'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎386r] (772/1386)

Geo. Proc.— GOLDSMID. ( 5 )
A disagreeable incident disturbed the traveller’s equanimity of mind,
and slightly changed his plans on his way to Tul-Hulal. Having
allowed his baggage to precede him by some hours, when he came up
with it, he learnt that his newly enlisted servant, the “ Dervish,” had
decamped, taking with him a gun and most of the money which had
been packed in the boxes. No clue to detection could be afforded by
muleteer or musketeer, who knew nothing on the subject; and all that
either professed to have seen was the culprit lagging behind on one
of the mules. When the animal overtook them, it was minus the rider.
To seek redress, however ineffectively, was a natural impulse; and for
this purpose a detour to Niris became necessary. What was the result
of his reference to the Khan is not apparent. But my own experience
does not tend to the belief that he could have obtained very full satis
faction for the loss of time and money, and other inconveniences
experienced.
It had been the traveller’s intention to proceed to Beshna, shown in
Sir Oliver St. John’s map as about half way in a direct northerly
line from Lingah to Yezd. Now, however, instead of this, he turned
westward, and marching for two days along the foot of a snow-capped
rocky range, designated Kuh-i-Kibla, and leaving on his right an exten
sive swamp (that probably marked Kavir by St. John) he passed
through Katru to Nrs. The latter place is known to many travellers of
the present day—among them three officers of the Royal Engineers,
St. John, Lovett, and Wells. It has been before described, and has a
reputation not only from its lake and surroundings, but as the residence
of Babis. From Niris he recrossed the mountain ranges which lay
between him and the point whence he had diverged from his direct
road, and in two days was at Beshna, a village situated between low
hills, among which its inhabitants graze their flocks.
Leaving Beshna on the 20th he reached Robat on the 23rd February,
the ground traversed in his three marches being comparatively level,
yet occasionally rising and falling in gentle undulations. To the east
was a vast open plain, stretching out to the Kuh Parhiz of St. John’s
map (perhaps somewhat misplaced), beyond which again is the great
range which runs from Yezd to Karman. To the west the country was
stony and undulating, with low hills at times observable. Halting-
places were found at Chah Kabu and Chah Nain—apparently, from
their names, wells dug for wayfarers in a desolate and little frequented
tract. Robat is described as a ruinous village (of some 150 people), the
last stage to which led across a sandy, and, in places, swampy plain.
It is marked in the map as on the road from Shiraz to Kerman, via
Shahr-Babak. The recorded elevation is about 6700 feet.
There is not much to relate as regards the nine marches which
remained for the small party before entering the city of Yezd. At
Charbagh, a hamlet supposed to be uninhabited, they came upon a party
of men sitting round a fire, who decamped, and left behind them a sheep
ready for cooking. At.Khaure they found a village of some 70 houses
situated in a valley at an elevation of 7510 feet. To reach Merao, a
wretched looking hamlet constantly plundered by robbers, they
ascended over a watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. between low hills 8000 feet high. On the
fourth march, which brought them to a waterless halting place at Kuh
Dukaru, they passed two hills of curious appearance on their right—
Kuhi Aag bald (upper) and Kuhl Aag paian (lower)—both evidently
extinct volcanoes. The muleteer declared that they were caused by a
giant shaking the dust out of his shoes; adding, that if he were not
believed, an inspection of the hills would confirm the truth of his
assertion, and show that they were formed of nothing but soft earth
which gave under the visitor’s foot. The fifth stage over a desert plain
was a long one, 314 miles to Kalweh, a small fort with but one in
habitant. The animals had gone more than 50 miles without watering,
and suffered greatly from thirst; so that here a day’s halt was held
requisite. During the last march the great range south of Yezd was
crossed; the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. elevation being estimated at 6360 feet. On the