From the relation thus given, it would appear that the
stream in question gradually changed its course, first for a
more southern, and latterly for its present easterly direction.
The next considerable stream of Susiana is the Dizful,
which flows in two branches north-east of Khorram-abad.
The western branch has its source in the Kuki-chihil Na
Balighan, a very few miles from that of the main branch of
the Kerkhah. Its direction is south-east for about forty miles,
within which space it passes Burugird and Bahrein ; and after
receiving the eastern branch at the latter place, it enters the
mountainous^ country, where it pursues a tortuous course of
about 100 miles in the general direction of south. Having
penetrated through the Zagros' chain nearly at its most elevated
point, the water forces its way through a succession of
chasms and gorges by the fort of Diz, and proceeds south-
westward between the hill forts of Tangawan and Kal’ah
Shahi,1 throwing out several branches2 at the commencement
of the plain of Susiana, along which it continues in the same
direction for ten miles to the western side of Dizful. This
city occupies some swelling ground a little way above the left
bank of the river. It is inclosed by a dilapidated wall,
flanked by semicircular towers, and contains upwards of 4000
houses, which, from their square form, their towers and Saracenic
arches, have the appearance of so many mud castles,
overlooking the flour mills, the fine bridge of Shaptir, and’
beyond the right bank, the showy tomb of Muhammed Ali
Mirza. After passing the town in the previous direction, and
in a single stream, the river receives at the seventh mile
from thence, or at twelve from the Kerkhah, the Abi-Balad-
rud, a mountain stream, which comes from the hills of Man-
gerrah and Shah-zadah Ahmed, in the general direction of
S.S.W.,^ through the rich plain of Sahrai-Lur, The Abi-
Balad-rud is a mere rivulet in the dry season; but when rains
fall abundantly on the hills, the water comes down in a large
torrent^ and with such force, that the stream becomes altogether
impassable for the time, especially in the upper part of
1 Major Rawlinson’s March, p. 67, Part I. Vol. IX. of the Journal of the
Royal Geographical Society. “ Or rather irrigating cuts.
its course. The bed of this occasional torrent is covered with
a peculiar kind of pebble, which being filled with little fossil
shells resembling grains of rice, is called Sangi-biring, or the
rice stone. These stones are also found in the river at
Shuster, but of an inferior quality; and they are in much
request throughout Persia for the head of the Nargil pipe,
which is almost invariably composed of this material, set in
silver, fii«
After being joined by the Abi-Balád-rúd, the Dizful river
runs southward, or nearly parallel to the Kerkhah, for a few
miles, when it suddenly changes its course to the south-east.
It then makes its way, in the latter direction, into the
western branch of the river Kárún, a little above the junction
of the latter with the eastern branch. This junction takes
place immediately below Bandi-Kir, after a course of about
280 miles.
The Kárún itself is next met with in proceeding eastward
from the Dizful river. It rises, according to Kinneir (who is
followed by Major Rawlinson), at Correng, in the Kohizerd,
or Yellow Mountain, at about 40 miles south-west of Ispahan,2
and runs west by north through a mountainous country. At
rather more than 50 miles from its source, the Kárún washes
the extensive and interesting ruins of another Susan;3 and,
about 13 miles lower in the same direction, it passes the
Masjidi-Sule’imán-Buzurg.4
Again, at about 40 miles further, in the previous direction
of west by north, and at nearly 20 miles from Shuster, it
makes an abrupt bend towards the S.S.W., as it finally breaks
through the Zagros range, and pursues its onward course
towards that city; a little way short of which, and near the
upper extremity of the well-known bund of Shápúr, a temporary
bifurcation takes place, so as to insulate the town. The
1 Major Rawlinson’s March, Vol. IX. Part I. p. 66, of the Journal of the
Royal Geographical Society.
a Kinneir’s Persian Memoir, p. 87.
8 Shushan, Arwan, or Arwat; also Elymais, &c., of Rawlinson.—Journal
of the Royal Geographical Society, Vol. IX. Part I., p. 86.
‘ Supposed to he the Temple of Diana.—Ihid.