"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" [ظ‎‎٥‎٨] (٣١٢/١٢١)

88
walls wei’e of stone, and the uppei’ of sun-dried bricks;the roofs were flat, of
fascines, with a layer of earth on top, resting on cross rafters.
The Bilbass and the Sin Kurds live in these districts. The largest and
most prosperous villages are hidden away in the most inaccessible ravines of
the mountains, so as to better escape the Turkish authorities.
At 7 miles the plain level is reached. The road turns west, skirting the
right bank of the Zab, here a broad rapid stream, flowing over a pebbly bed
from 400 to 500 yards wide. Large timber rafts were being prepared to
descend the river. This would show that the river through the Tang-i-Shaikh
Ismail and the gorge above Dukhan are both navigable. From marks on the
rocks at the mouth of the Tang-i-Shaikh Ismail, the water in flood time rose
12 feet above its present level.
From here to the junction with the Tigris represents the navigable por
tion of the river for rafts. It is possible that stern-wheel steamers of light
draught could ascend thus far, and thus utilize the river as a means of com
munication. It would be worth attempting when the water is high in spring.
On the higher slopes of the Kutsrut Dagh to the left were several small
hamlets surrounded by vineyards and orchards.
The soil of the plain is a rich black loam, growing an abundance of fine
grass and clover, reaching in places to the horse’s knees and the path led
through thickets of wild vines and roses, and the grass was dotted with a great
variety of brilliant flowers. Snakes were numerous; also a large green horse-fly,
which troubled the animals very much.
Khudran River. —At Ilf miles forded a large tributary of the Zab
called the Khudran, from the north-west end of the plain. It is 60 yards
and 3 feet deep, and the ford difficult for laden mules.
The head of the plain bears 318° from here, and is closed by a low un
dulating ridge 25 to 30 miles distant.
Communication is easy in this direction to join the Rawanduz-Mosul
route at Koniatman (Route VII).
The villages on the plain are poor and wretched looking ; the houses with
low mud walls and sloping roofs of reeds. The people look sickly, and com
plained of a good deal of fever in the summer months.
Gurhushina .—At 14 miles pass Gurhushina, a small village near a tumulus
with some large patches of rice round it.
We passed through some fine wheat fields as we approached Rania. At
17 miles Bazmusian, at 20 miles Gouluk village was passed, and at 24^
miles Rania reached (1,245').
Rania.—R ania is a place of 300 houses, situated partly on an old tumulus
and partly on the plain.
On the south side is the Kaimmakam’s house, a two-storied building look
ing on a courtyard enclosed by a high loopholed wall.
The water-supply is very fine, coming from a large spring at the base of
the mound. The inhabitants are Kurds with a few Jews. There is a post of
20 zaptiyahs here. Margaisalso the head-quarters of a Kaimmakamlik. To
the south, about a mile distant, is a rocky range rising perpendicular for about
1,500 feet out of the plain, and forming the boundary of the plain.
Baba Derbend .—Five and a half miles from here is a rift in this ridge
through which the Zab flo^vs called the Baba Derbend. East of the Baba
Derbend is the Pishder plain, through which the Zab also flows. It enters
Pishder by a narrow gorge in the mountains, from the Persian side of the hills.
It receives several tributaries from the southern slopes of the Kandil Dagh,
which appear thickly wooded, and cut up by several deep valleys.