of Persia, is seen in the solid tile-roofed houses, which appear quite palatial compared with the flat mud roofs to be seen in all the villages of Persia outside of the two northern provinces of Mazanderan and Ghilam. The 'kedkhoda,' or head man of the village, placed a large empty house at our disposal, and here we camped for the night, our rest being much disturbed by the presence of the vermin with which this otherwise decent habitation was horribly infested. At nine next morning we resumed our march, following for about eight miles the river Haraz through a thick jungle, and occasionally in crossing and recrossing the river, which was greatly swollen by recent rains, and by the melting of the snow on the mountains, our horses were almost swept off their legs. After thirteen miles we ascended a steep, rocky causeway, which has recently been repaired, and which, though sometimes unpleasantly narrow where it has been blocked by landslips, is perfectly practicable for horses and laden mules. Our destination was Parus, where there is no village, but merely a broken-