After a difficult and dangerous ride of six hours, we came to a ford
of the river Badin. Our raft turned out to be so small that it
would carry only two men, and very little baggage; and we were, in
consequence, four hours in crossing. We stayed for the night not
far from the ferry of Vakani.
13th July. The road still continued bad; we had to ascend an
immense pile of mountains. Far and wide, nothing was to be seen but
rock and stone, although, to my astonishment, I observed that in
many places the stones had been gathered on one side, and every
little spot of earth made use of. A few dwarf ash-trees stood here
and there. The whole has the character of the country near Trieste.
Although there were no villages on the road, there appeared to be
some near, for on many of the heights I observed large burial-
places, especially on those which are overshadowed by ash-trees. It
is the custom throughout Kurdistan to establish the burial-places on
high situations.
We did not travel more than seven hours today, and halted in the
valley of Halifan.
