‘Military Report on Southern Persia’ [‎15v] (35/154)

4
Am.t 1 mile east of the Gorani date groves, from wh.eh point it runs a little
north of east for 11 miles and then turns south, jnaiuUin.o| this latter
direction as far as the western end of the mam watershed of the S.ahan range.
The Gorani, Muksotag and Kindi date groves were alio ted to Persia on the
understanding that the Persian frontier Governors in fnture beeame respons.-
We for the conduct of their turbulent Damani cultivators ; it has since been
ascertained,'however, that about £ of the Damani date tyes « .>> remain o»
the British side of the frontier [vide patye 105). Ihe boundaiy then
t rns east along the main watershed of the Siahan range, and thence along
the watershed of a subsidiary range, which runs m a south-east direction from
the Siahan to Grawag. From here the south-east direction is continued to
a hill on the right or south bank of the Mashkel, about 6 mi es above he
-function of the Mashkel and Rakshan rivers. From this point the bed o he
Mashkel river defines the boundary to a hill on the left or north bank of the
river, about 1| miles below the junction of the Gazbastan stream with the
Mashkel, and almost immediately south of Kuhak fort.
The third section, from Kuhak in Mashkel to Guattar on the coast,
being the Perso-Makran frontier, was defined with great difficulty by bir ih
Goldsmid in 1871 and is generally observed.
It runs for the first 22 miles in a straight line, a little east of south, to
the Persian village of Patkuk. It then turns west along the Sagarkand and
Hindwan watersheds, leaving the village of Kullan on the Persian side, to the
Hindwan pass. Here it turns south and south-east to Sham, from which point
it runs along the bed o£ the Kuluchki river to its junction with the Hamzoi
torrent. It now follows the bed of the Hamzoi torrent and the watersheds
of the Shiraz and Talar hills to the westernmost peak of the Nakuh range, in
the vicinity of the Persian village of Peshin. From here the boundary runs
along the water-parting of the Mazan Kaur and Dasbt rivers to the junction
of the Kastag and Ghistan torrents. From here it runs to the northernmost
Jambki peak, continuing westward along the ridge connecting the two Jambki
peaks and the Puru hill. The line then follows the waterparting between the
Kalaki and Saman torrents to the southernmost ridge of the Jambki hills, ana
continues thence slightly west of the Darabul or Drabhol hills to about the
centre of Guattar Bay.
Mountain system.
The main characteristics of the relief of the land and the normal
direction of the mountain ranges have already been given on page 1. The
general elevation of the mountains of Persia is far greater than was formerly
supposed. The most extensive and loftiest range appears to be the Kuh-
i-Dinar, traversing the western province of Fars, in the normal direction, at
an elevation of perhaps 17,000 to 18,000 feet. Although unexplored, it is
perfectly visible from the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. at a distance of 130 miles over
intervening coast ranges known to be 10,000 feet high.
In travelling from Shustar to Isfahan, across the Bakhtiari country, 10
mountain ridges have to be crossed by passes varying from over 1,000 to 8,650
feet.
In South-East Persia the great ranges Kuh-i-Lalazar and Kuh-i-Hazar
are continued eastwards by a high range, under various names, holding up
the Iian plateau in this part of Persia. Detached from it is Kuh-i-Bazman,
while further to the east, in Sarhad, is the volcanic Kuh-i-Taftan or Kub-i-
Chehel Tan, still in the solfatara stage.