'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎169] (164/466)

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(3) From Muhammerah via Shustar, the Chul Pass, Khoramabad, Sul-
tanabad, Kum, a distance of 622 miles, of which 137 miles can be
traversed by river, and of the remaining 485 miles, of which 175 miles
require to be widened, more or less, and improved in gradient to allow
of carts to pass over it.
Mr. Schindler estimates this road to be 130 farsakhs or 520 miles to
Dizful, and therefore 693 miles to Muhammerah, and that 240 miles will have
to be made, as above, at a cost of 50,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. (Rs. 2 ,00,000).
With reference to the above estimates of the cost of improving Persian
communications to suit them to cart traffic (road 15' wide), the following are
put forward by Major Bell {see Road Report Nos. 1, 2, and 4.)
Road Muhammerah to Kum.
Muhammerah to Bala-Eud
Bala-Eiid to Khoramabad
Khoramabad to Burujird
Burnjfrd to Sultanabad
Sultanabad to Kum
Total
Increase in length caused by diminished gradient, say
or at an average of Rs. 160 per mile.
Kum to Gulpaig&n
Increase of length caused by diminished gradient
or at an average of Rs. 135 per mile.
Road Isfahan to Bandar Dildm.
Isfahan to Ardal
Ardal to Behbahan
Behbahan to Bandar Dilam ....
Total
Increase in length caused by diminished gradient ...
or at an average rate of Rs. 215 per mile.
18
Miles.
Es.
183
3,660
147
26,940
63
6,700
60
8,000
82
5,800
635
51,100
100
50,000
1,01,100
112
8,800
18
9,000
J.
17,800
Miles.
Es.
102
12,520
265
47,620
48
35,000
415
9,000
1,04,140
The cost of making the most direct road from Bandar Dilam via Felat
and Kumesheh to Isfahan, 345 miles long, would not exceed Rs. 70,000
approximately Rs. 200 per mile.
Road Isfahan to STiustar.
Isfahan to Ardal (as above)
Ardal to Shustar
Total
Increase in length caused by diminished gradient
or at an average of Rs. 265 per mile.
Miles.
Es.
102
21,520
173
46,000
275
25
12,000
79,520
r ^6rence to Road Report No. 1, page 13, will prove incontestably
that the routes from Bandar Abbas and Bushire cannot, as commercial routes,
compare with that from Muhammerah. The latter is shorter by 178 miles
than that from Bushire; (2) passes over no very difficult country ; taps the
n? *'i « di ® tricts of Persia, i.e., the plains of Arabistan, Shustar and
■Uiztui, Hamadan, Karmanshah, Burujird, Sultanabad, as well as that of