'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎48] (79/714)

■■fc..
PERSIA
Baghdad I experienced the greatest difficulty in obtaining any
authentic information in England upon the rival methods of reach-
ino- that citv. Owing to the peculiarity of its situation,
Means of n( ^ place that I know is accessible to a European
Baghdad from such a variety of quarters, or is at the same time
SO difficult and so easy of access, the facility being only purchased
at the cost of a disproportionate expenditure of time.
Bao-hdad may be reached from the Black Sea by one of two
routes T either from Trebizond, via Diarbekir, Mosul, and the
Tigris, 1 or from Samsun, via Diarbekir and the iigris.
The latter is the route that is taken by the Turkish post
uuwro to and from Constantinople 5 and letters conveyed b\ this
route, at a speed which no ordinary traveller could emulate, have been
delivered in Baghdad twenty-four days after leaving London. 2 Sam-
sun is one of the ports on the Black Sea at which most of the steamers
to and from Constantinople touch. In both the above cases the
outward journey to Baghdad may at certain seasons of the year be
expedited by raft upon the Tigris from Mosul, or even from
Diarbekir to' Baghdad. But botli are journeys which only the
hardy traveller should undertake.
Baghdad may be reached from the Mediterranean either from
Alexandretta via Aleppo, or from Beirut via Damascus ; and in
each of these cases, after leaving Aleppo, and after leaving
Damascus, a further choice is open to the traveller. The ordinary
route from Alexandretta runs first to Aleppo, a distance of 4 stages;
1 For the route from Trebizond to Erzerum, ride, in addition to the authorities
before quoted, ' Notes on a Journey,' by H. Suter, in 1838, Journal of the R.G.S.,
vol x. p. 434 ; Mrs. Bishop (1890), Journeys in Persia, vol. ii, Letters xxxiv.-xxxv.;
for the route from Erzerum to Diarbekir, ride Ditto by J. G. laylor, Proceedings of
the R.G .S., vol. xii. p. 302.
2 The stages between Samsun and Baghdad are as follows, the figures in
brackets being the number of hours between Kawak (8), Eladik (6), Chifta
Khan (6), Amasia (7), Igna Bazar (6), Turkhal (7), Tokat (9), Yalduzdagh (9),
Bahra (7), Sivas (7), Aolash (7), Deli Kali Dash (5), Kankar, or Kangal (4),
Alayar Khan (7), Hasan Chelevi (6), Hakim Khan (4), Sermeli (9), Gumush
Madan (9), Arpaghut (6), Kharput (6), Mullah Kai (6), Bakir Madan (9), Arghan
(5), Baklash (6), Diarbekir (6), Komur Khaneh (6), Shikhan (6), Gallieh, or Mar-
din (6), Darah (6), Nisaibin (6), Aznaghur (6), Dairund (G), Jazireh (8), Takian
(6), Zakho (6), Sumail (7), Tel Eskif (7), Mosul (7), Zab (10), Arbil (7), Kush
Tepe (6), Altun Kupri (6), Kerkuk (9), Taugh (9), Duz Khurmati (7), Salahieh (9),
Kara Tepe (7), Deli Abbas (9), Neherwan (9), Jedideh (5), Baghdad (5). The
greater part of this route, between Sivas and Baghdad, is described by Sir F.
Groldsmid (1864), Telegraph and Travel, pp. 412-451; and the whole of it by
Viscount Pollington (186G), Half-may round the World, cap. xii.