'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎103r] (210/300)

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ahead bearing 290 , and we steer for this. At 6*75 miles, there is much jungle,
hut the tamarisk trees appear to he withered and dead. Fuel is in abundance.
We pass a Hashim at 7*60, some half a mile to our right, which consists of
three or four tents and is known as Gulnabad. Proceeding through a jungle
of tamarisk, w r e arrive at the roofless enclosure of mud brick knownas Galu^an
at 8’50 miles. Here, there is a large Kanat of excellent water, and 3 or 4
tents at which we were able to procure a few supplies. Leaving Galugan,
we went due north-west towards a range of mountains (Seah Band), keeping
on the left bank of the water-course with reeds, &c., in it, at ILSO miles
noticing a little water in the bed. The road entered the hills at 14 miles,
which were open and small. A patch of cultivation with half a dozen trees
was passed at 14 2o miles, and at l^’TO miles we saw the Shooroo tents, some
20 yards to our right. The water here is brackish. There were 3 tent s at
hhooroo. At 15 90 miles, the Hood Malice torrent bed starts, and the road
enters it at 17'30 miles, the bed is gravelly, about 290 yards wide, with
high mountains on both sides. We continued clown the dry bed to 20 - 25 miles,
where we halted lor the night. The road which up to this point has been
possible for wheels is not so now.
Camp to Rood Mahee and on to Pass and back.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
30th December 1898.
5
Rood Mahee,
1015
80*30
3,897 feet.
Following the channel of the Rood Mahee, which was still some 200 yards
broad, with a gravelly bottam and with high mountains bounding it on both
sides, we found the going comparatively good. This river bed whnn in flood
must he quite impassable for days. A prominent peak, Kuh-i-Twosuree, is
passed at the second mile, some 300 yards to the right, and at 3 miles the
Kuh Padeshah, bearing 19°. We here turn due west, and at 4'50 notice a
track going to the right rear to Kaleh Padeh. Following the sinuosities of the
torrent bed, we pass a spring of sweet water at 7'36 miles. The path takes to
the right bank here lor a few yards, and we go through a graveyard at
8-50 miles, while at 9 miles we notice the first water or source of the Rood
Mahee. 9 30 miles brings us to Shcerdil Khan’s tents, while at]0 30 we
reach Gul Mohommed’s tents, the whole place being known as Rood-i-Mahee.
I continued beyond and, taking a bearing of 305°, left the river bed,
which bore 335°, and struck across a very stony plain to the hills, which we
entered at 12*35 miles, and after an easy climb reached the top of the pass,
4,570 feet, at 13*30 miles. I had a view of the whole plain from here, and
could see the marshy ground that marks Hyderabad, some 10 miles off. The
sandy Dasht-i-Lut, without life or habitation, could be seen stretching for some
90 miles towards Regan, the position of which could only just be discerned.
Between Rood Mahee and Regan, across the desert, the following names of
halting places, at each of which there is said to be a well of brackish water,
■were given to me: Konarek 18 miles; Shoroo 15 miles ; Dashtoo 30 miles,
leaving 27 miles to Regan,-—a total distance from Ladis of 170'30 miles.