444 
ROUTE OVER THE RED HILLS. 
earth, and perfectly barren of any sort of verdure. We were 
nearly half an hour in gaining the highest in our path; from 
which elevation the road continued along the summits of the 
range, whose rugged tops might have appeared to stretch in 
endless succession before us, had not the stupendous mountains 
of Shar-i-zool, in the immediate vicinity of Sulimania, rose due 
east in black and towering majesty. Others, more to the north, 
were white with snow. The whole of the latter part of this 
day’s travel lay over a succession of these intermediate ascents 
and descents; breathing our horses and ourselves, for climbing 
those cloud-capped summits. The only habitations we saw in 
this arid course were a miserable collection of huts, called 
Hibba, lying in a hollow to our right, about two hours’ journey 
from our halting place. Having travelled altogether about five 
hours, we turned suddenly off the road into a winding valley, 
which brought us in a few minutes to the outskirts of the village 
of Ismael Kara Sassan, our allotted quarters for the night. No 
description can give an idea of the rude state of our accommo¬ 
dation : the most spacious hovel in the place, for it merited no. 
better name, only affording me one apartment, the door-way of 
which I was obliged to barricade with a matting of reeds, to 
prevent the constant inroads of dogs, asses, and goats. The 
people were not very well pleased at our appearance, though 
from the ancient custom of their land, they affected to welcome 
us, and really would not take the smallest remuneration for 
their hospitality. A little cultivation extended from Hibba to 
this place. The way having been so rugged and hilly from the 
time of our leaving Kirkook, we could not ride at our usual 
pace, namely, from four to three miles and a half in the hour; 
