'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎366v] (757/820)

706
TEJ—TIL
Near tne first-named place it runs with a very diminished stream between
high, steep banks ; and at Sarakhs is generally dry except in the spring or
after rain, the bed being filled with thick tamarisk jungle. OranofEsky
states that in May 1904 the river at Sarakhs was 50 paces wide and
21 feet deep. Much farther down, at Kangli, where the caravan road from
Kara Chehcheh crosses the stream, it is said to be 200 yards wide, or,
as it was described, it was a gunshot across, meaning a shot from an
ordinary Persian rifle. Beyond this point opposite Mihna, where crossed
by Mr. O’Donovan in March 1881, it is described as a sluggish stream,
the water surface scarcely 50 yards wide, and in depth reaching over the
horse’s girths. The banks here are of sandy marl, and grow plenty of trees
and brushwood—the former from 4 to 8 inches in diameter—also a large
amount of drift wood. Soon after this it is said to divide into four small
streams, sometimes dry and sometimes containing water. The nearest
of these branches to the Atak is the smallest and rarely has water in
it; this is the one that fills the pool at Adna Avaz. Beyond this is
a second branch of the Tejen called Kizil Jar. Beyond this again
a third branch called Kachilli. The fourth or farthest branch of the
Tejen passes near Mamur. In this branch there is nearly always
water, though the other branches are often dry. At Mamur there is
a fine well, besides the water which comes from the Tejen. On the
branch of the river which passes near Cha^gal there are large pools of
water and great reeds. The Turkomans leave this neighbourhood in
the summer, as their cattle are much troubled by the heat and insects.
The branch of the Tejen which passes Adna Avaz is lost in the Kara Kum
desert, near a place called Kir Kuit, at .a distance of 24 hours’ ride from
Askbabad. The country where the river ends is very heavy sand, and
would be quite impassable for guns. This part of the country is known
as Minara from a ruined mindr, or pillar, which used to be there. The
Kizil Jar branch ends at a place called Palisanthi in the desert to the
eastward of the Adna Avaz branch. The Kachilli branch ends at
a place called Musa, still more to the eastward. The Mamur branch goes
past a place called Tugul to Khurgujaz, where it is absorbed in the
Kara Kum desert. There is very heavy sand where these streams cease,
but no marshes. The Russians, however, show a marsh in their map,
published in 1881, as the end of the river. There is some small amount
of water with large reeds at Changal ; but this is far away from the
swamp shown on the Russian map. Logofett says t hat the main branch
crosses the Central Asian Railway at the station of Tejend, and loses itself
in the sands about 15 miles beyond.
The Tejen has the greatest volume of water from about the beginning
of March till the end of May, and the least from about the beginning of
September till the end of December.— (MacGregor', Stewart', O' Donovan \
Orano^sA:y, 1894; Logofett, 1902.) /See Sakakhs.
tilAb—
A village in Khorasan, 1 mile from Kuchan, on the road to Darreh Gau.
It is situated on a stream of the same name, 16 to 18 feet wide and 2 feet
deep, with a sound bed.— (Napier.)