'Military Report on Persian Seistan' [‎9v] (23/188)

8
Nos. 2,
2A, 2B.
knovrn and of small military importance. The Dasht-i-Lnt with its north
west continuation, the Dasht-i-Kavir, is practically impassable for troops
except in insignificant numbers. After heavy rain a few hundred men
might be pushed rapidly across, but they would only partake of the nature of
a flying column, owing to the impossibility of supplying them by the
desert route.
The lines of advance from the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and the Littoral of the Arabian
Sea demand more than cursory mention, as the real bnse of any British expe
ditionary force is, and must be, the sea. The general lie of the country with
in 250 miles of the sea may be said, speaking generally, to be long stony
valleys from five to twenty miles wide, running east and west, separated from
each other by broken masses of hills composed of slate and shale rising from
1,000 to 3,000 feet above the level of the intervening valleys. These long
valleys make the lateral communications east and west fairly easy, the
difficulty being to pass northwards from one valley to another. The tracks
leading through the broken hills almost invariably follow stony water-courses,
and in many places the narrow ravines are barely passable for laden camels.
These tracks are generally commanded by high, steep and broken hills From
the general line of the Panjgur-Dizak valley most of the routes northwards
are passable for all arms, though the going is often through deep sand, and
water is scarce and brackish. One thing, however, that would facilitate a
British advance is that the inhabitants of these districts are either British
subjects, or in Persian territory almost invariably well disposed towards us.
The most feasible points at which to land an expeditionary force are (A)
Bundar Abbas : (B) Charbar : (C) Mouth of the Dasht River : (D) Gwadur :
and (E) Pasni.
Bundar Abbas to Seistan, via Regan, to which there are two routes vid
Minab with three variations according to the time of year, or vid Birinti,
which is the main Caravan route. From Regan to Seistan there are two alter
native routes vid the Goldsmid route (Nasratabad in Kerman), or to the
north of the Kuh-i-Basman to Nur Muhammad, thence vid Sarhad to
Seistan.
Distances
Bandar Abbas to Regan —
Main caiavan roate 2. B. . . , . • . 277 miles.
Vid Minab Northern route .
,, Middle „ .
„ Southern ,,
Regan to Sehkuha vid Nnsratabad
„ „ „ Sarhad
289 ^
273^
264*
249*
320
From Bundar Abbas to Regan although the routes given are at present
not practicable for wheeled traffic, they present the easiest alignment for a
cart-road or railway, and it is quite possible with very little work to make
them available for fi« ld artillery. Water, fuel, and camel-grazing generally
obtainable, but supplies practically non-existent, before the rich Narmashir
oasis is reached at Regan.
The Goldsmid route being across the desert is not to be recommended as
a line of advance for troops : moreover, the stages are very long and there is
an almost entire absence of water, supplies, grazing, etc. The route, therefore,
that seems most suitable is Bundar Abbas-Biriuti-Regan-Nur Muhammad-
Sarhad-Seistan, total distance 590 miles; this line, though not practicable for
wheeled transport, might with a little work be made practicable for field
artillery.