'MILITARY REPORT ON PERSIA' [‎45v] (95/466)

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Dasht-i-Lut.
South of Tabas there is a large outlying expanse of Icav'r,
which accounts for that oasis being left some miles to the east by
the main route between Yazd and Meshed. There is a sheet of
water here called the Ab-i-KavIr, which Sven Hedin describes as
Tcavlr in the'p rocess °f formation. As the water draining into it
brings down more and more silt, and the fierce heat causes
evaporation, the Ab-i-Kavxr will gradually be transformed into
ordinary Kav'r.
Speaking of the Dasht-i-Lut, Sven Hedin gives his opinion
that small patches of kavlr may be found in it, but owing to the
soil being very sandy, large expanses could never be formed.
The rainfall here would also be less and the heat and consequent
evaporation would be greater.
The Dashl-i-Lut occupies a considerable tract in the south
east of Khorasan. Its area may be described as a parallelogram,
the angles being marked by the towns Neb, Tabas, Yazd and
Kirman. Its least elevated point will be found on a straight
line joining Khabis and Neb. It is without doubt the lowest
depression of surface in all Khorasan, for the height of its
northern boundary varies between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, while
its southern limit at Deh-i-Saif is only 1,200 feet; and
its lowest point is probably not more than 400 or 500 feet
above sea level. Its mean slope is in the direction north-
north-east to south-south-west. The term lut is a general
term for wastes in this part of the country, but differs from
Icavlr, as it may have sand interspersed over its surface, whereas
Icavir never has; also the lut desert is generally sprinkled
on the borders at any rate, with thorny shrubs, that afford
grazing for camels. In a tract called lut there is no water,
but the soil is not altogether saline, and therefore does not
preclude the formation of hauzes —a very important point.
The lut soil consists generally of a greyish coarse grained
sand, overlying a sandy bed cemented into a compact mass
by a solution of salt. The interior of the desert is absolutely
devoid of all signs of animal or vegetable life.
Owing to the absence of fresh water, the great heat, and the
existence of salt quagmires, these deserts can only be crossed
by following the few recognised caravan routes. Being prac
tically impassable for troops except in very small bodies, they