'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎118v] (241/300)

218
Kondeh to Gaiiageh.
Date.
No. of
Miles.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
30th January 1899 ...
3
Garageh, 4,480 feet.
27*31
53*58
Striking; c:imp at Kondeh, we continue over the extensive plain entered on
yesterday, with a bearing of 291°, and at 3 50 miles pass through most superb
camel grazing. At 5*20 miles, the heretofore gravelly to sandy soil gave place to
Pat sand, which broke under foot and made the going heavy. This in turn gave
place to line grave!, with good grazing, at 7**20 miles, t had noticed that the
gravel up to this point was of a white marble appearance, which now changed
to a black hard stone. A small Hamun was seen about *2 miles to the right, or
north, at 9*60 miles. With absolutely nothing to break the weary monotony,
we held on our way, and at 10'20 miles noticed a road irom SSiestan to Galugan
crossed ours. The plain came to an end at 17'40 miles, where we passed over
undulating ground, and had small bills on either side. A dry torrent bed,
draining north, was crossed at 18*40, and at 19 miles we passed a high rocky nil],
on our right, and small ones on our left. Our guide had tr’en making for the
wrong springs, so, swinging to the right (north), we went round the base of the
high rocky hill referred to^ and continuing over sandy undulating ground came
to a saddle-back, from whence I saw the tents, bearing *20°. Descending on to the
western end of the same plain we had been marching along all day, we went
across it through an abundance of Tagez, fuel and grazing, and reached our
camp at 27J miles.
Garageh to Nasratabad (Kerman).
Date.
No. of
Route.
Intermediate
Total
March.
Miles.
Miles.
1st February 1899
4
Nasratabad, 3,836 feet.
24*40
77 98
Taking a due westerly direction, through a. thick growth of Tagez, camel
thorn, etc., and over sandy soi), we join the main route from Siestan to Ilegan
at I SO miles, which is the best defined road seen since leaving the last-
mentioned place nearly two months ago. The thick growth and sandy soil give
place to hare white hard gravel ground. The road is excellent, and at 3 G0
miles crosses a ridge. At 4*50 miles, the bearing is west of south-west, which
is maintained for the next 8 miles. The going is excellent, gradually ascend
ing in the direction of a low range of hills, a spur of the Malnzan mountains.
A small dry torrent bed is crossed ao 1T80 miles, and at 12*10 rrdles the direct
road from Kondee joins in on our left. The low hills are entered at 12*10
miles, and turning due west for three-fourths of a mile we proceed up a rocky
torrent bed. Two pools of sw^et water were passed, on the tight, at 12*50
miles, which are said to he perennial. ’ The watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. dividing the Nasratabad
plain from the Garageh-Kondee plain was reached at 12*75 miles, and is 5,509
feet in height. Our direction is now south of west, and we at once enter a
torrent bed with the high Maluzan hil's on our right and low rocky hills on
the left. The road now practically keeps lo this torrent bed till 14*90 miles,
when a bifurcation takes place. Wj follow the right, 232°, w hile the larger