'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎93r] (190/300)

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This plain is known as Darband, and the small hills on its east, towards which
we weie goini^, as the batnsoor hills. A slightly higher and more prominent
range, which is 2 miles distant on the right, or south, is known jas Meh Gez
hills. We were directly opposite them at 14-20 miles. The path entered the
Samsoor hills at 11 55 miles, and continuing in an easterly direction we reached
the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. at 16 01 miles, which was some 880 feet higher than Chah Reis,
or about 3,100 feet. A gradual descent in a direction south of east brought us
to the end of the Samsoor hills at 20 3o miles, when we emerged on to a very'
large plain covered with boteh and shrub, and gravelly soil. A prominent
black, oblong, flat-topped hill, known as Tal-i-Samsoor, was passed close to our
left at 23*05 miles, and at 23* 15 we found our tents pitched on the left bank
of the Samsoor stream, among a profusion of tamarisk and good grazing.
Road hilly in places and not fit for wheels. Our baggage camels°took 12 hours
to do this stage.
Samsoor to Ab-i.Gajjaree.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermedi
ate Miles.
Total Miles.
10th December 1898 ...
5
Ab-i-Gajjaree, 3,486 ft.
16 46
85-14
We halted a day here as the grazing was good, and als > to try and get a
wild ass. Starting from camp at the east base of the Tald-Samsoor, we took a
direct line across the plain in the direction of the Jauri Band peak, bearing
120°. Ttie plain is 18 miles from east to west and some 25 miles from north to
south. As already stated, its western extremity is bounded by the Samsoor
hills, while on the north we have the Seah Band hills and on the south the
lofty snow-capped Bazman. There was no defined track across the plain, as,
consisting of a sandy gravelly soil a id where winds are very prevalent, all
marks are at once obliterated. The first one-and-half miles are tirough
thick tamarisk, which gives place to sand and small tamarisk up to 4*36 miles,
where these end and gravelly soil is encountered. At 5 miles, our direction is
almost south-east, and the g >in'_r now becomes very stony, either intersecting or
following the course of some small dry torrent beds draining north-north-west.
We turn more to the east at 8-24 miles and continue gradually rising over
very stony ground, while at IT77 miles, turning still more to the east, 110°,
we proceed up a large torrent bed which at 13 80 miles has a 20-foot hank on
the left, or north, but no defined bank on the right. The Seah Band hills are
gradually closing in on the north, while on the south a range of low
sand hills reduces the valley to half a mile We enter the hills at 16-125 miles,
which are only 50 yards to our right, while the base of the Seah Band is only
some 200 yards distant, and camp at A.b Gajjaree, this being the Baloocb
pronunciation of the Persian word Kajar,
Ab-i-Gajjaree to Jauri.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
llth December 1898 ...
6
Jauri, 5,246 feet.
21-97
10711
This day’s march practically lay in one of the dry torrent beds which takes
the north-west drainage of the Seah Band hills, and in which we had camped
last night, and was stony though, comparatively speaking, easy going. Our