‘Military report on Persia Volume I 1930’ [‎24v] (53/154)

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mad where the river is diverted westwards in a water
channel. It follows the left bank of this channel to the
Shila-i-Sihamshiri; thence in a straight line to Tappeh-i-
Tilai, and on to the most western of the mounds of Tappeh-
i-Shahraki, the most western mound of Tappeh-i-Kurki,
Shalgami and finally Siah Kuh, Bandan. The above defines
the boundaries to the north, east and south. The western
boundary runs from Siah Kuh (more generally known as
Kar Ahu Kuh) through Hauz-i-Nadiri (a water reservoir
midway between Bandan and Baring, to Sum-i-Siah (cor
rected name of Sang-i-Siah); thence along the west edge
of the Hamun through Gumbaz-i-Khadija, and thence
straight to Hurmak and Kuh-i-Malik Siah Ziarat. The
whole area thus approximates in shape to a triangle and is
mostly desert and uninhabited.
The Helmand, Farah Rud, Harut Rud and Khash Rud
converge and pour their waters into Seistan, creating, in
time of flood, the great lake filling the Hamun area.
Owing to constant changes of the course of the Helmand,
the delta is made up of three distinct component deltas,
each of which has, at one time or another, received the
water of the river. The first comprises the southern por
tion of Seistan, which, having been deserted for centuries
by the river, has become a desolate uninhabited country
instead of a rich populous one. The second delta is entirely
in Afghanistan and owing to the deflection of the river
has similarly become an uninhabited, waterless desert. The
third delta comprises all the inhabited region of Seistan
and Chakansur and is watered by the Helmand and its
three distributary channels; interspersed between these three
deltas are gravel covered plains which probably have never
been irrigated.
The southern portion of Seistan is a waterless tract,
destitute of all vegetation. In the west, mountains stretch
from Saindak in the south to Bandan in the north. To
the north the plain ends abruptly in a line of cliffs (30 to
150 feet high), which, beginning on the Helmand opposite
Kuhak, fringe the south of inhabited Seistan to near
Hauzdar. The Kuh-i-Khwaja, an isolated table-togped hill
of black volcanic rock, is the only natural feature of any
importance in this area. f
In the interior and more populous tract of the Rud-i-
Seistan, not a tree is to be seen; but along the banks of
the Helxnand tamarisk trees abound. Eyerywhere ig these