'CORRECTIONS TO ROUTES IN PERSIA VOLUME II. (NORTH-WESTERN PERSIA.)' [‎15r] (29/32)

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General Remarks.
„ The Photograph, No. 15 facing page 422, given in Fortescue’s
Military Report gives some idea of the state of the better parts
of the Shirgah-Gaduq portions of the Firuzkuh route. *
The worst parts of the route are as follows :
1. Parts of the road which follows the sides of the vallev
between Aliabad and Shirgah. 7
2. Almost all of stage 8, except the first mile. Gradients are
steep at many places m the gorge, sometimes 1/5, and the side
of the road would have to be blasted away in many stretches
to make a road for carts. The huge stones in the roadway
would have to be broken up and to make satisfactory metal
of them would be a difficult task.
3. The same applies to Stage 7, though not to the same
extent; i.e., the gradients are easier.
4. In Stage 6, gradients are occasionally 1/5 ; the road also
runs on a narrow three feet ledge in many places, and needs
re-cutting. The most difficult part is the gorge mentioned.
To blast out a decent road would be a large operation. From
here to the top of the pass the road is a mere track which needs
complete re-alignment.
5. After the good going on the Tehran side of the pass, the
principal difficulties are: Namrud to the top of the small crest
2| miles from Namrud ; then the down slopes at from 9 1 to 10
miles, and from there on to the Dali-Chai ford, where the existing
unfinished cuts could be utilised. Thence, the difficult narts
are the Dali-Chai side of the pass in Stage 4 ; and in Stage 3 the
Giliard bridge and the last 500 yards down to the Chinar tea-
shop.
As for water travellers need have no fear, as streams are
frequent throughout the route.
Supplies are approximately as mentioned by Fortescue in
Routes in Persia Vol. II page 344 ; the whole of that report
is indeed invaluable, and the present report should be read in
conjuction with it.
The stretch from Aliabad to Barfurush was not performed bv
the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. personally, except the last two miles of it when he
went from Barfurush to Kia A deputy or lieutenant of the governor in Ottoman Iraq, with additional responsibilities as a high-ranking provincial judge. -Kulah. Its distance is given as
miles and the general state of the road is strictly analogous
to the road from Barfurush to Sari. The Shah Abbas causeway
is occasionally met with but is hopelessly out of repair.
The total road distance from Tehran to Sari bv this route is
estimated to be 163 miles.
Mmcas—350—9.10-26—GIPS
— A.