'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎260] (369/496)

260
to reconcile, independent of their difference of faith, form a mass of in
congruous material ill adapted to ensure the desired success. Both
Khanakin and Haji-Kara form considerable intrepots for trade, and many
of the influential houses at Baghdad and Kirmanshah have their Agents
located here. With this object it is that Mr. H. has accompanied us on
this journey : he is about to establish an agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the collection of the
produce of the Kurdish mountains, returning, in exchange, the manufac
tures of England. Grums, galls, and other drugs, abound in this vicinity,
and I believe only want an enterprising individual and an honest Agent
(a “ rara avis” in this terns,) to make them a source of considerable profit.
August 25th .—Bose early, and retired to' the shade of the garden as
being preferable to the house during the heat of the day. Major Kawlin-
son received numerous visits from the principal people residing in the
town and its vicinity, who inform us that the roads between this and
Kasri-Shirin are infested with plundering parties of the Jaf and Hama-
wand tribes, rendering it unsafe to proceed without an escort. This
will delay us a little. The escort that accompanied us from Baghdad
returns from this, their further service being useless beyond the Turkish
frontier. A report reached us to-day that one of our kassids had been
robbed of his letters, and severely wounded, by a party of Jaf a few days
back: I trust this may prove incorrect, as matters will be still more diffi
cult to arrange. A little after sunset the expected escort arrived, having
had a skirmish with a plundering party in the morning. A fine lad,
nearly related to the chief of Kirrind, was severely wounded by a spear
through his lungs. They confirm the report of the robbery of the
kassid, but deny that he was wounded as we heard this morning: on the
contrary, they state that he was kindly received by the Jaf chiefs when
carried before them, and that the robbers were punished with the loss of
their ears. Which of these reports is the true one, yet remains doubtful*
Entertained our new friends at dinner; the commandant of the paity
proving to be a former protege of Mijor Rawlinsons when serving in
Persia seven years ago. This worthy, a Gruran of the Ali-Hahi serf,
appeared much pleased at meeting his old patron and quondam comman
der, and, delighting in the good cheer before him, recounted, with evident
satisfaction, tales of former service, in which both had mutually shared.
From the terrace of the house in which we lodged the following bearings
were obtained :—3 at setting, for the variation of the needle, 28of > oin
or Imam Abbas, one and a quarter mile distant, 2 T 6 3 ; a tumulus calle
rappel Kaleh, where the canal exhausts itself in irrigation, 211 , distan
oy''