'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎58r] (120/416)

* For road from Mashish vid Nagar to Rayin, vide No. 1C., page 5.
78
No. 18.
Bandar Abbas to Rahman, via Itaulatabad and Baft.
{Mam Kajila Route*)
No. of
stage.
Names of stages.
Distance, in
MILES.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
16
Nadar*
6,820'.
23
254J
i.Zarchi, elevation, 9,260 feet. Descend
Remabks.
Koad winds through low colored sand-hills up
a gentle gradient to the foot of the pass over good
level going. A mile over a broad easy path and
gradual gradient brings us to the summit of Grudar-
• " v .'j * o i '“i T,"* -" , * 7 — 0Vfc ^ an e 9'J a lIy good broad path, a sweet spring
is reached at 9 miles, at the loot of the hills. The road onwards winds through low hills
which we leave at the llth mile, thence down the skirts of the hills following the dry bed
of the water way which snreads out over the plain. At 13 miles we cross a & stony rido-e
to the right on the hill side is the Ziarat-i-Shah. The villages of Soukird and Sarkhan
are passed respectively close on the west and east, here supplies in small quantities are
available. Good water and camel grazing all along the hill sides. The road now runs
over the broad Bardsir plain, on which are seen several scattered hamlets. Towards the
centre of the plain the ground is much_ cut up and fissured and liable to inundation in
wet weather which would render the going slipperv and boggy for transport. At mile
21 branch roads lead oil on the west to the village of Narp, and on the east to the village
of Surkh. Before reaching Nagar the village of Islamabad is passed close to the road to the
west. Koad all the way good and practicable for artillery.
Nagar is a large village with a caravar.sarai (now falling inj. There is a good deal of
cultivation, both here and in the other villages on the plain Supplies and'o-ood water
available, also camel grazing. Ample accommodation for campin°- laro-e ^bodies of
troops. ° °
17
Chari
’ 6,900'.
m
274
Road ascends gradually over a good track all
the way to the top of the pass, before which an
open valley running east and west is crossed
^ . . , , (g 0 °d camel grazing all over this valley). The
summit of the Gudar-i-Khun (Pass of blood, so called from the number of murders per-
petrated on the Rafila men by raiders) is reached at about the 8 th mile, elevation, 7 240 feet
Ihe Pass hke Gudar-i-Zarchi is very easy and would permit of cavalry or ' artillery
galbipmg through. The descent on the north is very gradual and easy, at the foot of the
pass to the east is an old ruined fort built as a protection against raiders. On a prominent
bil above it is a watch tower, and further east under a conical hill is a good sprino- 0 f
water. From this the road winds down the dry sandy bed of a nala through the hills
on the east—a high range separates us from the lofty snow-clad Kuh-i-Jupar (12,100 feet)—
to the caravansarai of Chari. '
Ibeie is no vihage or supplies here. A good pucka caravansarai affords ample shelter
° n r n ,J? and n b0 f a , Good i: wa,er from a hjll stream close by. With timely notice supplies
l f, b Kl C °l eCted r-i^ re n 0 '? r,ei - hbo T n - vi,,a ” es situated a f ew farsakhs off. Road
practicable for artillery all the way Camping grounds for bodies of troops are available
m the vicinity of Chan, and good camel grazing.
18
Karman
5,680'.
15
289
Leaving Chari we cross the Rud-i-Chari, which
flows down from the Kuh-i-Jupar passing Bagin.
It is a deep stream, some 25 yards wide, and
\vp 9 th 0 „ n j j • , much swollen when the snows melt and during wet
AUl °T rt ? bare sand y P lain ’ whpre the going is generally heavy.
Mil miles a Ralyunchi (smoke-house where travellers rest) is passed. At mile 13 cultiva
tion begins and is continuous to Karman. a