'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎76r] (156/416)

107
No. 20.
Bushahr to Bandar Abbas.
Distactcb, in
milks.
No. of
stage.
Names of stages.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
Remarks.
M. F,
M. F.
26
Birka Noh
15—3
377-
(Caravansarai).
4-4
910',
600 yards or so from the southern foot of the low range. The road, for pack animals, from
Pas-Par-Dalan to the latter village, passing round the eastern extremity of this range, is
4 miles 2 furlongs in length. The village of Dalan possesses a partly ruined caravansarai,
and is surrounded by date groves. Supplies little. Water both at Pas-Par and Dalan,
plentiful and good, from an aqueduct and three cisterns. Fuel very scanty. Grazing poor.
Cultivation little, near village of Dalan. Camping-ground good.
General direction E. by S. The road, after 1|;
furlongs, crosses the river Shur, water salt, about
6 inches deep, bed 100 yards broad, flow generally
to S. E., and then for 7 furlongs skirts the low
outlying hills of Kuh Zad Mahmud on the north side of the vale. The ground to the south
of the road is covered with stones, and appears liable to inundation from the river. The
depth of water would, however, in any case, be very shallow. Kanar bush is now frequent.
At 7 furlongs the road leaves the low hills, and crossing two dry and very shallow branches
of the river Shur, about 70 and 150 yards broad respectively, passes over very stony and
sandy ground, evidently swept by the river at floods. At 2 miles we cross once more
two dry and very shallow branches of the river Shur, the united breadth of which is from
one-half to one-third of a mile. The ground, stony, and sparsely covered with thin dried up
yellow grass, kanar, and furze bush, slopes always south-easterly, and for the next 4 miles
6 furlongs is crossed continually by a succession of small and very shallow water-courses,
all of which are dry, and in most cases appear to be worn by mere surface drainage to the
river Shur. At 4 miles 2 furlongs we pass the ruins of a caravansarai, named “ Bampan,”
and two or three cisterns, the latter containing no water. The hills, on the south side
of the valley, are now distant from the road about 2 or 3 miles. At 6 miles 6 furlongs the
ground is no longer stony, but consists of a fine sand, and is sparsely clothed with clumps
of camel-grass, and a very thin sprinkling of poor yellow grass. The valley here presents a
greener aspect, owing to the frequency of kanar trees, and thickets of prickly bush and furze.
At 8 miles 7 fui’longs, after crossing the dry sandy bed of a water-course, we pass the cara
vansarai and two cisterns of Jihun. The former contains four lower rooms. Supplies nil.
Water good, from two cisterns. Fuel moderate. Cultivation nil. Grazing very poor, but
camel fodder good. Camping-ground good.
After this the valley is bare of vegetation save for a few kanar hushes, and
scattered clumps of short coarse grass, the ground consisting of a stony gravel. Low
tumular gravelly mounds border the road. At 9 miles 3 furlongs we cross a dry ravine
or canon, about 40 feet in breadth, with sides either very steep or perpendicular. Within the
next 1 mile 2 furlongs we twice cross the dry, sandy bed of a water-course about 40 feet
broad. Low hills, showing a cliff-like section, now run on either side, distant from the road
about half a mile to north and one mile to south. At 11^ miles we are passing between low
gravel hills or mounds, between which ravines and nalas wind and twist. This continues
for 1 furlong, when, ascending a steep bank, we rise from the ravines, and, passing for
half a mile over a level surface, again descend, by a steep slope, into another labyrinth of
ravines similar to those previously passed. The road lies over mounds of dry mud and gravel.
At 12 miles 5 furlongs we ascend from the ravines by a steep ascent, cross some undulating
ground, and at 13 miles 2 furlongs, traverse a level part of the valley with the ravines, on
either side of the road, at a distance of a few hundred yards. The ground is now stony and
sandy, sparsely covered with very thin yellow grass and small scrub. This continues for 2
furlongs. Within the next 5 furlongs the road twice descends into, and ascends from, a
labyrinth of stony ravines. At 14 miles we once more descend into a ravine, about 175 yards
broad, of which the south side is bordered by a clayey sandstone cliff, and the north by low
tumular mounds. A water-course, 40 feet in breadth, containing pools of brackish water,
flows to north-east on the north side of the defile, which narrows in as we advance. At 14
miles 3 furlongs the road passes along the bed of this water-course. The defile at its north-