'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎144v] (295/820)

208
JAM—JAM
J ALlS—
A village on the right of the road from Sabzawar to Za’afarani in Khora-
san. Water slightly brackish. Supplies procurable in small quantities.
—(Maula Bakhsh.)
JAM (No. 1) (District)—
A small district of Khorasan. It lies to the north and east of Bakharz
from which it is divided on the west by the Bizak or Yaktan range. Its
eastern boundary goes up to the Hari Rud. Its northern boundary is
quite undefined, but maybe roughly put at the crest of the Kuh-i-Qad-
i-Shamshlr, which divides its drainage from that of the Meshed river. Its
principal villages are Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam, Farlman, Qalanadarabad, and
Husainabad. The population may number 12,000 souls consisting of
Timurls, with some Heratis, and a local tribe known as Jamis of Per
sian origin. A body of some 800 inferior horsemen is maintained, and
besides the services of perhaps 2,000 matchlockmen would be forthcom
ing. The revenue is 13,000 tumdns. — {MacGregor.) See Turbat-i-Shaikh-
Jam.
JAM (No. 2) (River)—
A river in Khor." san, which has its source a little to the north of Khair-
abad, situated on the main Meshed-Herat caravan route. It first flows
in a south-easterly direction between the villages of Muhammadabad and
Langar, and passing Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam reaches Kaleh Jamrud,
where it turns to the north-east and flows into the Hari Rud. 5 miles north
of the ruins of Kaman-i-B ‘hisht, at Dehaneh Du Ab. The total length of
the Jam valley is about 66 miles.
Between Langar and Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam it flows in a deep chan
nel, with banks overgrown with bushes ; lower down it flows through
salt marshes, in consequence of which the water has a brackish taste.
The river takes its rise at an altitude of 4,079 feet and where it falls
into the Hari Rud the elevation is 1,840 feet, so that the fall is 2,239 feet
in the course of 66 miles, or 33'9 feet per mile.
Its greatest width is not more than 15 paces, and its depth 2 to 3 feet.
These figures, however, alter considerably in spring during the melting
of the snow in the mountains, when the Jam has its source not near
Khairabad, but in the Kalleh Minar range.
At ordinary times the river is easily fordable except in the latter part of
its course, where, owing to the muddy nature of its bottom, it would present
some slight difficulty. More difficult than the crossing of the river itself
would be the numerous irrigation canals which take off on both banks.
These canals are deep, with vertical banks, and stretch from the ruins at
Langar to Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam.
The Jam, running from west to east, crosses all the roads leading from
Sarakhs and Zffiabad to Langar, Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam and Kafir Kaleh.
— {Oranoffsky, 1894.)
JAMA’KIRD—
A place 60 miles from Tun on the road to Khur, The water from a well
is brackish.— {H. D. Napier.)