'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎191] (248/905)

CHAP. IX.]
AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.
191
western branch of the Masula, and there takes a south
easterly direction along the plain lying between these
mountains and the eastern branch of the same name; the
distance measured in this direction, by the villages of Kish-
lak, Kaukend, and W eniserd, and the defiles of Gila wan and
Derbend, to Menjil, at the western extremity of the Elburz,
is about 130 miles.
Here the trunk formed by the western affluents receives Junction of
the Shah-rud, or eastern branch, which comes from the bor- ^/western
ders of Mazanderan, through the country of the Chief of the branches -
Assassins, 1 after a course of nearly 90 miles in a direction
opposite to that of the other branch, and after having drained
the valleys along the western side of the Elburz. The meet
ing of these arms gives a new direction to the Kizil U'zen,
which nearly forms a right angle with each of its two
branches, as it forces the passage of the Masula through the
defile of Rudbar, and the narrow valley of Rustam-abad.
Having traversed Gilan, the Sefid-rud (or White River, as
it is called) finally enters the Caspian Sea, after a north
easterly course of about 80 miles from Menjil, and nearly
490 miles from its springs. The bed of this river is gene
rally many hundred feet below the surface of the adjoining
country ; 2 but, near the pass of Rudbar, it becomes less deep;
and, when passing through the plain of Gilan, the banks of
the river are low and swampy, and the current is moderate.
The navigation is, however, impeded by the existence of a Estuary of
bar at the entrance, on which there is only a depth of water
varying from three to seven feet.
The other rivers have their sources in the central plateau
of Persia, from whence they flow in an opposite direction to
that of the Kizil U'zen, and pass through the Zagros and
Bakhtiyari ranges, on the S.S.W., into the province whose
comparative geography is now about to be considered.
1 Or Old Man of the Mountain.—Colonel Monteith : pp. 14 and 15, Vol.
III. Part I., of the Royal Geographical Journal.
2 Near Karagul the perpendicular height of the left bank appeared to
exceed 1500 feet.-P. 59, Vol. X. Part I., of the Royal Geographical
Journal.