'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎102v] (209/300)

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is passed at 6*14 miles, and the hill of that name, with stone cairns on its
summit, is noted at 6 70 miles. The Chah Deraz range ceases at 8 20 miles,
and here is the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. , 6,875 feet, dividing the eastern drainage into the
Ladis river from the western into the Rood Mahi. The watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. is open,
and is about 1 mile broad and flat. The descent is very similar to the ascent,
in that it goes down a gravelly valley some 2 miles broad, covered with boteh,
the direction being nearly north-west. At 10 60 miles, we halt at some tamarisk
bushes for lunch at 11 a. m., but one of my wheelmen, who left 10 minutes after
we did this morni'ig, with my horse, lost himself, so we had to camp here. I
sent back a guide and a second wheelman on a Jumbaz at 11 a. m. and another
party at 1 p. m. They all turned up at 8 p. m., the poor beast having had a
15f hours’ walk.
Camp to Camp.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
28th December 1898.
3
Camp in Galngan
Plain, 4,750 feet.
24*65
55*90
Owing to my having camped at 10| miles last night, it was decided to go
beyond the usual halting places of Rekeh and Daku and to camp on the Golugan
plain. We continued down an open gravelly plain, some 5 miles wide with
very low hills on the north and south, our direction being a few degrees north
of w r est. At 3 miles, we were told Chah Gbree, a spring of perennial sweet
water, lay 1J to 2 miles to our left, or south, and we here turned a bit to the
south of west, 259°. A road from Siestan to Khash crossed ours at 7 , 50 miles.
Dehek was reached at 10 miles, where we found a Kanat with plenty of sweet
water, and also 2 small ponds, 1 of sweet and 1 of salt water. Here, too, Ave found 4
Sarhadi Balooehies, who had cultivated the ground adjoining the Kanats. They
said their tents were 10 miles off in the hills. Skirting the hills on our left at
11*90 miles, we crossed a low ridge at 12'40, and continued down a valley,
passing the Dehek hill at 13-40 miles, 200 yards to our right and bearing 18°.
The going Avas monotonous, and at 16'70 miles we arrived at Avhat ought to have
been our last night’s camp, viz., Helm. Here, we found plenty of sweet water,
which comes out of a Kanat into a pond which lies at the foot*of a small
rocky hill knoAvn as Kuh-i-Hehu. Erom Helm, we swing to the north of west
again across a very large plain of gravel and sand, covered with botch and
shrub. At 22T0 miles, some low hills, known as Tappeh-Shur Shadee, were
passed 200 yards to our left. Continuing over this desolate plain, we crossed a
drainage at 23’20 to 23*30 miles, flowing south, and halted for the night at
24 65 miles. The very faint track we had been following entirely disap
peared on this stage.
Camp Galugan to Camp Rood Mahee.
Date.
No. of
Route.
Intermediate
Total
March.
Miles.
Miles.
29th December 1898.
4
Camp Shoroo,
4,460 feet.
20*25
76T5
We continue over the gravelly sandy Galugan plain, in a direction a trifle
west of north-west, till 4*50 miles, when a small ruined mud building is seen