'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.' [‎197] (254/905)

CHAP. IX.]
THE ABI-BALAD-RUD.
19?
its course. The bed of this occasional torrent is covered with
a peculiar kind of pebble, which being filled with little fossil
shells resembling grains of rice, is called Sangi-biring, or the
rice stone. These stones are also found in the river at
Shuster, but of an inferior quality ; and they are in much
request throughout Persia for the head of the Nargil pipe,
which is almost invariably composed of this material, set in
silver. 1
After being joined by the Abi-Balad-rud, the Dizful river The Dizmi
runs southward, or nearly parallel to the Kerkhah, for a few
miles, when it suddenly changes its course to the south-east.
It then makes its way, in the latter direction, into the
western branch of the river Karun, a little above the junction
of the latter with the eastern branch. This junction takes
place immediately below Bandi-Kir, after a course of about
280 miles.
The Karun itself is next met with in proceeding eastward Rise of the
from the Dizful river. It rises, according to Kinneir (who is Karfin '
followed by Major Rawlinson), at Correng, in the Kohizerd,
or Yellow Mountain, at about 40 miles south-west of Ispahan, 2
and runs west by north through a mountainous country. At
rather more than 50 miles from its source, the Karun w r ashes
the extensive and interesting ruins of another Susan; 3 and,
about 13 miles lower in the same direction, it passes the
Masjidi-Suleiman-Buzurg. 4
Again, at about 40 miles further, in the previous direction The Upper
of west by north, and at nearly 20 miles from Shuster, it
makes an abrupt bend towards the S.S. W., as it finally breaks
through the Zagros range, and pursues its onward course
towards that city; a little way short of which, and near the
upper extremity of the well-known bund of Shapur, a tempo
rary bifurcation takes place, so as to insulate the town. The
1 Major Rawlinson's March, Vol. IX. Part I. p. 66, of the Journal of the
Royal Geographical Society.
2 Kinneir's Persian Memoir, p. 87.
3 Shushan, Arwan, or Arwat ; also Elymais, &c., of Rawlinson.—Journal
of the Royal Geographical Society, Vol. IX. Part I., p. 86.
4 Supposed to be the Temple of Diana.—Ibid.