'Routes in Arabia' [‎655] (686/852)

655
R oute N o . 184— contd.
top very steep and pebbly : difficult if not impassable for wheels ;
one or two places in pass where guns could not pass and apparent
ly no way round; descent of pass is much less steep, but very
pebbly ; 1 mile from the top is rather a steep bit about 50 yards
long, but possible for wheels ; the descent is about 2 miles : half
way down road turns half-left and again half-left at bottom :
cross open, cultivated plain : sheep on and near pass, 1,000 :
40 horses and 50 kine in the plain ; road crosses a few natural
water-courses, all easy and fit for wheels ; road in plain generally
boggy in wet weather and at about 2* miles from Kara Tapa
a large piece of bog, quite impassable in wet weather. At 13
miles reach Xahryin river ; good bridge of 5 brick arches, in fair
repair ; stream (50 yards wide, 30 feet deep ; very little water in
bottom ; fordable, 2 villages on right side J a mile apart, nearest
about i mile from bridge, both called Xahryin : 30 houses be
tween the two : telegraph line passes close to the one nearest the
bridge : villages consist of well-built mud houses. After passing
Xahryin river, about 4 or 5 villages on left, about 1 mile from road,
all about same size (60 houses in each): 500 sheep grazing near
them ; abundant cultivation on both sides, except at boggy spot:
after passing boggy spot nothing special till Kara Tapa is reach
ed. Kara Tapa : here there is a Mudlr (Ibrahim Effendi, officiat
ing) : a few reserves, no regular troops, 10 Zaptiehs : the Mudlr
has no civil or criminal powers: about 300 houses and several
gardens on east side : more Shi'ahs than Sunnis. Khan (only
one) in good repair, 100 yards by 50 yards; stabling for 200
horses. Solid brick khan ; balakhana with 4 rooms about 14 feet
by 12 feet by 10 feet high ; parapet round top of khan about 2*
feet high. A large granary in shape of khan at entrance to
Kara Tapa on right-hand side, solid and well built.
Map of country near ttwainah is misleading : the hills begin
about 2 miles on the Deli Abbas side of Swainah and continue
on both sides of the road as far as the eye can see until the bottom
of the pass is reached. The map shows road passing through a
plain, which is ridiculous ; it passes through difficult hilly country
for about 10 miles, which is the breadth of the range.
6 KIFRI .. .. 22 m. Half a mile from Kara
Tapa cross an irrigation
m - channel, broken brick
bridge, width of stream 14 feet, depth 2 feet: cross small hills like