Blind White Fish in PersiaThis book gives an account of a small Oxford University expedition to Persia in 1950 to bring back specimens of a fish, allegedly white and sightless, which was said to inhabit the underground water-courses of Iran. Though the four young men that made up the expedition failed in their quest, they discovered rural Persia where villagers still led medieval lives. The story includes an account of the qanats - the underground irrigation and tunnels employing ancient technology which still criss-cross the country making life in the desert possible. |
Common terms and phrases
Ahmed Ameri animals appeared Aqbar arrived asked Azraq Baghdad Bandar Abbas bazaar became began Beirut buz majjeh camel carpet channel climbed collected Customs Damascus dark Deraa desert donkey drive drove dust Eric feet fish flowed garden gasoline Gauhariz gave Gendarmerie Genoa ground Hamadan hills hole horse inspect Isfahan journey Jupar Kadkhoda Kirman knew knots lamp land landlord less lived lizards looked Louis Mahun meal miles Mirza morning mosque mountains muqannis Negar nets never night once opium passed peasants Persian Peter Wild Philip plain qanat Qazvin reached returned Reza Shah road roof rope Rutba sand scorpions seen shaft shouted side sleep snake soldier spent stones stopped stream street suddenly Tehran things thought tion tire told took town trees trip truck valley village walked weavers wheel yards