'Letter from Sir M. Durand to Foreign Office' [‎71v] (2/4)

2
Yezd to
Kerman, vide
Route Book,
p. 322.
Girdkuh and
Hosseinabad
instead of
Zehn-u-din
and Kerman-
shahan.
Kerman.
From
Kashan to
Kerman
about 424
miles.
Kerman to
Bam.
8391.
Bam 3,480
feet.
Kazerun
2,850 feet.
In case it be desired to take advantage of the construction of the new
line for the purpose of avoiding the Kohrud Pass, the town of Ardistan
has a good climate, plenty of supplies, and is connected with Ispahan hy an
easy pass.
The climate of Yezd is hot, and its inhabitants fanatical, so that it
might he desirable to keep the staff outside. In this case, the Bagh-
i-Khan, some four miles from Yezd on the Taft Road, might he examined.
It is well situated above Yezd, and could, I believe, be purchased for a
small sum.
With respect to the section from Yezd to Kerman there are again two
routes to choose from, along both of which I have travelled, but the’one
via Anar and Bahramabad, which is the Persian telegraphic route, was well
chosen by General Schindler, as not not only is it the caravan and postal
route but, in the case of a branch to Bonder Abbas, the point of departure
must be at or near Bahramabad, the road to the coast via Saidabad being
alone open during the winter.
To take this section in detail, in order to avoid the two desert stages of
Zehn-u-din and Kermanshahan, the line might be slightly deflected to the
north to Girdkuh (which appears in the I. D. W. O. too far west) and
Hosseinabad, the extra distance would perhaps be six or seven miles.
Nearer Kerman, during the spring, the district of Rafsinjan suffers a good
deal from floods, while further east the Lalazar River is lost in a swamp. Por
this reason it might perhaps be advisable to keep along the skirt of the
Kuh-i-Nuk and avoid the open plain.
Kerman would, I presume, be an important telegraph station, and I think
that the best site for a garden would be found in a “ Baghistan,” about
half a mile from the south-east gate. It is there that I rented a house in
1895-96.
The Persian Telegraph Office is close to the w'est gate of the town.
So far the telegraph line has run for more than 400 miles between the
same ranges of mountains without crossing a pass or a river, but the section
to Bam and Rigan presents considerable difficulties if the caravan route
be adhered to, as the Hanaka Pass is very narrow and over 8,000 feet in
height, w'hich conditions are, I believe, unfavourable to the maintenance of
a telegraph line. Some five years ago I had formed the opinion that the
main line would finally run through Kerman and Bampur to India, so that,
when stationed at Kerman, I undertook two short journeys (vide my
Third Journey, App. I., p. 98) in order to see how this very serious obstacle
might be avoided. A description of a pass to the west of the Kotul-i-Hanaka
will be found in the new Route Book, p. 328, which I traversed during the
summer of 1895, but, during the autumn of the same year, I hit upon a
route by which all passes are avoided.
Not having my note books with me, I cannot give the names of the
stages, but from Mahun a route running E.S.E. should be followed, passing
to the south of Sagoch at six miles, and Arababad at nine miles, while I
think that the name of the stage is Mianabad. Prom there the hills on both
sides of the valley decrease in size, the Kud-i-Surkh being passed on the
south side of the track, while the usual route is rejoined near Tehrud.
Supplies are scarce by this road, which also avoids the small town of
Rayin, but, in other respects, the wide valley presents no obstacles to a line.
With this exception there is no difficulty to be encountered in the section,
the track following the left bank of the Bam River until the district of
Narmshir be readied.
The climate of Bam is somewhat cooler than Kazerun, the summers being
hot, but snow' occasionally falling during the winter. It is the seat of
Government, and, in consequence, all the Khans reside in gardens near or in
the town, so that all arrangements for the desert section must be completed
before proceeding to Rigan. As far as Narmshir the route I have indicated
appears to be undoubtedly the best, and Rigan may, in the future, be an
important telegraphic station, as there is an easy route running down to
Bunder Abbas from Narmshir, but, beyond this oasis, a decision has to be
arrived at whether the line is to run east via Ladis and Nushki to Quetta,
undoubtedly a most direct route, or whether it should shape its course via
Bampur and Magas to Kohuk, with either Quetta or Karachi as termini.