'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎333] (442/496)

compelled myself to follow, and on regaining the party, who had by this
time reached the tent, I heard such conflicting statements of ambush and
surprise, that I at once perceived the affair had been got up by my own
party to delay the departure until sunrise. After an hour lost in re
proaches and persuasions, I succeeded in getting them to accompany
me ,—not, however, before I had threatened to return to Karadagh. Rein
forced now with ten additional horsemen, the journey was commenced
and persevered in, but the utmost alarm was manifest when a suspicious
spot was reached : and at one time, wdien emerging from a gorge, the ap
pearance of three donkeys laden with brushwood, and accompanied by
two footmen in the valley below, was, in the bright moonlight, magni
fied into a formidable troop of banditti. I must, however, give my es
cort credit for a good military education, for they occupied the sides and
summit of the pass in a soldier-like style ; the footmen, extended on their
bellies, just exposing the mouths of their pieces over the ridge; while the
horsemen, concealed in the gorge, awaited the rout of the enemy by the
musketry before making the charge. To their great relief the enemy
proved to be but “ men in buckram/' and Ibrahim Khanchi was reach
ed at 3 A. M. without further incident.—I have been thus prolix, to shew
the disappointments that may often be experienced by the traveller in
this country, and to expose the vexatious obstacles that are sometimes
wantonly thrust in the way to mar a speedy progress from place to
place. In my case, I believe no real danger existed, or I should have
heard of it before leaving Sulimaniyeh ; and though the story of the mur
dered men was, in itself, a true one, the date of its occurrence was made
to suit the present occasion, though it really happened a fortnight before.
From Ibrahim Khanchi I pursued the route to Kafri, and thence the
post road to Baghdad, where I arrived on Oct. 2nd. Finding the south
wind continue, precluding all hope of observation on the road, I left my
party to come on stage by stage, while I proceeded, Tartar, on to the
city. The wholesome waters of the Tigris soon restored my condition,
but my Arab horse died of debility the day after his arrival.
Major Rawlinson and his party, on their return, pursued the route by
Karadagh, and along that range to the ruins of an ancient temple named
But-Khaneh. Thence, keeping the Abi-Shirwan to his left, he passed
through Kileh Tabizan-Shukeit and Shirwaneh, where he crossed the ri
ver to the village of Khanakin on the Hoi wan. The positions of these
places, derived from his Astronomical observations, will be found in t le
margin.* He arrived at Khanakin on October 11th.. An inteiva o
forty-seven days had thus elapsed since our former visit to t us p ace,
* Karadagh, Lat. 35° 17' N., Long. 45° 25' 15" E. But-Khaneh Lat. 35° 7'
6/ N., Long. 45° 34' 35" E. Shukeit, Lat. 34° 54' 50 K, Long. 4a 24 10 E.
Kdeli Tabizan, Lat. 34° 57' 9" N. Shirwaneh, Lat. 34 33 4^ N., Lon^. o
9' 43" E.