'Persia 1888. From Rishir to Bunder Abbas.' [‎17r] (38/69)

ROUTE No.
—con Id .
pfun.ber and names of stages.
Distances.
Inter
mediate.
Total.
M. F.
M. F.
Rivers and
streams.
Remarks.
now mixed with a large proportion of fine gravel. At 5 miles 3 furlongs the road enters
the pass Tang-i Zangu. On the west side a deep and broad ravine, and on the east low hi]Is
border the road The latter, sending out spurs to the S. E., form a series of very narrow
parallel vallies. The ravine, as also an artificial conduit of good fresh water, continue to
run, for three furlongs, on the west side of the road, which up to this point is good and fairly
broad, for the rest of the pa<s, however, it is a mere track, at times scarcely traceable. At
5 miles 7 furlongs the road is passing through a chaos of low earthy hills, utterly bare of
vegetation, and crosses a small rivulet of good fresh water, flow to west. Rate 2 miles 2
furlongs per hour. At G miles 6 furlongs the ascent becomes steep and rocky (rate now 1
mile 6°furlongs), and If furlongs in advance we cross another rivulet of good running water.
At 7 miles 2 furlongs the road, which, although stony and rough, is not difficult, ascends a
rocky hill. The track over the hills is open, that is, is not enclosed on either side by rocks
or steep hills, and continues to rise for three furlongs, when we descend, and, again rising,
attain the summit of the pass at 8 miles 5 furlongs. Altitude above sea, 3,079 feet.. The
pass down the northern slope of the range Hawa is generally steeper, more rugged,
and difficult than that up the southern slope. The first two-thirds of the descent
is tolerable, but the last third is very rough, difficult, and almost unrideable.
This last bad piece brings us to the bottom of the pass. We now traverse a
grassy valley, and, after advancing two furlongs, pass many ruins of stone houses, which
continue to border the west side of the road for about quarter of a mile till, at 11 miles 4*6
furlongs, we arrive at the village and Fort of Zangu-Mamelay, situated near the foot of the
range Hawa in a valley about 6 miles broad. Altitude above sea, 2,337 feet. The houses, of
mud and stone with flat earth roofs, are built round, and open on to an inner square yard.
It possesses a stone fort, a large irrigation well, and a cistern full of good water. Inhabit
ants, about 200.
... Insignificant.
... Good from the cistern.
... Plentiful from kanar bush.
... Good.
17
Supplies
Water •.
Fuel
Giazing
Cultivation
Camping grounds
Haft a wan
Nil.
Good.
13-0
228—2'6
Leave Zangu-Mamelay. General
direction E. by N. i N. The
road, over a limy clay inclined to
be stony, traverses a grassy valley
thickly dotted with kanar. As we advance the valley narrows in, till, at 3 miles I furlong,
the range Hawa to south is about half a mile distant, and that to north about a quarter
of a mile. Another two furlongs and low rocky hills rise from the valley about 2()0 yards
to south of the road, and run in a south east direction to the foot of the range Hawa. The
ground here had apparently been tilled in former years, but is now lying fallow, and over
grown with a yellowish grass At 4 miles 8 furlongs a rocky and precipitous range of low
hills, called “Kuh Shenoiis,” rises abruptly from the valley about 400 yards to the south,
and runs parallel to the road. Proceeding another mile and a halt the ground becomes
•tony. The valley has again widened out, Kuh Shenoiis being now distant from the
road about 2 miles, and the range
to north one mile. At 8 miles
we cross a river (R. Alamerdasht ?)
flow to south-east by east, depth
w
River Ala
merdasht (?)
(water brack
ish). „ __ r .
of water, which is brackish, one foot, and breadth about 20 yards, ihe ground, no.,
clayey, and covered with a kind of salt water scrub, is furrowed by numerous small water
courses draining the ground to the river. This continues for about 2 furlongs, when the
salt scrub gives place to grass dotted with a small thorny hush. At 8 miles 6 furlongs
the valley has narrowed in, so that the road is distant from the low range of Shenoiis
about 1,200 yards, and from that to north 500 yards.