'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎93v] (191/300)

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direction was south-south-east. A track crossed ours at the 3rd mile, which
the sjuide informed us went from Siestan to Bampur. We entered low, close
and rocky hills at 4*37 miles, the torrent bed ever narrowing and at 5*25 miles
being only 50 yards broad from rock to rock. The Surk Tuchab Kuh, a con
spicuous hill, was passed one mile to our left at 6*20 miles. At 8*50 miles, we
found some rain water in the torrent bed. From the top of a peak here, we
obtained a birds-eye view of the band of hills we were now going through.
They were a perfect cluster of serrated peaks, which would be extremely
difficult to negotiate except by following the torrent beds, and which could
only be patrolled by men on foot. We emerged on to a small open plateau at
ir20 miles, where there was a profusion of Darmshoot, or grass, unfortunately
withered for want of rain. Sam-i-Rajee Kuh, a flat-topped mountain, was
passed at 13 50 miles, one mile to our right, and at 14 50 we were in a small
plateau with sandy rolling hills on either skb\ in place of rocky peaks, the tor
rent bed being scarcely discernable and finally ending at l7'8o miles. The
watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. of Gfardaneh-i-Jauri was reached at 18 05 miles, its height being
6,350 feet Crossing this saddle-back, we almost immediately entered a torrent
bed draining east, our direction being south-east for the first mile, when we
swing round to due east. At 20 miles, the hills ended and, again turning to the
left, we kept north-east till our camp was reached. The road is quite impass
able to wheels, and is very narrow, rough and stony in the hills. The going in
the end was good over an open plain,
Jatjui to Chahan-i-Ashahi.
Date.
No. of
Miles.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles,
12th December 1898.
7
Chahan-i-Ashahi
*±,847 feet.
_
U'75
118-86
As our yesterday’s march proved somewhat frying to man and beast and
as we found a supply of drinkable water at Jauri, we decided to do a short
march to Chahan-i-Ashahi. Leaving our camp at the north-east base of the
Scab Band range, we struck across an open gravelly plain in an east-north
easterly direction. A road from Siestan to Pahra crossed ours at L44 miles,
hearing 143°, which was also the bearing of the Kuh-i-Karwanda. Passing a
rocky hill on our right, we turned more to the east at 3 50 miles, having 'the
Gut-i-Nadir on our left and Sar Talab on our right, and continued down a valley
about 2 miles wide. At 4*60 miles, we were going due east, while at 5-34 miles
we went south of east. The Gut-i-Nadir we passed one mile to our left at T
miles, while the Sar-i-Talab was a similar distance to our right, both high
rocky peaks. We entered on a large open plain, probably Yar-Ahmad Zai, at
9'30 miles and turned sharp to east-north-east, which bearing we kepi up till
we reached our caiup. To-day’s march is open to wheeled traffic.
Chahan Ashahi to Chashmeh Ziaret.
Date.
No. of
Route
Intermediate
Total
March.
Miles.
Miles.
13th December 1898 ...
8
Chashmeh Ziaret,
6,100 feet.
28-90
147-76