'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎155r] (314/982)

the afternoon, as shade does not exist ih this part of Persia ; and there is
seldom water obtainable half-way throtigh a march.”
Of the country between Jehrum and Lake mrfz, the Same authority
says :—
“ Between Jehrum and Lake Niriz the general character of the country
„ , , . , , differs slightly from that farther south,
as the valleys separating the chains of
hills are much broader and more level, being in fact small plains. About
Fasa there is a large and fertile plain, well-inhabited and well-watered,
the water-supply being so great that during the rains parts of the country
there are too swampy to be passable. Just north of this is Lake Niriz,
about which +here is a great deal of barren, mountainous country. Chief
exports are opium and tobacco.
There is an excellent road from Jehrum to Niriz via Fasa. This is
Military c wb.lities. rather c i rc “ itou8 > but to this circumstance
it owes its easiness. It ascends the whole
way with a gentle slope over a succession of plains, and is good throughout
and passable for all arms. There are several more direct routes, but none
of them to be recommended, unless time w» re so important as to justify
leaving a good road for a bad one. The passes up to the lake, compared
with those south of Jehrum, are very easy, and could aMo be turned if held
too strongly to be forced. In other respects the country differs little from
that about Fi uzabad; but it certainly affords greater facilities for troops
to move and fight, as their dct'ion hefe would riot be so continually cramp
ed by bad ground.”
The hills in Fars ar£ situated rit different distances from the sea. At
Bushire they are distant 24 iniles. Towards Bandar Rig the plain becomes
contracted, and a few miles to the west of the village of Ganaveh, in the
Haiat Baud District, a ;oW ridge suddenly projects out to the south and,
touching the sea, separates that district from the district of Liravi. This
projectirig point is known by the name of Kuh-i-Bang (q. v.). It is of no
great height, and in breadth abou^ 7 or 8 miles. Beyond this hill lies the
plain of Liravi. He e again the mountains are about 20 miles from the
sea, at which distance the^ continue for 8 or 9 miles, when they again ap
proach the south arid form a circle in the neighbourhood of Bandar Dilam.
This low and advanced branch is known by the name of Zaidan, from a
small town not far from Behbehan. On turning the southern point of
the hills of Zaidan, they again abruptly retire to the north. At the port
of Bandar Ma’shur in ’Arabistan they are 30 miles from the sea, and at
Shushtar their most southern extiemity crosses the thirty-second degree
of north latitude in the forty-ninth degree of east longitude.
South of Bushiro, except for the valley and plain of the Mund river
mouth, the hills lie right along the coast line ; the first range is the Kuh-i-
Mand, and south-east of the Mund river, the range containing Kuh-i-
Dirang.
The face of the country on the south-eastern side of Fars towards Darab
and Fasa, is somewhat different; here it is more open, the plains are of
greater extent, the soil more sandy and water less p 1 entiful. Finally, on
the eastern side almost from Darab to Abrquh, is found one of those kavirs
* 2 F2