'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎187r] (384/820)

Passing by a minor spur, which goes from the Kuh-i-Duz between the
drainage of Duringar and Mahmudabad, a spur is met with, which, start
ing from the head of the Zangalanlu river runs east, parallel with the main
range, and then turns sharp to the north-west, enclosing the Darreh Gaz basin.
Over this range lies the Allahu Akbar pass ; between Zangalanlu and
Darreh Gaz it is called the Kara Juqar.
We may now take up this northern range again from the Kuh-i-Tahm-
asp whence its course is east-south-east. On the north it throws out steep
spurs between the various rivers—as between the Zangalanlu and Tirgan,
the latter and the Lain; and again, between the Lain and Igdaliq. The
next spur is one which is crossed at the Guk Kutal, and which runs to the
north and then east, round the west and north sides of Kalat-i-Nadiri;
while another comes from the main range west of Vardeh, and enclosing
that valley on the north, is crossed by the Mirza Kushti pass on the road
to Kalat, and then twists round to the north, throwing out ramifications,
which form the south and east sides of Kalat. From the Kutal Diveh Buyun*
where the range is called the Kara Dagh (“ Black mountain’.’), the spurs
on both sides become more and more insignficant; till at Mazdaran the
range forms a knife-like crest, with no offshoots at all; and above Shurja
it dies away in undulations, terminated by the Tejen.
Turning now to the main southern range at a point west of Meshed,
where it is called Kuh-i-Binalud, there is only one spur calling for notice.
This is one which runs out from about Sultan Maidan to the south, andj
dividing the drainage of the Kaleh-i-Mura system from that of Nishapur*
turns west and forms the ridge known as the Juvain or Jaghatai ridge!
This bounds Sabzawar on the north, and is connected by a ridge the crest
of which is said to be 4,295 feet above the sea, and which divides Nishapur
from Sabzawar, with another ridge, called Kuh-i-Mish, which cuts off
the Sabzawar plain from the great desert.
We no>v come to a point in the main range, where to the south of Meshed
it gives a very decided dip ; so much so that it may be almost said that a
new range commences south of Sharifabad. Still, as in going south-east
from Nishapur to, say, Fariman, there is a distinct ascent over a ridge, it
may be considered that here is the link that connects the mountains of
northern Khorasan with those on the east.
From this watershed the Kuh-i-Surkh ridge runs off to the west, bounding
Nishapur on the south ; and farther south, either from the ridge. crossed
north of Robat-i-Safid, or from the Gudar-i-Rukh or Muhammad Mirza,
a ridge runs out to the east, dividing the drainage of Sar-i-Jam from that
of Jam.^ From this ridge originate the hills called Qad-i-Shamshir or
Kuh-i-Kughar and Kuh-i-Chehil Sang, which drain on the one. side to
Meshed and on the other to the Jam river.
From the Gudar-i-Rukh the range turns west, round tiie head of the
Qalandarabad drainage to the Gudar-i-Baidar, where the ranges of Kuh-
i-Na^ir to the west and Kuh-i-Buras to the east join.
From the Gudar-i-Baidar the range runs south-east, separating Bakharz
from Turbat. On the east it throws out no important spur, the hills sloping
48 I. B.
* Vide “ Diveh Bunnell.”
2Y