‘Report on the British Indian Commercial Mission to South-Eastern Persia during 1904-1905. By A H Gleadowe-Newcomen, F.R.G.S., F.S.A., President, representing the Upper India Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Tea Cess Committee.’ [‎75r] (154/178)

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137
APPENDICES
(C).
trees, or Kanar and other spring- bush. Dry nallahs, sometimes of considerable depth, constantly
intersect the track, and occasional streams, salt for the most part, are crossed. Fresh water
springs are rare even in spring, and water is collected at the stages in cisterns fed either from
brackish wells, or dependant on the rain for their filling. There is grazing for camels, but
mules have to go on short commons, and supplies for men are scant.
The road works through the low Gatchin range, 6 miles from Bander Abbas, by the Tang-
i-Chahkabak, and the road skirts the Ghisu range just before arriving at Birka Sultan.
Hormuz (1,795 feet) is well among the mountains.
From Hormuz the distance is 371 miles, divided into 23 stages. Here the road begins
a steady climb up the steps of the mountain wall to the plateau. At Hormuz, roads come
in from Lar, from the west, and from Lingah, from the south. The latter is a very rough
road of 8 stages.
The Hormuz-Furg road is bad between Kala Bikni and Fadumi, 2 stages, but fairly good
elsewhere. Fresh water is to be had at most places along the road (5 stages) between Hormuz
and Furg. Grazing too is fairly plentiful and supplies are procurable at most places.
At Furg the roads to Yezd bifurcate, the one via Niriz trending somewhat to the west,
whilst the route, vid Katru goes north-east before turning, northward and westward, and
runs parallel to the Niriz route. From Furg (3,000 feet) it climbs to Kasillera Shun (4,320
feet) and Rosak (5,458 feet) and lies over mountains, being very bad and dangerous for laden
animals. Near Tal Halal the Tang-i-Sang Atash Koial (6,360 feet) is crossed. Except over
this Kotal the road is good, and water and grazing are procurable, with, however, scanty
supplies, as far as Beshna, on the edge of the desert. At Katni, the stage before Beshna, there is
a large village, with gardens, where water is good and plentiful and supplies procurable in fair
quantity. Here a road comes in from Niriz, 20 miles to the westward. Between Chah Nain
and Robat (4 stages from Katru) the road is good and easy, except where it crosses the Kavir,
where the going is heavy. Robat is almost in ruins, and all along these 4 stages the water is
bad, grazing poor, and supplies lacking. At Robat a road runs to Shahr-i-Baluk on the east
and to Dehbid and Murgak on the west. The elevation of Robat is 5,200 feet, and from here
the road begins to climb to Khavri. The road is fairly good, however, and the quality of the
water begins to improve. Beyond Khavri the road descends again into the desert and for 50
miles no water is procurable till Husainabad, the second stage from Yezd, is reached, nor
are supplies procurable. The main Yezd-Kerman track is approached near Sir-i-Yezd, and
the two tracks run close beside one another till they merge into one at Muhammadabad, at
between 8 and 9 miles from Yezo.
From Bander Abbas to Darab there are 14 stages (222 miles), 6 stages (95 miles) to
Hormuz, 5 stages (75 miles) from Hormuz to Furg, and 3 stages (52 miles'' from Furg to
Darab. The road between Bander Abbas and Furg is the same as in Route 6 . The stage
from Furg are Rosak,) 14 miles, Deh Khair 28 miles, Darab 10 miles. In these 52 miles the
road ascends 1,045 feet. It “ switchbacks ” over several spurs, but there is a longer road
that is very level. Water and grazing are good at most times along these 3 stages ; supplies are
procurable. Darab like Kazaroon (for which see Detailed Itinerary of Mission) is situated in
a fertile alevated plain. It has a temperate climate, and abounds in gardens, which are well
watered and fruitful.
From Darab, roads run to Lingah and Bander Abbas in the south, through Lar and Furg ;
to Shiraz, Jahrum, Firuzabad and Bushire on the west, to Yezd in the north, and to
Saiadabad on the east.
The Yezd road for 28 miles, till it nearly reaches Chah Shur, the third stage out, is
indifferent, and water, grazing, supplies are lacking. Near Chah Shur a plentiful supply of
pure water is found. The road continues good, and water and grazing are to be had, though
in places supplies are scanty, till this route meets that coming vid Katru (Route No. 6 )
near Kalwand. The road from Kerman to Shiraz, vid Shahr-i-Babek, crosses this road at
Herat-i-Kharah, which is 8 stages and 110 miles from Darah.
Beyond Herat-i-Kharah the Kavir is crossed, and the going is heavy for nearly 4 miles.
Nowhere along this road, however, are there any very heavy gradients. The road is
undulating and often stony, but there are no trying kotals. From Darab (4,043 feet) the
road climbs to 7,827 feet at Chashma Balist, and is bad, whilst in time of flood the Rud-i-
nax-i-Rustim (so named from rocks under which it flows and which bear Sasanian sculptures
like those at Puza and Shahpur) often overflows the roadway between these two stages, and
obstructs traffic This is the worst bit on this road. The track descends again gradually to
Niriz (5 684 feet) and again rises to 7,500 feet and 7,260 feet in the next two stages,_ descending
to 5 884 , feet at Herat-i-Kharah, and again climbing to 7,560 feet at Chah Mil, the stage
before Kalwand (5,410 feet), where it joins the Katru road. It is fairly easy all through
however.
From Herat-i-Kharah it is 6 stages (113 miles) to Kalwand, and 4 stages (39 miles)
from there on to Yezd.
Bander Allan to Shiraz, vid Hormuz and Lar. 312 miles, 18 stages.
This route was much used at one time, but to-day it is veiy little used indeed, scarcely
any canwans going beyond Lar, Shiraz, and other places to the west, find their outlet to the
Route No. 7.