"استطلاعات في بلاد الرافدين وكردستان وشمال غرب بلاد فارس ولرستان في الفترة من أبريل إلى أكتوبر ١٨٨٨، كتبها المقدم ف. ر. مونسيل، فرع الاستخبارات. يوجد مجلدان. المجلد الأول: تقرير سردي ووصف للمدن الكبرى والطرق المؤدية منها. شيملا: فرع الاستخبارات، إدارة قائد الإمداد والتموين، ١٨٩٠" [و‎‎٢‎٥] (٣١٢/٥٤)

In summer and autumn the Gungir is absorbed in the marshes and no
water then reaches the Tigris.
Between Hadrai and Mendaliare three small streams—the Ab-Kazat, Ab-
Tu rsakh, and the Talk-Ab, all of them salt. They flow into the Suwekjeh
marshes also.
The following is a precis of Rawlinson's Route from Zohab to Shustar.
It should be read in connection with Routes I and II, both of which cross it
at right angles.
lut Stage, 14th February 1836. —Left Sir-i-pul-i-Zohab {see Route III), and marched 10
miles to Deira in a general direction due south.
The road winds round the foot of a range of hills called Danawish into a little valley
watered by the Deira River, which joins the Alwand near Mula Yakub half way between
Sir-i-pul and Kasr-i-Shirin. The road follows the right hank into Sahra Deira (the plain of
Deira), a valley some 4 miles long and 2 broad
2*4 Stage, loth February. —The river was a rushing torrent at this season and im
passable here; so we ascended the right bank to the head of the plain, and there crossed.
From Deira we crossed the Sumbulah Kuh, a lofty abrupt range bounding (iilan plain to
the north-east by a difficult pass called the Surkhah Mil (red pass). This is a remark
able ridge exceeding in height all the other ranges, and exhibiting a line of naked and
precipitous crags.
The high road from Zohab to (Idan conducts over these hills by a more open pass
called the Tang-i-Shishrah about a farsakh north of the Surkhah Mil, but even this was
not practicable for artillery, consequently the ancient route must have rounded the
Sumbulah Kuh to the north.
On the summit of the Sumbulah Kuh is a tableland bounded on either side by a barrier of
rocky precipices.
Descending from this the road conducts for 10 miles in a south-east direction along
the plain of Gilan to a ruined village of that name situated at the southern extremity of
tlie plain. Much rice is cultivated here, and the Kalhur Kurds pass the winter here.
In ancient times the route across Mount Zagros by Gilan does not appear to have
been generally followed. The passes between Gilan and Harunabad {see Route I) are very
difficult, and the intervening country very sparingly furnished with supplies, so that Alexander’s
march would have certainly followed the high road by the gates of Zagros (Tak-i-Girra) rather than
this difficult and barren track.
3rd Stage, 16th February. —Left Gilan and made a long march of 8 farsakhs to Zarna. The
direct road from Gilan to the Luristan frontier passes over some high tableland called Chillah
{see Kaladja Kuh, Route I), but this line was reported blocked with snow, so the more circuitous
route by Zarna and I wan was taken.
This road led through a narrow valley between the mountains called Miandar, which we
followed for 20 miles into the plain of Iwan.
This glen was thickly wooded with “ balud,” or dwarf oak, and the trees here were of a larger
size than any others seen in Persia.
Herbage was rich and plentiful, this being a favourite winter residence for the Kalhur Iliats.
The direction of the road through the valley was south. On emerging into the plain, the road
struck across a barren track for 10 miles in a direction S. 20° E. towards Zarna.
Iwan is distant 6 farsakhs S. 10° W. of Zarna at the extreme point of the plain, the
intervening country being rich and fertile, well watered and cultivated. The route now
being described was a great line of communication in ancient times. It is mentioned as
the line of march of Alexander from Susa (Shustar) to Ecbatana (Hamadan), the reason
for this circuitous route being that chariots and heavy carriages were unable to take the
direct line to Kermanshah up the Kerkhah valley or to K horramabad along the course of the
Kashgan. although such routes might be now feasible for modern artillery. Thus there would
have been no alternative but to take them up to the plain of Karind by the Tak-i-Girra Pass.
4th Stage, 17th February. —A long march of 11 farsakhs from Zarna to Chardowar. We
crossed a range upon which the snow lay one foot deep intervening between the plains of Iwan and
Asmanabad going in a direction due east, and on the descent rejoined the high road from Gilan,
whicli had traversed the elevated tableland of Chillah, in a direction south-east from that place.
The Asmanabad plain is 10 miles long and 4 broad. From it to Chardowar are two roads—the
one following the course of a petty stream which waters both these plains ; the other through a
richly wooded glade in the hills : the former, the high road, is the nearest and best.
The plains of Asmanahad and Chardowar form the frontier districts of Kurdistan and
Luristan. Chardowar was reached at dusk ; and the territory of the Pusht-i-Kuh was here
entered. Chardowar is a plain 12 miles long and 5 wide.
5ih Stage, 19th February. — Marched 4 farsakhs to Zangawan. The road led for 12 miles
down the plain of Chardowar through an open and wellcultivated country to the Charmin
Kuh.