'ROUTES IN PERSIA. SECTION II.' [‎51] (76/122)

61
Houte No. 32.
F rom J azirah via S hernak and S hattak to V an.
Authority and D evey, 1889.
No.
of
stage.
Names of stages.
D istance isr
miles.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
B emabks.
J azikah
Sheenakh
30
Khumaba
S hattak
G eueandash
Heej
V an
45
16
13
11
16
30
75
131
91
104
115
The road ascends steadily some distance over bare
hills north-east. After 10 miles descend and cross
a ravine, then follow the wooded ridge between
two tributaries of the Tigris in a N.N.E. direc
tion for 14 miles, then descend to the stream on
the r'ght, and from here ascend to
Shernakh (5,300 feet) ; no villages up this. A route
from here runs east to near the Upper Khabur
River, and thence by Mervanen to Van. This
route is followed in an easterly direction for 20
miles in a labyrinth of hill and dale with forests.
The Shattak route then turns north, passing west
of the Evrak Mountain, and the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins.
between the Khabur and Botan Su^ basins is
crossed \ this is fairly wooded, but there is scarcely
any settled population; good pasture here and
there till the valley of the Bhotan Su is approach-
ed, this latter river being reached near a bridge
some miles below
Khumara, about a mile from the river on its left
bank. The river may be crossed at the above-
named bridge, and the route by the right bank
taken. The left bank route, after six miles,
crosses the Kawalis River, up the valley of which
runs a summer route to Mervanen and Julamerk.
7 miles further the Bhotnn Su is crossed by a
wooden bridge, and soon afterwards is reached.
Shattak. From Shattak the route runs up this
torrent for some distance, bare hilly country, pass
Sevdigin village afti-r 6 miles, and 7 miles further
pass •»
Geurandash. The route continues over^ the hills
passing Mtiskova in 5 miles and Kotis in 4 miles
more, thence descending to
Herj, an important village, whence it is an easy
route down to the Khushab, which is reached
after 4 miles, and crossed by a bridge some dis
tance above Engl. Thence over some undulating
partially cultivated country to the plain
of
Van.
This route, which is quite impracticable for wheels,
is one of the best pack routes between Mesopotamia
and Lake Van^ ard is much used in summer. It
traverses country that is little known, although
the travels of Colonel Chermside, Lieutenant
Maiinsell, and Mr. Devey have served to open it