'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎56r] (116/416)

6y
No. 18.
Bandar Abbas to Karman, via Daulatabad and Baft .
(Main Kafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. Route.)
No. of
stajfe.
Names of stages.
Distance, in
miles.
Rruabks.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
alluvial soil passing the hamlet of Shilogarm close on our right. Camped 2 miles N. of Shilo-
jarm hamlet at Ab-i-.YIol, which is at the mouth of the Dam-i-Tank. On the hill side to the
rest is a perennial spring. The river water is undrinkable being saline.
No supplies, water scant from aforementioned spring and not sufficient for bodies of
[roops and their attendant transport, roadway practicable for guns. The passage of the
fiver m flood time would present some difficulties.
Sar-i-Sikh
21£
84
2,700'.
Eoad^ runs lip the JVIian-Tang (middle defile)
which is a continuation oMhe Ahmadi water way.
Lofty steep mountains slope down on either side,
, a broad shallow stream meanders along the Tang
which has to be crossed several times. At 8£ miles on the hill side to the left is “ Ab-i-Shikar ”
a perennial sweet water spring, at 9 miles we leave the main stream which flows from Ahmadi
and turn up into a narrow deep gorge to our right, through which flows a small shallow
stream. This gorge winds considerably, but the general direction is north. In parts the
track is bad bemg strewn with rock, and bold precipitous jagged hills surround us on all sides!
Between the 10th and 11th miles is a particularly bad bit, and again at 12| miles. Skeletons
of camels and donkeys testify to the laborious nature of this road-way, which is called the
Tang-i-Zmdan. As we approach the end of the Tang it narrows in considerably, and there is
hut little room to spare for the Kafilas as they squeeze through in single file. The ascent
begins at about the 14th mile, and winds over a fairly good track of soft schist hills. As wo
approach the summit the track runs Over a narrow rocky ledge with deep chasms on either
side The summit of the Gudar-i-Sar-i-Sikh is reached at 18 miles. Elevation, 3 040 feet. A
gradual descent over a stony plateau for a mile and we descend into a narrow rocky nala at
the foot of he Takht-i-Nadir elevation, 2 700 feet. Here is a small spring of running water
There is nothing but barren hills all round. No huts or villages r s S ter -
c S } S \ l0ng i nd ted T 8 mar ®b impracticable for artillery, except mountain batteries
K b0 r d ' e8 ° f CaVaIry COuld pr0(5eed ^ this w ^’ but during rains or flood times difficulties
6
Pur*
3,360'.
17
101
Ascending out of the nala at the foot of Takht-i-
Nadir, the track runs over a stony plateau and again
dips into the main nala which we started from, and
a i. v i , . which runs under the plateau parallel with the marl
we cTme? S ° ^ ^ ^ ^ bUt 8eVeral Well ' beaten P aths run over the plateau by which
The descent into the main nala is steep and rocky, through a narrow gorge. We now wind
for quarter of a mile and then gain the bed ofthe Ahmadi stream, whichlS Iline or a ste
bauks^et'f runs along this broad water-way flanked by strlfg^
Rtr.om 8 it 60 - , At 8 . miles we reach a point where the Rud-i-Pur joins the m-dn
alon^ the ntU^’ 16 Abmadl , road follows the main stream to the west, our track leads
and throV^h 'n hl fn 1S °\ a slightl y 8maller scale than the Ahmadi river-bed
tniough which flows a small shallow stream of good water. At 92 miles we psccml ,
wretchedVf?! 1 ^ P assin / tho bamle t of Shigalo on our right. It consists of a lew
miles the mtd f ^ ^ * fe T ^ te pa “ S) ° n both banks of the stream. Onwards to 12-
small*; df ?-T Sth ? nVer * bed> at miles we P assed SO'ue springs from which flowsTbc
a sw ST 1 Wh ; Ch We „ h r e f L oll r ed ’ bey0nd tbis tbe ^er.bed is dry”. Ro“d now imns olel-
^oueiL b rIS’ Tt IS^miU nver ' bed i whi , ch is . on °" r left ’ io£t y limestone hills flank
again anotwLJ" t d f ep dr y river -bed on to another stony ledge and
on our left The P mi es ’ both tbe8e dl 7 na ^ f loin the main nala whidfis still
Iett - T be road now winds along a stony track close to the hill sides np a broad