'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎166r] (338/820)

k turn to the right, another to the left, and we found ourselves facing the
famous Arghavan Shah gate of Kalat.
‘ ‘ Right across the narrow gorge the gateway is built, which bars all
entrance to the interior.
‘ ‘ Profiting by Lord Curzon’s example I had decided not to show myself
at all at the main gate, so, after a brief stay, we retraced our steps until
again outside the entrance to the gorge. Upon either side of the inner
gate small mud towers are perched upon pinnacles of rock : I should
say both inside and outside, not on either side. These are, of course,
useless for defence now. Once outside we took the track leading west
under the walls, towards Kakhka, and for nearly three hours followed
it down small, winding valleys. Sometimes a low ridge separated us from
the walls, but the eye constantly rested upon their summit. By noon
we came to a small stream. Opposite to where it approaches closest
to the wall, a rugged bluff, which, I believe, forms the south-west corner
of Kalat’s enclosure, towers perpendicularly up. Here we halted
for our midday meal, lighting upon two wild hillmen hunters. They
had just shot two chikor with their antiquated weapons ;
the birds were at once purchased at a fabulous price and thus we made
friends. The river level is 3,100 feet. So far we had met no one from
the time of leaving the gate of Kalat, except one Persian soldier who
was riding a donkey, from which he promptly got down to ask for
money. He asked a few questions, to which Ata Muhammad gave
evasive answers and plied the soldier in return. He belonged to
the Kalat garrison, which he said was relieved every three months, and
that he had just been to his home close by on leave. My original plan
to attempt to get inside Kalat was to employ a native hunter from the
mountains as a guide to show me a w T ay to climb in by one of the secret
paths : and, for this reason, I had slept the previous night in the village to
try and make friends with some of the shikaris. Lord Curzon has left
on record the impossibility of finding any native who dare do so, for
fear of the known punishment which the Persian Governor, the
Khan of Kalat, would inflict upon any one acting in such a capacity.
The old lambardar I had spent the night with at Bulghur had promised
to act as my guide after the offer of a considerable rew 7 ard, but was, I think,
beginning to repent his bargain somewhat. Anyhow, when we halted
for our midday meal by the stream he was nowhere within reach, although
we had agreed that he should catch us up, after two hours, past
the Kalat gate ; for in that vicinity we were to make the attempt to
climb in. After waiting, if the climb was to be made that day, there
w^as no more time to waste, so I decided to chance the risk of letting our in
tention become known, and to try and get one of the shikaris to give the
track away. Asking Ata Muhammad, he said there was no harm in
trying ; and I told him to offer the men 5 krdns. He asked them quietly if
they knew of any tracks, and they said “ Yes ” ; after some hesitation one of
them said, if I would go with him alone, he would take me in if I could
climb. At 1-15 p.m. we started from the little stream, leaving Ata
Muhammad, the ponies, and the other shikaris to await our return. The
valley we were in was a very lonely one ; we had not seen even a shepherd