"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎٢‎٣‎٨] (٥٤٢/٢٤٧)

238
Miles from
c Ali el-
Gharbi
28^
381
LAND EOUTES
Mileage continued from Alternative (i)
Enter the foot-hills by the bed of the Tyb, passable, in the
low season only, for infantry, cavalry, and pack-mule
transport.
The defile of the Tyb between Kuweit and the Deh Laran
oaa 11 ls _ about 10 m - in length, and its breadth varies from
oOO to 500 yds. The hills on either side are very steep
and broken, running to a height of 500-700 ft. above the
river-bed. They are of sandstone of terra-cotta colour.
In the low season the river winds from bank to bank
leaving most of the bed dry. The dry part is covered
with water-worn pebbles and small boulders, and con
tains a considerable amount of low scrub. On account
of its windings the stream has to be often forded. In
the flood season the whole bed is filled, and the defile is
impassable even for men going singly on foot.
Reach the Deh Luran plain.
Deh Luran
See Route 10 a, m. 79 and m. 80|.
EOUTE 8 e
ALI EL-GHARBI—DEH BALA (108| m.)
Authorities: Force 'D; Route Eeport, Serial no. 10 (1916); Routes
vol, lii, no. 103 (Report of November, 1909).
In May 1916 a sotnia of Russian Cossacks (110 men with 10 pack-
horses) traversed approximately the route given below, coming from
Maludesht by Deh Bala. For the first part of their route, N. of
eh Bala, see Route 9. The details are mainly from
Feisia, vol. iii, no. 103 ; they are said to have been borne out by the
Russians experience. The r.oad in the hills is passable for pack-
transport only and is sometimes difficult for that. Light snow was
met with in May near Marbarreh (see under m. 85|). Supplies were
pui chased by the Russians from the villages but this would
be impossible for a larger force. Good water was reported by
-Kussian officers to be obtainable everywhere except between Ali
e ' ,. ai ?' n( ^ hills: the report in Routes in Persia, however,
mentions that the water at the Chashmeh Gumbad-i-Khatun (m. 38)
and from the Ganjan Cham river at Dum Qalameh (m. 64|) is sul
phurous. Good grazing found everywhere in May except for 12 m.
on the Deh Bala side of the Shah Nachir hills. Fuel abundant in
the hills.