'Military Report on Persia' [‎20r] (44/134)

21.
■where evaporation compensates for the absence of any
outlet.
The largest of these is Lake Urumiah in the west of Lake
Azerbaijan, which has a circumference of about 250 Urumiah.
miles. Its waters are strongly impregnated with salt, so
that animal life scarcely exists in them, and its shores
are covered with a treacherous saline ooze, which renders
approach difficult. A few sailing boats are employed on
it in transporting grain for Tabriz. It has an average
depth of about 20 feet.
The hamuns of Sistan (see p. 29) are of a similar Hamuns.
character, but contain less water, and in the dry season
their mud becomes encrusted with a thick layer of salt.
Lake Niris, or Bakhtegan, is a large shallow salt lake, Lake
about 10 miles east of Shiraz, formed by the waters of Nh - * 8 -
the River Kur or Bandamir. Jt is about 60 miles long,
with a breadth of from 3 to 5 miles. In a dry summer
the water completely evaporates, leaving a salt ooze
which can be traversed on foot.
The climate of Persia varies greatly according to the Climate,
locality.
Along the shores of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. the heat in
summer and autumn is intense, and during those seasons
the ports become hot-beds of malaria, and are almost
insupportable for Europeans.
At Bushire the highest temperature registered for
the year 1903 was 108° F. in June, and the lowest 45° F.
in December.
In winter, cold winds prevail along the gulf, and in
spring, when the heated air of the deserts in the south
east begins to rise, a strong north-westerly wind sweeps
down the valleys from the mountains of Kurdistan.
On ascending the plateau, the climate improves, and
Fars, Isfahan, Kerman, and Yezd boast a delightfully
pure air and a moderate temperature, which varies from
30° F. in December to 90° F. in June.
In Azerbaijan and the north-western districts the
cold at high altitudes is very severe during winter, and
heavy falls of snow are frequent. In December and