"تقرير عسكري عن جنوب غرب بلاد فارس، يتضمن أقاليم خوزستان (عربستان)، لورستان، وجزءًا من فارس" [‎٢‎٣‎٢] (٤٦٦/٢٥٣)

m
U otjt E No. 1— contd.
Vrom Muhammeralt to Tehran, -contd,
"o
Distances in
miles.
« tr
E
&
Time.
Names of towns, villages, &c.
Interme
diate.
Total.
Remarks.
wide, generally easy ; gradient ^ to T V ; a stream courses down it. Bed of the gorge stony; it
leads to the picturesque and fertile valley or the Ab-i-Kallaru, ig to J miles broad, crowded
with large villages, of which the chief are Silayjo and Kallaru.
Skirts the left side of the valley.
noon.
12
p.m.
12-45
Rounds the shaly hill side worn into
numerous mule tracks by traffic, and de
scends gently to the plateau in which
stands Sultanabad.
j^Q ^ kf .. ... ... Passes vineyards surrounded by high
mud walls. Crosses the dilapidated
bridge of 4 arches over the Ab-i-Kalla-
m ; bridge 100' long; its arch stones are
of slabs of shale ; it has no parapet wall; falling into ruins, its width is in places 8' ; no
span exceeds 15'; the stream at this season is shallow and runs in a deep bed ; bouldery
bottom.
23
S ult I nabad (eleva
tion 6,110').
Long. 48° 45'E.
Lat. 34° 6' 3G" N.
1-30 S ult I nab I d (eleva- 24 453 The outskirts of the town are in ruins;
barometer 24*1 // .
General remarTcs. —The road, since en-
teriiig the Tang-i-Tura, is in good order,
although unformed, and offers no difficul
ties - its surface is generally stony and hard ; the stretches of clay would become difficult after
rain'and snow. There is no indication of heavy traffic along it except at the one point noted.
Its averao-e width is 20' to 30' ; gradients along it are gentle. The country it traverses is
picturesque; the hills rise to a height of 500' to 600' over the general level, and are barren
and inaccessible ; those to the south of the road only are snow-topped.
Sultanabad, lying in a wide basin of about 20 miles in diameter, is a town of commercial
importance, the centre of a carpet manufacturing district. The country round about is
generally fertile, and produces average crops of cerealsvines flourish. To its north-east,
distant 4 miles, lies a salt lake of a diameter of 4 to 5^ miles.
It occupies an area of 800 yards X 800 yards ; its streets are laid out in parallel lines,
and are cleaner and wider than is usual in Persian towns ; water flows in the gutters border
ing them and affords a contamination supply of drinking-water; Persians, as a rule are foul
water drinkers, careless of its contamination by sewage. The supply of such towns as Shus-
tar, Dizfiil, Burujird, &c., in all cases where it flows through open gutters, or partially clewed
channels under the streets, must be polluted, unless its current be very rapid {see Kum). Ine
liouses are of mud with domed or flat roofs ; the former fall into ruins periodically from the
effects of rain and snow and the swelling power of frost; there are some good houses m the
town ; the bazar is roofed in and presented an active appearance ; the population is estimated
to be 4,000 ; a mud wall, 16' high, 5' thick, at the base, falling into decay, fronted by a dry
ditch, 6' deep, surrounds the town ; it has some resemblance to a defensible enceinte, bas
tions being thrown out at every 50 yards.