"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد III. ١٩١٧" [‎٢‎٧‎٠] (٤٣٢/٢٧٩)

270
LAND EOUTES
There are good camping-grounds, with wood and water plentiful
along the Alaneh Dereh, especially about Balassan (m. 281).
A mobile force, such as mounted infantry unhampered by pack-
animals or guns, could do it comfortably in two days, halting in the
Alaneh Dereh.
Rowanduz. Direction SW. Track rough, paved with
cobble stones.
Serderiyeh. Pass? If correctly placed, this cannot he
identical with the pass mentioned under the same name
in Boute 45 a, m. 83^.
KaniMiur, 60 houses of Rowanduz Kurds on r.
The Kalant Sn in a deep gorge on 1.
The track descends into a valley where two streams meet
and follows that on the r., the Nergir Chai, up a narrow
rocky gorge, well wooded. Ascent steep and difficult.
Enter an amphitheatre of perpendicular cliffs and ascend
a shaly spur covered with oak scrub.
Bejan Pass, 5,325 ft. Long descent begins. Oak forest
on the hill-sides. The pass is very difficult in places
and hardly passable for pack-animals.
Bejan Qal'ah., ruins of a large mud fort, on 1.
Cross a valley and descend along flat stony spur among
oak trees.
Reach the Alaneh Bereh and turn 1. round a spur.
Mill and shrine. Cross a swift stream in a rocky bed,
the Bila Sn (unfordable November 1902), by a wooden
bridge on three stone piers 15 ft. by 2 ft., 10 ft. above
the stream.
Track now runs roughly S. parallel to the general direction
of the Alaneh Dereh. Cross a succession of sparsely
wooded spurs running from the E/arek Bagh.
Pass through a ziyaret and burial-ground.
Benawi, about 20 houses of Haruti Kurds (alt. 3,900 ft.).
Descend towards the centre of the valley across spurs.
Oaks give place to stony fields.
Tarawa, small Haruti village m. to 1.
Track from Khan-i-Batman joins the present track here.
Skirt the steep, bare hills which enclose the Alaneh Dereh
on the W. A track to Shakhlawa (about 7 hrs.) leads
across a depression in these hills.
Sartikan, village of Haruti Kurds, 1 m. to 1.