'Report on the Quetta-Seistan [Sistan] Trade Route, for the year 1900-1901' [‎6v] (12/32)

REPORT ON THE QUETTA-SEIST AN TRADE ROUTE FOR THE YEAR 1900-1901.
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out my intention of dividing the distance between Nuskki and Mall into two
stages of equal lengths, much to the convenience of travellers and caravans.
18. AtMall, Padag and YadgarChah chapparkhanas have been built. The
plan of each of these buildings is the same. Each contains two large rooms with
bath-rooms annexed, a cook-house, stabling and sufficient servants’ accommoda
tion. Ihe chapparkhanas are finished with the exception of the servants’ quarters
which still need some attention. Work on these buildings has proceeded slowly,
consequent on the difficulty which has been experienced in procuring labour.
The Nomads, who inhabit Chagai, are indolent, and so opposed are they to manual
labour of any sort that they will only work when driven to do so by actual
starvation. Spring brought with it immense swarms of locusts. The Nomads
found in these pests sufficient food to supply their wants, and declined all the
overtures which were made them to work.
19. The accommodation provided by the Yadgar Ckah chowki, although
sufficient for the needs of the levy establishment stationed at these wells, w r as
however found to be somewhat cramped. To remedy this a sarai wus added to
the chowki and the chowki itself was strengthened by the addition of two
defensive towers. The three Persian water-wheels which have been introduced
here have much increased the facilities for watering large number of camels.
The water-supply at this stage also received attention, and a new well, eight feet
in diameter, was sunk.
20. Nothing in the form of a chapparkhana has been built at Karodak,
the stage which divides the distance between Yadgar and Dalbandin. The rea
sons for this are as follows : •— In the first place, the only available site near the
wells is occupied by the Karodak chowki, and in the second place, Karodak
is encircled by low sand-drifts, which, although insufficient in themselves
to inconvenience caravans, are nevertheless a source of constant annoyance, as
the finely-divided sand of which they are composed is in constant movement
to and fro, with the result that, despite all the precautions which are taken,
the Karodak wells need frequent attention to guard against their becoming
choked. A mile south of the chowki there exists an excellent alignment
for a road, which is free from sand, but the objection to this alignment is that
a road following it would necessarily have to cross five miles of flat alluvial
plain, which is liable to become inundated in years of heavy rainfall. The
distance from Yadgar to Dalbandin is only 31 miles, thus it appeared to me to be
futile to spend any large sum of money on building operations at Karodak,
pending the final settlement of the question of the alignment * of the trade route.
Although no chapparkhana was built at this stage, yet certain additions were
made to the chowki, which have resulted in doubling its accommodation.
A freshet which came down the bed of the nallah in winter destroyed every trace
of the fifteen wells at karodak. To replace the old wells, which were situated
in the bed of the nallah itself, three new wells have been sunk. These wells, while
within easy reach of the chowki, are however placed at such a distance from
the nallah bed as to minimize the likelihood of their being destroyed by floods.
21. The improvements which were introduced last year + at Dalbandin
were found sufficient for the requirements of caravans. I am anxious to establish
a village here, and with this end in view, I have offered, and am still offering,
bunnias inducements to open shops and settle down at Dalbandin. Since I
passed through Dalbandin last April two bunnias, both of whom appear to be
doing well, have built shops. The head-quarters of the Chagai Naib Tahsil | will
be at Dalbandin. This should act as an incentive to traders to settle down and
start trading. Dalbandin is so exceptionally well fitted to form an advanced
base for forwarding goods to Persia, that I feel sure that a village there will act as
an important factor in assisting trade and in developing the trade route.
22. Careful search § failed to reveal the presence of good drinking water on
the caravan road midway between Dalbandin and Sotag. It is true that in one
place water of fair quality was found not far off the road, but unfortunately the * * * §
* The shortest and at the same time the best alignment for a road or railway is undoubtedly that which follows the
daman of the Ras Koh, Kamaran range from Padag to a point opposite Dalbandin. This alignment offers no serious
difficulty, avoids all sand drifts, and is provided with wells at suitable intervals apart. It is only the sparseness of the
camel-grazing along this route which has hitherto prevented me adopting it.— F. W.
t Vide paragraph 59 of my Administration Report for the year 1899-1900.—.F. W.
I The new Naib Tahsil will have an important effect in extending our influence up to the Persian frontier. F. W.
§ Vide paragraph 60 of my Administration Report for last year,— F. W,