"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" [و‎‎٤‎٣] (٣١٢/٩٠)

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sparsely wooded with low trees and brushwood. The range on the south-east
side is the steepest, and is composed of bare sheets of limestone.
The road follows a ravine with a small stream and is rough going in places
where the torrent has eaten into the soil.
The gradient is easy, and by smoothing places where the road has fal
len in, would be easily passable for artillery. Paved portions of an old high
road, which used to run down the pass, are passed at intervals. The tele
graph (two wires on wooden poles) follows the road.
Surkhadiza .—At 151 miles the valley opens out into a small basin about
11 miles diameter in which is the serai and small village of Surkhadiza (4,280').
Four miles farther, after crossing some wooded spurs, we reached the
head of the lower or steeper portion of the pass, and turned down in a westerly
direction through a wide gap in the range.
The total descent is from 4,200' to 3,150' at Pai Tak. The little stream,
the Ab-i-Dera, which we have been following disappears through a narrow rift
in the range to the south.
No road exists through this rift, which is barely 20' wide, with steep
overhanging cliffs.
The road was improved when the Shah went to Kerbela this w r ay, but has
not been repaired since. The new road is led down several zigzags with
fairly easy gradients varying from 8'to 10'in width, with some narrow portions
where boulders and earth have slipped down from the hillside, otherwise it is
passable for artillery. Some of the zigzags (100 to 130 yards long) would be
1 e; ter if lengthened.
A few hours' work would make the whole of the road* up the pass avail
able for guts.
The ascent is a long pull, steepest at first, of 14 miles from Pai Tak (3,150'
to Sir Mil (5,400').
’rhe pass easily lends itself to defence against a force advancing from the
plain ; the steep cliffs on either side if lined with infantry would make a frontal
attack difficult. On the north side is Kuh-i-Zenguelan which culminates in a
flat crest bordered by a cliff overlooking the ascent; while another flat-topped
ridge bordered with steep cliffs overlooks it on the south side. A narrow track
by which the pass could be turned leads into the Yarran and Rijab valley and
from there into the Bishewa plain. This is rough steep path easily defended.
To the south the ridges are steep and topped with a line of cliffs which
prevent the pass being turned in that direction. The road through Gilan and
over the Kaladja Pass, 30 miles to the south would turn it. [See Route I.)
A rough track leads from Zohab through Rijab into the Bowanij plain and
Gauwara. This is said to be difficult even for mules.
.Pai Tak. —At the foot of the pass (3,150') is the small serai and village of
Pai Tak on the banks of the Ab-i-Dera. A caravan was met carrying a coach
to Tehran. It was in separate pieces, each being attached to a wooden frame
work which fitted ‘ f takhtarwan " fashion on two mules. Two mules could thus
carry a very heavy load on a rough road.
3rd May—General direction N.W. Leaving Pai Tak the road would
along the stream valley crossing some low gravelly undulations from the
Kuh-i-Zenguelan.
The valley makes a deep loop to the south bordered by a steep ridge
topped with a ridge of cliffs. This is a long spur from the central mass of the
Bend-i-Nua Kuh. Another spur extends along the front towards Sir-i-Pul
terminating in a narrow rocky ridge called the Kala Daond range. This gets
lower and finally dies away in the plain about 3 miles north-west of Sir-i-Pul.