'Report by Mr G P Tate, Extra Assistant Superintendent, Survey of India, in charge of the survey detachment with the Seistan mission, 1903-05.' [‎6v] (12/16)

IO
surrounding the shrine, there is a splendid ford with good approaches and
bottom, but when the Shela-i-Charkh, a canalised old bed of the Helmand, is
full, there is too much water for baggage animals to be able to cross ; at this
time a detour to the east needs to be made across low swampy ground where
the waters of that canal spread out. The Shela*i _ Charkh is some qo yards
across the water, and about 5° or 6 ° from bank to bank.
The width of the Shela-i-Rudghashta high up between the villages of
Malaghani and Rasul Khan, about 4 miles to the south-west of Kala-i-Kang
is about the same as the Shela-i-Charkh. Lower down the former dwindles
to the size of a large canal.
The following technical terms peculiar to Seistan are to he found in the list of
names in the various plane-tables of the surveys carried on there. They are ex
plained below :—
Names.
E
xplanation.
*Tapa
{e. g. Tapa-i-Siksar)
Shela (e. g. Shela-i-Kafiri)
Hamun (e. g. Hamun-i-Sawari)
Chung
A^hkin.
#
Ashkinak.
Naizar.
Gaudar.
Shand.
Arbu
(sometimes called Harbu).
Tag
tDik (suffix) such as in the case
Surhdik, the red hill.
A mound ; generally formed by the dtbris
of an ancient fort or group of dwellings: the word
is never used in connection with a sand hill,
though a natural mound is also called a Tapa.
The word precedes the proper name.
An old bed or channel of the River Helmand,
or one of its branches. These are frequently
canalised and used for irrigation purposes.
Precedes the proper name.
Any extensive expanse of clear water, too deep
to allow of reeds and bulrushes growing in it
is called a Hamun. This term is also applied
to the lake of Seistan as a whole.
A small expanse of clear water where there
are no reeds and bulrushes.
Lands which are submerged for a short time
during periods of floods, which remain more
or less in a marshy condition, but where there
is not enough water for reeds and bul
rushes to grow extensively.
Diminutive form of above: A lesser
Ashkin. Areas owing to their being sooner
and more thoroughly dry are so called ; these
are, however, flooded during the period of high
river.
Beds of reeds and bulrushes. Expanses of
shallow water where both varieties of these
aquatic plants luxuriate.
Note. Narrow strips of clear water which connect one
chung W1 th another are also called Shela, but their names
have not been entered on the field sheets.
Cattle herdsmen. The huts in the Naizar
and Ashkin lands are used year after year in
the seasons when they take the cattle to graze
in the reed beds, etc. The more important are
shown in some field sheets.
There are two meanings to this word. It
may mean gravel, pure and simple; or a place
where there is fine shingle, such as in the bed
of a wide water course, or a beach of fine
shingle.
of
A mixture of fine gravel and sand which forms
the surface of large areas of country over
which it is possible to travel rapidly and with
comfort owing to the ground yielding under
toot without being soft
A wide plain which offers no obstacle to a
high rate of speed in travelling.
Corresponds to our word hillock, or mound.
I his is 1 urki word.
Gfck feppe where the Tekke Turkomans were refeate^by^en^ eastwards into Seistan and Turkestan
t Dik or Jik, is an Arian word, corresponding to I’appa.