"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [ظ‎‎٥‎٠] (٥٣٠/١٠٥)

96
LAND ROUTES
G-ellala. rrom the village join main road (see p. 94) and
ascend the valley. Cross some spurs, the road keeping
about m. from the river.
Pass Wapurdand, a small village up a ravine to r. (apparently
on the opposite side of the river).
Reach a projecting spur, which runs down to the river bank
and terminates in cliffs. It is difficult for animals to
climb its rocky sides, and when the water is low an
easier way can be found by following the stream-bed
and rounding the base of the cliffs.
Beyond the spur, at its foot, ford to opposite bank. The
river is here 15 yds. wide and not more than ft. of
water was found here (end of November). The bottom
is covered with boulders.
(At this ford the route would appear to cross to the
bank, the track from Gellala having hitherto been on the
right, so far as can be gathered from the description.
The Military Report, however, has ' ford to the right
bank '; compare m. 35^ below.)
Cross an open space and climb over a projecting spur similar
to the last. Beyond this second spur the cliffs recede,
leaving a flat space on either side of the river, where
there is a little cultivation.
Ascend from river-bed and cross a very stony spur. Halgor
is passed on a plateau, high up on the r. bank.
Valley opens out a little. Pass Derbend at the mouth of
a ravine on the r. bank.
The path now runs above the 1. bank. (From an account
based on a report of 1881 it would appear that another
track runs along the r. bank ; but the description is
obscure.)
Cross the Howanduz Chai (here called Binustan Su by
authority of 1902, and apparently the Chiwa Sheikh on
the Turco-Persian Boundary Commission Map of 1914).
In 1902 there was here a bridge 10 yds. long and 3 ft.
wide, made of branches laid crosswise on baulks and
covered with earth ; passable for horses in single file.
The banks are steep and the river is a mountain torrent in
a rocky bed. In November the bridge was 15 ft. above
the water level.
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"Jill