'ROUTES IN PERSIA, Section 1.' [‎191r] (386/416)

329
No. 9.
Kupha to Yazd, via Ushk and Nodushan.
Authority. —Sykes, February, March 1895.
No. of
Stage.
Distance, in
miles.
Eemaeks.
Names of stages.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
1
Guchkun
6,500'.
15|
16|
Upon starting, Khajir lay 1 mile to the north,
and Akhar some 3 miles. At | mile, Ilnabad
lay 2 miles off in the same direction and Jabal
some 4 or 5 miles. The latter is a large village.
The day’s march for 5| miles lay pretty well due east. — r -
telegraph run a little to the north of east, while the track we followed branched oft m a more
southerly direction. , n , r ,, , 3 j
To the north at miles lay the villages of Jizeh, Dakharabad, Mazra Mahomed and
Purdan, clustered together on the Nain road, whilst a mass of large villages was visible s01 5 | e
six miles to the south, thus filling up a blank on the map, with a thick population. To
commence from the west, the following is the list of villages almost touching one another :
Marghab, Zapan, Kifran, Jindan, Soran, Khartun, Abul Mali, Ushkeran, Yarzunna and
GU A^the point where the Nain road was quitted, the small village of Kamalsang lies to
the south. At 8 miles Imamzada Kasim a good-sized village. From this point, we gradually
ascended, passing another hamlet called Khajir at 10 miles, close to the road. At lu^ rnHes
a track branches off to Nain. To the north Borzabad, khurzanu and Tudashk are visible
close to or on the telegraph line. Tudashk is a large village, and is the usual stage from
Kupha At 11| miles a salt hanat crosses the road, running south, and shortly after the
Nain-Varzunna track crosses. At 18| miles low hills are entered. To the north Bad Fashun
lying some three miles away under the hills, and, after a couple of mnes througn hills and
over a stony track, Mazra Yakab. Thence it was but a few yards to our camp, below the
remains of the fort of Guchkun. Here we tasted sweet water for the first time since leaving
Natanz, a distance of nearly 100 miles. Guchkun is the head of a district composed of
small hamlets. It contains 200 houses. From it there is a perfect view of the great kamr
locally termed Kavir Isfandiaran from a large village of that name on its west edge. The
Guchkun district pays £400 in taxes. The ruined fort is very ancient and wonderfully pic
turesque, being situated on a spur that runs down from the mam range, and completely
commands the road. ^ j« or gorae distance we kept rounding spurs of the
range lying to the north. At | mile, Marghab
lying to the north of the road, and Kahun to the
south. At 1| miles Sisna and Lamastuna to the
north, and Husseinabad and Yek Baghi to the south. All these hamlets are very small,
and lie close to the track. They all have salt or brackish water. At 4 miles Khana Shor
to the north, at 6 miles Mazra Takki some three miles to the south, and at 7 4 miles kala
Var a tumble-down old fort, inhabited by a very old couple, who complained of the locusts
most bitterly. The water, brackish as usual. Shortly after we reached more open country,
and could sight villages lying along the kavir, viz-. Hossemabad, Ramshan, (a large village on
the west side), Luru, Isfandiaran. These villages were some 30 mi es distant. We stil con
tinued to skirt the same range, but to the south-west a wide plain stre ched down to the
kavir while Kuh-i-Chiras 7,400' rose to the south east, a splendid landmark. At 11 miles
Ishratabad, a village to the north, and, shortly after we quit the mam road and turning the
corner of the range, suddenly come upon Ushk, a fair-sized village with drinkable watei ;
supplies procurable, but not in large quantities. Hence roads lead to Akda, Nain, and
Naogunbad.
Ushk
13|
29
6,500'.
Mazka Amib
Khan.
5,850'.
the west of the track.
71
1 4
36!
A very short march, with a gentle descent during
the whole distance.
After passing a garden and a tiny marsh at |
, mile, at 3 miles Chahsiah, a well of fair water to
At 4 miles a route branches off to Chah Basha and Akda, and at 7f
miles the brackish stream and the hamlet of Mazra Amir khan