'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎683r] (1386/1486)

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//ay 10 , 1889 .]
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS. ^
56 miles from Shushter—we come to the only
obstruction to navigation that exists between
Shushter and the sea. The obstruction is
caused by a low ridge of sandstone rocks,
over and through which the river flows in a
short series of rapids, with a total fall of about
8 -feet or 10 feet. The water in former days was,
at this point, still further dammed or pent up
for irrigation purposes by a massive masonry
band, portions of which are still standing.
Ahwaz, now an insignificant village on a slight
elevation on the left bank of the river close to
the band, was, until its destruction in the 13 th
century, a large and important city. The
Ahwaz rapids, although actually passed by
the S.S. Assyria during the flood season of
1842 , form what is practically an impassable
bar to the navigation. They could, however,
be easily turned by a short inexpensive canal
little more than a mile in length. The detailed
report of Major Wells, R.E., who carefully
examined the rapids at my request in 1881 , is
published in the “Proceedings of the Royal
Geographical Society ” for March, 1883 .
From Ahwaz to Mohammerah, a distance of
81 miles, the Karun is throughout easily
navigable by river steamers. A mile below
Mohammerah, it enters the Shat-el-Arab about
40 miles from the sea. The Shat-el-Arab is
navigable for ocean-going vessels drawing 19
feet of water. The Karlin, therefore, in con
nection with its estuary, considered as a high
way and means of communication, consists of
three parts, viz., the Shat-el-Arab portion, 40
miles in length ; the lower Kariin, 81 miles;
and the Ab-i-Gargar 56 miles, or a total from
Shushter to the sea of 177 miles. Cargoes
must be transhipped at Ahwaz on account of
the rapids, and at Mohammerah from river to
ocean steamers, or vice versa. At Moham
merah the transhipment is easily effected, as
the two steamers can lie alongside of each
other. At Ahwaz, cargoes must be carried a
few hundred yards.
From this short description it is quite clear
that what the Karun wants to make it
thoroughly efficient and convenient as a water
highway is a short canal with the necessary
locks at Ahwaz.
Let us now glance for a moment at the
regions towards which the highway we have
just been considering leads, and see how it is
likely to affect their commerce.
First of all, it leads directly to the fertile
lands in the neighbourhood of Shushter and
Dizful, which produce crops of wheat, barley,
and indigo, capable of being increased to an
indefinite extent. With regular communica
tion by means of river steamers between
Shushter and Mohammerah. a great incentive •
would be given to increased activity in the ,
agriculture of those districts, and gradually to
the cultivation of extensive areas now abso-.
lutely deserted. The plains within easy dis
tance of Shushter and Dizful are the winter
and spring quarters of several large nomadic
tribes or Eeliauts, the produce of whose
numerous flocks, such as butter, wool, and
hides, would by means of the Karun naviga
tion be brought within easy reach of the
markets of India and Europe. Once an im
petus was given, the gradual resuscitation of
this naturally rich and formerly populous pro
vince could hardly fail to follow. When one
sees the amount of labour and money so often
expended in Persia to but little purpose in
bringing scanty supplies of brackish water to
irrigate patches of poor soil, one feels that the
resources of the Kanin plains have only to get
a start to attract an industrious population
from other less favoured parts of the country.
One great inducement would be the excellence
of the water for drinking purposes, as well as
its abundance for irrigation. A very full and
interesting description, not only of the Kanin,
but »f the whole province of Khuzistan, is
given by Sir Henry Layard in vol. xvi. ( 1846 )
of the “Journal of the Royal Geographical ^
Society.”
Immediately to the north-east of the plains
of Shushter and Dizful, and lying between
them and the central plateau on which the
chief cities of Persia are situated, comes a belt
of rugged mountainous country which must be
passed before the upper plains are reached, at
an average elevation of 4.000 to 5 > 00 ° ^ ee ^
above the level of the sea. The same difficulty
of a long, steep ascent presents itself wherever
the plateau is approached from the lower
plains, a difficulty which there is no possible
means of avoiding. In this belt of mountains
the Eeliauts who encamp in the plains of
Shushter and Dizful in the winter have their
summer quarters. There is abundance of ex
cellent pasture and water for their flocks, but
almost no cultivation. There is, however, a
zone of fine forest trees, such as beeches,
planes, and oaks, from which products suitable
for export could no doubt be obtained.
Immediately beyond this barrier belt of
mountains lie some of the principal provinces
ot Persia, such as Ispahan, Irak, Melayer,
Hamadan, Kermanshah, and Kurdistan. In
all of these provinces inter-communication is