‘Gazetteer of Persia, Part III, including Fārs, Lūristān, Arabistān, Khūzistān, Yazd, Karmānshāh, Ardalān, Kurdistān’ [‎176v] (357/686)

KAR—KAR
330
abundant, and from its source tbe Karun is a large river. After forc
ing its way through lofty mountains by precipitous and narrow gorges,
and receiving numerous small streams from the valleys, it is joined by
its first principal tributary, the Ab-i-Burs, which is almost equal in size
to itself. A few miles above Susan after this junction, the Karim
becomes a large and rapid river. Passing through a difficult ravine, it
enters the valley of Susan. (It is here fordable in November, but
only at one spot, and the ford a very difficult one.) Below Susan it
forces its way through a most precipitous gorge, breaking with great
violence over innumerable rocks, which have been precipitated by the
mountain torrents into the bed of the river. Here there are the
remains of a magnificent bridge, the buttresses of massive brick-work,
apparently of the Kayanian epoch. They rise to a considerable
height from the foaming torrent, and have defied its impetuosity for
ao-e's. Even rafts cannot be floated through this narrow and danger
ous passage. The Karun continues to wind between lofty mountains,
overhano-ing the valley of Susan Sohrab and the plain of Andaku,
until it°emerges into the plain of Akili by a narrow gorge; it here
receives several tributary streams, the principal of which are the Talak
and the Ab-i-Shor, which enter it above Loll. The river now quits
the mountains, and is here a broad and tranquil stream, and would be
fit for navigation, if not blocked by the dam of Shustar. Here numer
ous canals and watercourses for irrigation have been drawn from it.
The length of its course through the plains is 10 miles: it is joined
by the large salt stream of Baitavand, and shortly afterwards forces
its way through the gorge of Kuh-i-I adalak, a part of the range of
lower limestone and sandstone hills parallel to the great range. The
cliffs rise on both sides perpendicularly from the river, and a road has,
with much labour, been excavated on the left bank. Immediately
above the town of Shustar, the Karun is divided into two branches;
that to the north is the original channel of the river; that to the
south is the celebrated Nahr-i-Masrukan, or the artificial canal now
called the Ab-i-Gargar. The ancient bed of the river flows to the
west of the town of Shustar, and shortly after leaving it, a small
canal has been cut which connects it with the Ab-i-Gargar below, as
well as above. It is fordable in all parts of its course, except during
its passage round the town, being seldom above 3 feet in_ depth and
not capable of being rendered deeper. It unites, with the Ab-i-Gargar
at Baud-i-Kir, 30 miles_below Shustar. At the point of separation of
the old river from the Ab-i-Gargar, a dam has been thrown across its
entrance, narrow openings being left for the passage of the water.
Beyond this dam the canal flows between very lofty cliffs of sandstone.
Half a mile below the dam is a second, built almost to the level of the
cliffs on both sides, forming a complete stoppage to the water, which,
escaping through numerous passages cut literally through the rock,
falls in cataracts into the bed beneath. The level of the canal bed
below this dam is considerably lower than above it ; a bridge is thus
formed between Shustar and the village of Boleiti, and is called the
Pul Boleiti. Beyond this the Ab-i-Gargar flows into a broad deep
stream, the depth being 12 to 18 feet in the lowest season, and the