The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume X, No. 6 [‎93v] (39/186)

578
RECENT JOURNEYS IN PERSIA.
proofs during the live years that have elapsed since I was first his
guest.
Meshed, as is well known, contains the famous shrine of the holy
Keza, the last of the twelve Imams, and is the religious centre of Persia.
The mosque is of great magnificence, but has been so fully described by
Mr. Curzon, that I would refer to his work in connection with this subject.
I was much tempted to linger in the society of my fellow-countrymen;
but, as every week’s delay meant more heat in the Dasht-i-Lut, I had
to hurry through with my preparations, and after a week’s stay continued
my southward journey. As far as Turbat I was on a well-known road,
which had been travelled over by Dr. Bellew in the seventies; but
between Turbat and Jumain I found that several villages shown on the
map were in ruins or unknown, while the river, termed the Kal Salah,
which is shown as flowing east, actually trends to the west, and is lost
in the swamps to the north of Pajistan.
At Tun, I was on the northern edge of the great Dasht-i-Lut, which
lay between us and Kerman, and which had not been traversed, in this
particular portion, since the illustrious Marco Polo crossed it, in the
opposite direction, when travelling from Kerman to “ Tonocain ’ via
Cobinan. As the great Venetian was not only a most accurate observer,
but also wielded a graphic pen, I feel sure that I cannot do better than
o-ive his words, when describing the Dasht-i-Lut, which signifies the
“Naked desert”—a most appropriate name. He says, “When you
depart from this city of Cobinan, you find yourself in a desert of sur
passing aridity. There are neither fruits nor trees to be seen, and what
water there is is bitter and bad, so that you have to carry both food
and water. The cattle must needs drink the bad water, will they nill
they, because of their great thirst.” Friar Odoricus, in the succeeding
century, who was apparently struck by another phase of the desert,
describes it in the following lines. He says, “Now, that sea is a
wondrous thing, and right perilous. For it is all of dry sand, with
out any moisture, and it shifteth, as the sea doth when in storm, now
hither, now thither; and as it shifteth, it maketh waves, so that count
less people travelling thereon have been overwhelmed and drowned,
and buried in those sands.”
Our chief preparation consisted in engaging a few donkeys to carry
forage for our mules, and, as theie were said to be tanks with water on
the way, we expected very little trouble. We soon left the Tun oasis
behind, and entered the silent desert, where not even a crow is to be seen.
At the fourth mile was a tank of sweet water, where I insisted upon
filling up my private water-skin, and at night we halted near the well
of Khushab, which means “ sweet water.” It was much too salt for me
in spite of its name, so I was very glad that 1 had taken the pre
caution to fill my “ mussuck.” On the following morning, after drink
ing tea, only a pint remained; but we were psomised excellent water