"تقرير عسكري حول عربستان (المنطقة رقم ١٣)." [و‎‎١‎٤] (٣٦٦/٣٢)

17
facing the last from the point just below the Shur-i-Labahri to
within 2 miles of Shushtar. A short, rocky ridge, crosses the
Ab-i-Diz obliquely at Kut Bandar. The only permanent rivers
are the Ab-i-Gargar and Shatait, branches of the Karun ; the
Ab-i-Diz with its tributaries; and the Karkheh.
The whole of the country is a flat surface, being broken in
one place only by a range of hills running west-north-westerly
and east-south-easterly, which the Karun river pierces at right
angles at Ahwaz. These hills are of red sandstone and rise to
200 feet, the entire length of the range being about 30 miles.
The level, open plains are mostly barren and thinly sprinkled
with desert scrub, though some portions of it are grassy and in
spring bear patches of wheat and barley. On the east the
Fallahiyah and Ma’shur districts in winter become considerable
salt swamps, while on the west the neighbourhood of Hawizah
is altogether a marsh. Date trees line the banks of the Shatt-
al-’Arab, of the Upper Bahmanshir, and the Karun to 20 miles
above Muhammarah; elsewhere there are no trees but only
belts of willows, tamarisk and other bushes fringing the banks
of the rivers. The only navigable river is the Karun. The
Jarrahi river enters the Persian Gulf at its extreme northerly
point by the Hor Vasta. About 20 miles lower down the coast
the Hindian river with a south-south-westerly course flows into
the Gulf also. The Karun and Jarrahi run ordinarily between
steep banks of some height.
The altitude of ’Arabistan ranges from sea level on the coast
of the Persian Gulf to the Kuh-i-Fadalak sandstone range of
1,200 feet.
There are no mountains in ’ Arabistan, the highest range of
hills being the Kuh-i-Fadalak, which lies to the north-north
east of Shushtar and is pierced by the Karun river. It forms
the outer range of limestone and sandstone hills running parallel
to the Marri ranges north-east of it.
(1). Kdr an,
(a) General Description .—This is the largest and only navi
gable river in Arabistan. It rises from the western spurs of
the Kuh-i-Rang or Jaihun in the heart of the Bakhtiari country,
about 100 miles due west of Isfahan. Before ’Arabistan is
reached the river has already run a course of some 350 miles,
when it runs into the plains of this province north of Shushtar
MC164CGS n
2 . Souther®.
Altitude.
Mountains.
Itivers.