‘An autumn tour in western Persia’ [‎208] (221/350)

AN AUTUMN TOUR
Close by the bridge are some ruined
buildings and the remains of a stone
causeway, which is said to be very
ancient.
At Pul i Tang we had a great palaver
with our Derekwand guides, who were much
upset by the looting of our mules, and
begged us to change our route and march
through their country by the difficult Kialan
pass, instead of marching by an easier route,
round the Kialan mountain, as we had in
tended to do. The latter route was the
one generally used by the tribes moving
down to their winter quarters, and our guides
said that behind the Sagwand were coming
the Bernwand, a bigger and a stronger clan
than the Sagwand u and even greater rob
bers."
We did not want to change, as the longer
and easier route seemed the more likely
trade route, and the Derekwand chiefs said
they would stick to us, whatever we might
decide. They accordingly sent men into
the mountains to collect their clansmen, and
some fifty or sixty armed men were got to-
208