'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' [‎118v] (241/312)

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The soil is now a rich loam with excellent grass. The snow 1 rifts lay 500
feet higher up the hill from this (7,980').
Kizilbash Peak .—Situated 2^ miles distant, on a bearing 216°, is a high
conical peak called Kizilbash (about 10,500').
For firewood “ gav van ” and the dry stalks of “ karnocb ” aroused, the
latter growing extensively on the hillsides. There are three kinds of “ kar-
noch^ resembling fennel or the wild carrot. It is used when green as fodder
for horses, and eaten greedily by them. No cultivation is ever attempted by
these nomads, and wheat and rice have to be brought from Shernakh and the
Tigris valley. Gavvan is a low prickly plant, and the only shrub which grows
extensively on these mountains.
They dig up and eat several kinds of roots, and eat the soft inside part of
thistle stalks.
In the evening some 600 horses of all ages and sizes and 200 mules,
besides droves of cows, sheep, &e., were driven in from grazingon the hillsides.
Bearing 91 u to 103° lies a rounded lofty range thickly covered with snow.
A large branch of the Khabur runs up 58° from just below camp.
A road leads from here over the hills to Julamerk, crossing a high snowy
ridge bordering the Zab valley.
We had to halt here on the 9th owing to my interpreter and a muleteer
being seriously ill with fever and ague brought on by the sudden change of
temperature from the plains to the frost and snow. The interpreter was
delirious, and had to be supported on his horse by two Kurds.
The people here were extremely hospitable and kind to the sick.
10th July.—General direction E. The men were slightly better, and
we continued the road to Bashkala.
The road led beside the Khabur for 11 miles, and then turned north
east up a small grassy valley, following an easy track.
Far a shin .—Extending 8 to 10 miles to the east, and forming the basin of
the upper waters of the Khabur, is the Farashin district, bounded on all sides
by a circular range of snowy mountains called the Akarak Dagh, over which a
road to Julamerk leads.
These mountains separate us from the valley of the Zib.
A broad track leads up the bank of the river to Farashin. The hill slopes
are covered with splendid grass, and it forms a favourite “ zozan ” or summer
quarter of the Hartoshi. There are no villages in Farashin, but it is a fine
pasture ground.
Cbalm Pass. —At 8 miles we reached the summit of a rounded o- ra ssv
range (9,465') called the Awlamar Dagh, which extends to the right to'a hill
I, 0(H) feet above us, and which forms the northern end of the range which
borders the Farashin valley. ®
This is known as the Chalia pass, and a splendid panorama opens out
from the summit. r
- Naiicliailau Dagh beyond the Kizilbash peak extends from 210° to
250 .
From 10o° to 107° is the highest range of the Akarak Dagh. The general
eve of the summit is from 12,000 to 13,000 feet, and from 184* to 206 ?o is the
fimit of the high jagged ridge of the Dahazir Dagh.
In a direction 315° is a high rocky ridge some 20 miles off in the Shattak
district, lo the north are a tumbled mass of high mountains with rounded
grassy summits but with less snow on them than on the mountains here.
n leve ^ tl ] e Awla mar Dagh may be taken at from 10,500 to
II, 000 feet above sea level.