'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎124] (159/714)

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Baghkha
slopes with mountain juniper. At one point of this valley, where
an elevation is crossed, a most superb view unrolled itself to the
east. In tier after tier the mountain ridges descended towards the
basin of the Tejend River (formed by the junction of the Keshef
llud and Heri Rud) and the Turkoman plains ; while like a yellow
scarf against the sky hung the dim outline of the desert. After
pursuing this valley for an hour and a half, we turned sharply to
the left and scaled the ridge by a path known as the Dewah Boini,
or Camel's Neck, so steep, and alternately so rough and so slippery,
that, although on foot ourselves, it was with much difficulty that
we could prevail upon our horses to ascend. At the crest we gazed
down upon a second valley parallel with that which we had just left
—i.e. running from north-west to south-east, in the bottom of which
appeared a little hamlet with a ruined fort perched upon a knoll,
and beyond this again the larger red-coloured village of Vardeh.
Leaving these villages on our left hand, we struck eastwards,
following the telegraph poles in the direction of Kelat, the
horizontal ramparts of which we thought we could now
discern against the distant sky. At noon, having been
in the saddle for over five hours, I stopped for lunch by a rivulet
running at the valley bottom, which here deepens into a rocky
ravine. At this juncture one of the Turkomans, whom I had left
behind to point out our direction to the muleteers, arrived with
the news that in scaling the Camel's Neck one of the mules had
slipped and rolled down for fifty feet, maiming or breaking its leg.
I was not in the least surprised at this intelligence, as there are
certain places which even Persian mules cannot attack with
impunity, and of which this horrible natural ladder was most
assuredly one. We left the poor brute behind to be looked after
till our return, and followed the gully down for two miles till at
its eastern end we came to the small village and crumbling fort of
Baghkhan.
Here the wire turned sharply to the north-east, and an hour was
occupied in crossing a rolling hump of hills, at whose further edge
Mountain a deep ravine disclosed itself below, and a second
defiles magnificent panorama burst upon our view. Now we
could distinctly see the corrugated battlements of the southern
outer wall of Kelat, dipping at the point where is the solitary rift
in this portion of their circumference. Beyond to the north fold
succeeded fold of lower undulations, until like a sea upon the