"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" [ظ‎‎١‎١‎٦] (٣١٢/٢٣٧)

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bordered by stepp cliffs. It is a tributary of the Shattak Su which joins
the Bhotan Su. (See description of Tigris and Tributaries.)
The soil is now a kind of clay and disintegrated shale, and grows little
good grass, except along the stream banks and by the snow.
Some curious rocky peaks jut out here and there in the hillside ; otherwise
the slopes are rounded. Tall thistles, “ gavvan,” a low prickly shrub, and
karnoch, ” a kind of fennel, were almost the only plants seen.
There is a small camp ground at ttuekaran, where the stream is forded.
Naifckailau Dagh. —The road ascends from the valley, crossing some spurs
of a high range thickly patched with snow called the Naifchailau Dagh. Wq
made a detour to the north to avoid the main ridge of the range. A great
number of small torrents were crossed rushing down from the melting snows
to join the valley now to the west.
Some snow drifts were passed 12 to 15 feet deep. These do not entirely
molt as distinct layers, each corresponding to a year's snowfall can be traced
through each drift.
At 8^ miles 1 could see a high mountain peak some 30 miles off in the
direction of Shattak bearing 317°. This is one of the peaks of the Lahijan
I)agh between the Shattak Su and the Meuks Su.
Some of the ascents and descents over these spurs were very steep, hut fairly
easy going for the mules, as there were few stones.
Shiv Shalail. —At 11 miles halted at a small camp ground called Shiv
Shalail (8,075') alongside a large stream.
The hillsides are now quite bare of trees, and cowdung and “ gavvan ” had
to be collected for fuel. This stream runs down to join the Ituekaran
through a narrow gorge below us to the left.
It comes down 15° from a wide basin in the Naifchailau Dagh, surrounded
by steep snowy slopes, the numerous small rivulets from which go to make
up the main stream.
Below this elevation, 8,075 feet, there seemed to be no snow.
The marks of several camp grounds of last year were visible round here,
and the soil becomes richer, containing more clay and loam and less shale as
we go on.
Temperature at noon 63°, with hoar frost in the early morning.
7th July —General direction N.E. Left camp, ascended a small valley,
and continued rounding the north-east of the Naifchailau Dagh. The names
of these mountains are those given by the Kurds, but probably the Christians
in Tiari have quite different ones for these same ranges, which they see from
the south.
Cross two long spurs enclosing grassy valleys with streams flowing towards
the Ituekaran, and at 5^ miles a wider basin running in the same direction.
At the east side of this is a prominent pointed rocky peak called Kusr
Pasha (tee sketch) rising about 600 feet above the level of the path (H^OO').
Several large springs emerge from the base of it. This basin trends up
someb miles in a direction 120°.
Passed several snow drifts entirely filling up some of the smaller ravines.
The streams that run underneath hollow out a sort of tunnel dangerous for
mules to cross over.
These hills are never inhabited, as there is not sufficient grass for the flocks
in summer. The slopes are generally rounded, but at intervals lone jagged-
looking peaks project from the hillside.
Momamis and Nismo Peaks .—At 9 miles we turned east, and passed
over a col (9,050') forming a prolongation of the Naifchailau Dagh. To the
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