Page:Historyofpersiaf00watsrich.djvu/131

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PROVINCE OF FARS.
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luyeh, and the districts subject to Bunder-Abbass. The province of Fars extends northwards to Yezdikhast; to the north-west it extends beyond Ram-Hormuz. The province embraces the whole of the Chab country to the Karoon river; although that district is now attached to the government of Shuster. On the west and south, Fars is bounded by the Persian Gulf; and the south-east beyond Bunder-Abbass, by the mountains of Beshakird. The districts of Shehr-Babek and Seerjan, belonging to Kerman, form its eastern boundary; while in the direction of Yezd the limit of the country is at Aberzoo.

There are three regions in Fars, each of which possesses a distinct climate. North of Sheeraz is the Serhad, or cool region, while to the south of the parallel of Fessa is the Germiseer, or hot region, which possesses two very different degrees of temperature the withering heats on the shores of the gulf, and the cooler atmosphere of the higher plains, which are denominated the Serd-seer. The face of the high country is for the most part occupied by mountains, between which lie vast cultivated plains. Some parts of the province are sparingly wooded, more particularly the hilly tract between Servistan and Fessa; while Desht-i-Arjin possesses its forests of oak. To the south of Fessa, the palm-tree is found in abundance, and the high country to the south of Sheeraz produces a variety of trees and other vegetable productions; including amongst the former, the cherry-tree, the apple-tree, the pomegranate, the plum-tree, the apricot-tree, and almost all varieties of those producing nuts; and, amongst the latter, wheat, barley, cotton, and gum-plants, besides tobacco and rice, the finest grown in Persia. The face of the country is diversified by some small lakes of salt water