'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎9r] (18/1386)

3
same rate.
ire changed and the post-boy expects
course, must be paid for. Our agree-
>d, &c., 21 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. as a present for
month to include road allowance for fo
tally little better 1 than mud hovels,
and furnished, some of them with
and runs beside the river to Rustemabad.
mountains in the distance.
; reached the summit in about three
climb to top of Kazan Pass, about 7,500 ft.
descended to Masreh, reaching there 10’10
Road improved, and we soon reached the p ain, and Kazrin at 4’0 p.m., sixteen
twelve to eighteen hours. Road
November 12th.—With many delays for w
miles. Made this stage very slowly, as the
a town of some importance. A carriage
distance about 100 miles ; may be done ir
divided into six stages. We made the first,
and stopped for the night.
n nt of horses we did four stages, and
miles ; at the end of each stage the horses
a fee. ,
i es, according to the nature of the
/ pack can be roughly ascertained from
i led into two stages of 20 to 30 or 32
hour, and varies from three to four mi
country. The distance travelled on horse
the table which follows. The road is divi
horses were dead tired. Kazrin is
road runs from here to Teheran,
hours, and the village of Kazan ten mi nutes later. Rested an hour, and
descended to Masreh, reaching there 10’10 a.m., sixteen miles from Pa Chenar.
Scenery pretty and park-like, snow
Reached Rustemabad 5’20 p.m., 18 miles from
Resht to Teheran, where they are bettel
great attention to detail, the proprietor supplying even hair and tooth brush.
The inconveniences and fatigue are very great, and the trip is certainly one
mountains thinly covered with snow seen in t he distance. First station Koodoom,
24 miles, arrived at 11’40 a.m., lunched and started again at 1’15 p.m. In five
miles the Safed Rud, or White River, is re ached, and the road enters the hills
'post-boy) horse being paid for at the
A farsakh is about the dista nee a laden mule can travel in an
boots, &c., 25 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. for his mule and roa d expenses back from Bushire, and a
present of 5 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. if we were satisfied with him. We of course paid his
horse while he was with us.
Kodoom. Nov. 10, left Rustemabad 7'15 a.tn.; road very bad; scenery wild and
rugged. No vegetation but a few clumps of dives; very little cultivation. After
half an hour for breakfast crossed the Mei ijil Bridge and left the Safed Rud.
Half a mile further reached village of Men jil at 1210 p.m., 17 miles. Changed
horses and reached Pa Chenar 4’30 p.m., 13 miles.
November 11th.—Left Pa Chenar at 3’4 > a.m. by brilliant moonlight. Stiff
that ladies should not undertake.
The other method of travelling, caravai ing, means taking the same animals
right through, so that only one stage a da y can be covered. This makes the
journey long, monotonous and expensive, and is not to be recommended.
I will now give some information about the road through the country.
We left Resht on November 9th, 1889, at 3-20 a.m.; country leveland wooded,
The living expenses amount to very litt le, as nothing is paid for accommoda
tion in the post-houses or chapar-khanas, is they are called, beyond a tip to the
man in charge. Water, fuel, food, &c., of _ _
ment with the servant from Teheran to Bushire was as follows:—8 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a
had to stop the night at the last station bef bre Teheran. Each stage is about
sixteen miles. Road entirely devoid of in serest until Demavend is sighted.
This is a fine cone about 19,000 ft., and is al out forty miles from the road.
November 13th.—Got away before sunrise and reached Teheran at 8’0 a.m.
On travelling in Persia in general I may offer the following remarks. There
are two modes of travelling, chaparing or posting and caravan ing ; both are, of
course, on horseback. The former, thoug h very fatiguing, is the one usually
adopted, as by this means three or four stages may be covered in a day,
changing horses at each stage. The t arif is fixed by Government. The
horses are usually miserable animals, b it warm up after a short time, and
eight miles an hour may be done withot it difficulty where the road is good.
The night is spent in the post-houses, usi if ”7 3t1- at - 11 J 1 1 ~
with no furniture, but plenty of dirt. TI is does not apply to the road from
Teheran. We have correspondents in the chief towns who cash the circular
notes issued by us. |
A few words about the cost of travellink through Persia. The trip is not an
expensive one. The chief item is for horses, the tariff being one kran per
farsakh per horse, the chargard chapar’s ( v '