FARS, or.FARSISTAN, is a province of the kingdom of Persia, bounded on the north by Irak, on the east by Ker man and Laristan, on the west by Kuzistan, and on the south by the Sea of Oman. It is divided into two climates, the warm and the cold, which are designated by the names of Germaseer and Sirhud. The warm climate extends from the sea to the latitude of Kazeroon, and then runs pa rallel with the Gulf from the banks of the Tab to the con fines of Laristan. When the periodical rains are abundant, the sandy plain at the foot of the mountain produces a con siderable quantity of dry grain ; but when the rains are less abundant, a famine generally happens. This sandy plain, which is called Dushtistan, is divided into the dis tricts of Leerawee and Hiadouat, which are separated from each other by the projecting mountain called Kopi Bung.
These districts, which contain only a few wretched mud villages, are very badly cultivated. The Cold region stretches from the parallel of Kazeroon to that of Yezdek hast, on the borders of Irak. It comprehends most of the mountainous part of Fars. The mountain vallies are gen erally 8 or 10 miles broad, and from 15 to 100 long. They afford abundance of pasturage, and are commonly fertile, though ill cultivated. The plains of Sheeraz, Kazeroon, and Merdesht, however, are in pretty good cultivation ; but, towards the north and west, they are almost unpeopled. Mr Kinneir travelled, in 1809, above sixty miles between Behaban and Sheeraz, through the most charming wooded vallies, without seeing the face of a human being. An an cient tribe which formerly inhabited them, had been almost extirpated by the orders of the prince ; and the few which had escaped to the summits of the lofty mountains, subsis ted upon a wretched kind of bread made from acorns, and upon the pillage of travellers.
The eastern part of the province towards Darabgherd and Fesa is more open. The soil is more sandy, and the plains more extensive.
The range of mountains seen from the coast is not a se parate range,but a branch of Mount Zagros, which stretches in a continued succession of ridges from the borders of the Persian Gulph to the Caspian Sea and Mount Caucasus.
The hills in this province towards Bushire, are about 24 miles from the sea. The plain becomes contracted towards Bonder Reig ; and to the west of the village of Gunava, a low ridge suddenly projects to the south, and terminates at the sea shore in the projecting point of Kohl Bung, which separates the districts of Leerawee and Hiadouat. This point is not high, but is about 7 or 8 miles broad, and be yond it lies the plain of Leerawee. The mountains are here again 20 miles distant from the sea, and for 18 or 19 miles they preserve this distance, but afterwards approach the south, and assume a circular form near Bunder Deelum. On turning the southern point of this low and advanced branch, which is called Zeitoon, from a small town near Behaban, they again retire to the north, and at the port of the Mashoor they are 30 miles from the sea. Their most southern extremity at Shuster, crosses the 32d degree of North Latitude, in the 49th degree of East Longitude.
The principal rivers, are the Tab, the ?rosis of the an cients ; the Jerahi, the ancient Pasitigris ; the Bund Emeer, and several others whose modern names are not mentioned. The Tab, which is the largest, is formed by the union of two streams near Zeitoon, one of which rises at the foot of the high hill of Kamarah, and the other near that of Ardi coone, about 45 miles north-west of Sheeraz. Mr Kinneir considers this latter branch as the river mentioned by Arrian in the march of Alexander. The Tab separates Fars from Kuzistan, and passes through the town of Endian, where it is 80 yards wide (in Feb.) and navigable for boats of 20 tons burthen. There is a ford about 9 miles above the town ; and the Tab discharges itself into the sea about 16 miles below Endian. The water of this river is perfectly sweet when it passes Zeitoon ; but in running over the hills to wards Endian, it becomes so brackish as hardly to be fit for use. This is also the case with all the other rivers in Pars, which empty themselves into the Persian Gulf.