May U, 1857.] KAWLINSON ON MOHAM'RAH. 357 



means of entry into Persia, being the same which was followed by 

 Alexander in his march from Snsa to Persepolis. The direct road 

 across the mountains from Shuster to Ispahan, he pronounced to be 

 absolutely impassable for our armies, encumbered as they were with 

 " materiel" of war; it was with difficulty that a laden mule could 

 traverse the ranges ; therefore to talk of transporting our artillery 

 and ammunition, stores and baggage from one point to the other, was 

 simply absurd. Again, there was a line running due north from 

 Dizful to Biirujird, passing along the precipitous banks of the 

 Dizful river, but that was still more difficult than the Ispahan route, 

 and was in fact little better than a sheep track. Then there were 

 two other lines which he had himself followed, leading from Dizful 

 into the interior. One went direct over the hills to Khorremabad 

 — it was badly supplied, and was, he thought, impassable for troops. 

 The other line led up the valley of the Kerkha to a certain point 

 called Jaeedur, where it bifurcated, one route branching oif to the 

 east to Khorremabad, and the other proceeding due north to Kerman- 

 shah. The last named line was just passable : it was difficult, but 

 still it could be traversed by troops ; and if the war had been pro- 

 longed, and General Outram had desired to penetrate into the interior 

 from Khuzistan, he would in all probability have been obliged to 

 follow up this difficult and circuitous line to Kermanshah. 



The observations he had thus made referred however only to con- 

 tingencies ; he had merely been speculating on what might have 

 happened if the war had been continued. At present it would be 

 more interesting perhaps to explain wliat had actually taken place, 

 or, at any rate, what might be supposed to have taken place in 

 regard to the movements of the expedition. He had explained that 

 General Outram left Bushir on the 19th, and that he attacked 

 Moham'rah a week afterwards, on the 26th of March. Upon the 

 plan suspended on the wall were marked the exact positions of all 

 the Persian batteries, showing how the enemy had proposed to 

 defend the entrance into the Moham'rah creek. One battery was at 

 this coraer, another was placed a little further on ; and a third 

 occupied the opposite corner ; the fire of the three batteries concen- 

 trating at one point. Here, in the middle of the Euphrates, was a 

 shoal which prevented a vessel of any size from clinging to the right 

 bank of the river, and thus passing to the north of the creek. But 

 the ships of the expedition, with their heavy guns, must have de- 

 stroyed the batteries in a veiy short time, and as the information 

 previously received from the spot stated the Persian troops to be all 

 ready to retire, immediately the guns were dismounted and our troops 

 were prepared to land, he inferred that such had been the actual result 



