'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎204] (213/466)

204
R oute N o. 1 — contd.
From Muhammerah to Telirdn y Sfc, —contd.
Time.
Names of towns, villages, &c.
D istakces in
miles.
Interme
diate.
Total.
Ee marks.
a.m.
2-5
a path similar to that o£ the descent.
2-20 Kal'a Hussaineh ...
2-45
5-35
201
201
Descends by difficult, steep, stony path
into the deep bed of the Hussaineh stream.
Crosses the stream, presenting no diffi
culties, and ascends out of the valley by
Passes Kal'a Hussaineh, a small fort.
Descends into and ascends out of the deep
valley of the Tiktik-Ab ; both difficult on
account of ledges of rock and boulders, and
crosses the Waran Tushmal mountains.
After crossing several ravines, the beds
of streams flowing into the Balarud, and
traversing several stretches uf swampy
ground covered with large boulders at
5-85 a.m ., the road reaches the Bidruge
plain* and, improving, rises gradually
through intricate ro^ty hills; pasture good and abundant, notwithstanding the stony nature
of the ground ; barley and clover is sown broadcast and allowed to reproduce itselr annually.
With the exception of the Balarud and the Hussaineh stream, those crossed are di} duiing t e
summer months.
Eoad undulates in and out of numerous
streams, and is strewed with boulders; at
times it runs along slippery slopes of
rock.
Traversing the Kal'a-Rezza valley, de
scends by a stony path. Baivmeter 28 5
(1,560'). The pasture of the val ley is good;
it is suited for a large encampment; lire-
wood very scarce.
5-25
Kal'a-Eezza (eleva
tion 1,560').
P 7
? 214
Passes the ruined fort K&ra-Re'/'/n. The
Dirikawands pasture their flocks in the
vicinity. The Kabir-Kuh here ends in a
, peak called the Dum-i.Shah. Several clear
streams cross the valley, which is 2 miles long by 1 mile broad (north and south). Acioss i s
north-west extremity runs the Ab-i-Zal, a torrent rising high up in the fastnesses o e
Aspad and Anarah-rud and difficult to ford.
11 9-45 Ab-i-Zal
4 218
Camp on the left hank of the mer Zal-
The Sagwand subdivision of the Hajilaa
tribe of Luis, Chief Hajji Ali Khan, m
all about 1,000 families, was encampea
£00!; wide, flowing in ^ deep va ey
_ - _ ^ OK-/\ . i4- WQ.G
c mtorted hills, in parts largely composed of decomposed gypsum ; to the so
* From the Bidnife plain the most direct road {Rawlinxon) leads by Kirab y .the Ku. - - ouej qu te
Eeab, and the Kuh-i-Gird to the Chemtsk valley {see pages 215, 352). 1 he road is an extremely 0 f p er sia t and
unfit for an army to attempt. By it Khoramabad is distant from Dizfiil, . 115 miles {see (xazet t
(/ aeq218{.