'Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line' [‎129r] (262/300)

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From our camp at Duzinbast, we kept down the nullah for the first mile,
when we left it by the right bank, and ascending on to high ground passed a
graveyard at 1*25 miles, and taking a sharp turn to the right, or south-west,
were among low stony hills. The track was very rough and stony here, and
passing through a defile at T70 miles, w T e were not sorry to emerge on to open
ground at 2*59 miles, the going gradually improving, till at 5 miles it is good
and remains so throughout, the stage. At 5 75, we enter a Kaur, which the
guide named Meskeen, and continuing down this we enter a range of low hills at
30 miles. Hie 8th mile is registered at the sind*hills of Kulmir Sunt, which
are parsed close to our right, and we here cross a small torrent bed. The road
bifurcates at 9 50 miles, the left or easterly track going to Desht, while we
follow the right, which skirts some hilis on the right and bears south-south-east.
There are two tracks at ll*7o miles, but these rejoin a few yards further on.
1 he road is now somewhat stony. We nofe a small spring of sweet, water at
12 30 miles close to the left, while at 13*80 there is a Ziaret, on the right, with
a spiing 100 yards off. At 16 miles, we descend into a valley, and at 16'65
cross the Ivasar Ivaur, which contained a few pools of sweet water and where
there were some Baloochee tents. We kept in this nullah till the 18th mile,
when leading it we enter some stony hills, and emerge from these to pass
through the jungle that, fringes the right bank of the Desht river. Entering
tiie dry sandy bed of the Deslit Ivaur at 18*85 miles, we cross it at right amdes
and leave it by a high bank at 19 30. The bed from bank to bank at this
point is joths ot a mile, or 387 yards. Half a mile higher up, the river could be
spanned in 150 yards, the right bank being some 50 leet and the left 15 feet
at this point, ilie river bottom is of loose sand, and would prove troublesome
to wheels.
SuNT-I-SlR TO SaPREBAST.
Date.
No of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles,
nth March 1899
11
Sadrebast, •
200 feet.
8*18
19303
Leaving Sunt-i-Sir, we continued in a south-easterly direction through
sparse mimosa jungle and soft sandy soil for half a mile, when the trees become
few and lar between. A sandy plain is entered at 2 - 50 miles, and we have on
our right a few isolated peaks, while our left is bounded by a range of low
serrated hills, which gradually verge off to the east. At 3*90 miles, a migratory
Balooch encampment of 10 tents is passed. Excessive rain had made the
ground very sloppy, and we steered for the clump of date trees known as
8a,dr< bast (Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location. , where we halted on high ground. The road we had just traversed
was at noon under water, and quite a large stream flowed passed our tents,
ft was with some difficulty we got the camels along, and had we been a few
hours later we should not have been able to got through. The road would be
impassable to wheels after rain.
Sadrebast to Akaroo,
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
12th March 1S99 ...
12
Akaroo, 100 feet.
19*51
212*54