'Military Report on Persian Seistan' [‎84r] (172/188)

157
SHE
north and south called Turshab Kuh, Darwaz Kuh, Pidang Kuh, Mur-
kisur or Mukki burkh Kuh, etc.; to the south of the cultivated and in
habited part of Seistan ; also the desert to the south of the low range of sand
and gravel hills which separate the drainage of that portion of the Helmand
which flows from east to west pass Rubar and Chahar Burjak from the Shela
drainage; and to the east of Kuh-i-Malik Dukand, is called the Shela Desert.
Euan Smith in 1871 describes this plain as the ‘‘ Shela tract " or “Zamin-i-
Shela/ , and writes of it as follows:—
“ T l )e entrance to the alluvial soil (coming from Bam to Seistan) of Seistan
'•T* fron i the stony ground to the west and south-west, is indicated by a clear
and well defined line. Stones and pebbles suddenly and entirely cease; and,
instead of hhuta and camel-thorn, the soft earth is covered with a dried up,
yellowish-looking grass, called bannu or Lana by the natives, on which
our horses commenced to feed vigorously. This grass, however, though excel
lent food for sheep and cattle, is too salt to be used as regular forage for
horses without much previous washing. It grows in vast quantities, owing
to the immense fertility of the soil formerly deposited after the overflowing
waters of the lake had receded; and the excellent pasturas-e thus afforded
makes this tract of country a regular resort for the nomad Nahrui Baluchis,
who are in the habit of coming here regularly to pasture their flocks, and
who used to take refuge on the slopes of the surrounding hills when
driven away by the waters of the lake. Now that there has been no in
undation for five years, it is feared that the crop of bannu, getting less and
less, may soon cease altogether. 'lh« dried grass is regularly fired about a
>* month before the Naoroz, and a fresh crop of young green shoots soon appears
in its place. The natives pointed to the fact of its having so long survived the
absence of water as a proof of the immense richness and fertility of (he
orginal soil deposited. This plain, called the Zamin-i-Shelad, is as flat as
the palm of the hand, and, as already stated, was, until five years ago,
regularly submerg'd during a certain season in the year. There were
apparently no landmarks by which we could guide our course, and certainly no
vestige of a path to follow. Our adventures were thus described at the time
by one of the members of the Mission :—‘ Continuing our route over the plain,
and trusting blindly to the so-called geographical knowledge of our wild
Baluch guide, at eight miles we came to a low, shallow sort of ditch or canal,
about thirty yards wide, quite dry, and which is known as the Shela and
which gives its name to ihe surrounding country. Tbis'ditch, the guides
say, used in former days to connect the two Hamuns or lakes of Seistan and
Zirreh; but it is difficult now to determine whether the canal was originally
natural or artificial. This march has proved the error, as perpetuated in
many of the existing maps, that the route to Seistan from the south was
over a sandy and nearly impracticable flat desert. As will have been seen
from Nasratabad (Kerman), the road runs almost entirely over a mountain
ous country, with water and firewood obtainable at moderate intervals, and
with gradients that could be easily made practicable for artillery or any
wheeled conveyance.^
The following are extracts from Captain Jennings’ diary regarding this
Shela desert or plain : —
“ Between the Kohi Sultan and Helmand river (which latter likewise loses
itself in the Ziaitiun of the same name to the north of the Kuh-i-Khwaja), is
the Shela Hamun. I may here note that in Baluchi, i.e., in several of its