‘Seistan’ [‎7r] (13/98)

7
condition and contains about 300 families. There is an abundance of water
especially after rain. There are about twenty shops here and several gardens.
1 st December. —Turbat-i-Sheikh Jam to Langar, about 16 miles.
The route leads along the valley past some small villages. Cultivation
has increased of late years everywhere. Langar has about four hundred
families with a wide stretch of cultivation chiefly on water from the Jam river.
There is a large village called Mabmudabad close to Langar containing
about 300 houses. The Malik-ut-Tujjar of Tehran has an agent here who
came to see me. He said that the Maiik-ut-Tujjar had bought land in the
vicinity from the Itukn-ud-Dowleh about six years ago. The first year it
produced only about 500 kharwars, but that it now produced about 1,500
kharwars, as the income had been spent on kanats and improving the land.
The Malik-ut-Tujjar bought Langar from the Shaham-ul-Mulk. The former
is partly under Russian protection. He owns a great deal of land in
Kborassan which increases in value as the export to Russia and Ashkabad of
produce is now permanent and increasing.
2 nd December. —Langar to Karez-i-Nau, about 16 miles.
Fresh cultivation is springing up along the route. This is specially
noticeable at Khairabad, which has some large extent of cultivation belonging
to the Malik-ut-Tujjar of Tehran. Khairabad contains about two hundred
families. The export of the surplus produce grown is entirely in the direc
tion of Meshed. The agent of Malik-ut-Tujjar offered me a house at Khaira
bad near Karez-i-Nau. The offer was hospitable and well-meant, but as it was
not convenient I did not avail myself of it.
3rd December. —Karez-i-Nau to Fariman, about 28 miles.
The road passes over an open plain past the village of Kata Shamshir.
There is much cultivated land. At this early date all the hills towards the
east were covered with snow. The western border of the plain is much lower
and the hills wdiich are not so high had no snow. Fariman has about 300
families and a large supply of water from a hill stream. The cultivation
belongs to the jMuawin-ut-Tujjar, the Afghan banker at Meshed. The village
was granted by the Shah to his physician, Hakim-ul-Mulk, who leased it to the
banker. The latter offered me his house and as the w r eather was very damp
and cold, I was glad of it. The offer which w ? as entirely unexpected displayed
the good feeling and hospitality of these people. The banker was himself
away from Fariman.
dth December. —Fariman to Bakirabad, about 20 miles.
The road crosses an open plain and thence passes through some low hills
which were formerly the scene of Turkoman raids and were famous for
robberies. Leaving them the route passes the village of Husainabad w r ith
about twenty families of Barharis. The next village Sadabad bas about forty
families and a caravansarai. There is a good deal of cultivation here. The
village of Bakirabad is then reached. It has about fifty families and a new
caravansarai is being built by a Yezdi merchant, Haji Husain of Meshed. All
these places are flourishing as Turkoman raiejs have ceased for the last twenty
years or more and the trade between Herat and Meshed is flourishing.
5th December. —Bakirabad to Meshed, about 2& miles.
The route passes over open country. Four days before I passed two
men from Meshed were murdered at the Tapu-i-Salam, where the first view of
Meshed is obtained on this route. One was buried, but the other was lying at
a few yards from the public route when I passed. Passers-by had been afraid
to report the case to the authorities for fear that they would be either accused
or otherwise molested on the matter being”reported to the Governor-GeneraPs
servants. They said that His His Highness was ill with fever, and that no
report had reached him, but that enquiries would be made at once.
H. M. TEMPLE, Dieutenant-Colonel,
Agent to the Governor~ General of India and
Meshed; ^ Her Dritannic Majesty’s Consul-General
The 5th December 1900. ) for Khorassan and Seistan.
G. I. C. p. o.—No. 753 F. D.—18-1-01.—60 —B. M.