File 2976/1916 Pt 1 'Persia Bunder-Abbas-Kerman telegraph and road' [‎201v] (106/452)

iH/l
Routes still unvi
sited.
I have also examined a direct route across the hills from route linear
Ahmedi (square — sheet 25 -A) direct to Bandar Abbas the Zankuta Pass
cniiarf , £ sheet 2 n-A.) with a view to avoiding the Tang-i-Zindan on the west,
square § o *
The distance I have personally travelled up to date over these routes
since my report of 4th December, amounts to over 1,600 mi.es, of which
'00 miles are non-effective, being return journeys over routes previously tra-
veiled.
This leaves 1,^00 miles of effective travelling, over the whole of which I
have collected data for route reports and notes on the nature of ground, suffi
cient for estimating road construction. If the 150 miles which I had travelled,
prior to my last report, are added to the above total, it makes 1,/50 miles actually
travelled up to date, of which 1,575 miles are effective.
2. The following routes still remain unvisited, viz.
(а) A gap of 250 miles on the Rigan route 139, between Manujan and
the connection of this route with route 141 at Tahrud (Square ,
sheet 24-G.).
(б) An alternative alignment to the lower portion of the Tang-i-Zagh
route 144, to the west from Guhra (square sheet 2 5^)»
via Fin, (square 5 sheet 18M), meeting the route again at barzeh
(square % sheet
U) A variation of alternative (4) by going due south from Fin m-i Takhu
(square § sheet 18M) and Tazian (square % sheet 25A)
direct to Bandar Abbas.
id) An alternative alignment from Sa’adatabad (squaresheet J/'F)
on route 144 via Sarmand (square £ sheet 25A) to Kalakun
(square \ sheet 25A; avoiding the Tang-i-Zagh.
I do not propose to visit route (a), as the detour to the east^ is too great
for the purpose of a military road, but I wall visit the alternative alignments
(3), (c) and (^) on my return journey to Bandar Abbas in a few days time and
will send you my report on them in the middle of May. Alignment («) will e
very roundabout and as it goes through the hills, I do not anticipate that it wi
have any advantages, in construction or cost, over the alignment through t e
Tang-i-Zagh. I think that 4;he alternative alignment (f>) will be slightly more
costly, and also about 10 miles longer than the ordinary route from Guhra to
Sarzeh via Gishan (square f sheet 25A), but it is most necessary for strategi
cal purposes to have a military post at Fin, (square 5 sheet 18M), if route
144 is adopted, so that the alignment for this portion of the route via Fin seems
preferable to that via Gishan.
If the alternative (c) is found feasible from a construction point of view,
it will be preferable to (£), as it w T ill eliminate the extra 10 miles of road, mention
ed above, and military posts along it will hold all the routes near the sea, leading
to Bandar Abbas from the west.
I am doubtful, however, if the portion from Tazian to Bandar Abbas is
feasible as, from the map, it appears to go over very broken ground, which would
make the road construction much more costly than the alignment to the east
via Chah Chakur (square | sheet 25A ) and Birkeh Tashtak (square f sheet
25-A).
3. With the exception of the routes mentioned in the preceding paragraph
as still unvisited, l have now travelled over practically every possible route, both
suitable and unsuitable, between Bandar Abbas and Kerman, and am therefore m
a position to amplify, from personal observation, the note on the comparative
merits of the four possible routes for a road, discussed in paragraph 12 (^)
of my narrative report No. 105 of 4th December 1916.
A full report on all these roads, giving descriptions in detail and estimates
for road making will take a considerable time to compile, so cannot be submitted
till after the completion of the work.
f*