'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎244] (269/466)

244
R oute N o. 2 — contd.
From Kum to Gulpaigdn —contd.
o
Distances iw
miles.
*
( Ntimbei
Stage,
Time.
Names of towns, villages, &c.
Interme
diate.
Total.
Remarks.
this village a direct road down the valley leads to Gulpaigan. The stage by this road is Kaidu,
distant 23 miles from Mahallat. The road taken is the longer, and was said to he the better
of the two (see fage 242).
p. M.
12.35 ... ... Crosses a short, difficult piece of rock,
and traverses low gentle undulations;
country generally uncultivated.
Skirts the northern edge of a fertile
valley, about 12 miles broad, plentifully studded with villages (10 or 12), each surrounded by
a few poplars.
Beyond the valley the distant hills are topped with snow (Kuh-i-Ashnakhor, Kuh-i-
Khonsar); those bordering the valley are detached and of low elevation.
G ulf a ... 23 86 A small village, chiefly a ruin; huts
of mud ; domed roofs.
86 Eoad, of good breadth (12' to 20') and
hard surface, crosses the valley, here flat
and uncultivated; soil a shaly clay;
barometer 24'15 // (5,980'); temperature
80°.
Crosses a clear 10' stream ; to the
westward the hills, 3 to 5 miles distant,
close in the valley.
Crosses a small canal.
A flour mill turned by the small canal
which now runs parallel to the road to the
village of Naziah. Good fields of wheat
( and barley passed ; soil, clay. The road
becomes very swampy for 3 or 4 miles, and is in places flooded by the irrigation channels
carried across it ; passes three more mills, each surrounded by a few willows and poplars.
91
12-45
1-5
1-20
1-55
NIziah (elevation
5,775').
A small village of mud huts as before;
supplies for a small party obtained with
difficulty; the district produces more
wheat than barley ; Komain, 5 miles
distant, affords good accommodation.
General Bemarks.—With the exception of the difficulties met with in crossing the valley
and which are caused by the irrigation channels carried along and across it, few were
encountered, and the track could easily be converted into a cart-road. No bridges are required,
the bottoms of all the small rills or streams crossed being sandy; all gradients are gentle.
Until the valley of the river is reached, the track, of a hard surface and good breadth, !^
to 30', passes over and amongst undulations and low hills, separated by flat and often broad
valleys; the detached hills are steep ; all are barren ; the valleys, except near the streams,
are uncultivated, and afford a poor sheep grazing only (thistles, weeds, &c.).
7th Mayil884.
a.m.
5-25
N aziah
91
Bordering the valley, on the south,
are a series of detached hills 7 to 8 miles
distant. Ashnakhor, a snowy pea*)
bears 210°.
Barometer 24*0" ; thermometer 50.°
The general run of the valley is 110.°
The track crosses fields and is broad and
channels.
swampy,
being much cut up by irrigation