'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎470r] (959/1486)

Of the smaller tributaries, two deserve special notice; one joins
the Kuranei, just above Dopulun (two bridges) in the middle ot
what is known as the Tang-i-Ardal, a long, deep winding gorge
(1,000 to 2,000 feet) by which the main stream has worked a way
lot itself through the Inner range. It is called the Dinaran or the
Ab-i-Gurab. as it rises in a beautiful summer valley of that name at /
an elevation of 7 000 feet (PhotoNo. 21). This stream flows first as
a sluggish English meadow stream, through a valley which in earlv
spring is one bed of flowers and grass, and leaving it through a small
Tangt flows at the foot of the lofty Gerra range in a deep impas
sable ravine bed, copiously increased by many rock springs and
mountain torrents. There are indications that centuries ago the
mountain-locked and well-watered “ Gurab” must have been as
favorite a haunt for savage man as it is now. .n- .1
On the other side of the Kuh-i-Isbiana (PnotoNo. 21, the
mountain spur, bearing several names, which separates the Dmaran
from the Kurang) is the second smaller tributary worthy of note.
It is the Ab-i-Cherri ; though short, it is the outflow of many rock
springs, and along its right bank is one of the most ancient high
roads of the world. It is a pretty stream, flowing in a wooded
valley, every square flat yard of which bears signs of cultivation,
^The^akhuari country proper may then be said to consist of
the valleys ot the Upper Kurang ana its tributaries For it con
tains no other water system except, in a very small area, the head
waters of the Zainderud. These, however are worthy of special
notice The head waters of this beloved Zainderud, fertilizing
some of Persia’s most wealthy provinces, are contained between
the Outer and Inner range, at the southern slopes of the
Kuh-i-Rang. Not content with what the slopes of this mountain
g[ve there seems to be here within the radius of a few
mile’s (8 or o) a sponge-like capacity for containing much
water. The small prefty valleys of the Zarin (the golden)
Dima, Kurban, all contain large gushing s P r >ng s out the
hill sides These waters unite and rush through the Outer
range by ihe Tang-i-Cez (not Ghazi) into Persia proper through
the province of Faraidan (vulg. Fandun). The waters are all
swee? the valleys are fair, and yet is this headwater basin called
Shorab (lit. Bitter), for in its very cen^e, equidistant rom the
other main springs, is a large salt spring at h f. 'T eaut .
hills with streamlets of a saturated saline solution flowing beauti
fully over ifrrre a nd small crystals. A freak of nature, the conver se
T T , n A the “ golden stream,” from one of its main
springs^r?’IS*”Zarin Mliey f°Ttw oniinary Per.U arc e^nlUH, regarding the d«i,a-
tion of names.