‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎421r] (840/949)

Nisa Dehsheikh. —2G miles. Fairish track, winding over table land,
where many ravines have their beginning. General water bad, north
west and north east. The Tang-i-Dehsheikh is a little, more than half-way
between Nisa and Dehsheikh. A narrow corkscrew pass, some 4 miles long,
a midst crumbling hills of argillaceous slate and mart. The dangerous and
difficult pass, a favourite haunt of bandits, can, however, be avoided by going
round by the open river valley. A swamp makes this road unpassabie in we!
weather, but the building of a not very extensive embankment would enable a
really good road to be made at small cost. A fort and a village of 20 houses
at Dehsheikh, with scanty date groves. Fair water to be had at a spring near
a Ziarat, li miles from the village. No supplies.
Dehsheikh to Dasht-i-Bar.—21 miles. The road climbs easily into the
plain of Urzu, 3,700 feet, and villages and plantations become more numerous.
The plain is scored with lines of Kanats and a plentiful supply of slightly
brackish water is to be had everywhere in the plain. Sultanabad is 11-| miles
from Dehsheikh, and Dasht-i*Bar 9^ miles west from Suitanabad road; track
over level. Supplies plentiful. Here extra supplies are taken for the march
through the wilderness to Saiidabad, the water-supply regulating the marches.
Dosht'i-Bar to Shakr-Ab (Lat-i-Kanat).—10 miles. No supplies. Water
plentiful.
Shakr-Ab to Mubarik Hussein .—22 miles. Fair road; N. N. W. over
shoulder of long slope. Camp in river-bed near well. Water very scanty
and bad. No supplies. Fair grazing for camels.
Mubarik Hussein to Nankand .—24 miles. Hoad fair; pass of Chashm-
i-Sulfeid easy (crest 5,800 feet). This pass lying between districts, is
a favourite haunt for bandits. Dropped into the great central valley running
500 miles N. W. & S. E. at an elevation of 5,300 feet away to Isfahan. In this
valley lies the great Ravir or salt marsh and quicksand, 300 miles long, 30
miles broad. Rest of the valley fairly futile. Climate splendid. Going level
and good. Water generally plentiful £md fairly sweet. At Nankand, however,
the water is very brackish ^l k £r
Nankand to Sixteen miles good road. Saiidabad consists of
gome 600 houses and a bazar of some 180 shops. It is a large-walled village.
Supplies plentiful; water fair, got from the Kanat. It is a large-walled village,
with about 9,000 inhabitants, including suburbs.
Corn-
Dated Camp Saiidabad, the 30th November 1904.
From—-L ieutenant-Colonel A. Gleadowe Newcomen, President of the
mercial Mission, Persia,
To A. Shakespear, Esq., Acting Secretary to the Upper India Chember of Com
merce, Cawnpore.
I wish to make certain addenda and corrigenda to my official letter to the
Chamber of Commerce, No. 1, dated 1st November.
Paragraph 5.—For “ town of Buskard ”, read “ District of Bashakird .
Paragraph 8 .—Major Sykes has now very kindly arranged for the
j. urayrapio u. ^ j j Prpsirlcnt Bushire, to those officials in
necessary presents being sent thiou^h the lieLicteii , m ftm irtesv
the Bunder Abbas district who rendered us official help 01 sk y *
With regard to the same class of people in the Kerman distrxc , e
sending presents to them direct, with the exception o >
look upon the Mission from any ot her stand point.
Paragraph 9.—Khan Bahadur Ashg ? r ha ^ e ll f() ^ hi^very useful, while
laintance ; and after a little waking up, e imnortance to the
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have
acquaintance.
the mere fact of his joouu^ — — t - . monev
interests of the Mission. Consequently, I consi er 1 1
feeding with us has been_of ^great^importanc^^