‘Military report on south-west Persia, including the provinces of Khúzistán (Arabistan), Luristán and part of Fars.’ [‎180r] (364/470)

traffic this would cost a large sum of money. There is no avoiding this hill,
nor any of the gorges we have traversed to-day. The Mai f-Mir plain once
reached all is easy to the “ teppe.” Altitude of plain 2,930 feet. The village
is a small one, of reed huts and two Imamzadas.
6 (a). At God-i-Bulatak in July the Karim is 60 feet wide and 20 feet
water is very cold. Three farsakhs (12 miles) to the east the three arms of
the river unite to form the Karun, i.e., the Ab-i-13ors, the Ab-i-Rang or Ab-i-
Karun, and the {see map).
In the spring and autumn a temporary bridge is at times thrown over the
narrowest part of the river; to avoid the expense of crossing over their flocks,
the lliyats often take the road to the north of the river [nee page 284).
The road goes north-west from an elevation of 2,860 feet at the crossing,
through the Tang-f-KaT), rising to 4,800 feet, and thence undulating consider
ably to KaTa-i-Madrasa, where are the ruins of a solidly built masonry caravan
serai of the time of the Atabegs, surrounded by oaks, willows, walnut, almond,
pomegranate, and fig trees. The old paved road is here seen running in an
easterly direction to the old bridge over the river (ruined), hrom the ruins the
road goes west to the Chashma-i-Kaki and the Deli-Thala. Crossing the
Kuh-f-Sar-i-Rak at an elevation of 3,660 feet, at 6 miles beyond it Mal-f-
Amfr is reached (3,500 feet). The total distance from God-f-Bulatak is 244
miles over a very difficult road. The mountains are thickly covered with oaks.
November 16th .—Yesterday on the Mal-i-Mir plain 1 was met by Sultan
Khan, cousin of the Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. , a fine-looking pleasant fellow, who took me across
to his tents pitched at the site of some ancient sculptures on the north side of
the plain.
One huge block of] stone stands 40 yards from the foot of the hill, and
the image of an ancient Persian in the act of supplication, standing. Behind
him are tiers of small figures backing him up. The relief is so low and the
rock so grey that the figures cannot be seen unless caught in the right light
and at the right distance. In the bay another block has rows of small figures
in tiers as in Egyptian sculptures; the third blocK has a single figure.
Further up into the bay, and on the left hand side as you face its end, cut in the
side of the rocky hill, is a tablet with figures in has relief. It is about 2 feet
6 inches square. On it appears the figure of a man evidently offering up a
sacrifice, as before him is a pile of three sheep without heads. Underneath him
are smaller figures leading fresh victims. The back ground of the figuie is
covered with cuneiform inscriptions in letters of elements 4 an inch long.
I saw on this tablet, written in pencil, the names of <f A. Layard, 1841,”
“ W. K. Loftus, 1852,” and therefore did not take impressions of the inscrip
tions, thinking they must be well known. A galop of 4 miles across the plain
brought me to the teppe, past the remains of an old earthwork. The Teppe
is formed by the accumulation of ruins of ancient buildings.
Stage 7, November 16th .—We are njw at Mal-i-Mir and fairly out of the
Direction soutli by east, marl, or c< gatch-match,” as the Persians say. Till now
Supplies tolerably plen- crossing' the numerous mountain ridges from Ardal
Up to that place the mountains were of the usual shapes and of the limestone
deep; in the spring it rises 13 feet to 14 feet more,and is
then 100 feet wide; its current 4 miles an hour; its
Sculptures.
near a break in the strata forming a sort of bay or
depression in the rock; on it in life size is, in low relief,
Mal-i-Mir to KaPa-i-
Tul, 1 Similes, good road.
mountains. Though there is still some hilly country to
encounter, yet it is all of one description, viz., gypsum and
i cc ; r j. i » __ _ t> : rr:n
we have come on a rather varied geological formation.