'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎15r] (34/1278)

" The general run of the valley here is 140° and 340°. Nearing the river
the valley becomes very swampy, and for 1 mile horses and mules found
•the. greatest difficulty in traversing it, sinking over their fetlocks into the
sticky clay at each step.
“ There is a ford over the river Diz, 3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet deep ; current
swift, 250 feet to 300 feet wide. There are here the remains of a masonry
bridge, of which four arches only are now (1884) standing. Beyond the
bridge the river valley is swampy ; barometer 25-0" (4,870 feet). The river
is generally fordable except after rain.
“ The valley is bordered on either hand by hills, those to the east being
less in height by 200 feet to 300 feet ; those to west are still snow-topped. ”
At 53 miles the Ab-i-Diz receives the water of a somewhat larger stream
from the north-east, called by Strauss the “ Sira. ” At 70 miles Bahrain
is reached, and her a large tributary, the Kamand Ab, joins the Ab-i-Diz
from the east. Thus reinforced he river turns south-south-west and enters
the mountain range of Takht-i-Kalan Kuh at the Tang-i-Bahrain, whence,
says Colonel Bell, a Bakhtian road via Lanjaur leads by seven stages
to Shushtar. From the Tang-i-Bahrain, the river forces its way through a
succession of chasms and gorges, and the track along its bank is utterly im
practicable : indeed this part of the range is so very precipitous that there is
only one single pathway conducting across it from Dizful to Burujird ; it
is followed by Itmts on foot : it is not to be traversed by a horseman, and
is considered the most d fficult of all the mountain pathways. It breaks
into the Sahneh-i-Lur between the hill forts of Tanga van and Kaleh-i-
Shahi.
During its passage through the mountains the Ab-i-Diz receives many
small streams from either side. It finally emerges from the mountains
after a total course of some 120 miles at a point 47 miles north-north-east
of Dizful in a straight line, where its volume is increased by the Ab-i-Zaz
flowing into it from the east. Near the point where the Ab-i-Diz leaves
the mountains, is the celebrated Diz-i-Shahi. From here its course is
indefinite, but it probably forms an arch westward round the spurs of
the Kuh-i-Aialu and the Chal-i-Nark, and skirting the Dirakwand country.
At approximately 140 miles it unites with the Gand-Ab—the Ab-i-BaznuI
of Major Sawyer—some 15 miles south-west of Pul-i-Kul, and 32 miles
north-east of Dizful town.
The Gand-Ab, the other parent branch of the Ab-i-Diz and by which
name it is also called, is fernud by two streams, rising one on either side
■of Kaleh-i Surkh, a spur of the mountains on the west of Farldan, which
unite after some 15 miles, and flow’ south-west apparently under the name
of the Golun river. After 20 miles the river, wffiich throughout its length
flow's through very mountainous country, turns north-west to Baznui
which is reached at 60 miles. The Chal-i-Siah forces it to turn sharp, and
it flows south-south-west for some 20 miles, receiving a tributary from the
east rather more than half-way dowm this bend. Turning again north
west round Kuh Rita and then in a more westerly direction, its course re
sembles the coils of a snake as it winds through the mountains towards
Pul-i-Kul. At about 99 miles Pul-i-Shlrak is passed, and at 143 Pul-i-Kul
is reached. Here the river is generally called the Ab-i-Diz and is about