'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎287] (332/466)

287
R oute N o. b—contd.
From IsfaJidn to BehhaMn and Bandar-Bildm, 8fc,- contd,
D istances in -
— —— —
0
Names of towns, villages, &c.
miles.
Is
Time.
Interme
diate,
Total.
Eemarks.
The country for many miles around consists of rugged and barren hills of no great length,
separated by valleys and joined by necks, along and over which run many paths ; the paths
are only carried over^ those hills which are of too great a length to be turned; such are
The hills are topped with snow.
rare.
A.M.
5-10
5-30
5-45
5-55
6-35
7-25
7-45
8-20
and cereals growing of fine quality
8-40
9-55
Zigzags up a steep incline.
Top of ascent ; barometer 21*65"
(8,850'). The road passed over snow; the
clayey soil is fertile and the pasture good.
Bakhtian liyats were here encamped.
A steep descent leads into the valley
fronting the Kiih-i-Sabz. There is a lak&
in the valley caused chiefly by the melting
of the snow.
Barometer 21*8" (8,520'). The road is a
mule track over undulating pasture lands^
skirting the Kiih-i-Sabz.
Down a stony incline of ^ to ^ for 200
yards, and over grassy undulations with
slopes up to 15°. A few shrubs grow; no
trees; the track good, and its gradient
downwards gentle.
Passes at a tangent to the east end of the
Sabz-Kuh,^ and descends a narrow ravine ;;
the road is a single file stony track.
Traverses a wide flat plateau.
Reaches the Maidan-i-Gandaman, a plain,
here 6 miles wide, and takes a southerly
course along it ; barometer 22*85"'
(7,400'). Its soil is here good, and the grass
the centre of the basin is more or less swampy.
The road skirts the east end of ther
Sabz-Kuh, # out of which several cool
springs of water flow ; it is stony and
heavy going as a rule.
124 The Kiih-i-Sahz and the Kiih-i-Challow
or Kalah together form a mountain, the
division between them being the Tang-i-
Siah, through which, in a south-west to
north-east direction, flows a stream into the Kariin.
The basin is here 7 to 8 miles broad ; but little snow remains on its bordering hills ;
the hill-side is often spungy and soft.
10-30
10-35
Ground suited for a large camp.
Fords a stream, 20' wide, 2' deep, flow
ing out of the Tang-i-Wastagun, a narrow
and deep gorge or cleft in the Sabz-Kiih,
with perpendicular sides. The stream,
flowing across the basin, floods it in places,
and was said to issue from it under the
Gardan-i-Palang. It is one of the head
Kuh-i-Challow or Challau or Kalah is supposed be an extinct volcano.