'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎89r] (182/300)

General Summary.
We have now come to the last, and by far the most arduous, section on the
whole line from Ardiatan to Pahra.
Kegan may he considered to be the eastern terminal town in consecutive
and contiguous communication with western Persia, as it lies on the verge ol a
desert, which, roughly speaking, surrounds it on three sides north, east and
south. Whichever route is taken beyond Regan, a portion of this deseit must
be traversed, and it naturally behoves us to find the route which will gbe us
the minimum amount of desert, and more important still the maximum amount
of good water and supplies, and the best climate—in this case, the highest
altitude.
There are four routes from Regan to Pahra :—
(i) Via Geran Reeg, essentially a desert one, traversed by St. John, but now
seldom used ; 188*95 miles.
(ii) Via Zahu, which may be termed the King’s highway, traversed by
Goldsmid and Jennings, and is under-estimated as 174-68 miles.
(iii) Via Gegan and Bazman, referred to by Sykes, but not yet traversed
by anyone; 174-70 miles.
(iv) Via Henjareh and Bazman, whieh I am the first European to have
traversed; 177*86 miles.
To take the routes in the order they are named—
(i) This route, being without a village or a hut, and with little water and
no supplies, and being also considerably longer and practically obsolete, need
not be seriously discussed.
(ii) The second route, mA Zahu, runs between tlie west and south-western
slopes of Bazman Kuh and the desert, and as the drainage o f that mountain
finds its way to the Jaz Morian. Hamun lying to the south-west, the rond
for miles practically follows or crosses a series of torrent beds and deep
nullahs and is terribly rough and cut up. There are no villages route
at which supplies can be obtained, while the water-supply is meagre and
tactically brackish throughout, except perhaps at Zahu, which, however,
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when we o^en up the Bazman route, I am quite certain this rough and rocky
road will be abandoned.
fiitt The Geo-an Bazman route, recommended by Captain Sykes, crosses
by such as have Bazman village as their destination.
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my opinion in f er ^ ^nd a gazetteer have already been given, it will
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the 15-88 miles trom Pansara to Bazman vi 0 ^ im ble to wheels. X
therefore halted a day^t Bazma°n and examined the country to the east, and