'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎59r] (122/300)

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torrent bed, which is 300 yards where we crossed, but like the first mentioned
it is extremely shallow, with a gravelly bottom and high and firm ground all
round. The road keeps in this bed, gradually descending south-south-east for
the next 5 miles, when it leaves the nullah and keeps on the high ground to
the left. At this point, 21 miles, the torrent bed joins another deepish ravine,
in which there are many tamarisk bushes. All through from the 9th to the
21st mile, rolling hills extend on both sides. We enter a large plain at the
22nd mile, and pass the mud hovels, known as Nagoor, 300 yards to the left.
Continuing across the plain, which is sparsely covered with tamarisk and
cultivation, the caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). is reached at 21 16 miles.
Snow has not fallen here for three years, and when it falls it does not
stay. The two torrent beds referred to above contain water after exceptional
rains, but are seldom impassable. So flat and level has been the country
traversed that this is the first stage on which any really hilly and broken
ground has been met with since leaving Ardistan, and is practically the only
section on which a uniformity of spans will not be possible. There will be a
greater percentage of angles, and also a few extra length pales will be
r quired in this stage.
Khan Khatun to Abarek or Avarek.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
24th November 1898 ...
5
Abarok 5,535 feet
8*12
83*22
For the first mile and three-fourths after leaving Khan Khatun, the road
is good over the loamy plain mentioned in the last march. In this distance,
the small mud hut villages of Shamsabad and Kachoolee are noted at '25 and
‘73 miles, lying 600 yards to the right. Opposite the last mentioned is Saad-
abad, 100 yards olf, while I’lGo brings us to Dakhcheh, about one mile to the
right. Here, too, a stream of sweet water crosses the road. The first mile and
a half is recorded opposite a mud tower on a knoll 300 yards to the right.
The plain practically ends at this point, as at 1'75 miles the road enters the bed
of the Tehrud and keeps down it till 3*4- miles. The Tehrud at present is a
smairstream 10 by 1 feet and is crossed at 2-36, flowing to our left, and again
at 3 28, flowing to our right. The river bed with its overflow practically
occupies the whole valley from 1*75 to 3*4 miles, which is about 1 mile broad
on the left and 200 yards on the right to begin with, and has a range of rocky
hills on the left with low clayey hills, much cut up by water-courses on the
right, and gradually narrows down to 200 yards. At 3 - 41, an old fort, Kaleh
Zangi, is passed 10 yards to the right, while a few yards further on at 4 # 16 the
road bifurcates, one path going down the left bank of the river bearing 175°,
while we traverse a plain which bears 120°. In wet weather, should the river
be in flood, a track follows the base of the Tehrud hills on the left, leaving
via Saadabad and joining the main road again at 4*28. ITom 4*28 to 7 12, the
road is g >0 1, running along a valley with the Tehrud hills on the left and the
Abarek hills on the right. The river goes round the back, or S.-W. side, of
the Abarek hills, while we went on its N.-E. side. A col is reached at 5‘97
miles, and an easy descent made into a very large plain. The road to Abarek
branches off at 6*3 miles, and we pass that village 1|- miles to our right at
7*125 miles. The ruined fort is on the same side, and is noted at 7*37o miles. We
halt near the caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). sarteep* The road is passable to wheels, but if the
river were in flood, a halt would have to be made at Khan Khatun till it sub
sided, as the track along the base of the hills is too narrow. There will be many
angles and irregular spans in this section.