'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' [‎77r] (158/312)

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over the slope of the Tsariyah hill, east of the Zab, but is not accessible for mules. All tbe rest
present great difficulties.
16th June.—We turned aside from the road up the valley of the Izani stream towards Ashi-
tha. At a short distance beyond Lizan we passed the village Miniyani, divided into an upper
and a lower portion about ^ mile from each other ; and 3 miles from the same place the village
of Umrah, beyond which 1 mile distant was Zawitha.
Beyond Lizan the valley begins to rise, tbe river flowing through a ravine below ; but above
this, at the foot of the cliffs which shut in the valley, is a shelving declivity, well cultivated in
terraces, and dotted with villages.
At Umrah we commenced the ascent of the mountain, and in an hour’s time reached the root
of the upper line of cliffs: the road was so bad that we had twice to load and unload the mules,
until at length we reached a gap in. the rocks which led us through a thick growth of fennel.
Some peasants were engaged in cutting this plant, which constitutes the winter stock of cattle
pro vender.
The crest of the Kuriki, the mountain we were now crossing, leaving Ashitha to the left or
west, was 7,650 feet in elevation. The culminating point must exceed 8,00c feet in height.
The descent was steeper than the ascent, and was rendered more difficult by the slaty nature of
the rock and the smooth sloping surfaces over which the track led. On the side of the hill near
the base is a rock called Teraspino, where is a vein of galena with a small gallery for working the
ore. It is chiefly used for lead for bullets.
We passed through Teraspino, a large village at the base of the hill, and ascended another range,
gaining the crest after little more than an hour’s foot work. We then continued along the side
of the hill, over several snow patches and above the valley of the Zab.
Zoma Smoarri. —At length just after sunset we came to a summer pasture called Zoma Suwarn
(altitude 7 , 170 '), where were a few shepherds, with whom we camped for the night.
There is a road carried across the mountain at a lower level than the one we were at present
following, which is only available during a short season of the year.
The view from the Zoma Suwarri was very grand. To the north range after range of rugged
mountains succeeded one another like giant walls.
Five different ranges presented themselves between us and the snow-clad uplands of Julamerk
and the head-waters of the Zab. To the south were the long crests of rock we had toiled over,
the summits of Tura Shina and Kuriki rising over all; and after all our labour the gap by winch
the Zab found its way into Lizan appeared quite close, but a long way beneath us.
17th June, 4th stage.—Our road still lay along the side of the mountain, the snow was more
abundant and the slope often very steep. We got down to the valley of the Kha by means of a
glacier or snow r patch about a mile long and 300 yards wide. _
The valley of Itha is encircled on the north side by lofty snow-clad mountains, the jura
Tusani, the rocks of which dip north, while they present bold precipices towards the valley.
There are here three villages—Itha, Pir Beka, and Galitba. _ .
From Pir Beka we proceeded down the valley of the stream to the bridge opposite Galitha.
The torrent w T as there 15 yards wide and 5 to 6 feet deep. The bridge was ingeniously cons
tructed of wickerwork. From Galitha we commenced another ascent almost as fatiguing as the
Kuriki. _ , , j? i> • l
Having gained the crest we descended another glacier, and it was the work of a tew mmutes
to lose the elevation which it had taken us upwards of an hour to ascend.
We then found ourselves in an alpine valley overgrown with fennel, at the lower part of which
was Malotah, a small Kurdish village, where we halted for the night. The valley (elevation 6,200
feet) was partly cultivated, partly covered with snowmand the remainder overgrown with rank
vegetation ; more especially of umbelliferous plants. The waters of the valley found their way
by a narrow deep glen in the rocks into the Zab valley.
18th June. —The ascent today was not so steep, and in some parts we could mount our mules.
The hills were now wooded with fine oak ; and gaining the next crest (Warundan) we found our
selves immediately above a summer pasture called the Zoma of Warundan.
We descended another thousand feet to the valley of Kiyan, where was a small lead mine.
There are two villages at Kiyan ; the upper one is Kurdish, and the lower one Chaldean. _
At the same altitude as Kiyan and at the foot of Warundan, the Zab is divided into two
branches of very nearly equal size, the southerly branch comes from the country beyond Julamerk
and the northerly from Leihun and that district. This latter is called Berdazawi or little Zab.
A huge mountain mass called Meskannah extends between the two rivers.
After a short ascent we travelled along the banks of the Berdazawi; sometimes over conglom
erate cliffs that overhang the river. , , „ . ^ , , ,
In little more than an hour we came to a torrent which descended from a lofty fTnd snow-clad
chain to the west called Maranan. It is 13 yards wide and 6 feet deep crossed by a wickerwork
bridge. Near the same point was also a bridge over the Berdazawi and a little cultivation, but
no village. Beyond the Maranan river to the north are two rocky ranges of limestone w ic
rise up in lofty precipices, in this case fronting west. The most easterly and most lotty of
these ranges is called Sinaber, and beyond it is the upland of Leihun.
Turning north the path led along the foot of some cliffs and then a series of rock-like steps so
that on approaching the crest of the Sinabcr I found myself separated from the river by several