'ROUTES IN PERSIA. SECTION II.' [‎31] (56/122)

31
Route No. 17—
D istance ik
miles.
No.
of
Names of stages.
R emaeks.
stage.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
and convent of Deir, some gardens and good
grazing, little cultivation, to
1
F ilfil
18
18
Filfil. Cross a stream by new masonry bridge,
flocks of sheep and cattle, good grazing, inhabit
ants Arabs. Pass the large village of Deiiistnn.
Some distance further a route turns off to Alkosh
and thence by Dandiye to A madia, which is a
good deal used. After 10 miles ford the Bntak
Su, bed 50 yards wide, shallow, owing to iiriga-
tion channels. Large village of Hatara some
distance up stream, some cultivation, several vil
lages.
2
G urapahan ...
17
35
Gurapahan, lar^e Yezidi village of 250 houses,
well built. Continue over plain, little cultiva
tion. After 6 miles cross the small Dohuk Su
pass, near large villages of Oulep and Giristcbik.
After 10 miles pass large village of Simel, soil
here fertile with fair cultivation ; villages mostly
inhabited by Yezidis, reach
3
T al Z ait
15
50
Tal Zait, 100 houses, country more undulating
approaching the hills. Pass Asi, where there is
much fruit, and reach hills at 12 miles, where a
route turns off left to Feishabur, then an easy
ascent by good road, 2 miles to summit of Zakho
pass (2,700 feet), good descent on the other side,
grass slopes to
4
Z akho
21
71
Zakho. If the right channel is not fordable, it is
necessary to go up stream to the upper bridge,
then descend right bank past the town, and again
over level ground at foot of hills, fording the
Hazil River after 3 miles, bed 80 yards wide, ferry
where the river is high, difficult ford. There
some cultivation, fertile soil, several large Chris
tian villages to
5
N ahbawan
191
90i
Nahrawan, Christian village of 100 houses, un
healthy ; these approach the Tigris gradually.
At 4 miles pass Rubahi on the river bank, irriga
tion and cultivation; hills close in, and the
road runs near the river. This is 150 to 200
yards wide as a rule, but the bed is over 600
yards. At 9 miles cross the Nurdush River, 30
yards wide, and generally fordable, bad ap
proaches ; road continues along Tigris, crossing
some spurs and ravines. Pass Kasr Delan, where
there are vegetables and fruit, and reach end of
boat-bridge at
6
J azieah ...
19i
110
Jazirah. Up to this point the route is quite prac
ticable for artillery, and attempts have been made
to convert it into a carriage road. There are
culverts over many of the smaller streams, and
the gradients over the Zakho pass have been
made easy. The route keeps along the left bank,
crossing several deep ravines to