'Narrative of a Residence in Koordistan, and on the Site of Ancient Nineveh; with Journal of a Voyage down the Tigris to Bagdad and an Account of a Visit to Shirauz and Persepolis.' [‎280] (315/450)

280
THE KIFRI HILLS.
Khanakeen. I may say I dived at Ivlianakcen and
came up again at Kifri.
Minas accompanied your note with a large box of
biscuits. Koord Oglou's grim countenance gave a
horrible contortion, meant for a smile of contempt,
Avhen lie saw the contents of the box he knocked
open, and which had been sent express from Bagdad.
Ihe very night you had your storm, we had also a
tremendous one, from the south-east, at Khanakeen.
AV e had a fine north-west wind the moment we left
the 1 ashalik ol Uagdad at Ivhanakeen, and the in
stant we re-entered it at Zengabad the south-easter
came on again, and has been intolerably hot ever
since. Thermometer to-day is 89°.
.To-day I walked out to the favourite promenade
of the Kifri folk. It is a few hundred paces be
hind the town, where the principal streams of the
Kifri Soo form the defile which leads into Koordistan,
by cutting a passage through the gypsous ridge
of the Kifri hills. On the north side of the pass
the stream has cut the hill down into an almost per
pendicular clill ol nearly two hundred feet high.
Another stream, said to be of better water, purls
along the same bed ol pebbles, though from a dif
ferent source, about an hour olf, and joins it at the
loot ol the clifi. These streams are now incon
siderable rills, but from the immense bed of pebbles
which occupies the whole breadth of the defile, it
is evident that the sudden floods must be great and
O