'Collection of journals and reports received from Captain the Hon G C Napier, Bengal Staff Corps, on special duty in Persia, 1874' [‎90] (103/396)

90
Climate.
Garden of
Ashraf.
Seffiabad.
Karatuppa.
Strange Af
ghan at
Kuratuppa.
short, dark, and slender, with irregular' small features, and little
graceful figures. Their costume, very much that of Indian women
of the lower castes. The children were very dark, and far more
slender and spare than Persians. They appear to have no tra
ditions of their origin, but I was not able to question any but
young men of the tribe. They speak the Mazanderani dialect
The Governor of Ashraf is a native, by name Abbas Guli Khan'
Sarhang (Colonel), who is also in charge of the irregular troops of
the district, and has the customs contract for the ports of Gez and
Mashed-i-Ser. From its situation, Ashraf should be unhealthy •
it is enclosed in a hollow of the mountains formed by a proiectiiU
spur, on which stands the castle of Seffiabad. Fever, however is
not more prevalent than in other towns of the province. Cholera
appears frequently, and is much dreaded. The famous garden of
bhah Abbas is now entirely neglected; the buildings, fountains
and raised stone terraces in ruins. Its natural beauties are perhaps
unequalled. It is backed by lofty wooded spurs, to the north is
a line view over the blue bay of Ashurada. Several springs risino-
under the hill slope flow through it. The cypress trees are ol*
gigantic growth, and several of them covered with massive wreaths
of wild vine. Orange and citron trees grow in wild luxuriance •
their fruit is left to fall, and literally covers the ground; every
house m the town being provided with its own garden or group
of orange trees ; there is no market, and it is worth no & one's
while to export. The old castle of Seffiabad has been replaced
by a new building in the European style with fine rooms It is
decorated outside without taste in the Persian style, but commands
a fine view of the bay and plain. It is already, even before com
pletion, falling to rum. Though now of little note, Ashraf should
some day be the centre of one of the most important agricultural
districts of Persia. Everything is there but the eSroy and
capital which perhaps can only come from the west
9^ December. Ashraf.-YiM the viUage of Karatuppa, an
Afghan colony planted by Nadir Shah on the Gurgan plain,
and afterwards removed to its present location. The village is
built around the base and on the slope of a mound, on the west
angle of the bay of Ashurada, seven to eight miles north of Ashraf.
It is surrounded by an extensive grassy plain in part marshy, but
generally firm rich meadow land. It numbers now 150 houses,
all Ghilzai Afghans. The villagers have lost their language and
distinctive type but not the ready hospitality of their countrymen,
n0r + w r !! ve 0 ! c ? u ? try ' Thou g b exceptionally well off, they told
me that they look forward to the day that will see their return
to their distant mountain homes. They hold their lands free of
revenue, and receive a yearly sum of 400 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. (not always
pai ), e pay o orsemen they are bound to keep up armed
and equipped for border defence. They trade with the Turkoman
eoasts owning six or eight large boats, and have also dealings
with the Russians, whom they supply with live-stock, wheat, &c.
Among the group of Persianised Afghans was one unmistake-
fi g ure - A tall slim old man with a reddish grey