"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" [و‎‎٥‎١] (٣١٢/١٠٦)

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Abdur Rahman Pasha, a former governor of Sulaimaniah, in an endea
vour to make his districts independent, fortified all these passes. A Kurd led
the opposing forces over a narrow footpath, which turned the Basianjpass,
and Abdur Rahman was defeated.
The remains of the wall and fortifications then erected can still be seen
at the top of the Sagirma pass.
Route to Kirkuk .—From Gok Tepe to Kirkuk is two stages of nine hours
each, Leilan being the intermediate stage. The country is a series of low
undulating gravel and sandstone hills cut up by numerous ravines.
Supplies are obtainable at Leilan, and between that and Kirkuk, but none
on the first stage.
Weather has got gradually cooler as we enter the hills. Cloudy today.
Temperature 69° at noon; 55° at 6 a.m. A heavy thunderstorm, with wind
and rain, came on at 8 p.m., lasting about an hour.
13th May—General direction, N.E. Bearing 66° is a prominent conical
peak of the Kara Dagh, rising to the south of the pass, and forming a good
landmark.
Leaving the village, we crossed a grassy plateau skirting the edge of a
deep ravine to the left.
Sagirma Pass .—At 3 miles reached the foot of the pass (2,690'). From
here to the summit is 4 miles and the total ascent is 1,740'.
The ascent is a fairly uniform gradient, with the exception of two short
steep bits about half way from the foot.
There is no attempt at making or improving the road. Some longer
zigzags, which could easily be cut in the clay and loose stones, would make
the pass practicable for field artillery.
There is a good view from the summit (4,430') towards Kirkuk over a per
fect sea of gravelly undulations and ravines.
From here the course of the large stream could be traced flowing through
the plain towards Tauk. It is the main branch forming the upper waters of
the Adhaim river and rises in the district north-east of the Karadagh, passes
through the Derbend-i-Bazirra, then makes a wide sweep round the foot of
some spurs from Gok Tepe plateau, and flows in a wide gravelly channel west
towards Tauk. It crosses the Mosul road just south of that place, and then
turns south to join the Tigris.
The Ak Su rises in the south-east end of the Hatla Lagh, flows past
Ibrahim Khanji, and joins the Adhaim near Tuz Khurmattu.
Tang-i-Kalakh .—The descent from the summit is broader and easier than
the ascent, and quite practicable for field guns. The road follows a wooded
ravine by the side of a small stream, and the hillside is thickly covered with low
oaks, hawthorn, and shrubs. At the foot of the descent the road passes
through a narrow rift in an outlier of the main range known as the Tang-i-
Kalakh (3,210').
The rock strata here are vertical and of grey limestone and overhang
the road in a remarkable manner. The track through the rift, 100 yards
long, follows the bed of a small stream and two small stone bridges carry
the road over the bends of the stream. The pass is barely 10 yards wide, and
the road 8 feet, and some boulders would require removing to pass guns through.
The lower slopes of the Karadagh are thickly wooded with fine oaks,
and the hillsides are dotted with vineyards. Abundance of good grass, mostly
clover, at this season.
Dolan and Karadagh are villages to the north and south of the entrance
of the pass.
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