'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' [‎119v] (243/312)

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13 th Angvut . Our path led today tlirougli a hilly district, sometimes edging a deep hay then
again, winding over a rocky promontory, we crossed by a bridge a large stream which comes bv
Alahmudiyah, and which here discharges itself into the lake. 3
We passed through Vastan, where was a boat just come from the convent on the island of
Akhtamar.
The convent and church are built on a small rocky island about 5 miles from the shore. A
violent storm of wind came on and lashed the waters of the lake into high waves crowned with
foam ; a mountain squall which sometimes sweeps down the deep valleys and expend their fury in
a short hour. ^
14th August. Left the lake of A an, and followed a track which led up a deep ravine, and which
gradually became narrower as we came closer to the high mountains that separated us from the
unexplored districts of Mukus and Bohtan. We passed the large Armenian vi'lage of Pagwantz
near which, on the summit of a precipitous rock, stands the ruined castle of Khan Mahmud a
rebel chief. ’
On both sides of the ravine were villages and ruined castles. Numerous streams from the
hillsides irrigate plots of cultivated ground. Ere long we entered a rocky barren tract patched
here and there with Alpine flowers. After climbing a declivity of loose stones, and dragging our
horses with much difficulty after us, we found ourselves amidst eternal snows, over which we
toiled for nearly two hours, until we reached the crest of the mountain, and looked down into the
deep valley of Mukus.
This is considered one of the highest passes in Kurdistan, and the most difficult for laden
animals. The flocks of nomad Kurds of Bohtan were feeding in the ravines.
The descent was even more rapid and precipitous than the ascent, and we could scarcely prevent
our tired horses from rolling down into the ravine with the stones which we put in motion at every
step. At the foot of the pass is a small Armenian church called Khorous Klissia. There was no
other path down the rocky ravine than the dry bed of the torrent.
As we approached the valley, the springs began to collect together and form a considerable stream,
through which we had to wade as best we could.
A track, occasionally followed by a solitary foot traveller or nomads going to the hills, has been
carried here and there over the foaming torrent by trunks of trees. Most of these had been washed
away by a recent storm.
We passed a deep natural cavern, from which issued a most abundant spring, one of the principal
sources of the eastern branch of the Tigris, here called the Mukus river.
A ride of eight hours brought us to the large scattered village of Mukus, the principal place
of the district of the same name. r
The branch of the Tigris is here a deep stream crossed by a stone bridge. The houses are
built without order on the slopes of the mountain, each family choosing some open place more free
from stones than the usual.locky declivities, there is no room for them in rocky valley. The place
may contain altogether about 2,000 inhabitants.
Of the 60 villages of the district, 40 are inhabited by Christian Armenians.
Mukus was anciently celebrated for its mines. None a.re now worked, and even the site of the
greater part, of thorn is unknown. The Armenians of Mukus weave some striped woollen stuffs
worn by the Kurds, and export a little honey and wax, but have no other trade. The border dis
tricts are Karkar (containing about 18 villages), Khiawash, Isparut, Bidar, and Shattak.
The principal villages in the Alukus’district are Aughin, Nouravos, Kasr, Achichos, Kerkichos,
Anrenj, Kotzabiher, Auveriss, Parangos, Mangoneh, Komos, Ketchoks, Amaghus. Maiakos, and
Berwar.,
From Mukus to Jazirah it is five days’caravan journey, and to Sairdt three days by difficult
mountain roads.
loth August.—Ijcit Mukus early in the afternoon. The path, following the course of the
river, leads to Sairdt, Jazirah, and the Assyrian plains. We soon turned from it, and entered a
valley running eastwards.
(in the mountain sides were many villages buried, like those of Tiari, in olchards and groves
of walnuts. We forced our way through thickets and matted climbing plants hanging from the
branches of the trees, the track being continually lost in rivulets or in watercourses for irrigation.
The valley soon narrowed into a wild gorge, which ended at length in the gardens of Aurenj,
where we halted.
16th August A*ext day we crossed a high mountain ridge covered in some places with snow,
separating the district of Mukus from that of Shattak.
Its northern and western slopes are the summer pastures of the Miran Kurds, and on the
opposite side of the pass were camps of Hartoshi Kurds. We descended by a precipitous pathway
in a deep valley, through which wound a broad stream, another arm of the Eastern Tigris. Halted
in the gardens of Shattak.
. Shattak is a small town rather than a village, and is chiefly inhabited by Armenians, an indus
trious and hardy race, cultivating the sides of the mountains on which are built their villages, and
weaving in considerable quantities the gay coloured woollen stuffs so much esteemed by the
Kurds. J
The mountains produce galls, wool (of the same texture as that of
•wool of the goat called tiftik, and minerals.
Angora), the small under-