'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎152r] (308/416)

259
No. 47.
Kakman to Y-zd, via Bahramab'd.
■Wk
No. of
stage.
-
Names of stages.
Distance, in
MI BBS.
I, ‘ ter - Total,
mediate.
Remarks.
11
Sak-i-Yazd
16f
1881
4,600'.
scanty supplv of water is salt. There are no houses and no inhabitants. The caravansarai
is little better than a ruin. The post-house is now no longer used, and is in ruins. No one
lives here now, and no supplies of any kind can be obiaineu.
At this point the plain slopes some 10 or 15
miles downwards to the right, and is bounded by
mountains. This plain has a good growth of
camel-thorn, etc. There is no water between the
salt water at Zain-ud-din and Sar-i-Yazd. From Zain-ud-din the road skirts a low ridge on
the left, behind which are some high mountains rugged and bare with snow on them, from
Anar onwards there are no signs of cultivation, except at Baiazdarun, till 7 miles beyond
Zain-ud-din. At 6 miles the road ascends to the summit of a low ridge, which is .just high
enough to give a view of Sar-i-Yazd. At 7 miles there are some habitations 4 mile to t le
left. They are occupied by some wild mountain people called Shums. At 8 miles on
the left there is a fort and garden, with more dwellings of the Shum people, who are
pastoral in their habits, selling milk and wool. Sar-i-Yazd signifies the boundary 0
Yazd district. From a little distance this has the appearance of a large and important
place, but a closer inspection shows that three-fourths of what appear to be houses are bu
heaps of mud, and that the town is a miserably poor place. There is a good caiavansarai,
and the water is sweet.
12
Yazd
4,020'.
22 210-4- Over a desert plain about 2 or 3 miles from the
mountains on the left. Those on the right being
invisible, as the air was full of dust haze, but the
plain seems to extend some 10 or 12 miles in that
direction. Just outside Sar-i-Yazd there were some abandoned fields with a low wall on the
western side, which had been built to prevent the sand drifting over the fields. Ihere were
also long lines of kanats which, however, do not now bring sufficient water tor cultivation.
At 5f miles the small village of Takiabad lies half a mile to the right. At 8f miles a dry
tank lies a little to the left of the road.
At 13r miles the large village of Muhammadabad with caravansarai and post-
house. Here is much cultivation and many mulberry trees. Water-melons and opium are
much cultivated. Ou the road we had seen hut one solitary camel carrying chopped straw
to Yazd. But at this latter place everything suddenly changed. Ileie is the junction ol the
roads to Shiraz-Saidabad and Karman. Here was plenty of good sweet water, and imme
diately beyond the village cultivation begins. The roads were suddenly peopled with
men and animals coming and going. At 14f miles a good irrigation stream of sweet
water. At 22 miles arrive at the Governor’s bouse at \azd, which is a large enclosure or
fort.
From Sar-i-Yazd to Yazd there continues cultivation the whole way. Amongst other
things potatoes are grown. Smith estimates the distance to Muhammadabad at lb, to Yazd
at 2(5 miles, and the total distance from Karman to Yazd at 237a. Khanikoff made the
total distance 196 miles only.