'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎196] (205/466)

196
By raft, the down journey from SMstar to Band-i-Kir ; via the Ab-i-Sha-
teit, was made in 20 hours.
The risks of being plundered when journeying on this arm of the river, or
on the Dizful river, are great.
The journey down the Karun from Band-i-Kir to Muhammerah took
between 4 and 5 days in a ballam.
The Assyria ascended (February) the Ab-i-Dizful to the vicinity of KaFa
• Di-Ml Bandar, the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. averaging 3 fathoms; nothing
under 6' was met with. Here obstructions were encoun
tered* and although at this season the river can be ascended several miles higher,
the current becomes very rapid, and the pebbly bottom increases the difficulty
of diseno-ao-ing a vessel which has run aground. At KaFa Bandar, the natural
band running half across the river increases its current. The river is tortuous
and its current sluggish. The Arabs occupying its banks, the Anafigah
page 66) and A1 Hadhar, are well disposed, but great robbers. Lieutenant Selby
considered that vessels of the Indus Steam Vessel Navigation Company could
traverse it all the year round. Its banks were well wooded.
In April the current of all the above rivers is rapid, and tracking up them
a work of labour.
Little is known of the Ab-i-Dizful from the point at which it enters tlie
Bakhtian hills, at the Tang-i-Bahrein {see pages 201, 256), to the point of its
exit out of them, 10 miles to the north-east of Dizful.
The plains about Shustar become covered with grass on the cessation
of the rains (end of February); the grass increases
us ar p am. until May ; after May it disappears as quickly as it
comes, and the whole country becomes a parched and barren desert. The grass
^ ags along the banks of the Kharkha and Shawur or Shaour
rivers becomes so thick in April and May that it is
difficult to ride through it.
The plains below Shustar are capable of producing almost everything;
n i • t -j the country enclosed by the two arms of the Karun
Cultivation and produce. , /, J . • i- ^
to its south, grows sugarcane, opium, mdigo, ceieai^,
and cotton. Strabo records that the Shustar dependencies yielded to the
husbandman one hundred to two hundred fold.
The autumn sowings of wheat and barley, the " shatwi/^ takes place in
the end of November.
The "saifi^ or spring sowings consist of cotton, rice, maize, sesame,
tobacco, vegetables, &c.
Shustar is considered by Sir H. Kawlinson to be one of the best supplied
districts in Asia. Barley sells in the spring at 45 lbs. the kran ifid.), and
wheat at 26 lbs. A sheep weighing 30 lbs. will cost 4 krans. The culti
vation of grains requires to be encouraged to ensure a large export trade
in it resulting. Heavy contributions levied upon the peasants have driven
them from this fertile district [see pages 4, 6*, 7, 174),
In the town some 200 people are engaged in the manufacture of carpe s
Manufactures. an ( ^ ^ ormer are cotton and of no beau y.
In 1876 an epidemic, similar to that which visited Baghdad, devastated the
j) isease towns of Shustar, Dizful, and the surrounding coun ry
(see page 161), - "