'Military Report on Persian Seistan' [‎77r] (158/188)

143
is a small village some £ miles from the Capital founded by -Malik l'* as
Khan, Chief of the Kayanis, the former ruler of Seistan.
The fort and citadel are said to have been built by the late Mn A lam
Khan, Hashmat-ul-Mulk, about 1868. According to the Deputy Governor,
the garrison consists of one regiment of Kain Infantry, 800 strong,
and 500 Ilyatsor irregulars. The Ilyats ” or nomads, all come
from Kain. They pay no revenue but perform service instead, and are sent
to serve in Seistan and relieved every six months or so. Both these and
the Infantry soldiers are all quartered in the fort. In addition there aie 20
Artillery men. The guns consist of two old brass smooth-bores cast at
Tabriz, 60 and 85 years ago, respectively, and one mortar. Two other
guns, they said, were mounted on bastions and one was in store. Most of
the wheels though had fallen to pieces, and the guns could not be moved. .
The town is insignificant, consisting of 200 houses and a few shops in
the fort. The fort is one of the best in Persia. It is rectangular, the
sides 550 x 400 yards, with a projection Any method by which the earth’s curved surface may be transposed (or projected) on to a flat surface. at the north-west corner which
was added eight years ago and forms the “ Ark.” The walls are 25 feet
high, about 8 feet thick at the base, and less than 2 feet thick at the top,
with bastions every 60 yards. The walls of the Ark are 35 feet high,
20 feet thick at the base, surrounded by a ditch, 15 feet deep, and 4o eet
broad from the edge of the counter-scarp to the parapet of the co%ered "way.
There are embrasures for guns in the bastions, but they are not mounte .
The parapet is loopholed. The fort is built of mud and the Ark of sundiieu
bricks. The latter contains the residence of the Governor.
The new citadel, which the late Chief built on to the old citadel, is a squaie
high-walled enclosure with a garden, but, according to Colgate, has never
been properly finished.
Excellent melons, grapes, mulberries and pomegranates are grown, as
well as all sorts of vegetables and cereals, the soil being very productive.
The flies in the summer are deadly to horses, though if carefully ioo ct
after the effects both of flies and climate on horses has been exaggerated.
The bazar of the fort is very poor, and also the neighbouring village of
Husainabad. This village was originally walled and was the mam town,
but the walls were destroyed during the rebellion of 1872-73, an a\e
never been rebuilt. - tvt c • 4. •
The fort, or sbahr, of Nasratabad is purely a Kain settlement. Ao heistanis
whatever are allowed to live in it, and those that come in by ay u e
bazar, etc., are not allowed to take in arms, and. are turned out again e oie
night, when the gates are shut. There are said to be about 1, peop e
in the place, including soldiers, irregulars and followers of all sorts.
From enquiries made it appears that the following aie the puces curren
in the bazar here, viz. :—
"Wheat, 25 lerans per kharwar (649 lbs.).
Barley, 20 „ „ „ »
BhOOSa, yy yy 99 99
Bread, 1 kran per 2 Tabriz mans (13 lbs.).
Ghee, 4 krans „ Tabriz man (6^ lbs.).
Milk, 1 kran „ 2 „ mans (13 lbs.).
Fowls, 2 or 3 for a kran.
Eggs, 40 for a kran.
Firewood (tamarisk), 4 krans per khanoar (649 lbsd« .
Sugar, 6£ krans per Tabriz man .— (//. Napier, C. L. 1 aie, Henn.)