'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎80v] (165/300)

of water in it, the going over boulders and stones was very rough, and we were
not sorry to leave it at 5 miles, at which point the Rood-Khaneh (perennial)
Kahur joins in on the right bank. A short steep ascent brings us on to a
small stony plateau, and we continue over this with the river on our right till
6J miles, when we just touch the bed again for a few yards and then strike
across a stony plateau with 150° as our bearing. The track over the plateau is
stony, but good. At 8 miles, 2 cairns, known as Cheeda, are passed, and at
10*80 miles a small nameless nullah is crossed. The plateau ends at 12f miles
in a depression known as the Konar Basteh. The total width of this depression
is from 1270 to 13 33 miles, but the right hand bank from 1270 to 13*33
is much higher (6 feet) than the left side, which extends from 13*13 to 13*33
and is the real channel and flood limit of all the torrents (Zahan, etc.) draining
to the south-east of Bazman. The left bank is 15 feet high and the right
bank 5 feet, and the former, being sandy, is apt to be washed away and after
rains become precipitous. Emerging from the Konar Basteh nullah, we were
again on the great plain which runs between Bazman Kuh on the west and
the Seah Band Kuh on the east, and continue over sandy to gravelly soil, the
going being very good. At 14*60, a small narrow nullah is crossed, draining,
like all the others, south-south-west. Two cairns of stones, known as Cheeda
Mollah Nusheed, lie close to the road at 15*70 miles, while the dry wells of
Chah Lambeed are passed at 17*85, and about 100 yards further on is Daul
Hasanat, 3 Kahur trees. A straight run brings us to our camp in the plain.
Mandran, mentioned in the route book, was not known to my guide, but
Parrek bears 28° and Dar-i-Kammer 100°.
The first 7 miles are rough, but the line will not follow this track, vide
General Summary.
Camp to Bampur.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
22nd February 1899 ...
9
Bampur, 1,920 feet.
30*37
162*43
From our halting place in the open plain, we gradually ascend in a south
easterly direction towards a range of low hills, an ofif-shoot of the Seah Band,
which seem to suddenly stop here. A track from Gezak joins in at 6*50 miles,
and at the 7th mile the road bifurcates, that to the right, or south-east, leading
to Bampur, while the left, or easterly one, goes to Pahra via the Kaskin spring.
The road is now rough, while the surrounding country is broken up, and we
traverse undulating ground to the banks of the Kaskin torrent bed, which is
reached at 9*90 miles and which is again left at 10*05 miles. The actual
channel only covers some 40 to 50 yards, has steep firm banks, and can easily
be spanned here. A road from the Kaskin spring joins in on our left at 10 90
miles. Continuing in a south-easterly direction and skirting the hills, the track
is good over gravelly soil till 13*60 miles, when it again enters some undulating
ground, which might be termed very low hills. A few yards further on, 13*80,
the Dab Gezan spring is seen bearing 120°. There is perennial slightly brackish
water here, and a few tamarisk bushes were also seen. The road now swings
more to south of south-east and we cross a number of small dry channels be
tween 14 and 14*45 miles, which are known as the Dabgezan Nullah. They
are quite insignificant. Cheda Reis, a cairn of stones, is passed at 16 25 miles,
and from this point our forward bearing is 178°, while the Bampur fort can be
seen bearing 175°. We have now reached the highest point, 2,500 feet, of the
obliquely sloping plain, and a gradual descent is made into Bampur. A track
to Koochgardan, on the main road from Regan to Bampur, branches off at 18*80
miles. At 19*10, a cairn of stones, known as Cheda Jalan, is passed on the right,