or in
fertility to most provinces of Persia, and consists of a regular succession
of undulating eminences, partially cultivated and opening into extensive
plains. Near the centre of the province the mountains of Sahand rise in an
accumulated mass to the height of 12,000 ft. above the sea. The highest
mountain of the province is in its eastern part, Mount Savelan, with an
elevation of 15,792 ft., and the Talish Mountains, which run from north to
south, parallel to and at no great distance from the Caspian, have an
altitude of 9000 ft. The principal rivers are the Aras and Kizil Uzain,
both receiving numerous tributaries and flowing into the Caspian, and the
Jaghatu, Tatava, Murdi, Aji and others, which [v.03 p.0081] drain into the
Urmia lake. The country to the west of the lake, with the districts of
Selmas and Urmia, is the most prosperous part of Azerb[=a]ij[=a]n, yet even
here the intelligent traveller laments the want of enterprise among the
inhabitants. Azerb[=a]ij[=a]n is one of the most productive provinces of
Persia. The orchards and gardens in which many villages are embosomed yield
delicious fruits of almost every description, and great quantities, dried,
are exported, principally to Russia. Provisions are cheap and abundant, but
there is a lack of forests and timber trees. Lead, copper, sulphur,
orpiment, also lignite, have been found within the confines of the
province; also a kind of beautiful, variegated, translucent marble, which
takes a high polish, is used in the construction of palatial buildings,
tanks, baths, &c., and is known as Maragha, or Tabriz marble. The climate
is healthy, not hot in summer, and cold in winter. The cold sometimes is
severely felt by the poor classes owing to want of proper fuel, for which a
great part of the population has no substitute except dried cow-dung. Snow
lies on the mountains for about eight months in the year, and water is
everywhere abundant. The best soils when abundantly irrigated yield from
50- to 60-fold, and the water for this purpose is supplied by the
innumerable streams which intersect the province. The natives of
Azerb[=a]ij[=a]n make excellent soldiers, and about a third of the Persian
army is composed of them. The province is divided into a number of
administrative sub-provinces or districts, each with a _h[=a]kim_, governor
or sub-governor, under the governor-general, who under the Kajar dynasty
has always been the heir-apparent to the throne of Persia, ass