'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎77r] (158/416)

109
No. 20.
Bushahr to Bandar Abbas,
Distance, in
miles.
No. of
stage.
Names of stages.
Inter
mediate.
! Total.
Rbuabks.
M. F.
M. F.
28
Latitun .
16—5
40$—
22'
2*4
At 8 miles the road descends into a ravine, and crosses a dry water-course about 40 feet
wide, with steep, perpendicular banks, flow to N. Within half a mile we cross the same
channel, banks of gravel, about 40 feet high. At 9 miles we again descend into a ravine
about 200 yards broad, and skirt its north side, the dry bed of a water-course running on the
opposite sitle. The north bank of the ravine slopes down to the road, which is now very
stonv, and gradually becomes shallower, till, at 9 miles 7 furlongs, it merges in the valley.
Another 400 yards, and we cross a dry water-course, which then flows 100 yards or so distant
from the north side of the road, at the foot of the spur Kishi. From now till stage a con
tinual succession of nalas and dry water-courses, some with steep gravel banka, cross the
road from the south.
At 11 miles 1 furlong the vale is about 1 mile broad, the road running at a distance
of 500 yards from the low range of Kishi. At 13 miles 6 furlongs, grass seems to have
disappeared, save for a few scattered patches here and there. Thickets of small trees and
bushes are now becoming frequent. Since passing Kishidari caravansarai the road has
been very stony, over hard gravel scantily clothed with dried up yellow grass in scattered
patches. Wild pigeon plentiful. Supplies nil. Water good, from two large cisterns. Fuel
moderate, from small trees and bushes. Cultivation nil. Grazing very scanty; camel fodder
apparently plentiful. Camping-ground good.
Note.—F rom Birka Sultan a narrow pass, Tang Rahdari (pronounced Rowdari), through
the spur Kishi, bears N. by W. ^ W.
General direction E. by S.
The road, crossing frequently numerous dry
shallow water-courses with firm sandy beds
passes over sandy ground covered with frequent
thickets of hahur trees, hanar, and other bush. At 4 miles 3 furlongs the caravansarai and
three cisterns of KarisUn, all in good repair, and the latter full of water. Altitude, 36 feet.
Supplies nil. Water good and plentiful, from three cisterns. Fuel plentiful. Cultivation
nil. Grazing very poor, but camel fodder apparently plentiful. Camping-ground good.
Note. —From a mound immediately to north-east of the cisterns of Karistan a pass
named “ Tang Abad,” leading through the range Gishu, bears E. by N. ^ N.
We are now traversing the main valley, distant from the low rocky bills to south about
1 J miles, and from the lofty, rocky, and rugged range of Gishu to north about 3 miles.
The ground is of a limy clay mixed with sand, and is sparsely covered with thin, dried
up, yellow grass. The thickets of kanar, kahur trees, etc., which have dotted the valley
rather thickly since Birka Sultan, now, as we advance, thin out, and finally disappear. At
5 miles a line of kanats, conveying good water from the range Gishu crosses the road from
the north side, and 1 mile 2 furlongs further on, these kanats again cross our track from the
south. At 6 miles 3 furlongs we cross a huge, dry nala or water-course, flow to south
east. The basin of dry clay, utterly devoid of stones is about 150 yards broad, and 16 feet
deep in the centre. The southern bank shelves, whereas the northern is steep. The road
now traverses, for about 200 yards, fields of wheat and barley. We then pass a dilapidated
mud and stone fort, called “Kala Poro,” inhabited by a few villagers, and cross a tract
covered with short grass, generally level, but scored and furrowed, apparently by the
action of running water. At 10 miles 2 furlongs, descending, by an abrupt slope, to a
level lower, by about 15 feet, than that we bad been traversing, we come to a cistern, called
“ Birka Daraz,” in good repair, and full of water. The road now crosses a level and even
tract covered with very short grass,—apparently an ancient river basin. At 10 miles 7 fur
longs a dry nala, 10 feet deep, is crossed ; flow to south ; banks of friable clay, 4 or 5
feet high, and perpendicular in places ; breadth of bed, which consists of fine sand, 20 to 30
feet. At 12 miles 1 furlong we pass a caravansarai and two cisterns known as “ Jungui (?),’*
and one and-a-half miles further on the two cisterns and village of Beraemi, close to the
south side of the road. At 13 miles 7 furlongs two large groves of date trees are on either