"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [ظ‎‎٥‎٩] (٥٣٠/١٢٣)

114
LAND ROUTES
Miles from
Bizeh.
24i
27i
34i
Kundal pass (alt. 8,700 ft.), beyond which there is an equally
steep descent.
Shawntlia (alt. 7,500 ft.), Nestorian village.
A still steeper descent of about 2,500 ft. follows to the Zab
river, which is crossed by a ford impassable in spring,
and also, but some distance lower down the river, by a
bridge in two spans built on to a great rock in the river
as a central pier. Beyond the ford the r. bank of the
Zab is descended to the Kochannes Chai, up which the
track leads as described in R 69, m,
Kochannes.
14i
EOUTE 65
DlZEH—BASH QAL'AH (47^ M.)
Authority Military Report onE. T. A., vol. ii, Route 93 (reports of 1888 and 1890).
General direction, NNW. This route follows the Gravvar plain and
then crosses some low hills into the Great Zab valley. It is more or
less practicable for wheeled traffic except between m. 13^ and m. 33^.
over which distance it could only be made so with considerable
difficulty : but it is a good mule road and there is fair grazing along
it as late as June.
Miles from
Dfzeli
0 Dxzeh. Route starts W. and just beyond the town crosses
a stream, 20 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep in July, from which
much water is taken for irrigation. Route then skirts
the E. side Gavvar plain.
There is an alternative track from Dizeh to Char Dereh, at m. 31,
which follows Route 61 a for about 1| m. to NE. of the town and
then branches N. via Gi-oweli and Peraunis, 10 m. It is 20 m. in
length as compared with 31 m., the length of the main route
to Char Dereh, but is much rougher, although good enough for
riding horses. It goes through the country of the Pinianishli
Kurds.
The Gawar plain (alt. 6,500 ft.), is a flat, treeless area,
dotted with villages, mostly Nestorian, with Kurdish
villages lying round its edges in the low hills. The soil