'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎87r] (178/416)

129
No. 23.
Bushahr, hi/ Fust Ro'id to Shiraz.
No. of
stage.
Distance, in
miles.
Names of stages.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
Rbhabks.
close to road. At 15 miles pass village of Chahgadak, which St. John gives as first stage on
this route, a small fort on rising ground ; scanty supplies ; water good and plentiful from
wells ; camping ground ^ mile S. E. of fort. At 17 and 20 miles road crosses creeks,
passable for guns. At 25 miles, reach Ahmadi, to W. of road with sarai to E. of road.
Water from wells, good and plentiful according to St. John, but Markham describes it as
brackish and says that natives collect rain water for drinking purposes. Supplies scanty and
of bad quality. Throughout this stage the road is level and unmetalled, very muddy after
rain, passes through desert all the way.
Borasjan* (T.O.)
18
43
250'.
At 5 miles pass Tsrandi village, half a mile E
of road ; at 9| miles Koshab village on W. of road
where the road from Shif (S. W.) 17 miles
distant, joins the post road. Borasjan is a large
unfortified town, population 6,000 (Curzon), surrounded by palm trees ; larsre sarai, loop-holed,
built of quarried stone, two storeys high. Camping ground W. of town near telegraph
office. Water from wells, good and plentiful. Sheep, goats, and cattle in small numbers.
Flour and milk plentiful.
Road follow's base of hills, crossing numerous
shallow nullahs, gravel, and boulders ; the hills
to the E. command the road throughout ; level
to the W. Water good and plentiful in stream
(Markham), brackish from wells (St. John), Borings for petroleum near village. A largo
grove of date palms, miles W. beyond river. Supplies practically nil.
Daliki
16
59
400'.
Khonartakhta
16
75
1,850'.
4 Khonartakhta 16 75 After leaving Daliki, the road begins to wind
among the hills, while the telegraph line follows
a more direct course. At 1 mile, ascend a ridge
and at about 6 or 7 miles, having descended,
arrive at Daliki river which is crossed by a good stone bridge of 6 arches—a ford just above
bridge ; river bed broad and stony; banks fringed with date palms. After crossing, road
follows up right bank of river eastwards for about a mile then turns northwards and
zig-zags up the kotal Malu, about 1,500' of steep climbing. A causeway has been built
in zig-zags up the kctal, but is not used, as its surface is slippery. This road is quite
impassable for guns or any horses but those used to climbing. From top of kotal, 3 miles
to Khonartakhta, along the level plateau—small village, extensive groves of date palms,
little cultivation, water from wells plentiful, supplies scanty ; an oid sarai in village.
First 3 miles across plateau ; descend to left
bank of iShapur river which the road follows up for
about a mile, then E. up a ravine which leads up to
top of Kamarij kotal. Very narrow and difficult
pass ; two laden mules cannot pass each other. Village to W. of road in plain at foot of
bills ; large houses of mud and stones, supplies scanty ; water good and plentiful ; the plain
is cultivated and surrounded by rocky hills, and is situated about 200 feet below level of the
kotal by which it is approached.
Kamarij
12
87
2,900'.
* For road from Borasjan to Bandar Rig (on Bushahr Muhammerah road), No. 21-A.» rage li6.
For road from Borasjan to Sardasht (on Bandai Dilam-Shustar road), tee No. IU-A., page 81.