'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎335] (382/466)

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avoids the fordwliich are then impassable. The valley is here about 41
miles broad and the river only 1^ miles to south. A few .miles further on the
road comes right to its bank. There are large quantities of kuh-nar trees in
the plain and aspens along the river side. This would be a fertile spot if it
had a settled population. After passing the fourth torrent at right angles to
our road, we come on some cultivated ground, and see the Arab encamp
ment we are to halt at. We got some black francolins to-day. The night
bitterly cold with sharp frosty Arab children crying with cold; we badly^off
with half wet bedding.
Stage 5, Beeemler 7^.—Slowly our frozen people pack up. We warm
. , ourselves walking after francolin or black partridge,
De ^Koreyseh, liTmHes. wblc ^ plentiful in a grove of palms, with "an
Road, rough, across spur, undergrowth of wild vines and figs. We are handy
but capable of being to our caravan as it passes the village of Jaizun in-
kvef-^ast 76 ' 16168 habited by Mrs. Our Arab guides disappear into the vil
lage. When we get 200 yards beyond it, we see several
men running for the caravan. They commence to struggle with our people
to carry off a mule, and demand black-mail. We dismount and lay on
with sticks, drive them off well thrashed, send on the caravan, and then
cover the retreat with drawn revolvers. Knives were being drawn and
guns shouted for by the villagers, but by the time the guns arrived
we were out of range; the distance was tried by firing at us. Fortunately
the ground was open, and they did not think fit to run forward and hold the
rough country we were now approaching. The Blunts experienced annoyance
here at Jaizun. This nest of'robbers ought to be done away with. It is
beyond the limits of Behbahan territory, and Shaikh Jabir seems to have
no power. His men, our guides, were doubtless in collusion with the vil
lagers. These worthies lost the present they were to have received from us,
notwithstanding that they protested ignorance, and declared they heard
nothing of the row. Leaving Jaizun the plain gets drier and stony. About
four miles east of Jaizun the valley has narrowed considerably, and the road,
no longer able to follow the river, strikes across the spur from the mountains,
which spur here closes the valley. The road, though rough, could easily be
knocked into shape, having no steep gradients, and the rocks mostly being
conglomerate. From the north-east side of the spur a fine view of the Behba-
lian plain is gained. The town is in the middle-distance, with a fine range of
mountains to the north, with their snowy caps bounding the view in that
direction. A low range of hills to the south divides the plain of Behbahan
from that which runs down to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and turns the river Jarrahi
west into the valley up which we have been travelling. On the left the
road from Patek is seen, with the plain on that side a deep green from
kuh-nar clumps. St. John^s map shows the Patek road as joining the one
by wliich we are travelling at Kai-Kaus; but this is incorrect. We could hear
nothing of Kai-Kaus. The Ram-Hormuz road certainly does not go through
such a place [see map).
Stage 6, December 8th. —Last night our tent was pitched near the village
Deh -Koreyseh to Beh- K or eyseh, of about fifteen inhabitants. A white frost
bahan; the Jarrahi river and cold fog cover the land this morning. A stream
v difficult to cross; other- f rom the direction of north has first to be crossed, and
ttiles. C0 D?rppfin evel, f 11 three miles from camp the river Jarrahi itself forms a
formidable obstacle. From bank to bank it is 70 yards