'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' [‎120r] (244/312)

The town itself is called by the Armenians Tank and hy the Kurds Shokh, and when spoken
of together with the numerous villages that surround it, Shattak.
It stands near the junction of two considerable streams, forming one of the head waters ot the
Tigris, and uniting with the Bhotan Su. The entire district contains 50 villages and numerous
nuzras nv hamlets.
17/k AiigtisL—Left Shokh by a bridge, crossing the principal stream.
After a long and difficult ascent we came to a broad green plateau called Tagu,the pastures ot
the neople of Shattak, and now covered with their tents and flocks.
This high ground overlooked the deep valleys, through which wound two streams, and on whose
sides Were many smiling gardens and villages. , . .
We stopped at an encampment of Miran Kurds, a large and wealthy tribe, pasturing their
flocks far and wide over the mountains and ravines of Shattak and Nurduz.
Crossing a high mountain pass on which snow still lingered, we descended into a deep valley
like that of Shattak, chiefly cultivated by Armenians. We crossed a small stream, and ascended
on the opposite side to Ashkaun, in the district of Nurduz. ^
18th August.—O wy ride today was over upland pastures of great richness, and through narrow
valleys watered by numerous streams.
Here and there were villages inhabited by Kurds and Armenians. We were now approaching
the Nestorian districts, and Chilgiri was the first village met with.
\\ e passed tlnough this, and stopped in Merwanen, which we found deserted by its inhabitants
for the Zooms or summer pastures. .
19th August .—A party of armed Nestorians escorted us today to a large encampment or
Hartushi Kurds, near the outlet of a green valley watered by many streams, forming the most
easterly sources of the Tigris.
The mountain rising above us was the boundary between the Pashalics ot Van and MakKiari
and the watershed of the Tigris and Zab rivers. .
On the opposite side the streams, uniting their waters, flowed towards the latter river. ^ ine
first district we entered was that of Lewin, inhabited chiefly by Nestorians. The whole population
with their flocks had deserted the villages for the Zomas. .
W r e ascended to the encampment of the people of Bill! (elevation 8,612 above sea level), a
wretched assemblage of dirty hovels, behind which towered, amidst the eternal snows, a bold and
majestic peak called Karnessa-ou-Daoleh.
20th August .—Bound the base of this mountain we dragged our weary horses along over loose
stones, sharp rocks, and through ravines deep in snow.
After a wearisome and indeed dangerous ride, we found ourselves on a snowy platform vane-
o-ated with alpine plants. From a prominent peak Ararat was visible, distant 145 miles, and
bearing north 15^° east. To the east were mountains scarcely less imposing than Ararat, but
more rocky and more naked, , , .
We were drawing near the lofty peaks of Jelu, beneath whose eastern precipice is the Oavvar
plain. The Zab valley divided us from them. We could look from the top of the pass into the deep
and narrow valley through which this river flowed. „ _ 1
We descended rapidly by a difficult track, passing here and there encampments of Kurds and
the tents and flocks of the people of Julamerk, until the region of cultivated fields succeeded
the green pastures, and we seemed to approach more settled habitations. _
Following a precipitous pathway, we soon reached Kochannis, the residence of Mar Shimun,
three hours’ distant from Julamerk.
The following is another account of the country between Van anti Julamerk
extracted from M. Binders travels in Kurdistan, &c.,in September 1886:
26fh Septemler.—Left Van at noon, and for I hour followed the road by which we had arrived
from Bashkala, and quitted it near a small Armenian village, taking another road branching more
to the right.
The path led along a barren valley bordered by low undulations, on which not a single blade-ot
grass could be seen. The weather became menacing, and a heavy bail and rain storm broke very
suddenly on us as we ascended one steep slope. _ .
Arrived at the summit of the ridge. We descended by a very slippery path in the clay slope into
the valley of Haiguetzor, dotted over with several Armenian villages. There are some ruins here
which tradition ascribes to Haik, the founder of the Armenian race.
The road across the plain was vety muddy after the storm, the horses sinking 1 to their girths
in the deep mud. We halted at sunset (about seven hours) in the little village of Eremeru, which
contained the ruins of a small church.
27th September .—The night was very cold, and on waking the ground was covered with hoar
frost.
We left the village at 6 a.m.,. crossing a wide plain with very fertile soil, shut in to the south
east, in the direction in which we are going, by a high ridge with a very abrupt slope. The
path over this ridge was known to the villagers as “ The road of the forty windings.”
At the summit the barometer read 1,970 feet above the plain we had just left, while the
horizontal distance was barely 1,100 yards.
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VOL. I.