The stream continues nearly S.W., after passing the defile,
as far as the ferry of Khostfi, three miles below; and, near
the village of Pash-tash, it enters a vast rent in the mountains,
with precipices on both sides, rising to the hei ht of
1000 or 1500 feet. After passing this chasm, the river
makes a short bend to the S.E., but soon resumes the general
direction of S.W., and flows into the deep valley of Egin.
The mountains rise to about 4000 feet on each side of
this singular fissure, which is so narrow that it is crossed
by a bridge between lofty limestone precipices, seeming
to overhang the town, and, as it were, to threaten its
destruction.1
Below Egin, a town of. 2700 houses, on the right bank,
the river maintains the general direction S.W. through the
mountain valleys, till it arrives at about five miles short of
Kebbán Ma’den ferry and the lead-mines, where it is joined
by the Murád-chai, or sú, being, at this point, about 270
miles from its source.
The latter is the great eastern branch of the Euphrates;
and, from its size, it ought perhaps to be considered the
principal stream. It rises on the southern slope of Alá Tágh,
a mountain about 9000 feet high,2 and takes a general N.E.
course for about 24 miles, to Diyádín, a small town west of
Báyazíd, and situated on one of the more elevated branches
of the Taurus, not very distant from the highest point at
Ararat.3 After passing Diyádín, this great branch of the
Euphrates takes a W.N.W. direction nearly as far as Móllá
’Osmán, where it receives a feeder coming from the west.
Here the main stream pursues a S.W. course along the great
valley formed by the Dújik range on the north, and the
Supin and Nimrúd Tághs on the south; receiving several
streams coming from the high grounds on each side.
After a course of nearly 120 miles, in the direction above
1 Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, Yol. YI. Part II., p. 204.
2 Very little inferior in height to the Sapán Tágh.—Ibid., p. 418.
3 Previous to Mr. Brant’s Journey, the springs of the Murád were supposed
to be close to this place.
mentioned, and when at a point about 60 miles S. by E. of
Erz-Rúm, and 20 north of Mush, it receives a small tributary,
called the Chár Buhúr su, coming, by a S.E. course, from
the slopes of the Bin gol Tágh range, which attains, at its
culminating point, an elevation of about 9000 feet. This
accession of water gives a new direction to the main stream,1
which now winds towards the south for about 20 miles (or
in the direction of Músh), until it is turned by the offsets of
the Nimrúd Tágh at 10 or 12 miles short of that place; and,
after running a few miles nearly in a westerly direction, it
receives from the Nimrúd Tágh and plain of Músh, a little
way west of lake Van, another river, bearing the often
repeated Turkish name of Kará sú. Its sources are in the
crater of a volcano, over the lips of which it bursts in two
streams. These immediately unite and form a considerable
river, which, after a W.N.W. course of about 30 miles,
passes within three miles of the northern side of Músh,2 a
town which contains 1200 houses, at an elevation of 4692
feet above the level of the Black Sea.3
Murád (the river of desire) pursues a new direction, W. by
S., after the junction of the Kará sú, and continues to wind
along the valleys nearly parallel to the Dújik Tágh, from the
slopes of which range it receives several considerable streams.
Amongst these may be particularly noticed the Gunhik sú,
coming into the main trunk from the north, about midway
between Músh and Palú, and likewise the Pérez sú, which
enters below the latter place, after a S.W. course of considerable
length. Near Palú the Murád sweeps round, and takes
a W.N.W. direction, until it joins the western branch, two
hours above Kebbán Ma’den, having previously made a tortuous
course of a little more than 400 miles through a
mountainous country, over an irregular, and, generally speaking,
a rocky bed.
-As far as their junction the branches are partially navi-
1 The Murád-chái, a little below its union with the Chárbuhár, is 4138
feet above the Black Sea.—Vol. X. Part III., p. 431, of the Royal Geographical
Journal.
2 Ibid. 8 Ibid.