The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎215v] (101/172)

418
THE PERSO-BALUCH BOUNDARY.
com])licated drainage falls into the Mashkel swamps ; and 1 must leave
the interest that attaches itself to the gigantic snow-capped volcanic
mountain system which flanks these mountains to another day. It may
be that Captain Sykes (who, with Captain Kemball, was one of my
political assistants) will some day tell you of his first ascent of that
extraordinary peak, 13,000 feet high. So remarkable a volcano in so
remote a region is a geographical feature strange enough to require a
chapter to itself; and you are taking your geography to-night too much
compressed for casual descriptions. I will only draw your attention to
the general geographical character of those districts whicli by this recent
demarcation now fall within the sphere of British Indian influence, and
to their relation both to East and West.
You will see that, flanked as it is by great stretches of desert to the
north, and by the sea to the south, this remote Makran region, in which
lately so much of general scientific interest has arisen, forms a natural
geographical gateway between Persia and India. This is, indeed,
precisely the role which Makran has filled in past historic ages; and if
it filled that position now, there would be yet this interest to add to all
others, that the country would possess great military significance. The
key of this gatewa} has, however, always been held by the predominant
power in the Eastern seas; and ever since three small British ships
issued out of Pasni harbour, and defeated the last Portuguese squadron
that sailed the Arabian sea, that key has been held by us. Before
that period (so long before that history does not hold the record) we
know now that Dravidian races, driven out of Mesopotamia by Semitic
invaders, swarmed through this country to India, leaving behind them
curious records in stone of their occupation of the country, and a con
siderable remnant of their people besides. Then we hear of Alexander’s
reckless march through this same land three hundred years b.c., when
he attempted to force his way by an impossible shore route to Persia,
and lost two-thirds of his army in the vain endeavour to support his
fleet with his land forces. The description of that retreat, as told by
the historian Arrian, is so complete and so graphic, that not only is it
comparatively easy to trace out the route followed by Alexander, but
from it you may gather a very fair idea of the nature of the country as
it exists to-day.
About a thousand years later the Arabs swept through from Syria,
and not only conquered all the Indus valley, but set to work to establish
a system of roads and irrigation which maintained enormous cities, and
turned this Makran wilderness into a world-famed commercial centre.
With Arab reminiscences—the remains of these cities and the remnants
of gigantic irrigation schemes—the whole country teems; but the Arabs
themselves are only now represented by a powerful confederation of
tribes who, indeed, represent the typical Baluch of to-day, but who
1^e hardly a word of Arabic in their language. Then came the great