'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎131v] (267/312)

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on the plain, and during the thaw the roads are almost impassable from
the deep mud.
In spring the hills are covered with splendid grass and form fine grazing
ground. The temperature at noon in the end of July averaged 80°, and the
weather was like an English summer. The nights were cool, and the
inhabitants sleep on the fiat roofs of the houses then.
Urmia Lake.
The lake is about 200 miles in circumference, 82 miles long and r 21< broad.
It is the saltest piece of water in the world, more so than the Dead Sea.
Its specific gravity is D155 with 2l , 4 percent, of salt. In the adjoining
plain of Salmas and near Ivhoi are deposits of rock, salt, and gypsum, forming
part of the great tertiary deposits of the frontier chain of mountains. The
lake is 4,100 feet above sea level, the town being 4,610 feet.
A person bathing can float easily, but the water is very painful if any
reaches the eyes or throat, producing a smarting or choking sensation.
Swimming is difficult.
There are no fish or living thing in the water except a tiny colourless iellv
fish. J ^
Of late years the waters have risen some 2 to 3 feet, and the level flue-
tnates up or down slightly every year. There seems no sign of a permanent
rise or fall, and there is a fringe of land thickly crusted with salt round
the shore. A small quantity of salt is extracted from the water, chiefly alone-
the southern shore, the mines near Khoi supplying the country to the north.
Iheie are three boats, the property of the Vali-Adh, Governor of Tabriz,
-they are 30 feet long and 10 broad, clumsily built, with one large square
sail, and are quite unable to beat against the wind. In a favourable wind
they could cross to the nearest point to Tabriz in 6 or 7 hours ; but the wind
o ten drops, leaving them becalmed for 5 or 6 days in the centre of the lake,
ihey can cast anchor at any point, the depth being only 20 to 30 feet,
this is the easiest line of communication for the rich products of Urmia to
reach the Tabriz and Tehran markets, and the advantages of a few steamers
would be enormous.
At present it takes five days for caravans to reach Tabriz by the north
shore of the lake. J
i-n ^ r jf Pnt i State things is entirely due to the shortsighted policy of
tne Vah-Adh, who prohibits any boats on the lake except his own, or those
paying him a tax so high as to make any trade prohibitive.
U-om the town is a 2^ hours' ride to the American Mission on the
shore of the lake. The first 8 miles is a very pretty ride through orchards
and gardens, crossing numerous small irrigation canals from the Urmia river.
tions mTn y i 1S W6 1 r°M’ Wlt,1 i m ? ny enclosed vineyards, tobacco planta-
2Zr'2: nd ** ? n “ The finest trees are elm,
rounded mnie of w® aSt £ ° m ' mile8 was over some s P ms from a low
an e e of hills which form an isolated mass on the edge of the lake.
Hurdish Tribes in Wbst Azerbaijan.
livirr'- near tt^Turkklf? 9 J ll ' ,es > principally the Herki and Shekak,
the^he^accor^n^a^itl 0114101 '’ \" d m0Ve frt ™ of the border to
S;T«^T e L C r nt !' y becomes too to them.
the Albak district and country west of tn ff on tl,e fr °ntier in
y west of Salmas ; they are partly Turkish