"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" [ظ‎‎٣‎٨] (٣١٢/٨١)

53
Hussainiyeh .—At ll miles (1,180'), about half-way through the pass, reach
Hussainiyeh, Hassan Ghuli Khan's winter house, on the right bank of the river.
There are two houses near a small fruit orchard.
The lower or dwelling house is 60 yards square, with a tower at each corner,
and loopholed walls. It is sunk among some low spurs, and is consequently
commanded from about 200 yards range. The upper house is about 40 yards
side, also loopholed with towers at the corners, and is used as a store. The
walls are of masonry set in gypsum, and '6' to 4' thick, and the upper part
crenelated with brick.
Date palm were seen again in the orchard here.
The hills on either side of the valley rise 400' to 500' above the river
bed.
The weather is much hotter now after descending into the plain. Temper
ature 102° in the diwankhana of the house. The glare from the bare hills
and dusty roads was severe.
Water from the river was brackish, but drinkable. On leaving the pass it
gets more brackish from the gj^psum and various mineral springs along the
banks. The stones on the bank were covered with white incrustations.
28th. August — General direction, S.W. Left Hussainiyeh at 2 a.m. in
bright moonlight. The road, a very rough track, still follows the line of
the river bed, fording the stream four times.
These fords are now easy, but when the river is in flood in spring, they
would be impracticable. The rock is a gravelly conglomerate, and the river
bed is a mass of large loose stones.
Kala Sengar. —Near the mouth of the pass is Kala Sengar, a rough stone
enclosure on a knoll overlooking the left bank of the stream. It is a good
point for the defence of the pass, and is meant for that purpose.
The banks are lined with a few oleanders and stunted shrubs. Some small
springs of sulphuretted hydrogen were passed by the water's edge.
The track is very rough and stony and my orderly's horse was badly sprained
yesterday. In winter this valley is covered with tents of Hassan Ghuli
Khan’s people, and plenty of good grass is to be found then. Now everything
is burnt up, and the country deserted.
At 3f miles the valley gradually opens out, and the track leads across an
open stony plain, cut up here and there by shallow ravines. To the north lay
some low rocky spurs, the last of the main range. This Kuh-i-Taliman, as it is
called, contains several caves in the cliffs and is a favourite resort of rob
bers. A man joined us here, who said he had a few> donkeys, and traded in
fruit with Kut-T-Amara; last night he was robbed of everything, and was now
making his way into Zorbatiyeh to seek redress from the Turkish authorities.
Failing that, he thought to enrich himself again by looting some smaller
caravan when he got a chance.
At 10 j miles the frontier pillar was passed, and Turkey re-entered. A high
peak, the Kuh-i-Annoran, bore 120° from here. A suspicious-looking group
of men appeared on the plain and on catching sight of them, our escort of eight
Lur horsemen galloped to the front, spreading out into a wide fan, 200 to 300
yards apart, circling round with their rifles at the ready, until they gradually
closed in and found out who they were.
This dash across the plain was a pretty sight, and these Lur horsemen would
make fine scouts.
The Gawi stream joins the Gunjianchun after traversing a narrow defile
in the range 10 miles to the south. It drains the north slopes of the Kuh-i-
Annoran and the country west of the Kebir Kuh.