'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' [‎123v] (251/312)

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The range behind the town runs in a general direction 25°, and the road to
Van can be seen skirting along the base of it for some distance. Immediately
below, stretching to the Zab valley, is the Bashkala plain now covered with
good grass, and on which several herds of cattle and sheep were grazing. It is
irrigated by numerous small streams diverted, from the hills. The soil is a
rich gravelly clay, and the chief crops are millet, barley, wheat, and sesame.
Wheat is now ripening.
Lying east from here beyond flie Zab rises the Mur Dagh, a range running
along the Persian frontier, consisting of a line of low rounded summits, and
with its sides scored by some deep impracticable looking ravines.
do the south-east rise a mass of very high mountains belonging to the dis
tricts of Baz, Jelu, and Liz. Two prominent peaks in these mountains were the
Jura Daouil and Tura Bermarghi, which rise to a height of 17,2X0 feet and
15,800 feet respectively. The greater part of the range is covered with per
petual snow. This range was seen closer from the Gavvar plain.
Little wood is used in Bashkala tor firewood, covvdung and ft gavvan”
being chiefly employed. The latter is collected on the neighbouring Mils, and
brought in by strings of donkeys.
Some very fine mules were noticed passing here in the various caravans,
and this would be a favourable point for collecting transport for an army,
ihe chief caravan traffic is with Persia.
Some Armenians here complained that a few years ago they endeavoured
to emigrate to America, but were hindered from doing so at Constantinople.
Ihere is one Protestant Christian family here.
In the Bashkala plain and at several points along the route were groups
of enormous blocks of stone, 6 feet to 8 feet square, piled one on the other as
n they were the remains of the walls of buildings.
Ihe climate in winter is very severe. Snow commences to fall about the
middle of October, and remains on the ground until
Chmate. April. Last year the end of August saw the nearer hills
still covered. The town is ? feet above the sea, and the general level of the
plain is 7,700 feet.
Beyond suffering from the severity of the winter climate, the place is very
healthy. The noon temperature now was 72°, and the climate rather like
an English June. The nights were cold, the temperature being 00° at 9
P.M.
Routes from Bashkala.
From Bashkala to Van is two days across the hills (50 miles).
There is a telegraph office in Bashkala, and the clerk, an Armenian, is able
to telegraph in European characters. Lines run to Tabriz through Salmas
and Dilman and to Julamerk and Diza, also to Van by the post road.
To old Salmas the stages are given by Colonel Bell thus :
(1) Khana-i-Snr ...
( 2 ) Old Salmas
Total ... 49|
It is the route principally used by caravans to Salmas, and is also used as
an alternative route to Urmia to that which we took through Diza.
Miles.
27
22 |