'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎454r] (927/1486)

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Of the smaller tributaries, two deserve special notice; one joins
the Kurang, just above Dopulun (two bridges) in the middle of
what is known as the Tang-i-Ardal, a long, deep winding ^or^e
(1,000 to 2,000 feet) by which the main stream has worked a wav
for itself through the Inner range. It is called the Dinaran or the
Ab-i-Gurab. as it rises in a beautiful summer valley of that name at
an elevation of 7 000 feet (PhotoNo. 21). This stream flows first as
a sluggish English meadow stream, through a valley which in early
spring is one bed of flowers and grass, and leaving it through a small
iangi. flows at the foot of the lofty Gerra range in a deep impas
sable ravine bed, copiously increased by many rock springs and
mountain torrents. There are indications that centuries ago the
mountain-locked and well-watered “ Gurab” must have been as
lavorite a haunt for savage man as it is now.
On the other side of the Kuh-i-Isbiana (Photo No. 21 the
mountain spur, bearing several names, which separates the Dinaran
the Kurang) is the second smaller tributary worthy of note.
U is the Ab-i-Cherri; though short, it is the outflow of many rock
springs and along its right bank is one of the most ancient high
roads of the world. It is a pretty stream, flowing in a wooded
rou 7, T; ery Square flat y ard of which bears si S ns °f cultivation
(Photo No. 37 ).
I he Bakhtian country proper may then be said to consist of
the valleys of the Upper Kurang and its tributaries. For it con
tains no other water system except, in a very small area, the head
waters of the Zainderud. These, however, are worthy of special
notice. The head waters of this beloved Zainderud,* fertilizing
some of Persia’s most wealthy provinces, are contained between
the Outer and Inner range, at the southern slopes of the
Kuh-i-Rang. Not content with what the slopes of this mountain
give, there seems to be here within the radius of a few
miles (8 or 9) a sponge-like capacity for containing much
water. The small pretty valleys of the Zarin (the golden)
Dima, Kurban, all contain large gushing springs pouring out of the
hill sides. These waters unite and rush through the Outer
range by the Tang-i*Gez (not Ghazi) into Persia proper, throuo-h
t e province of Faraidan (vulg. Faridun). The waters are all
sweet, the valleys are fair, and yet is this headwater basin called
ohorab (lit. Bitter), for in its very centre, equidistant from the
other main springs, is a large salt spring at the foot of low salt
hills, with streamlets of a saturated saline solution flowing beauti
fully over large and small crystals. A freak of nature, the converse
* May the real word not be the Zarin rud, the “ golden stream,” from one of its main
springs in the Zarm valley P The ordinary Persians are essentially stupid regarding the deriva-
tion of names. b