'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1865 to December 1867. (Edited by the Honorary Secretary.) Volume XVIII.' [‎51] (186/268)

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ROUTE FROM G WAD UR TO KUBRAOHEE.
51
fltk, the road takes a more-easterly direction, between the two ranges
of hills- Seven hours of an easy level path brought me to a wooded
g pot called Beylar, where I made* my second halt. Water is procurable
here from a well, and forage for camels and horses, but there being no
inhabitants no other supplies are obtainable. B'eing provided with a
sextant and artificial horizon, I here took the sun’s altitude at noon,
and subsequently continued to take observations to determine the alti
tude at most of the places where I halted. For the longitude I trusted
to reckoning, when possible, consulting a compass for direction of
march. At 4-30 p.m. on the 12th, I marched from Beylar. Six
miles march in a north-easterly direction brought us to a pass
through the mountains, known as Talar Pass. South of this pass
the road to Kolanch branches off in a southerly direction. By the
latter route Gwadur may be reached in two marches, and though it
is perhaps somewhat more circuitous than the route I pursued, passes
through a more interesting country. The Talar Pass is narrow and
difficult, but not more than half a mile in length. It is a rocky ravine,
the bed of which is strewn with large boulders and contained a con
siderable quantity of rain water. During heavy rains this pass is im
practicable and, at all times, might be held by a few men against num
bers. The hills on either side—unlike those along the sea coast—are
rocky, at the pass the strata are set up semivertieally, ending' in sharp
peaks, all of like inclination^ which gives the scenery a singular appear
ance. The name of Talar occurring frequently in Mekran I particu
larly inquired into its meaning. It seems to be in general applied to
rocky hills distinguished from the clayey or sandy ones, but occasion
ally to be given to large boulders or rocks. The name is not applied
by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood to the mountain range gene
rally, and here I will observe, with regard to mountains and rivers in
Mekran, that general names are not employed by the natives. Hills ni
the vicinity of a well known place assume its name, and the same with
rivers. In case of rivers this custom is likely to lead to mistakes when
tnc course of a stream is not followed up.
The words cc Jebel ” and “ Koh ” are both in use to indicate mouiT-
fains, A river, or its bed, is termed “ Kkor.”
Having rested a few hours at the north side of Talar Pass, I pro
ceeded en route for Kohukat 1 a.m. on the
13th. From the pass, the road to Kolmk
Buslit.