'Précis of Mekran Affairs' [‎5] (17/134)

6
April 14th, —At sixteen miles, Wajbis, a small village with water ; at twenty-six miles,
halted at Korandab, no village but plenty of water and forage : the road this day leads
through a large nullah abounding in forage. The nullah of Beint joins here.
April 15th. —At sixteen miles, Zengin, a small village with water; at twenty-seven
miles, halted at Pashin. Forage and water plenty. The road continues in the same nullah as
yesterday.
April 16th. —Road to nine miles over stony plains to the wells of Balug ; at nineteen
crossed the nullah with water in it; at twenty-six miles, halted at Karwan, on the banks of a
branch of the same nullah. This day's march leads over the plains between the sea and
mountains. The inhabitants reside in temporary huts, which are removed from place to place
for the convenience of forage ; the flocks of camels and sheep being very numerous.
April 17th. —At nine miles, the wells of Kashi in a nullah; at thirty-four miles, the
wells of Suruk; no water on the road between these stations.
April 18^.—At eleven miles, Sudeich, a village with palms and water; at fourteen miles>
a nullah ; at seventeen miles, Malike Chadig, a high mound of stones, marking the boundary
of Mekran ; here the territory of Gaih ends, and that of Jask commences; at twenty-two miles,
Himend, a small village and well; and twenty-nine miles, Gabrig and a nullah, with the wells
sunk in the bed.
April Marched to Jagin, twenty-one miles ; no water on the road, but plenty
from the nullah at the halting place.
April 20th. —At ten miles, a nullah with wells, but the water brackish ; at eighteen miles,
the hills extend to the sea ; at twenty-six miles, Jask, a few palm plantations on the road ;
Jask lies about two miles from the sea, and eight from the hills. The town consists of about
250 huts with a mud-fort, but is now almost deserted, owing to a pestilential fever having
raged here for some months. The Chief has removed his residence to Senk, about eighty
miles off. The water is from wells, and mostly brackish. The country around to some
distance has been cultivated, but is now much neglected. In the last five days' journey over
the plains, a number of spots had been cultivated, but the crops had mostly failed for want of
rain. Forage for horses everywhere abounds.
April 21st. —At seven miles, Bamadi, a small village with palms and wells ; at twenty
miles amongst hills ; at twenty-eight miles, Surks, a cultivated plain with palms and water;
at thirty-three miles, halted at Shirahan, a large village deserted ; water good and in plenty
from wells: the hills in these parts are not so crowded as in Mekran, but admit a free and
good passage between them.
April 22nd. —Halted.
April 23rd- —At seven miles, a nullah with salt water; at ten miles, Go, a small village
with water and cultivation ; at seventeen miles, Bareizg, water bad and scarce; at twenty-five
miles, Sekoe, a large village and fort; at thirty.one miles, Nemudi, a large village and fort;
at thirty-seven miles, Guz, a large village ; at thirty-eight-and-a-half miles, a nullah which,
as rain had fallen in the adjacent hills, had a current of water in it; at about forty-six miles,
Serik, the residence of Mir Haji, Chief of Jask. It contains about 600 huts and a large mud-
fort, and is four miles from the sea, and six from the hills of Buskurd. From Shirahan to
Gero, the country called Beaban, is better inhabited and cultivated than any other in these
parts, and, indeed, on the whole way from J ask the plantations of palm are numerous, and the
wheat harvest had been tolerably abundant. The wells in these parts, though numerous, do not
supply much water, and a number of them are brackish. Forage is scarce near the road, but
abundant on the sands close to the sea-shore. Jask is tributary to the Imaum of Muskat
and pays 2,500 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. yearly : the inhabitants are Beloochis. Quite up to Minab their
language approaches nearer to the Persian than that of the eastern Beloochis, which is more
intermixed with Sind. Their religion likewise changes from the Suni to the Shiah sect.
April 24th. —Halted.
April 25U.—At two miles, Teroe, a small fort and village ; at. six miles, Gero, a large
village and fort, a nullah runs close to it. The dependencies of J ask extend thus far ; at
thirteen miles, hills extend to the sea; at twenty-five miles, Kohistag, a fort built on an
insulated hill on the sea-shore ; the wells are on the beach ; halted at twenty-eight miles
water and forage in plenty. The hills retire from Kohistag behind Minab, and do not
approach the sea again till beyond Bunder Abbas.
April 26th. —At five miles, a salt nullah; at eighteen miles, the cultivated parts of Minab ;
at nineteen miles, Balili, on the banks of the Minab nullah; at twenty-seven miles halted at
Hukmi.
The fort of Minab is situated partly on a hill, is of little or no strength, and is divided
into the upper centre and lower forts ; the town is large and the houses built close to the fort,
in a much more commodious manner than any I have yet met with. The nullah breaks
through the hills and forms a pass from the eastward. It and the cuts made to diffuse its
waters, serve as ditches to the fort; water flows here continually, but is all consumed in
fertilizing the lands, none reaching the sea, although only sixteen miles distant. Tne culti
vated parts of Minab are about forty-five miles in circumference, abounding in palms. This
district likewise supplies grain to most of the neighbouring country; its villages are
numerous, each having a small fort for the inhabitants to retire to in case of unexpected
4626 F. D.

'Précis of Mekran Affairs' [‎5] (17/134)

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'Précis of Mekran Affairs' [‎5] (17/134)

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