"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" [و‎‎٤‎٩] (٣١٢/١٠٢)

73
m
3'52
2'60
270
crossed
)ugli tie
stones,
h-east.
these
s as It,
ins. ^
tie road
f, dotted
sea from
mil, The
on a small
boys were
e countr/
gers hare
mdalafos
tb-west ot
iut3 mto
isible i as
the right)
ropped "P
very step
a rninsi
:fri.
Chechapaa
irons small
assable fe
At 2.51 miles there is a steep descent and ascent crossing* the narrow deep
valley of a tributary of the Ak Su (IjSlO 7 ). On ascending from the valley
the Ak Su could be seen flowing in a deep rocky bed about i mile to the left.
Several sandstone ledges crop out here, but are easy to cross.
An easy descent now began over some rounded gravelly spurs, which
brought us at 30 miles into the Ak Su valley, close to the village of Ibrahim
Khanji, now deserted, the inhabitants having moved into tents further up
stream. The village stands in an open grassy basin about a mile square,
bordered by low rounded hills. Below the river enters a narrow rocky valley.
This river emerges into the Tigris valley near Tuz Khurmatu, and forms
a large tributary of the Adhaim. It was swollen by recent rain, and I was
carried away horse and all by the current in searching for a ford. The mules
eventually found an easy crossing | mile further down.
There is another ruined village and some ruins of a serai on the right
bank. Down stream the valley narrows, and is bordered by some earth cliffs
100' to 150' high. From the ford the track kept along the right bank, and
1 | miles further up we crossed at a difficult ford, 100 yards broad and 2 ' 6 "
deep, with a rapid current. On reaching the left bank, we passed through
another deserted village. The general insecurity of the country and Hama-
wand raids has caused these villages to be thus deserted.
Shaikh Hassan’s Camp .—The road still follows the river bank, skirting the
foot of some low undulations which border the valley, and at 34 ^ miles we
forded again. On the opposite bank we halted and encamped with some Jaf
Kurds, who had left Ibrahim Khanji, and had pitched their tents here.
The country here belongs to Shaikh Hassan of Kirkuk who owns eleven
small villages in the vicinity. These are miserable, half-starved looking
people; notorious thieves, stealing from each other or passers by.
Some good grazing was to be had along the river banks, and the grass has
been improving since leaving Kifri. In another fortnight it will be quite
withered.
A few supplies (bread, eggs, milk, and fowls) were procurable. Weather
today fine, except a few showers at sunrise. Temperature 63° at 5 p.ivr.
Steep earth cliffs border the river valley, and the soft soil is cut up in all
directions by small gravelly ravines.
12 th May —General direction, N.N.E. Found the two zaptiyahs from
Kifri had fled in the night. W 7 ith great difficulty we obtained a Kurd as
a guide as far as Sulaimaniah, and then left camp, heading in a north-north
east direction, leaving the river valley almost immediately. This stream rises
in the Kara Dagh.
The road on leaving the valley ascends a short steep incline in a ravine,
winds along a neck between two deep valleys, and then keeps along an easy
clay track between low mounds and flat-topped ridges of sandstone.
To the right, in the direction of the head-waters of the river, the country
is scored by several deep ravines. The sandstone strata are here horizontal,
interlaid between conglomerate soil, which gets eaten away easier by the
weather, and consequently leaves the rock formed into curious flat-topped
ledges. We passed several small springs in these ravines, each denoted by a
little clump of oleanders.
Cluazarin Su .—At 6 miles, after a sudden steep descent, we reached
the Chiazarin valley (1,420'), containing a large stream flowing 125° towards
the Ak Su.
The valley is 5 mile broad, and comes from a direction 315°. A few
patches of cultivation, but no villages were seen. The stream below this
VOL. I t