'Military Report of the Nushki-Chagai-Western Sinjarani Country' [‎69r] (142/302)

confined to one channel, with, as a rule, a soft sandy bottom. The fords
are very much less frequent and owing to the nature of the bottom would
probably rapidly scour out under much traffic.
When the Commission came down the river in February 1903, the aver
age width of the main channel of this portion of the river was about 200
yards and the depth 10 feet, and there was not a single bar to prevent the
passage down stream of even a fairly large boat. The river winds about
considerably, but not to the same extent as in the upper portion. Steep
cliffs are frequently met with on both banks, but more especially so on
the left one. There is comparatively little tamarisk jungle on the left
bank below Kala-i-Fath, but on the right bank it is thick and abundant.
From observations taken of the watermarks on the cliffs it would ap-
Floodg pear that the ordinary flood level of the
river in the most confined and narrowest
parts was 3 to 4 feet higher than the level of the water at the time. A
high flood would be 4 to 5 feet, and an extraordinary flood 8 to 9 feet.
In the present year (1903) the flood water consequent on the melting
of the snow in the Hazarajat commenced to reach the Helmand at Band-i-
Seistan about the middle of March and shortly after that up till the
present (June) the river has remained in flood. There are no boats, and
the river has to be crossed either by means of tufins, or, where reeds are
not obtainable, by rafts made out of inflated tnashks.
There is a ford in the vicinity of nearly every village on the Hel-
Ford3 mand between Landi Muhammad Amin and Kala-
. or 3 " i-Fath, except when the river is in flood and then
the river is not fordable anywhere. A great number of the fords shift
their positions after every flood season and very few, if anv, can Jae called
permanent.
It must be borne in mind that a number of the so-called fords are very
deep and may be anything from 2' 6" to 5' in depth.
The following were the principal fords between Landi Muhammad
Amin and the Band-i-Seistan in February 1903 :—
Landi Muhammad Amin .—Three feet deep and 200 yards lono-,
shingle bottom.
Khan Nashin .—Opposite the ruined fort.
Khivaja Alt {Lower).—Depth 2' b" to 3', 200 yards long, bottom
shingle and sand.
Landi Barechi .—Two fords.
Rudbar. —Two fords, depth 2 feet.
Ashkmak or Chilmarez. —This ford was used by Mr. Johns in March
1903, and the following is his description of it:—“ This ford is situated
about a quarter of a mile above an old ruined fcrt and is admirably suited
for crossing from right to left. Impossible on the day I crossed for the