"تقرير عسكري عن جنوب غرب بلاد فارس، المجلد I. گرمسیر بختياري" [و‎‎٥‎٠] (١٦٨/١٠٤)

87
Route No. 32— contd.
but tho ground on the left bank is said to be more liable to inundation than the other.
Certain parts of the ground passed over are impregnated with salt, and these are said
to be worse than the remainder after rain.
Total distance. —Sixty-two miles in 4 stages.
Supplies .—Supplies may be considered as being non-existent. The few villages
that are met with lie within 16 miles of Ahwaz, but they could produce nothing worth
calculating upon. ’Arab encampments during the winter might, if met with, produce
some cattle and sheep.
Water .—Water is obtainable from the Karun river only and conveyed direct
to this point by boats from the transports which would have to be left at Muhammareh.
Stages .—There is nothing to require the stages being of any particular length or
terminating at any particular spots. For purposes of water and fuel some point on
the river bank would have to be selected, but it is quite immaterial which. Between
• All bin Husain and Kut ’ Abdullah the track followed runs for 32 miles over waterless
country ; this could, of course, be avoided by following the river more closely, thus
lengthening the journey by 12 to 15 miles.
Grazing .—There is no grazing except after rain, and then only in very limited quan
tity.
Fuel .—Fuel is obtainable from brushwood which grows along the bank of the river,
but the supply is rapidly diminishing.
Transport .—The route in dry weather would be suitable for transport of any descrip
tion : after rain wheeled transport would find difficulty, and could probably not count
on doing more than 8 to 10 miles a day. After rain, transport of all kinds, and men
or horses, would find it difficult to do more than short marches.
Physical obstacles .—The only physical obstacle is the passage of the Marid, some
12 miles from Muhammareh. When the water is low {i.e., between May and October)
this stream is fordable, though the bottom is always muddy. After the rains have begun
{i.e., any time between November and March) this river is often unfordable, and must
then be crossed by a ferry, the animals being swum over. The best place for the erection
of a bridge, or for the passage by ferry, is within a couple of hundred yards of where
it takes off from the Karun; further down the stream gradually develops into a marsh,
and a secondary obstacle in the shape of the Fallahieh Canal would have to be crossed.
The width of the Marid channel averages about 40 feet at the point where the crossing
is recommended. If troops were to be sent from Muhammareh to Ahwaz by the left
bank of the Karun, it would be preferable that they should be camped north of the Marid
channel.
<x>
m
$
cn
o
d
Names of stages.
Distances.
Inter
mediate. 1
Total.
i
Mabid
7
7
The route starts on the left bank of the
Karun immediately above the point where
the Bahmanshlr takes off. The latter is
unfordable at all times of the year; travel
lers usually cross to or from the right bank of the Karun at Marid, and begin, or con
clude, their use of this route at that point. The country traversed is open, uncultivated
ground offering very good grazing is dry weather; in rain it is probably very heavy.