'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎121r] (246/982)

DARKASH WARKASH, TANG-I- -Lat. 29° 32'5". Long. 50 o 40'E.
Elev. 8,300'.
A gorge in the Bakhtiari country, through which the whole drainage of
the Chehar Mahal carried off by the Ab-i-Behishtabad {vide this Gazet
teer) from its south-western extremity. Its name may be translated into
English as “ The Gorge of Ingress and Egress.” It is a remarkable defile,
with a width hardly exceeding a J of a mile at its widest point, and narrowing
down to half that distance at others. Its mountain walls rise precipitously
to a height of from 1,000 to 4,000 feet on each side above the bed of the
torrent, and throw into perpetual shade the sea-green riband below. The
whole length of the defile, from its northern exit on the Chehar Mahal to its
southern outlet on to the small plain near the village of Behishtabad is 7
miles. The track, which runsdhrough it may, at its best, be described as “ a
difficult mule-track ’ ’ and in the winter months a dangerous one ; it is one
of the alternative routes taken by the Bakhtiari caravan road between
KharajI (4th stage), and Du Bulan (6th stage from Isfahan). Its passage
through this gorge is marked by a combination practically of a defile and
three passes. At its entrance from the Chehar Mahal the track runs
alongside the stream for about 1 mile, when it crosses by a ford the Ab-
i-Junaqan, which enters the gorge by another opening from the north,
and just before its junction with the main stream. This ford is negotiable
with some difficulty by laden animals when the waters are high in the
spring. The track now ascends and crosses a pass of some 500 feet in height ;
when it descends and follows the course of the river on its right bank and
about 100 feet above it. An ascent of some 1,200 feet then takes place over
a second pass, the gradients of which are very steep and the pathway very
narrow in places. A less steep descent again brings the track nearer
to the level of the river for about £ a mile ; when a final ascent of some 2,000
feet to the highest point in its course through the tang is reached at about
8,000 feet. The road then winds along the contour of the mountain for
some distance, and eventually descends by a series of steep zigzags on to the
plain of Behishtabad.— (Preeee, 1902— Arbuthnot, 1905.)
DARKAUND—
Darkaund, one of the sub-divisions of the Balaghirieh clans of the Pish Kuh
section of Lurs, is a migratory tribe, occupying 5,000 houses. They were
hitherto always rebellious, but have yielded this year and paid 3,000
tumdns to the Shah. About 4,000 among them, carry guns, but the place they
inhabit being in the midst of hills and unsuitable for keeping horses, they
possess no cavalry.— {Yusuf Sharif, 1889.)
DARKHUB—
A village situated on the side of hills to the north of the valley of Zubaideh
on a stream called Hajigah (?), between Harunabad and Mahl Dasht,
in the Province of Kirmanshah.— {Jones.)
DARLAKEH— Lat. 30° 13' N. Long. 99° 43' E. Elev.
A village in Southern ’Arabistan, on the left bank of the river Hindian
| of a mile south-west of Maliki. It is inhabited by 100 Agha Jaris, who
cultivate gra n and own 150 cattle, 250 donkeys, and 2,000 sheep.—
{ Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Gazetteer, 1908.)