'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎125r] (254/312)

At 16| miles the road bifurcates ; a broad track and the telegraph line runs
south-west over a spur towards Julamerk.
Immediately to the north-west rises a high mountain ridge with a rounded
o-rassy summit, dotted over with tents of Hartoshi Kurds. At the foot of
the ridge on this side is the village of Umerava.
Our road still follows the river bank, and at 19| miles turns across the
valley. We forded the Zab, 50 yards wide and 2 feet deep, with a rapid current
(6,180'). On the left bank was a swampy water meadow left by an old
channel of the river through which the road led.
In this grew some splendid grass, tall white and red clover, and various
English grasses.
From the valley we ascended a series of wide grassy terraces. At 20|
miles passed the small village of Bawis, and at 23 miles halted in Sarderan
(6,820').
Sarderan .—This is a small Kurdish village on a grassy terrace. There are
two good houses of sundried brick belonging to the headman ; the rest have
walls of stone and mud with flat roofs covered with earth.
There were a few tobacco and vegetable gardens close by, but no trees.
Water was from a well 6 feet deep.
In the valleys no streams are formed, but the water seemed to percolate
through a sort of spongy swamp ; consequently was easily obtained by dig-
ging.
From a knoll close by Tura Daouil peak bore 198° and Tura Bemarghi
2°5 0 . „ .
We had a night alarm here. At midnight horsemen came galloping up
from Bawis, saying the Shekak Kurds had attacked their village and had
driven off all their sheep and cattle, and an attack was probably to be made
on Sarderan.
The villagers turned out and proceeded to drive their cattle and sheep
with a rush towards the village to get them in the houses if possible.
A party of six Nestorian priests who had accompanied us from Bashkala
were discharging some antiquated flintlocks into the darkness to the common
danger, and added more confusion to the scene.
Matters having quieted a little, I ascertained that no lives were lost, but
some 400 sheep were captured from Bawis, and the raiders had cleared off.
It was impossible to pursue them, as they had about an hour s start on a
dark night over the hills. Such raids are common in the frontier districts.
15th July,—General direction S.S.E. Left Sarderan at 6 a.m., and
started south along a broad track, over some low rounded spurs from the
frontier range to the east. A narrow stony ravine with an easy gradient led
to the valley°of the Mashiro stream (6,120') running north-west into the Zab,
which we reached Sj miles.
The actual bed of the stream is narrow, but grows wider to the east, and
is bordered by grassy terraces rising one above the other. Several villages,
each surrounded by a clump of poplars, were dotted about on these.
Just here is said to be a favourite place_for thieves to waylay and attack
caravans, and inhabitants have a lawless reputation.
We ascended steeply from the stream bed, and crossed some high rounded
spurs (7,775') which lay in front of us.
A few trees, chiefly hawthorn and wild pear, and some stray shrubs giew
in the ravines. The hawthorn and the wild rose were now in bloom.
Two crops of wheat are obtainable in a year in these elevated districts.
The second crop was now 4 inches to 6 inches high, and will be fit to cut
2 c 2