'Military Report of the Nushki-Chagai-Western Sinjarani Country' [‎11r] (26/302)

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From the west the only river of any inoportaneo is the Tahlab TIl . e Tahlab
river. It flows into the hamun through a wide delta, thickly river *
wooded with large tamarisk bushes. There is some good water
at its source south-east of Duzdap plain which shortly dis
appears to reappear for a short distance at the junction of the
Mirjawa river. It is again dry until within 20 miles of its mouth,
when a series of deep lagoons and stretches of running water occur
for several miles. Its delta is usually dry, but tbe water is close to
tbe surface. In its course it receives the drainage from the Persian
hills, its chief tributaries being the Kaur-i-Khau rising on the
north side of the Bed pass, the Dar-i-Giaban rising on the south
side of the Bed pass, the Mirjawa river, the Andai, the Garo, the
Miraka, and the Durbkan, in all of which there is either running
water or water near the surface. The tributaries from the east are
small and only contain water after rain.
The general direction of the Tahlab river is south-east, and
its total length is about 150 miles. The name Tuhlab, however, is
only applied to that section of the river between Nodo, i.e., two
marches south of Mirjawa and the Hamun Mashkel.
The boundary between Baluchistan and Persia runs for nearly
90 miles along its banks. The best road from Masbkel to Seis-
tan lies along the west side of this river.
The Gaud-i-Zirreh is a vast hamun in Afghan territory west The Gaud-1
of Koh-i-Malik Siab and north of Amir Chah. The altitude of Zirreh,
this hamun is 1,510 feet, and most of the nalas that drain towards it
have their sources at an altitude of 3,000'; it is therefore probable
that their underground drainage affects its waters. The Shela
or Shelag river is the only visible source of water in the Gaud-i-
Zirreh ; this stream is the channel by which the overflow water in
the Seistan hamun is drained off.
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CHAPTER II.
Communications.
The Nushki-Chagai-Sinjarani country is pre-eminently suited General
to camels. The whole country to Panjgur yields the tagaz, and description,
other sorts of camel forage. It is essentially a camelry, not a
cavalry, country.
Mounted infantry, acquainted with the habits of, and carried
by, camels, are the force indicated as best suited for the country;
guns could be dragged nearly everywhere, camels being utilized
for draft power; in fact, a force equipped with the right sort of
camels, and furnished with a sufficient number of water skins,
should find but little difficulty in crossing this country in any
direction. There is no part of this region, except perhaps the
actual desert which lies between the two roads from Kharan to
Jalk and the tract of land lying west of Manzil and north of
the Koh-i-Sultan and Drana Koh ranges, in which the sinking of
wells will not procure a supply of water.
As for the Registan, the desert-people say that a thousand Baluchi,
camel sowars can go where they like carrying their supplies and