"تقرير عسكري عن جنوب غرب بلاد فارس، يتضمن أقاليم خوزستان (عربستان)، لورستان، وجزءًا من فارس" [‎٥] (٤٦٦/٣٢)

tlie assutances of the Ilitisham-i-Sultanah^ that he could afford no aid and that
he himself could not pass through, were reiterated and apparently sincere.
To o-ain the good-will of the powerful chief of the Bakhtians as well as a
name for generosity, I gave to his nephew my revolver and to the Wizir
of Arabistan a silver watch. This had the desired effect, for in Persia "pos
sessions^ make the a man.^ Hajji Ibrahim Khan gave me a letter to his
uncle the IlkMni and sent an orderly to announce my approach {see jmge 97),
He is a man of influence with his tribesmen.^
Leaving Ahwaz on the 29th, Band-i-Hr, distant 24 miles, was reached
that evening, and Shustar, distant another 32 miles, on
Ahwaz to Shustar. 30th, crossing the river at the former stage and
thence traversing the plain lying between the two arms of the Kdrun river,
i.e*, the Ab-i-Boleiti and Ab-i-buzurg-i-Shustar.
The importance of this track and of the Shustar site, both from commercial
and military points of view, will be remarked upon in detail [see pages 187
to 196) ; suffice it to say here that this fertile district affords grazing to the
flocks of a few wandering Arabs and is but sparsely cultivated; it is treeless^
and produces no firewood. Water is obtained from the rivers and canals leading
from them or ponds, and is of excellent quality.
At Shustar the party was lodged in the house of Mirza Jhan^ and were his
guests. The house is a fine structure, three-storied, built
Mirza Jhan. stone and wood with balconies overhanging the Ab-i-
Gargar which washes the foot of the cliff, 100 / below it. It is well supplied
with iC sardabs ^ [see pages 57, 199), excaviited 40 7 below the surface and provid
ed with air and light by a huge circular shaft. Like all Shustar houses it is
falling into decay. Mirza Jhan proved to be an excellent host and a courteous
Persian gentleman, and it gave pleasure to present him with material of the
first quality sufficient to make an aba and kaba, the Arab style of dress being
there worn.
Halting at Shustar on the 31st to examine the neighbourhood, on the
1st April I marched to Ab-i-bid, the winter head-quar-
Shustar to Dizful. ^0 rs 0 f Hkhani of the Bakhtians. He received me
with distinction, sending his son and a troop of horse several miles out to
meet me. During the cavalry display of feats of horsemanship, gone through
for my edification, over a most rough country, but one horse and rider turned
a complete summersault; fortunately neither was hurt. He wished me to
change my route and to pass through his territory to Isfahan and thence to
Kum, stating that it was impossible for me to go via Dizful and Khoramabad,
Lur robbers having closed the road, and that they would not allow the
Shah himself to pass; urging the shortness of my leave of absence as an
excuse for persevering in my resolution to take the shortest line to Kum,
and seeing that I was resolved to attempt it, he, after consulting with Asad
Khan, Governor of the Dizful district, his son-in-law, who had just arrived
from Dizful, gave me a guide and a letter to Hajji Ali Khan, chief of the
Sagwand tribe of Lurs, encamped, it was supposed, at KaFa Rezza, distant
45 miles from Dizful, and who was known to be migrating with his tribe to
Khoramabad by the road that I was desirous of taking. To take advantage
of this fortunate circumstance it was resolved by a forced march to join Hajji
Ali Khan, and to trust to his friendship for the Ilkhan^to whom he is related
by marriage, for protection (seepages 9*85),
The darbar of the Ilkhani, a middle-aged man of genial manners, was
Ilkhani of the Bakhti- conducted with less gravity than that of Shaikh Mizal
aris - at Muhammerah; the joyous nature and manly freedom