'Military Report on (S.-W.) Persia, Volume V. Luristan' [‎57r] (118/152)

Route No. ll.—contd.
the road ; (here are the winter quarters of the Amarai Lurs), then cross stony spurs and des
cend to and reach at 15f m. a narrow cultivated strip, with a good stream of water return
ing S. E. Camp room ; water and forage abundant; no fuel adjacent; supplies only when
the crops are standing and flocks and herds being pastured. Road throughout good and
passable to all arms except through the Siib pass which is barely practicable for laden
animals and scarcely rideable. Water as noted : grass throughout, but no fuel.
Rudbir (2,550')
m
92£
Gen. dir. N. of W. Ascend somewhat steeply,
in a N.W. direction, a grassy spur ; the path
of gypsum and quartz rocks gives good
foothold but is narrow. At 2J m. reach
the summit of a ridge called Sargach pass, and descend steeply to 3 m. then cross rolling
grassy spurs to 4 m ; a very small spring lies in a ravine below to the right hand 300 yards
off; descend steeply to, and cross a small stream at 4J m ; from here cross a succession of
ravines and spurs to 6 | m. when emerge on to a wild and barren slope : one large and several
small sangars around ; to the left the Saidmarreh traverses the Birinjan gorge, to the right
the Lira mountain rises in a tremendous wall. Descend gently towards the river valley
of Rudbar and drop steeply into it. At 8 m. traverse level plateau above the river to ll£m.
when round a spur by a narrow path, again over level plateau, some cultivation to 12 f m.,
when cross a spur ; descend again to the valley and reach a ford at 13£ m. ; ford the river,
girth deep on a horse, 80 yards broad, bed and banks firm, and easy gradient, and ascend
to level plateau on the right bank.
Ample camp room; forage and fuel abundant; some supplies from village of Rudbar
of 80 houses £ m. down stream.
Road throughout fair and passable to laden animals: water where noted; grass
throughout and wood after reaching the valley of the Saidmarreh river ; no supplies. At
n m. is a ford and on the opposite (right) bank of the river a few huts and an Imamz.
8
13
105|
Gen. dir. N. N. E. Traverse level plateau
to 1 J m. to the right of the river, to the
left grassy and wooded hills, when the path
narrow but easy crosses spurs abutting
on the stream, at 2 m. descend to and traverse cultivated pla ! eau, grassy hills lying on
the left hand to 3 J m. when path crosses a stony slope and again level plateau to Si
miles, crosses a spur and on it, reaches at 5f m., the camp of Banishan, 50 huts. Descend
to the cult vated valley of the same at 3£ m., and skirt its, S.-E. edge over low grassy
spurs r unn ing down from the range; when the crops are not standi g or the ground
irrigated, a path can be taken across the valley itself. At 9f miles cross a cultivated
valley, the path deep where crossed by irrigation channels, and skirt, by a narrow path
side of a spur above a large stream and cultivated valley. At 11J m. skirt an afluent of the
same to avoid irrigated land and crossing some stony spurs reach at 13 m. the richly
cultivated valley of Shirwan. Water and forage abundant; wood from the valleys
of the Mulla Gawan range to the S. W. supplies obtainable, camp room on various
bare spurs adjacent. Road throughout passable to laden animals ; in the spring and
autumn when the crops are irrigated it is much obstructed by irrigated lands and water
channels ; at other times the lower ground can be followed. ater and grass throughout;
no fuel near; scattered huts are met from the 11 th m. and occasional large flocks of
sheep and goats. Banishan has also large numbers of cattle.
9.
Zangawan. 3750'
11
116J
Gen. dir. N.-N.-E. Leaving Shirwan vil
lage, cross the Shirwan stream coming in
from the W: 1 m. up it are the ruins of
ShTrwan; cross a spur; the path now
rounds the head of the valley N. W. and ascends a ravine of the bare grassy range of
low hills, vhich run between the Mulla Gawan and Charmxn mountains; easy gra
dient and path. At 2 m. the ravine forks the path takes the left hand. At
2| miles cross a ridge from the hill on the right called the Muaruh pass (3530') ; and