there. They form, therefore, neither a travel book nor any study of dialectology or folklore. Owrazan, as the village is called, is situated at the foot of the mountains on the East of Taleqan (1) where no school or Gendarmerie is to be seen and men light their pipes with the flint. Its population has often been estimated at 700. According to the headman, about on, hundred families lived there in 1947, amounting to 560 people. There are 80 villages in Taleqan, including Owra- zan in the upper part, scattered on both sides of Shah- rood river which flows at the foot of a large valley and joins Qezel-Owzan on its Northern way to the Caspian Sea. The Upper Taleqan is mountainous and colder, while the Lower Taleqan is closer to the plains. Tono- kabon is on its Northern and Alamout on its western sides. Its Southern neighbour is Savojbulaq. Once during the past decade influencial [influential] men planned to construct a main road to Taleqan. Little progress, however, was made; and the present routes are passable by mules. Shahrood river carries all the timber cut during autumn. The people of Taleqan call their own dialect "Tati." In their economic life as well as their education and language they have affinities with Mazanderan. I include in the present brochure certain phrases and words form the local dialect, and have shown the pronunciation in Roman characters. I am indebted to my friend Mr. Bahman Mohasses for his help in preparing the plans and pictures of this brochure. TEHRAN SEPTEMBR 1954 J. A.
1) Estakhri's Al-Masalek and other Islamic Geographies record
another Talegan as being situated in khurasan.
