"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" [ظ‎‎٤‎٣] (٣١٢/٩١)

64
To>the north-west lies the fertile valley of Bishewa containing three small
villages, all known as Charlghar, belonging to Sirtip Ali Murad Khan of
Karind. This valley is irrigated by canals from the Alwand River and the
Ab-i-Dera.
At 7i miles (2,370') the road turns through a gap in the Kala Daoud Range
from 100 to 200 yards wide and 4 mile long called the Mian Kul pass.
The Alwand passes through a similar gap 2 miles to the north-west nearer
Sir-i-Pul.
On the west side of the Mian Kul Pass we entered the Kalashakin
Plain, fertile, but little cultivated extending south-east to Kifraour valley.
Our road skirted along the ridge to the right and at 11 3 miles reach Sir-i-
Pul (2,080').
The whole of this stage the road was easy and passable for artillery.
8 rd May.—Sir-i-Pul or Sir-i-Pul-i-Zohah, its complete name, is a small
place of 100 wretched houses on the right bank of the Alvvand, and here crossed
by a good masonry bridge
The river was a rapid torrent now and not easily fordable. On the
left bank are the ruins of a very ancient city called Dera and afterwards
Hoi wan.
There is a large serai on the right bank in a very tumbled down condition,
and along the stream bank below the village are some fruit gardens.
There is a post of a Captain (Sultan) and 200 men quartered here and in
the watchtowers on the road towards Kasr-i-Shirin. They are of the Guran
Kurd Regiment and armed with percussion muskets. There is a small walled
enclosure in the village in which are kept 4 small S. B. bronzefield guns of
Tehran manufacture.
The Kalashakin valley runs up 150° from Sir-i-Pul 6 miles wide, bounded
at its upper extremity by some low hills.
The head of the valley is the summer pasturage of the Kalhur Kurds under
Reza Ghuli Khan, their chief, who lives in Harunabad.
To the north and north-east in the Zohab direction are the Guran Kurds
under Muhammad Hussain Khan of Gauwara.
The weather changed considerably on reaching the foot of the pass; the
temperature increased, and the nights became warmer. Temperature 82° at
noon. A duststorm lasting about an hour came on in the afternoon.
We left the main road here and turned off towards Zohab; as the
remainder of this route to Baghdad is well known. The level of the Meso
potamian plain is now practically reached, and nothing but a few gravelly
ridges, outliers of the main range, are passed after this. The road is easily
passable for artillery to Baghdad.
Route N o. IV.—Sir-i-Pul to Kasr-i- Shirin via ZoRab.
4th to 5th May.
Hours march-
Miles.
Rate marching
in miles an
hour.
Stages.
ing.
Intermediate.
Total.
Zohab ...
3-75
13-00
13-00
3-50
Kasr-i-Shirin
6-00
20-00
33-00
3-33