(Flandin's drawing of the northwest wall. The modern buildings to the left of the

picture have disappeared)

SITE OF AN ANCIENT CUSTOM HOUSE

243

base of the great mountain ridge whose steep and rugged heights make a formidable barrier to surmount before reaching the city of Hamadan. Asadabad is the regular haltingplace for all caravans that go by this ancient route, and I believe that this not inconsiderable village represents, in location at least, the Bazigraban, or Custom House, mentioned by Isidorus in the passage already quoted. The etymology of the name Bazi-grabān (Gk. Bağıypáßav) immediately becomes clear when we restore the word to its probable form in Ancient Persian, *Bāji-grabanā, tribute-taking, toll-collecting,' indicating the place where the customs dues were levied, somewhat like the Modern Persian bāj-gāh, 'toll place.'1

Asadabad, being situated in a plain at the base of the spurs of Mount Alvand and watered by the streams that descend from the great ridge, has a fertile soil and a temperate climate, and it was once a place of some renown. Yakut, writing seven hundred years ago, says that it was formerly the residence of the son of the Sasanian king Khosru Parviz (A.D. 590–628), although the monarch himself resided for the most part at Kangavar. The Arab geographer narrates an amusing legend, which he characterizes, however, as poetic fiction and a lie,' to the effect that Khosru's Kitchen' was located midway between Asadabad and Kangavar; and whenever the king dined, a long line of pages 'passed the dishes from hand to hand' over the entire distance. His son observed the same custom when living at Asadabad. The viands, Yakut says, must have been cold when they reached the king, even if borne on eagle's wings, but he adds that we are, perhaps, to understand that Khosru's Kitchen' (matbakh) was merely the place which served as headquarters from which the royal cuisine was stocked.2

My journey over the desolate pass from Asadabad was made

1 Cf. also Spiegel, Altpers. Keilinschriften, 2d ed., p. 233. Cf. likewise OP. Pati grabanā, Bh. 3. 4.

2 See Yakut, pp. 34, 536, whose description and comments are worth consulting.

on the following day, April 20, through fierce storms of sleet and snow that swept pitilessly from the north during most of the day; and it was not until after five o'clock in the afternoon that I again reached Hamadan, having taken twelve hours to accomplish a distance of less than thirty miles.

CHAPTER XVII

FROM HAMADAN TO THE RUINED FIRE-TEMPLE NEAR

ISFAHAN

'Unto Fire, the son of the God Ormazd! Unto thee, O Fire, thou son of Ormazd, be grace, for thy worship, praise, propitiation, and glorification.'

AFTER remaining two nights at Hamadan upon the occasion of my second visit, I started late on the morning of the third day to continue my journey southward toward Isfahan, especially to visit the ruined fire-temple near that city. Weather and road alike were favorable, and we reached Nanaj at sunset, having travelled some thirty miles, which, owing to the late start, was less than my usual march, for I sometimes accomplished fifty miles, and occasionally even seventy. But I felt fatigued enough to be glad when my camp-bed was stretched for the night on the floor of the chāpār-khānah, after the servant of the post-house had swept the room a little more clean. There was much talk about bandits, as the post had been robbed on the previous night, but I paid little attention to the stories, fell asleep soon, and after a good night's rest was ready before daylight to mount Rakhsh and sit thirteen hours in the saddle.

Our cavalcade halted for the second night at the small village of Hassar, and we rose with the lark again next morning and proceeded along a well-watered plain that was fed by streams from the rocky hills on the right. The pace of our animals was good, and we easily overtook several caravans that had started an hour ahead of us, and all that day the conditions were favorable for rapid progress. It was Shakspere's birthday, a day memorable to me even in Persia, and the season