'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎26r] (56/300)

firm barren ground. Mohommedabad begins 80 yards to the left at 3'01, and the
ruins of this once very large village continue to 3*955, nearly a mile. At the
latter point, is a stream of sweet water ; and here, too, a road branches off to
Askezar, a large village bearing 150°, while we turn more to the east with a
bearing of 115. The Kanats are too numerous to mention, but generally run
parallel to us on the right. At 5*255, the ah ambar of Shavaz is passed a few
yards to the right, Ibraheemabad and Shamsee, lying about 809 and 600
yards to our right, are respectively passed at 6*035 and 7*014. On our left, the
sandy plain stretches to the mountains, some 20 miles off. Two more ab am bars
are noted at 7*260 and 7*765, 5 yards to the right, while from the latter point
the road passes through cultivation and fallow land till 8*618, at which point
yet another ab ambar, dry, is found. Izabad, a large village 400 yards to the
right, is passed at 8*350, and on the same side Sherifabad and Himatabad with
the Chappar Khaneh or Post house, respectively 3 miles and 300 yards off, are
passed at 8*815 and 9*20. In fact, the whole right-is a string of villages and
cultivation, practically contiguous to one another. The next 2 miles are over
a sandy but firm plain, and at 11*312 the sand-drifted knolls begin. Once in
among these knolls of 100 to 150 feet in height, the view on either side is
obscured, but by climbing one of them Kereemabad is seen two miles to the
left at 12*310, Hassanabad at 13*713 and Hosseinahad at 14*330. The cultiva
tion of Hujatabad begins at 13*820 and continues up to the serai. The road
among the sand knolls where it is blown bare is good and firm ; but at times
the drifts lie across the road and the going is exceedingly difficult. In facr, it
is inadvisable to bring the line this way, as the sand shifts about, and if a line
ran through these knolls we should probably soon have part of it buried.
Hujatabad to Yezd.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
11th October 1898
10
Yezd, 4,175 feet.
13-81
161*18
We spent a day in a splendid new caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). and garden at Hujatabad.
As this village is in a hollow (on the I. B. maps shown as a swamp), a slight
ascent is made from it to the top of a ridge. Prom here, the sand drifts are seen
stretching away to the left, while the right is cultivation and villages with sand
drifts in the distance. This cultivation keeps along on the right side for the
first 4^ miles, and on the left from *43 to 3*39 miles. There are many large
villages in this distance, such as Mirjoomird at *43 miles, one mile to the ri?ht;
Eeroozabad, with its cypress trees, at *975, a quarter of a mile off on the same
side. Zach at 3 miles, lying half a mile on the right, and Ilabad, a Parsee
village, through which the road passes. At 4*482, the road from Hosseinabad
joins in on the left rear, while at 4*6/5 the end of Zach is teached. I ne ro id
at 5*368 enters a barren sandy stretch and the going is heavy to 6 6, when
the village of Nusratahad is passed 200 yards to the left, with its mill on the
rndit side of the road. An ab ambar of sweet water is passed at 7 6/3 ten
yards to the right, with the village of Arnabad lying half a mile on on tin*
same side. The village of Sadree extends from 8'34 to 8'85 on the left, 100
yards off. A conspicuous Gombaz or tomb is noted 80 yards to the right at
9*645, wdiile a few yards further on at 9*750 another ab ambar of sweet water,
5 yards on the left, is reached. The telegraph line is seen two miles off on the
rio«ht This side is again a barren sandy stretch, whilst th? left has Mardabad,
Kasnaveah and Naserabad at 10*20, 11*40 and 11*94, lying at varying distances
of 50 to 300 yards off the ro id. Cultivation starts at 11*91 on the right and
extends to the town gate, which dilapidated entrance we pass t tiro ugh at 11 4>>i.
My objective being the bank, I wheeled through streets and bazaars, noting
that the telegraph line, which was only 300 yards to my right at the gate,
crossed the street at 12*732. Continuing through streets and bazaars, I drew
up at the hank house, the wheel registering 14 miles exactly. A subsequent
inspection has lead to the condemnation of this route, and the adoption ot the
Kalantar route for the line.