'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎154v] (313/416)

26'2
No. 48.
KahmAN lo Yazd, via Zarand nnd Bafk.
No. of
stage.
Names of stages.
Distance, in
miles.
Remibes.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
8
Camp in desert .
4,118’.
20
125
At 2j miles the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. (4.851') is at length
reached. The track thence makes due north for
what appears to be merely a perpendicular bill
However, upon reaching 9| miles, we cross a deep
nala and see a mnd shrine, and upon turning a sharp corner of the rock find ourselves at the
bottom of a carefully-tilled valley. Following the narrow track up the valley, which is soon
walked across, at 10 miles we reach the village of Khudran, built between cliffs of limestone,
whose loose boulders seem to form a perpetual menace to its existence. The village rises tier
upon tier, and above it all is a magnificent chenar tree. This is the first village in Yazd.
Ketracing our steps, we proceed once more to the middle of the plain, camping in the
desert at 20 miles. Of course, for troops the march would be 18^ miles, as only a party
would visit the village. The stream comes down to the main road. At the camping place
no water, etc., so either Khudran or Haoz Dimar should be made the stage.
9 Bafk* . 18 143 A continued descent. At miles we reach the
3,167'. end of the range, and rounding it see Haoz Dimar,
a tank with fresh water, the last on the road to
Bafk. Soon after leaving we come into sand, and
see the town of Bafk far below, but it is not until 18 miles that we actually reach the
outskirts of the town, camping on the kanat with the sweetest water. We were told that six
out of the 26 kanats were quite salt, while the others are not too sweet. There are plenty
of supplies, which are not, however, cheap. Branch tracks to Tabas and to Anar (two
routes).
10 H aoz-i-Tabar- 24^ 167§ The track lay through Bafk, which seemed like
kuh a city of the dead, so few people appeared. Clear.
3,224'. ing the town at 1| miles we again come upon a
stretch of sand with guiding pillars. To the north
of the road, Bakalabad and Dasht Akun. Gradually descending, at 6£ miles, we cross for
the last time the salt stream (2,932') so often mentioned. It is here dignified by the name
of Rudkhana Aishlumi, and, with its companion kavir, can be seen stretching far away to
the north where the ground must be very low indeed ; during the rains it forms a very
serious obstacle to traffic. After crossing this kavir the road again ascends, passing a
ruin, Chau Sarai, at 11 miles, and reaching Khan-i-Panj at 13f mile. Here we find
two tanks of bad water. Pressing on we passed through broken country said to be the
favourite spot for brigands to pounce on caravans. At 18f miles Haoz-i-Abdul Malik,
a tank in course of construction, and, at 24^ miles, Haoz-i-Tabarkuh, a tank of sweet water,
whieh we all enjoyed.
11 Pharaj or Fahraj 26| 194 Road up a river bed with low cliffs to the south,
3,915’. At 10 miles Cbah Kavar, a sarai with running-
water. Thence, with the snow peaks, in full view,
which bound the Yazd plain to the south, we steadily
ascend until, at 16 miles, we cross the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. ,
(4,320'). Just below Haoz-i-Gulu, another tank with sweet water ; from it we can look down
upon the distant city of Yazd, lying in the middle of a mountain-girdled plain. Descending an
arid slope, composed of hard, black gravel, we pass Sirizu, Herifta, and Takkiabad, under the
hills to the south. Finally, at 26^ miles, we reach Pharaj or Fahraj (the same word as Pahraj
in Baluchi) and camp on a kanat near the little village. A fair amount of supplies obtainable.
* For road from Bafk to Anar, see end of this Route No. 48F.