'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎340] (387/466)

840
At night we reach the village of Tang-i-Rudian, situated at the bottom
of a narrow valley carved out of the plateau by the Fahlian river, which is here,
as at KaFa-i-Safi'd, perfectly sweet (altitude 5,400 feet). How it came to be
called the Shur or u salt river ^ was explained by a man here who told us
that between this and Kal^a-i-Safid salt is manufactured on the banks of a
tributary of the main stream, the waters of the tributary being highly impreg
nated with chloride of sodium.
Stage 12, December 17th. —We leave the fort and valley of Tang-i-Rudian,
, r the head-quarters of the Dushman-Ziari Lurs. A steep
miles" south- climb of 600 feet and we are on the level of the plateau;
west. 200 feet more and we cross a ridge that, running from
the direction of Shiraz, divides the plateau in two, but dies out here at
Tang-i-Rudian. From the summit of this ridge Adakhan is visible, and a
plain dotted very sparsely with villages. With a settled government this
would be a rich place indeed; vines are grown along the hill sides, as we follow
the northern slope of the ridge to where the plain dies out at a village named
Shul (altitude 6,725 feet). The people are not the men that the Tel-Espid
plain produced, though they belong to the same clan. The women, however,
are remarkably pretty, and do not cover their faces. A gentle ascent from
Shul takes you to the watershed dividing the basin of the Fahlian river from
that which drains into the Shiraz valley. This watershed is at altitude 7,350
feet. We camp at Goyum (altitude 5,750 feet), a Saiyid village, and experi
ence extreme cold. The country is now the regular central Persian hill and
barren valley. Fuel is abundant. Vines are very numerous.
Stage 13. Descending gently to Shiraz, now and then passing a walled
n f Sh' ' 21 village and regular gardens at Masjid-i-Bardi, we reach
milesf south^eas t™ Z ' our haven after 20 miles ride, and get news of the world
after six weeks and a day's absence from it.