'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎77v] (159/416)

110
No. 20.
Bushahr to Bandar Abbas.
Distance, in
miles.
Names of stages.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
Eemabks,
M. F.
M. F.
hand, distant about 50 and 100 yards to north and south respectively. Another 5 furlongs,
and, descending the banks of the river Shur, we cross the dry portion of its bed, covered
with an efflorescence of salt, and consisting of a limy clay of a whitish yellowish colour.
The large date groves lying near the foot of Kuh Gishu, are distant about 1| miles to
north. These groves are skirted, on their southern side, by the river Shur. At 15 miles
2 furlongs we ford the river ; bed firm and sandy ; breadth of water, which is upd,o a horse’s
girths, about 60 yards. The eastern banks of the river, composed of a fine, deep sand, and,
in places, of sandy clay, slope up, for the distance of 200 yards or so, from the water’s edge,
at an angle of about 7°, and then merge in an undulating, and billowy, sandy plain.
There is a substantial stone bridge, with about 33 piers and semi-circular arches,
half a mile down the river to south of the ford. At the time of our passage, the bridge
happened to be impassable, owing to damage caused by recent floods.
Having passed the ford, we traverse, to the southward, the eastern bank, till we strike
the main road, which crosses the river by the above mentioned bridge.
The road then trends eastward, and passes through an outcrop of sandy limestone strata
about 15 feet high, running S. W. by S. and N. E. by N. which here, for some hundreds of
yards, lines, like a rampart, the summit of the eastern bank of the river. The caravansarai
and two cisterns of Latitun are in good repair, and the latter full of water.
Opposite to the caravansarai, and lining the south side of the road for about half a mile
are date groves, surrounded by high earth bunds forming redoubt-like enclosures. These
date groves extend southward., for at least 2 miles, along the eastern bank of the river.
The scattered hamlet of Latitun, consisting of about 40 mat huts, is situated on a green,
grassy plain, screened from the road and caravansarai by date plantations, and bears from the
latter b. S. E., distant about three-quarters of a mile. Here, by native report, drinkable
water is found four fathoms below the surface. Supplies, excepting dates, very scanty.
Water good and plentiful, from two cisterns ; also from wells, said by natives to be drink
able. Fuel from date trees, otherwise only furze and scanty brushwood. No cultivation
observed, except dates. Grazing fair ; camel fodder apparently plentiful. Camping-ground
good.
Note.^ —From the ridge of an outcrop of rocky strata bearing from the caravansarai of
Latitun S. E. ^ S., distant about 250 yards, Tang Abad, a pass through the range Gishu,
bears N. N. E. f E.; and fang-i-Khur, or as it is also styled Tang Kalpurahi, a pass
through the mountain Pal-i-Khamir, bears S. S. W. £ W.
29 Chesteeneh . 14—5 422— General direction E. by S.
7'4 To north the range of Gishu is distant, roughly,
about 6 miles. To south low, gravelly hills, dis
tant 1£ miles, extending eastward from the river
Shur, approach the road diagonally. The path lies over a level tract consisting of a whitish
limy clay. Advancing 3 furlongs we clear the date plantations, that had lined the south
side of the road for the last half mile. Another 3 furlongs, and the low hills to south are
distant about 300 yards, and so continue. At 1 mile the road crosses a narrow, deepish
gully, containing no water, flow to N. W. and, 5 furlongs in advance, is passing among low
mounds of whitish limy clay. At 2^ miles the ground between these mounds is deeply
coated with fine sand. ^ ellow, dried up grass, sparsely scattered here and there, with
occasional hahur , furze, and scrub, is the only vegetation to be seen. Since leaving Latitun,
the road has crossed about eight dry water-courses, choked with sand, and not more than
1 foot deep. Of four of these, the breadth was about 15 yards, that of the rest insignificant.
The slope of the ground, generally, is from S. E. to N. W. At 6 miles 1 furlong the road
crosses a very shallow water-course, choked with sand and about 60 yards broad. On its
eastern bank we pass the ruins of a caravansarai, and a well, which latter, by native report,
contains drinkable water. Another furlongs brings us to an old and dilapidated
caravansarai, and at 6 miles 3| furlongs we pass the large cistern of Gatchin. Altitude,
3 feet.