'Report on the preliminary survey of the route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line. By W King Wood, Assistant Superintendent, Indo-European Telegraph Department.' [‎13v] (31/300)

28^A September 1898.
Ardistan.
Height 4,082 feet.
Governor-
Population
Crops
Supplies
Water
Houses
Transport
Labour
Climate
People
Remarks
... Mirza Abdullah Khan (under Ispahan).
7Mahallas; 2,500 houses; 12,500 inhabitants.
''Barley 200,000; wheat 10,000; cotton 10,000; opium
100; beetroot 200,000 ; turnips 200,000; millet 2,000;
maize 100,000; castor 1,000 (shah mans per annum),
j Pomegranates and figs in great abundance. Cannot be
*] estimated. This year’s fruit was frost bitten in early
spring, and all the pomegranates and fig trees have been
pruned down. It will take 3 years from date for the
^ trees to yield their maximum quantity of fruit.
fBread, eggs, fowls, mutton, milk, rice, rogan (ghi) and all
other supplies in abundant quantities. Fuel from the
... mountains close by, and also some local fuel su<-h as
dried fig trees and pomegranate trees. No tobacco.
^ 10,000 sheep ; 100 cows ; oxen.
f One open stream, 16 inches by 6 inches section, flowing
j at rate of 41 feet in 15 seconds. Sweet Kanat water
j very clear. 5 Kanats sweet water in addition to stream
j already given, and also a second stream which works a
| mill close by and flows thr nigh the ‘town. 3 more
^ mills worked by same water higher up stream.
The houses are built of sun-dried bricks and stone founda
tions ; but burnt-bricks are also procurable.
f40 to 50 mules, which are difficult to hire ; 2,000 donkeys
j and 1,000 camels; also difficult to hire. The latter
j carry commerce to Shahrood and Teheran across the
1 desert. Peculiar local rule is that the work is only
done from sunrise to noon, one donkey with one man
being paid 1 kran to 1J krans for this time.
100 to 125 at 1 kran each per diem.
"Temp. 6 a. m., 68° ; noon, 81° ; 6 p.m., 69°.
Ardistan has a very good climate. People look healthy.
Fires are necessary for 3 months in the year, December
to February. Wood is burnt. Rain falls during Octo-
... { ber and November; snow in December and Januarv ;
and rain again in February and March. Ice cannot he
stored. Snow lies on the ground for varying periods
of 7 to 20 days. The south-east corner appears to be
^ the best.
"The people struck me as being exceptionally polite, quiet
and hospitable. A pressing invitation was given to
enter the mosque, which is the first time I have experi-
... { ©need such a thing in over 12 years’ residence in Persia.
They appear to be poor, but very hard working. Persian
is the language, but a local dialect exists. People
w Shiahs w r ith 100 Babis.
... A ten-minutes’ ride from our camp through walled
guldens, in which were an abundance of pomegranates,
mulberry and fig trees with patches of cotton and castor!
brought us to the dilapidated chaparkaneh, the roof of
the balakaneh of which had tumbled in. A further ride
of ten minutes took us through narrow lanes and
through the old part of the town and then through a
covered bazaar, with about 40 shops and about 200 yards
in length and 9 feet broad, built of sun-dried bricks with