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JOURNEYS or IBE PERSIAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION, 1870-71-72.
GEOQEAPHY
EASTERN PEE8IA.
1
<r
EASTERN PERSIA
AN ACCOUNT OF THE
JOURNEYS OF THE^ERSIAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION
1870-71-72
VOL. I
THE GEOGRAPHY
WITH
NARRATIVES
MAJORS ST. JOHN, LOVETT, AND EUAN SMITH
INTRODUCTION
BY UAJOR-OENEBAL SIB rEEDEKIC JOHN GOLDSMID, O.B., K.C.S.I.
PttbUjIiAd br the Anthoritr of Uw OonmmMit of Indi>
MACMILLAN AND CO. 1876
//5
ozroRD :
BT 1. PICKABD HALL AND J. H. 8TACT, PBIKTIB8 TO THB UNIVIBSITT.
i
{., c<U.-.rfel. , II- -I -'-,=!
CONTENTS.
Br lCaJor-0«iiar«l Blr Frederlo J. Ooldnuid, C.B., K.C.B.I. InTRODCCTIOJJ 11
Bt U4or Oliver B. St. John, ILII.
The Phtbicai, Qeoorapbt of Pesbia 1
Narsative of a Jodbnei THBOcaH Balughibtam and Soutbebx
Pebsia, 1873 18
B7 M^OT Bsretford Iioratt, B.B!., C.S.I. Nabbativb or a Joubnet ih Baldchistah, 1870-71 . . ]t7
Br H^or Bnan Smith, O.S.t. The Pebbo-Baluch Fbostieb Uisbion, 1870-71 .... 143 The Perso-Afohan Misbiok, 1871-72 225
Appekdicib :
A. — The SisUn Arbitratioii — Summaiy of evidcDce, concluiionB,
information, &c 396
B. — The SUttfn Arbitration — General BumniaT]r and arbitrsl
opinion 410
C— Genealogical Trees, with notes, for the Siatjn chiefs of the
KfiiyAni, Sarbandi, and Shahraki FamiUes; as also the
Nharui and Sanjardni (Toki) fialuchis of Sigt&n . 415 D.— Itineraries 428
Index 431
EASTERN PERSIA
AN ACCOUNT OF THE
JOURNEYS OF THE^ERSIAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION
1870-71-72
VOL. I
THE GEOGRAPHY
NARRATIVES
MAJORS ST. JOHN, LOVETT, AND EUAN SMITH
INTRODUCTION
BT UAJOR-OBNERAL SIK PREDEKIC JOHN GOLDSMID, C.B., K.C.S.I.
FnbUshsd b7 the Aathoritr of tho Qorenuasnt of IndJK
MACMILLAN AND CO. 1876
[All riglllt rtttrtti]
xii INTRODUCTION.
accepting the precarious share of dominion left him by circumstances, patiently bided his time amid the disquiet of an erratic life till, in September, 1868, having gathered sufficient strength to make a bold move when the fitting occasion offered, he advanced northward to the reconquest of his sovereignty from Kandah&r.
From this period it became not only the desire but the expressed policy of the Indian Government to cement an Anglo- Afghdn alliance, by any measures short of open interference in the internal administra- tion of the country. It would be foreign to the purpose of the present Introduction to explain the causes or discuss the propriety of the course pursued. The writer has only to deal with facts. On Sher All's return to Kibul, a correspondence was opened on the part of its chief with the Indian Government, which resulted in the grant by the latter of twelve lacs of rupees and arms, and the Viceroy's intimation, on leaving India in January, 1869, that periodical aid, in similar shape, might be anticipated for future years. A proposed visit of the Amir to British territory was in no way set aside by the change of Governors-General. Lord Lawrence's departure was soon followed by Lord Mayo's arrival on the scene. And the durbar held at Amb&la, in the dawn of the new personal rigime^ gave unmistakable testimony that the offer of substantial friendship made by Her Majesty's Indian Government to Sher Ali Khin would be recognised so long as his appreciation of the boon was such as could, in common honesty, be expected. Nor did after events afford indications of any change in the relations between the Viceroy of India and the Amir of Afghin- ist&n, up to the sudden date of the calamity which deprived India of one of her noblest of statesmen. During that interval Sher Ali had not rested upon a bed of roses. But he had been upon the whole successful ; he had maintained his essential power ; and our moral and material aid had, no doubt, served him well in subduing his enemies and consolidating his chiefdom.*
He had had relations with Bukh&ra and Russia, with Kal&t and with Persia, the nature of which could not fail to interest the Indian Foreign Office : for in the progress of these cropped up questions of great political importance. So far as could be judged under circum- stances which involved a marked geographical separation and per- mitted no interchange of resident diplomatists, his loyalty to the British had been fairly true. According to common custom in Oriental States, and invariable practice in AfghfinistAn, his most for-
RN PERSIA
OUNT OF THE
N BOUNDARY COMMISSION
72
EASTERN PERSIA
AN ACCOUNT OF THE
JOURNEYS OF THE^ERSIAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION
1870-71-72 VOL. I
THE GEOaRAPHY
NARRATIVES
MAJORS ST. JOHN, LOVETT, AND EUAN SMITH
INTRODUCTION
BY HAJOB-OENERAL SIR FREDERIC JOHN GOLDSMID, C.B., K.C.S.I.
PabUahed by the Anthorltr of the Oovemaietit of Indie
MACMILLAN AND CO. 1876
ro
^3/»9
f/5
OXFORD :
BT I. PICKABD HALL AVD J. H. 8TACT,
PBIKTIBS TO THI UNIVBB8ITT.
Mii.s,<Y-i/ij^av
CONTENTS.
B7 H«lor-a«Dar*l air Prederlo J. Goldmnld, O.B., K.O.B.I. iNTRODrCTIOH ix
By U^OT Oliver B. St. John, B.B.
The Fhtbical Geoorapht of Fekbia 1
Nabbativb op a Joitbnbt thbouoh Baluchistan and Southebm
Pbsbia, 1873 18
Br H^DT B«r«aford Lovett, BJB., C.BJ.
NABXATITS of a JonKNEY IN BALUOHIBTAir, 1870-71 . . ,117
By Ui^or BttMi Smith, O.S.I. Thk PEBao-BALUCB Fbontixb Mission, 1870-71 .... 143 The Pbhbo-Afohait Mission, 1871-72 225
Affzkiiiocs '.
A. — The SutiEn Arbitretian — Summarr of evidence, conclusioos,
information, Ac 395
R — ^The Siatdn Arbitration — Oeneral Buromary aud arbitral
opioion 410
C. — Genealogical Trees, vith not^, for tbe Sistiln chiefs of the
Kiiyfiui, Sarbandi, and Shahraki Families; as also the
Nbarui and Sanjardni (Toki) Baluchia of SistAn . 415 D.— Itineraries 428
Index 431
xviii IN TROD UCTION.
Nasir Khfin the amount was continued to Khudadfid; and in 1859 and the two following years, it was doubled at the request of the Poli- tical Agent.
In March 1863 a rebellion broke out, and Khudad^ was tempo- rarily deprived of the chiefdom by his cousin, Sher Dil. The usurper, aided by his disaffected chiefs, managed to seize the capital, and was proclaimed ruler. Major Malcolm Green was absent on the Sind frontier at the time of the insurrection ; but his office was not ignored by the rebels, who communicated to him the story of their grievances, real or imaginary, and asked him to recsgnise their nominee. It was naturally impossible to accede to their wishes. At the same time any direct interference in a contrary sense would have been unwise ; and the attitude of the Indian Government was one rather of watchfulness than of action. The reign of Sher Dil Khfin was short : for in little more than a year from his accession he was shot by an Afghfin officer in his own service, whose men despatched him with their swords. In June 1 864, by a reactionary movement, KhudadfidKh&n was restored to power. Later in the same year, the Indian Government, advised of stability in the existing order of things, formally recognised the restoration. The subsidy of jf 5000, suspended pending the success of the revolutionists, was revived, pur et simple^ in accordance with the letter of the treaty; but it was judged prudent to keep in abeyance the de6X)atch of a permanent British Agent to KaUt.
In 1865, the Jfim of Baila, the chief of the Mingals, and Azfld Kh&n of Khfirfin, rebelled against the Khfin, and were defeated. In 1866, the Sard&r of Jalawfin, attempting to create a revolt among the Kh&n's troops, was captured and imprisoned. At the same time the Sardfir of Saraw&n fled to Kandah&r^ and his property was con- fiscated. Some months afterwards T&j Muhammad died in confine- ment. In 1868 MuUa Muhammad, through the intervention of Sir Henry Green, then Political Superintendent of the Sind frontier, was permitted to return to his home. During this year Colonel Green took leave of absence to England, and was succeeded in charge of the border by Colonel Phayre, late Quartermaster-General in the Abys- sinian campaign. In 1869, Captain Harrison was appointed Political Agent at the Khfin's court.
The renewal, at this timo, of direct diplomatic relations with the Kaldt State, may have had a good effect in checking rebellion and strengthening the sovereign position of the Khdn ; but the result was
INTRODUCTION. xix
neither permanent, nor could it be said to have satisfied the niuhes or fulfilled the hopes of the Indian Grovemment in creating and main- taining a Political Agency of exceptional stamp. KaUt — etmnge as it may appear, when proximity to India, together with the great importance of geographical position generally, is borne in mind- implies something which, as a rale, has been rather committed to the charge of the Sind or frontier officers immediately concerned in its progress, than anything intelligible or interesting in detail to higher and more distant authority. It is one of those minor divisions of Muhammadan Asia, west of the Indus, which, unless violently thrown forward, is barely noticed, and which needs a crisis to be interesting. Hence few have known or cared for its history. Hence, also, have arisen difficulties of a serious natnre ; for the politics of KaUt, like those of more civilised lands, are illustrated by turbulent tribes and fighting foctions, and are open to many points of view, especially for outside observers. There long have been, and indeed now ore, in that Khanate, two great parties; one, more or less despotic ; the other, more or less republican. One, in favour of a sovereign head, of which the nod is a command to the masses ; one, requiring a President, who should himself how to the will of feudal majorities. It is easier for England to uphold the despotism ; and alliance with despotism would undoubtedly serve her interests better : but it is a question whether we ourselves have not nnwittingly ren- dered impossible, by our extreme liberal poUey in India, tie regenera- tion or existence of Asiatic despotism in a territory contiguous to oar own. As for limited sovereignty and representative government, in the Western acceptation of the terms, our Political Agents have work enough to make such theories intelligible to independent Naw&bs and Rajahs within the circle of India Proper, without attempting to break hard ground across the border.
Captain Harrison's appearance on the scene was a signal for a new line of action on the part of the dissatisfied chiefs of KaMt. Some poured out their grievances to the British Agent, and he did bis best to mediate on their behalf, and reconcile them to the Khfin. Others took up a more decidedly adverse position. Conspicuous among the first was the Sard£r of Saraw&n ; but he soon threw up his allegiance, and joined the ever-restless J&m of Baila in open hostility. Defeated by the loyal troops, Mulla Muhammad fled to K6bul, and the Jfim took refuge in Sind. The result of these movements might have been foreseen
XX INTRODUCTION.
by those acquainted with the inner history of Kal4t, and the several influences brought to bear upon its development from British India. Anarchy and confusion prevailed throughout the Khftn's dominions. England sought to mediate, but was required to protect and support. Loth to take an active part in the affairs of a territory beyond her extreme frontier, she pursued a course of passive vigilance ; and such was, perhaps, on the present occasion, the most expedient policy, for, had it been her wish to interfere, it was not quite clear to the Indian Council whether the Khfin or his recusant nobles deserved most her favour. A change had come over the natural advisers and reporters in this particular business. The Government local officers in 1869-70 were not altogether those of previous years ; and although the Chief Commissioner in Sind was a staunch upholder of the original pro- gramme, the views of the first Political Superintendent and Com- mandant of the Sind Frontier were not those of his third successor, who now occupied the post. Be this as it may, Sir William Mere- wether was enabled to state, on the 18th October, 1870, that ' Baluchist&n was never more quiet ; and in better order than ever known before;' and the titne was considered fitting to carry out the settlement of the Khfin's western frontier, with a view of limiting those insidious encroachments upon his outlying territory which Persia had allowed and encouraged her imscrupulous vicegerents to effectuate for more than twenty years.
The following brief narrative of the proceedings of the Sist&n and Makr&n Boundary Commissions is more or less adapted from the official reports already submitted to Government. As it is proposed to supply some statement of causes and objects in the review of results before the close of the present Introduction, no apology is offered that allusion to, rather than detailed explanation of, these, has been attempted in the foregoing prefatory remarks.
PersO'Makrdn Boundary,
In August . 1870 Major-General Goldsmid left England, with instructions to proceed to Tehr&n, and thence set out, accompanied by a Persian Commissioner, to Sist&n, there to investigate the claims to the territory of Persia and Afghfinist&n respectively, and arbitrate as to a foture permanent boundary line between the two States. He was
INTRODUCTION. xxi
apprized that a Commismon to adjust the frontier between Persia and the Kal&t State would follow that on which he was to be more immediately engaged, but no detailed instructions on tliis head were supplied. Beaching- Enzeli, on the Caspian, the 37th September, he was at the Persian capital on the 3rd October. The Commis- sioner who was to accompany him had been named, and was in readiness to join his camp so soon as formed. The Sbfih had just quitted Tehriln, on a pilgrimage to Karbala, in Turkish Arabia.
The day after his arrival at Tehran, General Goldsmid tele- graphed to the Government of India reporting his proposed proceed- ings; and two days later added the suggestion that, as the Persian Commissioner wished to enter Sist^ by Mash-had and K&'in, be could meet the Afgh&n Commissioner at K&i'n or Juwain. A reply to the first telegram showed that the Amir's acceptance of arbitration had not been received by the Viceroy, that bis son Muhammad Yaliub Kh&n was in open rebellion, and that the etate of afiatrs might seriously affect the project for a meeting on the border. In answer to the second telegram. General Goldsmid was informed that the Arbi- - tration could hardly go on without the consent of the Amir, and that this could Dot be received within three weeks at least. Hereupon, the General, feeling that so much depended on an early movement from the capital, immediately submitted a proposal to the Viceroy, by telegraph, that, to save time, he should commence with the Makrin boundary, unless affairs changed in Sistfln. By marching to Karm&n, in the south-eaat, instead of to Mash-had, in the north-east of Persia, he would reach a point equally convenient for the two routesj and this modi- fication of programme seemed, at least, desirable. The Viceroy's consent to the arrangement proposed was telegraphed on the loth October, and on the 21st idem General Goldsmid received by tele- gram authority to the same effect from Her Majesty's Secretary of State for India, with instructions to be guided by the circumstaDCes of the time, and advice of the Viceroy, in communication with Mr. Alison. The British Commissioner moved out of Tehr&n on the 2znd October, was joined by the Persian Commissioner on the 25th, and the Commission fairly took its departure en route t« Karmfin on the a6th October.
A difficulty, however, now arose in respect of the Persian Com- missioner, lliis officer would accompany the Mission to Karm&n as being on the way to Sist&n, but was not authorised to commence pro-
jj^ii INTRODUCTION,
ecHMliii^H with Makrfin, nor could he obtain such authority except from bin own (iovcrnment. The Sh^h was far on the road to Baghdad and Kurbfila, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs was in attendance on IIJM Mnjc»fity. And what made this difficulty the more serious was iho (!ircurn«tance that while Persia was especially anxious to dispose of i\u* Hiitin question through the mediation of England, she did tioi ifvirK;<; the name interest to limit her encroachments on Makrto by iln? dit/^lnration of a fixed boundary line.
'Hm? dilfrmma resulted in the Mission remaining at Isfahfin from iJiii K/th Uf 26th November, for General Goldsmid did not feel autho- f\m'A Uf move without securing the required authority for the Persian (lifWiuinmffiurr ; nor did he like leaving the line of telegraph at Isfahfin, Ut t-4fUtinne hii journey to Karmdn eastward, until some definite under- nlMftditHf had F^een attained. A long Persian correspondence l)etween ihii (htyirfunuitiXM, and a long telegraphic correspondence between Her Mnj^fy'* yi'inikUfT, the Government of India, and General Goldsmid, Hi U'Uifth fiUjmA with a telegram from Mr. Alison, notifying the assent iff iha iVfuian Government to the change in operations provided the MbUn 0f%if(Aiiifm were not found feasible. The Commissioners moved ffMh iMfulUkn t//wards Yazd and Karmdn on the 26th November, the /IaI^ ^/f iii^' Britiih Minister's telegram last noted. On the 6th De- miuSf^ ili^y reached Yazd, and Karm&n on the 23rd idem. Here friMib f^fiAM'XkM again presented themselves to the prosecution of ti9k ypfsn^sy. It bad become evident by telegrams from the Govern- ffi^ffi ^A India that the Sist&n arbitration could not take place during IImt m'xnUif mitu^m then commenced ; but the Persian Commissioner f^mUA further instructions for the a&irs of the Perso-Makrdn Fron- t^, MiA fA\ter exeunes for delay were put forward at Karm^n. The AlMMT^/fi wtu detained in that city from the 23rd December till the ^# J»ntiAryf whim the march was resumed. On the loth January 1J^$^ resuAuid Bam, where it became necessary to make several modifi- fmiUftM in ihtt marching establishment. Not only was a reduction 0$f^i^$i tfu zdtftnni of the scarcity of provisions eastward of Persia t^fffy^t f/ttt it was considered politic to leave a certain number of tents If$t4 f«//fs^ at a i^/int near which the road diverged to Sist^n, as a ffmfMfU^r U»at th#; question of the latter province had been merely 4i4t(rf*(4f mhA ru/i alian/Joned by the Commissioner of Her Majesty's ih^kfnmtcni, Tb« two Commissioners moved from Bam on the 14th, Mk4 f^fiif^mA Barnf/iir in Balfichist&n on the 28th January.
i
INTRODUCTION. xsiii
General Qoldamid bad at this time received no special instruc- tioufl to guide him in hia proceedings in Makrin, but feeling sure that the Government would wish him to make the best use of his time in obtaining a settlement of boundary where the early recognition of tome definite line was important, he determined on moving in accord- ance with the views he had long before submitted in official form. He proposed therefore to leave Bampur as soon as he could get the Persian Commissioner to accompany him, to take the direction of J£lk and the northernmost points of the Perso-£aI&t Frontier, and pass down thence along the whole line to the sea in Gwatar Bay. Prior to entering Baluchistan he had expressed his wish to meet the Kal&t Commissioner in the neighbourhood of the Northern Frontier afore^ said, BO that the Joint Commission might be complete and work in an orthodox manner.
But his intentions were in this respect frustrated. During the night preceding his arrival at Bampur, a messenger brought him letters reporting that Major Harrison, political agent at Kalfit ; Major Boss, political assistant at Gw4dar; Captain Lovett, E,E. ; Dr. Bowman, together with the Kal&t Commissioner and nearly 300 followers, were on their way to join him at once, and had already reached Kasarkand, a village in the heart of the Perso-Baluch terri- tory and midway between Bampur and the sea. Such a report necessitated a change of proposed arrangements. In the first place, the arrival of the Kal&t Commissioner and party must be awaited ; and, secondly, it was more than probable that they would meet with no welcome reception from the local chief, Ibrahim Kh&n, whose guests General Goldsmid and Staff had necessarily become on entering his immediate territoiy.
The position was embarrassing. General Goldsmid had notified the probability that Major Boss would join him at Bampur, and the Governor of Karmtin had promised that an honourable reception would be accorded to that officer. The General had also informed the Persian Commissioner that Captain Lovett had been sent to the actual frontier for purposes of preliminary survey; but he had never hinted at the arrival of a deputation such as that reported. Not annatorally the Persians took advantage of the occasion to raise obstacles in the way of a fair discussion, by assuming tliat the British Commissioner had concealed his preliminary dispositions, aud complaining of the procedure which had been adopted. Formal
xxiv INTRODUCTION.
ii(!(:iiMiit iniiH, or material for the same, were forwarded to the Foreign MiniHl^T at Tehrtln ; and to sueh extent did the ill-feeling display itself iowunlH the Kal&t Delegate and his companion, chiefs, that the General wuH finally compelled to adjourn the meeting of the Commissioners to tlu* m;iual frontier.
Here, too, he fuiled to secure the attendance and co-operation of hin I'ernian colleague, who would not admit any existing boundary lint? uiileHH including places claimed by his Government, and who wiHhe<l to be attended on his mission by companies of regular infantry and b(HlieH of Baluch horsemen. Finally, in default of definite instmo- iionH (the dcKpatch of which from Calcutta had been intimated by ti^legrnph), and to get the benefit of immediate telegraphic communi- cation with Tehr&n and Calcutta, General Goldsmid moved down to GwAdar on the sea coast. In so doing, however, he made arrange- nieiit'ri to survey and map out the existing Perso-Kaldt Boundary Line from personal knowledge, enquiry, and observation, and by despatching (/aptain Lovett, R.E., northward on the Kal&t side of the frontier.
Jt was on the i6th February, and after a stay of 19 days, that (l(>neral Goldsmid left Bampur, crossing the Perso-Kaldt Frontier below Pishin on the 3rd March, and reaching Gwddar on the 6th idem. Two days prior to this last date, he received his instructions from the Government of India, and was gratified to perceive they were quite in accordance with his preconceived notions. He was authorised by telegram to proceed in his work on the basis he had himself recommended for adoption when reviewing the whole question in 1869'. Captain Lovett rejoined his camp at Gwddar on the aist March. The information acquired on the actual Frontier was not as full as might have been wished, in respect of J41k and Kohak ^, but was held upon the whole sufficiently reliable to form the ground- work of practical negotiation. Where personal observation had been wanting it was sought to supply the deficiency by examination and cross-examination of disinterested persons acquainted with the localities. Below Kohak the data w^ere surer and more readily available.
Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n, the Persian Commissioner, could not, for
' See ' G^rreepondence on the Progress of Persia, in Makr^ and Western Baluchistan, from A.D. i860 to A.D. 1869 inclusive ;* compiled for Government. Bombay, 1869.
' Singularly enough, a place of similar name is prominently brought forward in the geography of the Sist^n Arbitration. I have distinguished the two localitieB by writing tht latter after the more approved Persian pronunciation, i. e. Kiiha\.
INTRODUCTION. xit
a long time, be persuaded to rejoin Qeneral Ooldsmid, tbongli he had to a certain extent pledged himself to come to Gw&dar. But every endeavour viaa made, by letter and othei means, to induce him to renew negotiations ; and the Government of India was in active tele- graphic communication on the subject with Mr. Alison. At length, on the 9th April, having already found his way to the coastj he agreed to embark on board the ' Hugh Rose ' gunboat at Ch&hb&r, and Captain Euan Smith escorted him to Gwfidar, where they disembarked on the nth idem. He remained as a guest of the British ConunissionH-, at Gw£dar, from this date until the 34th April, when the ' Hugh Rose ' conveyed Mm back to Ch&hb&r. On each occasion of embarkation and disembarkation, bis official position was recognised in a manner which he did not &il to appreciate.
Although the residence of the Persian Commissioner at Gw&dar did not seem to forward the progress of negotiations, or indeed to present any features of negotiation at all, certain results obtained thereby could not but give material aid in bringing the whole question to an issue. Mirza Ma'sum Khlin had, in the first place, clearly veri- fied the circumstance that Gw&dar was not, as he had before alleged, in the possession of Persia. He must have ascertained, moreover, that the same status applied to neighbouring places even more to the east- ward. Secondly, he had admitted that Kej was the only given locality he was required by his government to visit with the British Com- missioner ; and as Kej was the recognised centre of Kalit authority in Eastern Makrin, the proposal could not be accepted. The Persian Commissioner would not confer with the Kal&t Commissioner, nor did they exchange visits as at Bampur ; but he did oot disguise the posei- biUty of a &ir discussion of the case at Tehr^, on the data to be brought there ; and while urging the necessity of despatching his sur- veyor to make a survey of his own for future guidance, he did not scruple to ask for a copy of Captain Lovett's map.
The Persian Government had expressied a strong desire that the question should be eventually referred to Tehrin for final settlement, and not disposed of on the Frontier itself. Her Majesty's Govern- ment was inclined to permit such procedure to have effect, however opposed to the original intention. Her Majesty's Minister at Tehr&n bad, moreover, received a memorandum from the Persian Minister of Foreign A&irs in July, 1870, indicating the Shah's wishes in the above respect ; . and the purport of this paper, while never officially
vou I. c
xxvi INTRODUCTION,
accepted, had at the same time never been oflBciallj rejected by Mr. Alison. Under these circumstances, General Ooldsmid was ordered to repair again to the Persian capital, and there, in conjunction with Her Majesty's Minister, endeavour to bring the matter of the Perso-KaUt Boundary to a satisGEustory termination. General Goldsmid left Gw&dar for Kar&chi on the 30th April, left Kar&chi again on his retom to Gw&dar on the i6th May^ re-embarked for Persia on the 20th May, and landed at Bushahr on the 28th idem. From Bushahr he proceeded, by Shir&z and Isfahan, to Tehr&n, arriving at the capital on the loth July. General Goldsmid's orders at this time from the Viceroy in India were that he should lay before Her Majesty's Minister at Tehrfin the map which Captain I^vett had prepared under his instructional and the information he himself had collected, with the object of enabling Mr. Alison ^to settle, in consultation with the Persian Government, their Eastern boundary in accordance with the proposals made by the Persian Government . . . and agreed to by the Secretary of State and His Excellency in Council.' He accordingly, on arrival at Tehr&n, put Mr. Alison in possession of the details which the Indian Government had approved as expressing the boun- dary between Persian Baluchist&u and Kal&t, attaching a tracing of Captain Lovett's map. A few days later he added a fuller statement for translation into Persian, with explanatory remarks for Mr. Alison's own guidance. The British Commissioner further replied, seriatim and sinffulatim, to the charges which had been made against him orally or by letter to Her Majesty's Minister, and supplied every data which His Excellency would seem to require in conmiunicating on the subject under discussion with the Shah and his Ministers. Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n returned to Tehr&n on the 25th July, fifteen days after the British Commissioner. On the ist August, GFeneral Goldsmid, accompanied by Mr. W. Dickson, of the Persian Legation, and Captain Euan Smith, met him at the residence and in the presence of Mirza Salid Kh&n, the Persian Minister of Foreign Afiairs. The interview lasted some two hours or more. The proceedings of the Commission were generally reviewed, and the Persian Minister, not- withstanding the charges that he himself had imparted to Mr. Alison, felicitated General Goldsmid on the cordiality and good feeling which had prevailed between the Commissioners I Much desultory talk ensued, and a promise was given that the Shah's orders would be taken as to future procedure.
INTRODUCTION. xxvii
On the 3rd August, Her Majesty's Ministar, acting on a tele- gram he had received from the Foreign O£Sc0, addressed a memo- raodum to the Persian Minister niging attentioD to a speedy settle- ment of the Makrin question. On the 6th idem Mr. Alison took General Goldsmid and Stafi' to call upon the Shah. His Majesty, who had only just retomed from the hill country, spoke to the General about his mission, and asked many questions on the countries he had visited. On the day following, the detailed statement of the actual Frontier, as translated into Persian, and Captain Lovett's map in illus- tration, were forwarded for the Shah's examination. A second map on a smaller scale, but comprising Afgh&nisttin and other countries bordering on Persia, was also sent, in compliance with Mirza Sa'id Khibi's request. On the 13th August, Mr. Alison, accompanied by General Goldsmid, attended on the Foreign Minister to hear the royal decision. His Majesty had abandoned K.ej and QwAdar, hut wished certain tracts included within the windings of the Basht river, as well as the Kohak district which had been placed on the Kalfit side. Qencral Goldsmid pointed out that such a modification was simply impossible, and contrary to the spirit of his duty as a mediating or arbitrating Commissioner. Next day he addressed Her Majesty's Minister in writing with a view of supplying a detailed reply to the Shah's proposition and arguments. On the i6th August General Goldsmid was visited by Mirza Ma'sum Kh&u, and on the 18th idem the visit was returned. Other visits were paid to the British Com- missioner with the evident intention of eliciting his views and argu- mente, the most significant of which was perhaps that of Mahmfid Khin, formerly Minister in London.
On the 2otii August, agreeably to a summons from the Shah, General Goldsmid attended on His Majesty. There was no one pre- sent at the audience hut the Persian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Captain Euan Smith. The Shah used his endeavours to make the General agree to his proposed modifications of boundary, hut the British Commissioner could only regret inability to meet the Boyal wishes. Nothing could be more courteous and afi'able than the Shah's manner and behaviour from first to last; yet the result did not appear satisfactory. An essential reference to some expresfiions said to have been used by the Shah caused General Goldsmid on leaving the palace to ask a second and separate interview with the Minister. A long discussion ensued, the Persian Commissioner and the King'e aide-de-
XXYIU
INTRODUCTION,
camp joining ; but no point was conceded. It was arranged, how- ever, that a communication should shortly be made to Mr. Alison.
On the 22nd August, Her Majesty's Minister met the Persian Minister to learn the Shah's determination on the interview granted two days before to General Goldsmid. His Excellency considered the meeting so far satisfactory and conclusive of the acceptance by Persia of the line contemplated by Her Majesty's Indian Government, that he telegraphed to the Foreign Office for permission to draw up a final paper, and so dispose of this long-pending question. General Gold- smid, accompanied by Mr. Dickson, held one further interview with the Minister of Foreign Afiairs on the 27th August, when the Kohak discussion was revived, this district remaining as the one solitary bone of contention. No concession in this respect was made by the British Commissioner, but a suggestion was offered that if the King considered the possession of Kohak would make a better geographical boundary for Persia^ such opinion might be stated after the unconditional accept- ance of the line proposed. Finally, on the 4th September, the boun- dary as originally defined by General Goldsmid, and approved by the Indian Government, was accepted jtur et simple ; the acceptance was notified in writings and maps were interchanged.
Sistdn Bound<iry.
We now advert to the later proceedings of the Sistdn Arbitration, which forms^ as it were, the second part of the Special Persian Mission of Major-General Goldsmid. This officer left Tchr&n on the conclusion of the Perso-Makr&n Treaty, and reached London on the 26th Septem- ber, 1 87 1. Here he was enabled to make personal report of past occurrences, and receive oral instructions for future guidance. After some weeks of discussion and delay caused by the want of a clear preliminary understanding with the Persian Government on the pre- cise scope of the proposed Arbitration, he again set out for Persia on the loth November. He was accompanied by Captain Euan Smith, as before, and by Mr. Gerard Thomas, who had been permitted to join the Mission as an unpaid attache. On the eve of departure he was honoured by a gazetted knighthood, with admission to the Order of the Star of India.
Major-General (now Sir Richard) Pollock was an outward passenger on the same occasion. It had been proposed to associate him with the
^
IN TROD UCTION. xxix
MiseioD, as delegated by the Viceroy, to join tho representative of the Amir of AfghdnistllQ on hie journey &om Kandah&r to SidAo ; and in encli light he was to proceed at once to Calcutta for instractione. General Goldsmid was to have left the Indian inail-st«amer at Aden, making his way thence by gunboat to the Persian Gnlf. Owing to unforeseen circumstances, and contrary to original arrangement, the two officers continued the voyage together to Bombay, and did not separate until arrival in Calcutta, on the 7th December. There it was arranged, with the approval of the late Lord Mayo, that while Sir Frederic Goldsmid and Staff moved up to Sistfin and Western Afgh&nist&n in a tolerably direct line from Bandar-Abbas, General Pollock, accompanied hy Surgeon Henry Bel lew of the Bengal army, should journey to the same goal by direct land route from the Indus. The programme was carried out to the letter. General Ctoldsmid left Calcutta within twenty-four hours after arrival there, returned to Bombay for re-embarkation; and landed, on the 31st December, at Bandar-Abbas, where be was joined by Mr. Apothecary Kosario, of the Medical Department of the Bombay Presidency, who had been waiting his arrival. Leaving Bandar-Abbas for the interior of Persia on the 25rd December, they reached Bam on the 7th January, 1873. Here they were met by the Persian Commissioner, Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n, and joined by Captain Lovett and Quarter- master-Sergeant Bower, R.E. From Bam the whole party moved across the Eastern skirt of the Karm^n desert to Sist^n, a journey which, inclusive of halts, occupied nineteen days, or from the 12th to the 3iat January. On the ist February, they encamped at Sekuha, the capital of the Sarbandi SistAnis.
The British officers had scarcely been a day at Sekuha when the Persian Commissioner commenced to show himself virtually hostile. In a retrospect of this character, it is distasteful to the narrator, and immaterial to the narration, to 'harp on' behaviour the im- propriety of which has been practically admitted hy the principal, and professedly visited on the agent. And the counter-experience of much courtesy goes far to efface the less pleasing record. Still something more than mere allusion must he made to the Mirza'a Sist^n tactics. His first overt act of obstructiveness took the form of complaint against an old native guide in the jray of the British Mission, whom he accused of inciting the inhabitants of Sekuha to riot, by threats of English aggression upon their lands and homes.
INTRODVCTIOh\
This charge was quickly followed by objections to the use of the Mission flag ; and an unproven querulous statement reflecting on the temper of an officer in camp. On arrival at Nasirab&d, the head- quarters of Persian Sist&n, the opposition was strengthened and, as it were, organised by the accession of the Amir of K&in. It would have been absurd to expect actual assistance from a man whose acts were to become the subject of investigation by an alien Power : but the British Commissioner had not contemplated the very severe trial of patience to which he became subjected by this ruler's virtual dis- regard of the orders and assumed wishes of his Sovereign. Whether the matter be considered in a public or personal sense, the local authorities laid themselves open to serious blame. They failed in honourable dealing towards the British Mission^ as towards the Afghans, whom they had practically invited : the letter of diplomatic agreement acknowledged by the Shah and his Ministers was virtually considered waste paper: attention was not even duly given to the conventional letter of courtesy which in Persia is an official study of no secondary character.
The ten days' halt at Nasirabfid, to allow time for the arrival in the province of Major-Oeneral Pollock and the Afgh&n Commissioner, was productive of annoyance and embarrassment. If there was no open insult, there was no want of inclination to oflend. The withholding of asked-for evidence, the veto to free intercourse with the inhabitants, the hollow and superficial character of every attention paid to the wants and comfort of the English officers ; in any of these things might have been found sufficient cause for disruption of relations, had not procedure been fettered by circumstances over which Sir Frederic Ooldsmid had no control. As much of the daily occurrences of this period are recorded in the later pages of the present volume, the reader will be spared the infliction of wholesale repetition ; but a brief detail of the actual business of the Sist&n Mission from the date of leaving Nasirabid till the final breaking up of their camp in Sist&n may be here appropriate.
On the 15th February, the camp, reduced to bell tents and the lightest of light marching order, and accompanied by the Persian Commissioner in like unconspicuous array, moved out of the walled arcana in which it had been too long confined, with the professed intention of visiting and mapping out places in actual possession of Persia. Ma'sum Kh&n had, however, been informed that although such proceeding might efiectually
INTRODUCTION. xxxi
forestall the neceBBity of further inspection, Osneral Goldsmid could not promise that the Afghfin CommiEsioner would be satisfied with their joict labours in this respect '. It was agreed that the flag difliculty should remain in abeyance during the tour ; and that as they were to move in a quasi non-offiml way, without large tent* or heavy baggage of any kind, the flag-staff should be relinquished and even the practice of nsing led horses discontinued. The first day's march was to the large village of Deshtak, outside the walla of which the General encamped, receiving a deputation headed by the Mayor, who delivered himself of a set speech expressive of loyalty to the Shah. On the following day they made a short march to Buij-i-Alam Khan, crossing to the left bank of the main canal during the afternoon. The ' Bliii ' or tower was held by a Baluch chief, Sher Dil Khan, whose son came out to see the strangers. He was a lad of about 19 or 30, and of prepossessing appearance; and had only recently returned from Tehr&n. It is certain that many of these chiefs are taken in boyhood or early manhood to the latter capital, and trained there, returning, in semi-Fersian guise and with Persian habits of thought, to their own country only when their presence at home is held safe and politic. In the present instance the schooling did not seem to have destroyed sn open ingenuous disposition, or brought about the purely artificial address so prevalent in Persia and neces- sarily part of the education of Persian youth.
From the next day's encampment at Kala'h-i-Dost Muhammad Khan, the two Commissioners and suite made an excur«on to Kimak, a flourishing and wall-enclosed village on the main canal. The in- habitants had a rough and uncivilised exterior. No sooner had the visitors crossed the wat«r and entered the precincts of the place, than the gates were closed violently upon the crowds struggling for ad- mittance. But there was a numerous population within, bewildered and not over-respectful : and every act of the stranger was subject to the scrutiny and criticism of man, woman and child. The return
■ The taima of KceptaDce of Britwb ArbitmtJon bj the Shah of Perm* itbt« thu sipretBed In the l&te Mr. Alisan's telegmm to the Viceroj SsUA ijrd October, 1871 : 'When tbe Biitiib, PentM, uid Af^bin CommtaBionen are all tasembled together in Kslin, the Peniui and the Afghtn Coauninionan reipectiTelj will atate and lulntsadBla their cUime. If local oiqaiiy be DeceRsary, the CommUBloiien will proceed to any point for (hat pnrpoae, and mahe a map of an; diatricta without let or hindranoe. Whan the Britiih ConuniBioner cotisklen that there ia nothing further to ba done on the apot, the CoDiaiiaBionera will then return to Tehria.' Jw. &c.
XXXll
INTRODUCTION,
to the gates was better organised than the entrance ; and a kind of narrow rampart or banquette near the upper wall became available for those who preferred quiet to crowds. The Persian Commissioner, when clear of the town, examined a rough-looking fellow who had been pointed out to him as a fitting referee on the condition and opinions of the inhabitants, and put a few pertinent questions clearly intended for the hearing of his English colleague, with whom he had held some previous discussion on the difficulties of distinguishing Sunni from Shia'h. * Are you all Musalm&ns?' may have been his way of ascertaining whether the townspeople were of his own (the Shia'h) way of thinking ; or it may have been a mere evasion of the point at issue. At all events, the reply was in the affirmative. ^ Do you intermarry?' was, perhaps, equally ambiguous; for it was diffi- cult to understand from the responsive statement that ' they did intermarry,' whether the application was to Persians and Baluchis or to Sunnis and Shialis. There was a cool impudence in the way of giving these answers which might either have been assumed for the occasion, or provoked by the not very pleasant or conciliatory tone of the questioner.
From Kalali-i-Dost Muhammad Khan the camp moved to Kuhak on the Helmand. Here it is that the Amir holds possession of his great ' band ^ or dam across the river, whereby the main body of the water is turned to the westward, through a canal of sufficient importance to have been considered by modern travellers the Helmand itself. It might indeed be appropriately termed the « artificial Helmand.' Quartermaster-Sergeant David Bower made a minute and careful examination of this work, the result of which was communicated to the Government of India ^. On the 19th February a long and tedious march, at one time over high stony ground, at another over low sandy soil, and again amid dwarf jungle, hilloeks and mud ruins, brought the Commissioners to Dak-i-Dehla, a crumbling watch-tower, twenty- eight miles along the left bank of the Helmand. The next day they encamped twelve miles further, at Kam&l Bandar, a village and fort held by Sard&r Kam&l Kh&n, Sanjar&ni, a Baluch chief in Persian pay. The British officers arriving first, they were met and escorted to their ground by a respectable Utikbdl; the Sard&r's tent was placed
^ P»r. 34 of Sir F. Goldiimd*B Letter to the Foreign Secretary, Calcutta, No. 17, of the nth of March, 187a, the purpcNrt of which will be found in faller detail at pages aSi, aSa of Major Euan Smithes narrative in this volume.
INTRODUCTION. xxxui
at tlieir disposal for breakfast; and they were otherwise civilly treated by the local magnates. On the following day they crossed the river to the right Lank and pitched at the fort and village of Chah£r BUr- jak, belonging to Sardir Kamal Khfin's brother. Imam Khao. Here it was that Mirza Ma'sam Khan began to be troublesome in earnest.
He had proposed that Sir Frederic Ooldsmid shonld visit, with him, all places possessed by Persia in Sist&n ; and this arrangement had been accepted as the safest and least objectionable mode of atUising time nntil the full Commission conld meet. To have visited claimed places as well as those in actual poMetsion might naturally have caused complications : and to have demurred, before starting, to the Persian interpretation of 'possession' in certain cases, might have been tantamount to cancelling the toar proposed. But when, at the Amir's Band, the Helmand had been fairly reached, and eubseqaent progress would be up the hank of the river in a direction where pos- session was, to General Goldsmid's mind, of a &r more dubious character than in Central Sistan, it became a qaestion to what extent Ma'sum Eh£n would use the foot of association vrith the future Arbitrator for purposes of hie own. Captain Smith was, therefore, sent to the Persian Commissioner at Kuhak, to represent that the General's consent to accompany him southward of that fort mnst not be held to imply any acknowledgment which could have bearing on the coming arbitration. For certain reasons it was judged necessary to repeat the purport of this communication in writing, two days later at Kam^l Bandar ; but the letter calling attention to the matter, referred at the same time to the happy circumstance that in continuing the journey up the Helmand the writer would be enabled to fall in with General Pollock and the AfghiinB, whose advent in that quarter was daily expected. Further correspondence ensued, the result of which was so &r unsatisfactory, that Mirza Ma'sum Ehfin on reaching Chah^r B^ak expressed officially his determination to return to Nasirahfid, there to await the coming of the Afghfla Commissioner I General Goldsmid remonstrated ; hut in vain '. It was evident that the tour
' Ha racaved b letter to the effeot Uut the prooeedingi of the two cunpa were Dot In MMiduioe with the igraeineiit dnwn up between the BritUi and Penbui GovernmeDts. Had the Britiih Commuaioner, it waa urged, after certi^piig preaent Peman pcaseasiona, prtvaded futvrt ditamiim eA«r«on fiy Ihe Afghdn CoouaittiiMer, At arrangemaU voidd Aaw hten a» vt^tHtnt une. But on leanung that the joint progreaa op the Eelnund would not neoeoarily admit Psniaji poawaiioD in that qaartar, Ha'idm Khin had quite
xxxiv INTRODUCTION.
in Sist&n had not been to certify that such and such places were Persian by right of possession ; but to ratify their concession to Persia by virtue of passing through them with a Persian escort. Inde- pendent witnesses were to be kept out of sight : and the admission of the Shah's sovereignty by certain subsidised and otherwise interested chiefs was to be accepted without reserve in proof of the validity of Persian pretensions. Failing this, the object of joint progress was nullified. It were better to strike tents and return to head-quarters. Such, at leasts was the view taken by Ma'sum Kh&n; and in this spirit it can well be understood that he neither cared to await the arrival of the Afgh&ns nor to facilitate the work of investigation entered upon by Sir Frederic Ooldsmid.
Consequently the two camps, which had left Nasirab&d under more favourable circumstances than could have been anticipated by the first reception of the Mission and subsequent treatment of the British officers at the Amir's Sist&n stronghold, separated after an eight days' experience of joint survey and inspection. The Persian Commissioner, agreeably to his expressed resolution, made his first return march on the 23rd February ; and General Ooldsmid was thrown upon his own resources for the rest of the tour. The latter officer felt that so long as the local authorities evinced no opposition, so long could he con- tinue to inspect and map out the undoubted possessions of Persia, or such places as Persians were strong enough to hold in subjection ; and in so doing he need not commit himself to any arbitral opinion, or violate in any way the principles of arbitration. Under these im- pressions, he still contemplated the advantages of an onward march to Rudbar^ a point about forty miles further up the Helmand. But mature consideration resulted in a change of procedure; and he finally determined that no independent action on his part should give his way- ward colleague any handle whereby he could break off or paralyse the business of the Commission. Moreover it was authoritatively afiirmed that no provisions or fodder were procurable to suffice the camp for a three days' journey ; and however false and groundless may have been the statement, it would have been inconvenient to have provoked further antagonism from the authorities by measures involving open or secret interference with the inhabitants. It was therefore resolved, on Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n's departure, to halt only for one more day at
chttnged his opinion. He would retuni to Nadrab^ on the succeeding day, and await his new colleague's arrival.
INTRODUCTION. mtv
Chah&r Btujak, and that Captain Lovett shoald make the most of the time thus placed at his difipoeal in determining the course of the river towards Rudbar, and, if possible, the position of Rudbar itself.
These preliminaries having been arranged and carried into effect, and guided by bo trustworthy accounts of the movements of the Afghfoi Miiwion, General Goldsmid's party retraced their steps by the opposite bank of the river to that which they bad chosen on the upward move. Their first march was to Kala'h-i-Fath, the ' Fort of Victory,' a collection of extensive ruins said to mark a former city of the K&iyinis ; but evidently of no great antiquity. The story is that the Kiiy&nis abandoned this bank of the Helmand after offering resistance to N&Iir Shah, and fled to the Knh-i-Khw^jah in the west : and as Fath AU K&iy£ni was one of the conqueror's chief opponents it is not improbable thai the ' Kala'h,' or fort, owed its name to this prince. The local garrison was reported to consist of a nnmber of men, from 50 to 100, the lower being the more probable figure : and there was good reason to suppose any armed occupation at all to have been effected at a very recent date.
On February 25th, after riding some twenty miles over a generally barren tract, but covered with ruins as of large towns or villages, t«nt8 were again pitched at the Amir's ' Band.' This time, however, the encampment was on the right bank of the river, at the water's edge, and close to the mud tower constructed for the soldiers who guard the dam from pilferers of wood or more formidable enemies. Contra- dictory reports had been received on General Pollock's progress : and one aocotmt represented that he had urived at Chakhansur, and would enter Sist£n by the upper route, avoiding the Helmand. From the Amir's Band the bank of the river was followed to Agha J&n. The crossing to the left bank was effected at about 300 yards below the etarting-point, where the water was up to the horses' girths as at
' Dr. Bellow, in his interesting volume dedgnated From iht India to tht Tigrit (Trfibner, 1874), hM deacribeit the coantry between Kddhu' nod Cluhir Bnijak, and ao ■applied any deEdenoj of infonaation on these points notioeablo In ths sarve; nude by the officer* of GenenlOoldmud's HiMion. Within > waek ofttie departure oT the Utter, in fact, Uqor.OeneraI Pollock, Dr. Bellow, mnil the AfghAn Commissionor had arrived In tha biinedUta vicinity of Cli»hirBuri»l, liaviBg left Rndbir on the jjth February. They had marched aS miles due went along the course of the river to Kala'h Jin Beg, passing the bed of'* great camit called Jul QiirBhasp i' and a seooud march of 14 miles west bj north had brought them to a sandj spot in the wide channel of the Helnuuid, directly oppoaite Chahitr Buijok.
ZXXVl
INTRODUCTION,
Karadl Bandar, but in a narrower channel. A second crossing and re- crossing followed at Agha J4n, to admit of an inspection of the fort of Nad Ali held for the Persians on the right bank, by a son of Sard&r Sharif Khan Nharui^ The remainder of February was passed in visiting places of local repute suflBciently close together to be reached by a succession of short easy marches ; but the inhabitants, high and low, showed little disposition to cultivate the friendship or to forward the objects of the British officers ; and the minor wearers of * brief authority' were positively inimical. On March ist the want of courtesy shown at the town of Jaldlabdd was so marked that tents were struck and a move made to the neighbouring village of Burj-i-Afgh&i. The next morning the ground of encampment was chosen at Banj&r, about five miles distant from Nasirabdd ; and here were spent the last days of the Mission in Sistdn.
On the 6th March the light-marching order of the camp was changed, and attention again given to strict official requirements, preparatory to commencing business on the appearance of the Afghan Commissioner, whose coming was imminent. The flag-staflF was reared, as it had been customary to rear it before the discussion raised at Sekuha, and the colours were once more conspicuously exhibited, in token of the presence of the arbitrating power. When this state of things was inaugurated, and the British Commissioner passed over to the larger tents, Captain Lovett, Mr. Thomas, Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower, and Mr. Rosario were present with him in camp. Captain Smith had been detached on duty to Nasirabdd, whence he was to ride out in quest of General Pollock and his companions ; but this officer had before arranged in personal communication wnth the Persian Commissioner that there was to be no longer any difficulty started on the use of the flag, and Ma^sum Kh&n had been informed in writing that its resumption would be carried into effect. General Goldsmid had not been long, however, in his new quarters, when a
' Nid Ali is the locality of some really remarkable ruinB, which bear evidence of great antiquity. The Damdamahs, or mounds, are suggestive of hidden treasures for the excavators, and the octagonal tower is almost indicative of a bygone local Hinduism. Between these prominent points is a vast extent of ground, irom which crop out solid brick foundations of former tenements, or on which are strewed detached baked bricks of large size and broken specimens of painted tiles and earthenware of past generations. Here, if anywhere in Sist&n, are visible traces of age and substantial structure, which may belong, as tradition affirms, to the period of Darius or other monarchs of the House of K&I, or the Shiwasthin of Lieut. Leech.
INTRODUCTION. xxxyU
letter reached him from the ' Y£war' affected to his service by the local authorities, to the effect that the Siiyids, Mullahs and other iahahitante of BanjAr sought an explanation of the, to them, novel display I Signs of commotion, real or assumed, were moreover reported irom the town by a trustworthy native attendant. The reply was naturally brief; bat it more or less dosed the door to further paper controversy. Nor did the outer excitement, if it existed, show itself in any defiiute shape, or by any overt act.
On the 8th March the camp was strengthened by the arrival of General Pollock^ Dr. Bellew, and the Afgh&n Commissioner, S&iyid Nur Muhammad. The force of circumstances had prevented a junc- tion at an earlier date or elsewhere. More than once, and long before the coming of this particular Mission, Sir Frederic Ooldsmid had expressed his hope, in writing as by word of mouth, that all necessary arrangements would be made for its fitting reception. But by one chief on the banks of the Helmand they were refused supplies, and at a village within twenty miles of Nasirabdd (where the Amir and Persian Commissioner were both residing) the same treatment was repeated. It can be understood how, under such circumstances, the Afghiin Siiyid declined to make the first ceremonious call on the Amir of K&i'n and Persian Commissioner; and although General Goldsmid felt it his duty to ui^ conciliation, and might have rejoiced had a less determined attitude been approved, the delegate's statement that a different course would have been inconsistent with his position was intelligible, and could not be disregarded. General Follock and S&iyid Nut Muhammad Shah pitehed their tente for a reasonable time outeide the walls of Nasirabad, and received and returned the usual ceremonious enquiries about health ; but there the courtesies ended. No visits were paid, nor were the official intercommunications more frequent or feliciteus than the exchanges of social compliment.
Negative hostility was followed by complaint and indications of mischief. The presence of certain chiefs in the A%h&n camp was considered offensive te Persia. Something like a threat of collision was expressed in writing and outward action by Ma'stim Kh&n and hie associates. Nor was recrimination wanting on the part of the Afgh&is and those whom they had identified with their cause. The Amii of K&in was charged with inveigling a follower of the Juwain chief into his power, and hints of darker dealing were freely given. In fine, scarcely two days had passed since the junction of the two
xxxviii INTRODUCTION.
Missions when Sir Frederic Goldsmid^ acting upon the refusal of the Persian Commissioner to meet his Afgh&n colleague anywhere but at Nasirabfid, a locality of all others most fatal to fair hearing and dis- cussion^ decided upon quitting the province and adjourning all Airther procedure on the business of his mission until return to Tehr&n.
The duties of the Arbitrator were to hear each side of a disputed question, and judge upon pleadings laid before him. It was natural that he should seek to make himself acquainted with the truth of the general story by the opportunities at his disposal : it was essential that he should strive to conciliate the litigants, and allay as much as possible an irritation which, among Orientals, is far more likely to impede than assist justice : but it would have been inconsistent with his office to have exercised an out-of-Court interference tending to demonstrate that the arbitrator was more desirous of arbitrating than plaintiff or defendant to entrust a case for arbitration. And when antagonism began to show itself in outward action, between the followers of two distinct forms of faith at the dawn of a month (Muharram) especially celebrated by both, a hesitating course might have produced bad results.
To sum up the whole story : during the full month of February, and for several days in March, the Mission remained in Sist&n ; in the first instance within the walls of Nasirab&d, the Persian head- quarters ; afterwards on a tour of general survey and enquiry ; and, lastly, in camp at Banj&r, a considerable village within five miles of Nasirab&d. On the nth March^ tents were struck and advanced a short stage towards the Afgh&n district of Ldsh Juwain : on the 15th, the camp was pitched below the hill fort of Ldsh, from which it was separated by the Farah river. The northern frontier of Sist&n had then been crossed ; and the British delegates were on their way to Tehr&n, to endeavour by all available means to attain such a settle- ment of the Perso-Afghin boundary dispute as, if not in the letter, would at least be in the spirit of the instructions communicated to the Arbitrator. It may appear strange that although General Pol- lock's party did not join the Mission camp until the 8th March, all were moving together, three days later, towards the Persian capital. But so it was. The measure was a well-considered one ; rather the result of a continuous experience than of a hastily formed conclusion ; inevitable to the preservation of the dignity of the British officers; perhaps of peace in the respective camps ; indispensable for carrying
INTRODUCTION. xjckU
into effect in any shape the objects of the so-called joint Commission. The cause of this haaty termination of the proposed enquiry, so soon as the representatives of the litigating powers had met in the pre- sence of tiie Arbitrator, must be looked for in the action of the Persian Commismoner, who, failing to secnre a procedure in accordance wiUi his own views or confidential instructions, used every effort to defeat the aim of the British Mission, and inhibit the prodnction of alt trustworthy local evidence.
Before leaving Sistin, Sir Frederic Goldsmid reported to the Government of India the difficulties he had had to eneounter there, and the causea which had led him to precipitate his departure, on being joined by Major-Qeneral Pollock and the Afghan Commissioner. As he himself sobsequently represented, had it not been that the presence of the last-named was absolately essential to the completion of a case, under the Agreement signed in the previous year at Tehrfin *, he would, in all likelihood, have made the behaviour of the Persian aathorities a reason for still earUer withdrawal from the scene of litigation. He had been detained for ten days on worthless pleas and pretexts in a walled military cantonmeat ; had been left by his Per- sian colleague in the coarse of a supposed friendly tour, because he declined to admit the Persian view of the uti po»aidetia principle in its local application, and so to forestall a material part of his arbitral opinion, then necessarily in embryo; had been annoyed by strained notions of itiquelle, by unfounded objections to the display of the Mission flag, by petty complaints against one or other of the mem- bers of hia Staff, hj espionage and retention of important or honest evidence, by obstacles in procuring carriage, cattle, money — in short by constantly recurring proof that a jealous and antagonistic agency was actively engaged in opposition to the legitimate progress of the arbitration. And whatever forbearing power the arbitrating officer might still have possessed, he felt that a sufficient amount of patience had been exercised to make a close of proceedings the only fitting course to be pursued under the circumstances. Major-General Pollock, on his part, was well convinced that no good was to be gained by delay; and the treatment that he himself and the Afgb&n Commissioner bad experienoed was but a new incentive to speedy departure^.
' See the Sh^'i >ntogT>pb quoted io note, raili page zxxi.
' HkjoivOeiwnl GoldEmid addreased the Secretary of State for India to this effect on the ll(t October, 1871. The GtOTenunent of India, in a dsBpatoh of the i8th Noveniber
xl INTRODUCTION.
Passing through Lfeh Juwain, K&in and Mash-had, the British camp reached Tehran, by the ELhurasiln high road so well known to readers of Persian travel, early in June, after a journey of nearly three months. The passage through the K&in districts, or K&i'n&t^ had a geographical as well as political interest; and the visit to K&in, the ancient capital — found some 60 miles north, instead of a like distance south of Birjand ^, the modem capital — was of itself an important novelty. There was little to complain of in the treatment of the Mission on its march north and west from Sist&n. His Boyal High- ness the Prince Governor of Khuras&n was especially friendly and courteous ; and other functionaries of less note might be named who did the English officers more than conventional honour. The pro- ceedings at Tehr&n need not be here closely scrutinised, having been the subject of ordinary diplomatic report. Suffice it to say that they culminated in the delivery of the Arbitral award ; in appeal on the part of both litigants to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ; and in a confirmation of the award on appeal. Readers who desire to look closer into the case, and become acquainted with its full merits, will find the Arbitrator's statement and summary in an Appendix to this volume; but the voluminous correspondence supplying the details, in this as well as the Perso-KaUt question^ could only become legitimately public in a Blue-book.
It yet remains to be considered whether the results of the two Boundary Commissions have been commensurate with the outlay which they have occasioned, and — far more important still — with the political expectations raised regarding them? Although the two proceedings are distinct, and have been treated politically, as they are geographically apart one from the other^ no reasonable man can doubt that they are really phases of one great question — ^the peace and protection of our Indian frontier. If not so regarded by statesmen^ it is difficult to know in what light to place them. In no case should they be misunderstood, or confused by ignorance of detail — a contin- gency almost unavoidable where public interest is wanting to support vitality. Nor is this interpretation the expression of any narrow,
following, were pleased to conBider tbeir thanks due to this ofiBcer * for the taot and good judgment . . . displayed through these negotiations under circumstances of no ordinaiy difficulty.'
' See some of our best maps before 187a.
INTRODUCTION. xli
selfish policy — the advocacy of any measures by which England will benefit, regardleaa of independent neigbbooring states. Far from it. In defining a frontier beyond our own Indian frontier, we better and strengthen ourselves only by the increased prosperity of our neigh- bours. If we do not create friendly and prosperous states between oar proper border and the further line, it should be our misfortune bnt not onr bult. We should strive by all fair means and processes to achieve this end ; we should meddle as little as possible with our neighbours' domestic affiiirs, but where interference U exercLsed on our part it shoold be respected ; and whatever anarchy or revolution may prevail in Afgh&ntst&n and Baluchist&n, Persia should understand that she is pledged to us to take do advantage of either condition for purposes of territorial encroachment to the Eastward.
As to the positive, matter-of-fact value of results, how is this qaestioD to be solved for Ballichistfin ? According to time-honoured precedents, the Boundary CommiEsioner should be the last man to decide : so that in one sense his reply must be accepted cum grano. At the same time, he pleads conscientious discharge of duty; know- ledge of the work he has had to perform from a study and practice of many years ; uid the &ct that he is acting under instructions in putting forward his views. Let us first examine the advantages or necessities of a fixed territorial status in Balucbist&n ; and then see what end has been attained by the Perso-Kalit Boundary Commission of 1870-71. The reader is solicited to consult the map, if he be not a» /ait in respect of all places noted, for many of these are com- paratively obscure.
Shortly after the suppression of the Sip&hi revolt, an event of serious warning and import — whatever view may be taken of its scope and origin — the attention of the Indian Government was drawn to the establishment of a line of overland telegraph to connect Basrah with Kjir£chi: a measure rendered urgent by tbe intention to make the former place the terminus of the proposed Turkish line from the Bosphorus to the Persian Gutf. To lay a cable was the obvious course for avoiding political complications : but cables are expensive, and plain-saiUng diplomacy does Dot always anchor in the safest ports. It was well to know to what extent a land telegraph was feasible in the localities indicated, even if such were needed for no other purpose than a mere alternative means of conmiunication.
From Bandar-Abbas to Kar&chi, the Shah of Persia, tbe Sultan of VOL. I. d ,
xUi . INTRODUCTION.
Mackat, the Khan of KalAt, all had territorial claims, of which the precise nature was rather suspected than understood. It was, how- ever, evident that if the British authorities wished to engage the local chiefs to the protection of posts and wires in Makr&n, they must more or less acknowledge some special suzerainty, under the shadow of which these chiefs were contented to reside. Persia was encroaching to the east: KalAt was retreating from the west: Maskat was a settler or a farmer here and there on the coast, in lands possessed or claimed by either power. This state of things had been known and roi)ortod for some years : but details had been wanting, and reports were now prepared and transmitted by various officers with intent to supi>ly deficiencies.
Eventually (1862-3) a cable was laid, and communication opened between the ports mentioned. A land line of telegraph was also con- st rucied to GwAdar, and prolonged at a latter date (1869-70) to JAsk. But the political difficulty still remained. It had been explained and made intelligible ; but it could only be removed by diplomatic action. The following exposition of the abstract right of Persia to Baluchistan in 1863 ^ is extracted from a report of the present writer, employed, in the first instance, to negotiate the passage of the telegraph from Kar&chi for some 400 miles beyond the Indian border : afterwards to ascertain the territorial status west of Gw&dar, and arrange for ex- tension of the line ; more recently to define a permanent political boundary. The third of these duties was the result of the two former : and its accomplishment, it is believed, could not but be desired in the interests of peace and progress : —
* As to her right, I know of none but of the strong over the weak ; oi the prestige of a high-sounding monarchy over the obscurity of a small chiefdom. More than one hundred years ago Nddir Shah ap- pointed N&sir Kh&n Brahui the Beylerbey or Governor of the whole
^ NmtIj two yean before, when referring to the then actual Perso-Ealit frontier, he had reported : — * Thif boundary, bo far as the question has become intelligible to me in its detail, is very nearly defined by the tract of country called the ** Dasht," and the river known as " Dasht Khaur/* which may be said now to mark the south-westerly inde- pendent possessions of the Khan of Kal4t in Kej/ And he had suggested that a line drawn firom the Northern frontier, east of J41k, Sib, Kasarkand and such districts as bad to all intents and purposes fSurly thrown off the Khan*8 authority, to the sea-board east of Owidar, would not only ensure the common and therefore unknown advantages of a reoognlsed firontiur, but afford that security to the telegraphic scheme then under coMlilimtloii which the existing tUUM did not promise.
INTRODUCTION. xliu
of SaMcliiBUn, mctueive of Makr&ii, and in sncli capacity he was do doabt to some ext«nt a feadatory of Persia, but it ia also more than one bondred years ago that he exchanged the quasi service of the Shah for that of the Afghan King. His allegiance to Kandahflr was no less binding than to Persia. It was the allegiance exacted by a stronger arm than his own. When the Afgb&i monarchy fell to pieces the service ceased ; but Balticbist^ also fell to pieces, and its chiefs set up claims of iudependence for themselves. Then came the opportacity for Persia to regain what she bad lost. She bad, however, in this case, no great prize to recover, and conld allow her Governor of Karm&D or a subordinate at Bampur to proceed leisurely in the work of oppression, and set forth, as occasion served, obsolete claims. Of late years she has, perhaps, been more than usually active in this re-assertion of Makr&n sovereignty. The present state of aflTairs in Kal&t must be specially favourable to her views. Anarchy in that quarter cannot but afford occasion for intrigue, if not for the actual
advance of troops If possession for a period of years must
necessarily imply acknowledgment by the local rulers, it is the acknowledgment of helplessness. I do not for a moment believe that the Persian yoke is acceptable to the Sard&rs of Makrdn west of Kalflt. A petition was presented to me when at Gw^ar in February last year, from one of the neighbouring chiefs, and others had been forwarded to the Commissioner at Karachi before my departure from that place, praying generally for British interference against the tyranny of the Gajars ' collecting the revenue. None of these could be noticed at the time, and that addressed to myself was, if I rightly remember, returned to the bearer unread, so soon as its purport was ascertained. And yet, if we acknowledge the right of prior conquest, in the wide sense of the word, whether for N&dir Shah on behalf of Persia, Ahm&d Shah of Kandahar, or Nisir Kh&n of Ballichistftn, it is not clear how exception can be taken to any description of past terri- torial aggression and encroachment by the fame, or any of the same powers involving no stronger claim upon our interference than direct and open warfare. Moreover, the results with which we have to do are those of a state of things in which we could not legitimately have zeroised interference at any time. At the present moment the case
■ TiM my of pronoaucing Kftjin on the Makr&n cout, where the nune of th« mling TMci btnil; ii ignomntlj Applied to the nbole Pertiao nee.
da
xUy introduction.
is diflferent. Kaldt is our close ally. Though not bound by existing treaty to protect her frontier by force, we have treated with her as an independent state, to protect our telegraph up to a certain point within her limits, and there is now a legitimate opening for taking exception at any unauthorised aggression from without upon such boundary line/
Persia's position in Baluchist&n had been clearly of a different kind in the beginning of the century. In the year 1810 not only was the Shah's authority disavowed in Bampur, which, it should always be borne in mind^ if Makr&n at all, is the most westerly^ that is, the district nearest to Persia of that province; but we are told of the existence of a feeling there decidedly hostile to Persian influence. In talking to Lieutenant Pottinger, Mihrab ELh&n spoke of the Persians in terms of little measured abuse, wondering why the Faringi did not exterminate them. On his side, the distinguished English traveller^ then a passing guest of this robber chief, was desirous of ascertaining the terms on which the Persians and Baluchis stood with each other, and enquired from Mihrab if the intercourse was frequent between him and the Government of Karm&n? 'Intercourse,' rejoined he, laughing, 'no I we have had none for these last two years, nor is it likely to be again renewed. A few months anterior to that period. Shah Mihrab Kh&n, Eai'm Kh&n, and myself sent our collective
armies on a chapao into L&rist&n, and laid waste that province
The consequence was that there were no revenues forthcoming, and the Hfikim of Min&b was called to Karm&n, to be made answerable for the de&lcation ; but when he represented the true statement of the business to the Shahz&dah, he was released from confinement, and two messengers were forthwith despatched with threatening ^nwa^w to
us We transmitted these letters to the Prince, setting him
and his threats at defiance. Such,' the narrator continues, ' being the state of affairs in the extreme west, it is but natural to infer that at this period the more easterly parts of Baluchist&n, as the more remote from the Shah's influence, were wholly independent of Persia from 1810 to 1843 V
^ History of BaMchist&n, chftpter xii. pages 173-4. In 1843 or 1844, a brother of
H. H. Agha Kh&n Mehlati^ who then resided in Sind, left Eiuritchi for Makrdn at the
head of a party of horsemen. In a few weeks they reached Gw&dar, where they made a
. short halt. Hence it is said they advanced to Ch&hb4r, which was found a convenient
spot for remaining in, owing to the number of Khojas residing there, who pay tribute to
INTRODUCTION. xlv
Captain Oiant's journal of a route through Western Makrdn gives fiirther evidence of the divisions of the country, geographical and political, about the same period as Pottinger. This officer, not finding a favourable state of things at 6w&dar, proceeded a few miles further up the coast, to disembark at Gwatar ; but failed to observe at either place any sign whatever of the exercise of power or pretensions on the part of Persia. The present writer visited Gwatar in 1 864, and found it a poor village of about 70 mat houses and 250 inhabitants, situated near the north-west comer of the bay of the same name^ and hidden to the south-west by rocky projections^ separating it from the sea- beach. Arriving in a fishing-boat at about 3 p.m. on February 5th, he had landed^ and held some conversation with the hereditary heads of the community. Three respectable old men, named H&jji Mur£d, Basol^ and Mithano, appeared to him as patriarchs in this cluster of hovels. They received H&jji Abdu, his guide, as an old acquaintance ; and his own reception was as cordial and friendly as could have been expected. One of the three brothers spoke Persian and Hindustani fluently, so they had no difficulty in becoming mutually intelligible. He learnt that H&jji Mur&d paid 400 rupees per annum (£4.6) as farmer of the Gwatar revenues ; but that there was scarcely a banyay or Hindu dealer, in the town, nor a shop or store-house. The in- habitants were called Meds, Durz&das, and R&ises. The fisheries might be considered to be the only true source of revenue^ and he noticed some boats in the mouth of the little Gwatar river below the village. Some also were sailing about the bay. No wish was apparent to conceal from him the politics of the countiy. While sitting together in conclave on the mat outside their door, the old men spoke to their visitor with freedom, and heedless of the many listeners grouped
the AghA. At Ch&hb&r communication was opened, and systematically kept up with the inland town of Baropiir. Sard^ Khj(n made friends and partisans of the Baliichis in tho Tidnity, besides getting a footing for his own inmiediate followers, and eventually suc- ceeded in obtaining possession of the place from the hands of the independent Baliich chief. In these head-quarters he applied himself to collect a force, and may have succeeded in drawing together some thousand men. On the report of occupation of this town by the party from Sind, made to his Government by the Governor of Karman, it is not surprising that a royal mandate was issued for its investment. It was besieged, and in course of time reduced. Sarddr Kh&n was taken prisoner, and sent to Tehrtin. From this period the Persian hold of Bampiir has been more or less maintained. Some three or four years later the employes of Persia moved still further to the eastward, encroacliing upon the Baliich chief doms of Gnih and Kasarkand.
xlvi INTRODUCTION.
arouDcL They assured him that, until that time, never within the memory of man had Persian claims been urged upon B&hfi. They had formerly paid tribute to Kal&t, but had since been independent.
The Tillage was both dirty and desolate, and stay there was not prolonged. An hour or so seemed sufBcient to collect all requisite information, without giving rise to unnecessary suspicions. There was an nnmistakeable dread and dislike of the Grajar in the place, and that not so much for himself, as that he brought the Baluch marauder behind him. ' You pay 400 rupees as farmer,' said the stranger guest to his host, ' whether the Gajar come or not ; of what consequence, then^ is it to whom it is given by Muhammad Ali ? ' The reply was to the effect that this was Muhammad Ali's own legitimate revenue, but having to give up his right to the Grajars, he allowed his Baluchis to make up his losses for him by unlawful means. They were victims to this kind of robbery.
The old men accompanied their questioner to the beach, and sheep . and dahi^ were brought for his acceptance on departure. Prior to leave-taking, and while rambling alone about the place, he had heard a voice crying * Welcome to the country,' in a language which might have been idiomatic Persian but that there was something of Baliichi in the substitution of khub hasti for khush dmadi. He had turned round to ascertain whence the sound proceeded, and observed at about fifty yards off, an ill-clad woman, with a child in her arms, following his track ; and though she moved away, and called no further on his looking towards her, the movement and her very silence at such a time had seemed to give a deeper meaning to her former cry. The story of the boatmen, that Hdjji Murid's family were preparing to remove to Gw&dar, might have been quite true: oppression might well cause the whole population to migrate thither.
The opinions formed in 1863 were strengthened rather than modified by later consideration, and it became tolerably certain —
1st. That the claims of Persia to Makrdn generally were based upon somewhat traditionary conquests of former years, more or less substantiated by the formal disposal of the province to Mohbut Kh&n Brahui, in the middle of the last centurj^; that the later rise of a new government, and enterprise of a new chief in Baluchistdn, virtually dispossessed Persia of her never well-defined Makr&n territories; but that forcible re-assertion of the Shah's sovereignty over certain parts
* Dahi or dhai, coagulated milk : the mdst of Persia ; Turkish, yoghdrt.
INTRODUCTION. xlvii
of Makr^, so far as hitherto carried out^ however unwarrantable in accordance with the rule of European politics^ was not a matter for foreign interference, upon a bare principle of justice and equity. In this view, such Makr&n territories as Persia held in tribute were hers by mere right of possession.
2ndly. That those portions of Makr&n obeying the authority of the Kh&n of Kal&t were that chief's by possession, as also by acknow- ledgpnent of the local rulers. They were part of an inherited Balu- chistan state^ held, at first, in a sort of feudal tenure from Persia, subsequently from Kandahdr, but in reality on a basis of independence. The revolutions which distracted the province after the death of NAsir Kh&n in 1795 could only be said to affect such petty chiefdoms as had been successful in permanently throwing off their allegiance. Those which had revolted and were afterwards subdued^ still remained com- ponent parts of the inheritance of the Kh&ns.
In June, 1865, under instructions from the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for India, the Chief Director of the Government Indo-European Telegraph was deputed to Tehrfin to assist Her Majesty's Minister at the Court of Persia in negotiating a Tele- graph Treaty. During the stay of that officer in Tehr&n, the ques- tion was brought formally to his notice^ and it became his duty to consider what was * the extreme limit to which the aerial line could be extended westward from Gwddar without opposition or reasonable objection from the Persian Government ? '
There was not much difficulty in coming to a conclusion on either head. The question of * opposition ' was found to differ from that of * reasonable objection.' Reference to former proceedings and former correspondence showed that opposition of some kind had distinctly been made by the Persian Government to an advance along the coast west of Gwad&r, without their consent obtained. The statement of tbe Minister for Foreign Affairs to this effect in May, 1863, was on record; and Mr. Thomson, then ChargS d* Affaires at TehrAn, had explained that Persia wanted to have assured the coast from Chdhb&r to frontier of Bandar-Abbas. The Directors' reading of their objec- tions was, that they bore also upon the coast from Gw&dar to Chihbfir.
As to * reasonable objection/ the case was tolerably clear. In point of fact, they had really none to urge as regards the coast from Kar&chi to the eastern limit of Bandar-Abbas and adjacent lands farmed by
xlvlll INTRODUCTION.
tlin Ittmm cif MuHoiii. Hut the (juestion was one of which it was riMMitttinntuliHl to dimniM tho morits with Persia herself. Such discus- liioii tHiuhl nol, it. wan ur^nl, have any retrograde tendency. Rather Wotild it« n^nult norvo U) phuH) the act« of tlie Indian Government on a WHnit\»r Inmiii timu if thoy moved blindfolded. Besides, by such phMHHhiro, nUiHHHmivo |H>litieian8 would not be hampered with the doR»iUM» i>r a lino of |H>Hoy or proocdling on which there was no hHHrnl* but that Kn^rlinlimou cauu^ saw, and planted their telegraph p<¥U.
\\\\\ m\mo timo In^Rm^ thin rofonmco was made, Persia had asked for IhiUnh iutorCoiviuv in at^junting her eastern boundary. The request bad U^K'W iKvlit\<Hi in tho form approved by her diplomatists; and |HM'ba|^» \\\\\\\ t ho wholo, on \Tilid grounds. It was quite another thing, l\o\>ovor» in tho inntanoo now presented. There might be both wisdom and juntitv in mnn^pting a settlement of boundary on behalf of the KaUt PtatA* of Haluchistin, so very recently invaded by Persian troops. Tho ohiof of that State, who really owed no allegiance, nor aeknow- liMlgml any to tho Shah — ^the inheritor, moreover, of an independent dtttnihion — had proved himself our faithful ally^ and was desirous of (Uinnolidating his power. In aiding him to define his western IVont/i(ir, tho British authorities need not care to define which were Pornian and which not Persian territories. All that they would require WiMi a guarantee from Persia that she would not permit her soldiers or mibjocti to pass a certain line of frontier considered to mark the Kal&t boundary.
On completion of the Telegraph Convention at Tehr£n^ Lieutenant- (jolonel Goldsmid and Major Smithy RJQ.^ Director Persian Tele- l^raphi proceeded together from Tehran to Isfah&n, Yazd, and Karmltn. At a hundred miles eastward of the last-named place they parted. Miyor Smith explored the route to Bandar-Abbas, and to some extent along the coast; and Colonel Goldsmid went on to Bampur, in Jlalfichistin, and thence through the Makr£n passes to the sea at (*liAhbAr. A report of this exploration was forwarded to Government. Two passages are here extracted : —
*Tho question of Persian occupation in Baluchist&n has, I think, lM»on fiiirly solved by the present journey. In modem maps we are a<u!Ustomed to find a red line drawn in about long. 59"^, and coming WAwtward to long. ,54'* 50^^ as defining the eastern boundary of Persia from Sistin to the Indian Ocean. The state of the case is, however.
INTRODUCTION. xlix
very different in reality. We should be much nearer the truth were the line to curve to the eastward before reaching the sea, taking in from the Bampur district southwards a tract in extent nearly four degrees of longitude. The Wazir of Karmfin, Muhammad Ismail Kh&n, de facto Governor of the province, has lately received from his sovereign the title of Sardar of Baluchistan, and the honour is not in this instance mere sound and emptiness. Attached to Karm&n, and forming its Baluchist&n division, are the two large districts of Bampur and Makrfin. The first, which lies to the north, is about as much Persia as Karm&n proper. It is governed by a Persian, and garrisoned by Persian regular troops, as well as irregulars and Baluchis. The second, Makr&n on the south, is immediately under Bampur, but is governed by a Balnch ; and there are, as a rule, no Persian troops to garrison its towns or forts. The system of government prevailing here is to acknowledge every legitimate chief who, on his side, acknowledges the Persian supremacy, or to set up an obedient competitor who is not likely to be wanting
* The Persian tenure of the sea-coast is not like that of Bampur. The Minister of Karm&n frankly told us he would give no passports for landing there. Ibrahim Kh&n said he would take no responsibility for the telegraph along the shores west of Gw&dar and Jeoni. The country is theirs, inasmuch as tribute is paid to Persia by Mir Ab- dullah, Chief of Gaih, and he repays himself by levies from his neigh- bours. Din Muhammad, Jadgal,'who has immediate control of the coast from Chdhbfir to the frontier of Kej, is married to Mir Abdul- lah's sister, and may therefore be supposed in some way attached to his interests. There is no mistake about the line of boundary with Kej, which is clearly defined. It is just as I formerly surmised and reported. A point in Gwatar Bay, the mouth of the Dasht Khanr, is the termination, on the sea-board, of a line drawn east of J&lk and
Dizak from Sist&n Sarb&z and Pishin are on the Persian side ;
Tump and Jeoni belong to Kej of KalAt. My opinion is that if we wish to set up a line of telegraph from Gwfidar to Bandar- Abbas, or elsewhere, to join the present Persian line, we must treat with Persia for permission to do so. . . .'
Much more correspondence followed on the same subject; and at the end of 1 866 the Director of the Telegraph was despatched from London to Tehr&n to negotiate, under the superintendence of Her Majesty's Minister, an extension of the coast wires to the west.
1 INTRODUCTION.
There was, however, to be no definition of political boundaries. Nego- tiations commenced accordingly, interviews and messages passed, but the occasion was unfavourable ; and the Shah's departure for Mash- had rendered imperative a postponement of the question. About a year later it was re-opened, and a short Convention of three Articles botwoen the British and Persian Governments agreed upon and mtifled '. Under this authority the British land line of teleg^raph was prolongnl westward, from Gw^ar to JAsk : but the want of terri- torial <l<?finition gave rise to serious troubles, and threatened to per- pfvitiato ft fftate of restlessness and revolution distressing to our rmphy^fit eml^arrassing to the Indian Government, and most detri- tnnnt^il tr; the inhabitants of Baluchistan, whether in the interior or oil UiM Makrin coast.
\t\ftnyAn were made on Panjgur, in the north of Kalfit territory; iwitu^fViAUily Wlow it, the district of Kej was threatened; Gw&dar WM Mtmtf^l by Persia on the coast ; and the more especially because tff tin m#ffition in the first Article of the Convention I Finally, in 1870, |(i*f M«j<jifty'i Chargi d? Affaires in Tehrdn had become so encumbered with r*^fifrence§ on Persian encroachments that he could suggest no fMft^ly t/ttt a formal investigation ; and to such procedure he was tm^fUid U> obtain the king's consent. The good sense of His Majesty mM Hw Hh^ettyB Ministers prevailed in accepting a joint Commis- #i//fi^ r«pr«Miiting England, Persia, and KaUt. ' Let them,' said the ttUnhf * msiile the boundary line. Otherwise, if the frontier be not Mif^Af ihe§e difficulties will be daily recurring.'
^tha Commission was appointed, and the narrative of its proceedings i# UAd in these pages. Should illustration of the unsettled condition
Article I. * Ijh <fH«r U} pronde against any accident to the Persian Gulf Cable, it is agreed that the f^$i4» Of/¥0rumeoi shall make arrangements in regard to the construction and efficient Wff^ifHf ^ * l^ of telegraph between 6w4dar and a point between Jask and Bandar-
Abticlb U. TM P«r«iaii Goremment will employ her good offices and authority for facilitating its (40tt0styifCum^ mAtotenanoe, and protection ; and the English Government will pay annually Ut ttt* IftenAMn Government the sum of 3000 tomans for leave to lay down a line of teie- l^nsfli tm tliMMt parti oi coasts and places which are under the sovereignty of Penda, the ^ftu4ftd td the above sum being made from the day upon which the work of laying the tr^e is nfmimmyatA.
Abticle UI. The preeent Omveotioa to remain in force for twenty years.
INTRODUCTION. li
of Makr&n, and consequent misery, prior to the settlement of 187 1, be needed in support of the latter measure, viewed in a purely philan- thropic light, the present writer could supply it from his own experi- ence. Rebellion, division, and discord in the Elal&t country have un- fortunately been too rife, within the last three years, to give opportunity for material improvement in any portion of the Kh&n's dominions. Yet, about a year after the Boundary Commission had visited Bamptir^ not- withstanding the stormy nature of its work there, the vicinity of the newly declared frontier was reported to have enjoyed an unusual quiet; and the President of the Royal Geographical Society took public cogniz- ance of the fact in addressing a meeting in 1872. If attention be given to the due fulfilment of the ratified international agreement, and if the Persian Government check their ambitious lieutenants with the firm- ness they can exhibit when roused, and in the spirit of true civilisation, the inhabitants of both sides of the border should benefit incalculably irom the combined action of England, Persia, and the KaUt State in seeking to close a political breach. On the other hand, if Kal&t be allowed to drift into anarchy, and her rulers, in a narrow, selfish regard to personal objects, ignore the importance of the outer ter- ritorial limits, to look after more immediate inner interests, or if the spirit of the short but significant note of 1871 ^ be lost sight of in the
^ The undersigned, Her Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni- potentiaiy at the Court of Persia, acting on the part of his Government, has the honour to submit, for the approval of His Majesty the Shah, a map in which the boundary line between the territories possessed in Baluchist4n by Persia and the territories forming the exclusive property of the independent state of Kal&t is delineated.
This line may be described : — Commencing from the northernmost point, or that which is furthest from the sea, the territory of Kal4t is bounded to the west by the larg^ Persian district of Dizak, which is composed of many dth9 or minor districtR, those on the frontier being Jalk and Kalagin. Below these two last-named is the small district of Kohak, which, together with Panjgiir, comprising Parom and other dependencies, is on the Kal4t side.
Below Panjgiir, the frontier possessions of Kalat to the sea are Bolaida, including Zamir^D and other dependencies, Mund and Dasht. Within the Persian line of firontier are the villages or tracts belonging to Sarb^z and Bahu Dasty^. The boundary of Dasht is marked by a long line drawn through the Drabol hill, situated between the rivers Bahu and Dasht, to the sea in the bay of Gwatar.
To summarize, — Panjgiir and Parom, and other dependencies, with Kohak, Bolaida, including Zamirin and other dependencies ; Mund, including Tump, Nusrabad, Kej, and all districts, dehst and dependencies to the eastward ; Dasht with its dependencies as fiur as the sea. These names exhibit the line of actual possession of &al4t, that is to say, all tracts to the east of the frontier of actual Persian possession, which frontier comprises Dizak and Bampusht, Sarbiz and Pishfn, Bahu and Dasty^.
Bi TSTRODUCTION.
discussion of comparatively minor points, then very much labour will have been expended and a certain cost incurred in vain.
One word in explanation of the allusion just made to minor heads of discussion. When the Persians accepted at Tehran the British Commis- sioner's decision on the Perso-Makrdn line of boundary, an endeavour was made in the most distinguished quarter to transfer Kohak, a district in the northern part of the frontier, from the Kal&t to the Persian side. This roiiuost was further pressed by the Persian Minister in London ; and it is probably one which may not have been oflScially disposed of nt the present hour. The British Commissioner could not, in justice, nmke over the bone of contention to Persia : nor had he the power, in exiHHlionoy, to treat the matter on its geographical merits. Whatever view*, however, may be entertained on the rights to Kohak, there can Ih> no doubt that the original decision, making it over to Kaldt, was mxvptod pitr H nimple^ and, therefore, that for Persia to reject any nuHlitleation of that decision short of the full, unreserved grant of the dii*t riot, must bo construed as a virtual return to the first award. If, ovontunlly, any concession to Persia be made, it should certainly be iH^uvoyod in such particular form that, without involving Her Majesty's (iovornmont in responsibilities inconvenient as to the issue, the future liwloiw»n(Jonc<» of the district should as well as possible be secured. For all ovidt^noe goes to prove that it i>, more or less, independent.
(^hAlibAr is a port west of Gwatar and GwAdar, which at the period iiT tlio PttrMo-Kaldt settlement was in the hands of the Arabs, and had luHUt NO for nearly a century. As it was not considered in the British (Nmirniwioner's province to discuss the question of its ownership when tlu» IliM* of boundary was drawn, there was no provision made regarding it, IN^rpiiii has thought fit to supersede the Arab rule there by her own. VVn <lo »'*^ acknowledge the justice of the act : but, independently of rjtflil' aful wrong, Persia seems to have done unwisely in expelling from dim phM^'t a thriving commercial community. She might in this, as III Nlinilar instances, have reaped material benefit from toleration and ifurKtroNity : whereas the law of might may have been exercised to her ilntrlnHUit ))oth in purse and prestige.
(Jfilit need bo said on the results of the Sist&n Arbitration. lUui/MiriMf hail been had by both Persia and Afghfinist&n to British liMMliaiiori ; the former under Article VI of the Anglo-Persian Treaty nf Mftn;h 1857, promising the 'friendly ofiices' of the British Qo- VifriirrM*rif when rcfpiired ; the latter on the plea that arms were not
INTRODUCTIOlf. liii
taken up in defence of SiBtfin, out of deference to the wishes of the Viceroy of India. Intervention was considered advisable, and a Com- miseioner instructed accordingly by Her Majesty's Secretary of State. This officer woold accompany the Persian Boundary Cummiseioner to Sist&n, there to be met by tlie Viceroy's Delegate accompanying the Afgh&n Commissioner to the same place. The meeting was so fer held, that all partiee arrived at the place appointed, and within easy distance of each other : but discussion was reserved for Tehrfin, where a decision was publicly given.
Exception was taken on both sides, and appeals duly forwarded to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Perhaps the double appeal bore testimony that the award was, at least, impartial. In any case, two of the main objections may here be noted. They were on the Persian side ; —
1st. That the oblique line drawn across the Sist&n desert, by cutting off the Persians from the left bank of the Helmand above Kuhak, en- dangered the needed supply of water to the tract called ' Sist&n Proper.'
2nd. That the limitation of 'Sist&n Proper' to the line of the ' N£ic&r,' or reed-beds on the north, deprived the Persian villages in the vicinity of their legitimate lands and revenues.
Reasons for this disposition of territory have been fully given, independently of the abstract justice of the ease as explained in the recorded Arbitration. The question of water-supply is one of a local detail into which it would be tedious now to enter ' ; but it has been
' On tfala nibject I quote the opinioD of Major Lovett, R.E). : —
' The Helmand flows between high bulks from Rudb4r to Kohak, Bod (he only plaoea where eaiul works would be pntctioble, and where it is at all feauhle [o lead off the water, is at the bend of the rirer at Bandar Kamil Khan, and lower down below Kala'h Fkth on the right bank, where formerly, according to tradition, a canal started tuid Irrigated the countrji near Ch&khansur. Ab to the (dijection that the Afghina, bj reconitrucUng the canal heeds at Bandar Kamil Khan, might deprire the Fenians in SbUui Proper of water fur irrigation, 1 would observe that beyond worki of irrigation in the had of the Helmand itself, which woald not decrease the water-sappty at Kobak, the Af^ins woald have no object in the reconstruction of the old Bandar Kom&l canal, originally intended for irrigating the low lands tpng to the east of the lake where now are the ruins of Hanz-i-Dar, Kandar, Ac, sU to the w««t of the line of delimitation, and therefore any resuscitation of these works would be for the benefit of the Persians. Between these low lands and the valley of the Helmand there is a tract of land too high tot river irrigation. To the statement that water may be led olf from Kala'h Fath to Chakhansiir, t reply that, however pbyiicBlly possible such a work might b«, its acoom. plishment by the Afghans is most unlikely. Moreover, Chakhansiir itself, the only vlllags of note east of this section ofthe Helmand, is already irrigated by the Eh4sh river,'
liv INTRODUCTION.
referred to in the award, and any evil result contemplated by Persia from the possession by Afgh&nist&n of the left bank of the Helmand above Sistdn Proper, would be as much in contravention of the spirit of the settlement as a forcible attempt to recover Nasirab&d or Sekuha. In other respects the boundary line to the south has its advantages.
Personal experience, combined with a study of the declared experi- ence of others^ led the Arbitrator to the conclusion that fixed and understood boundaries between restless and antagonistic nations^ guided rather by circumstances than principles, and not amenable to strict laws of civilisation, afford the best guarantee for peace and pro- gress within the territorial limits of those nations, especially in the neighbourhood of the frontier defined. But it is almost as essential to the due adjustment of frontier disputes such as the Perso-KaUt and Perso-Afghdn, to secure the lasting integrity of a defined frontier, as to define it acceptably in the first instance. And while the opinion is held that^ both in a geographical and political sense, the best boundary between semi-civilised Oriental States is a desert, or barren mountain range through or along which an arbitrary line offers no inducement to transgression from either side ; a river is, on the other hand, believed to possess, in this respect, simply geographical advan- tages. Politically, as it is the cause of rendering land fertile and valuable, so must it be the cause of envy and dissension to a nomadic population equally ready to find means of livelihood in cultivating the right or the left bank; and therefore, politically^ is it all the more necessary that these nomads, or their representative chiefs, should be subject to one sovereign power, whichever side they may select for the transfer of their labours.
As regards the second objection by Persia, the Arbitral award states that * North of Sistdn the Southern limit of the Nd'izdr should be the frontier towards Ldsh Juwain. Persia should not cross the " Hdmun " in that direction.' But it is not contrary to the spirit of this ruling to allow Persia the benefit of any reeds or cultivation within the Ndizdr which fairly belong to places assigned to her in Sistdn Proper, such as JaUlab&d and Jah&nab&d, provided they do not equally belong to places North of the N&'zdr and on the Western side of the Helmand. The general line of. the Ndizir, or broad bed of reeds, should not, under any circumstances, be transgressed, as all territory to iU North must be held to belong to L&sh Juwain. There seems, in fine, to be no real obstacle to the perpetuation of the settlement.
INTRODUCTION. It
if onl^ the spirit of discord will allow of a mntoal onderstaading for motnal advantage.
The aothon of the papers comprised ia these volumes on Eastern Persia are Majors St. John and Lovett of the Royal Engineers, Major Enan Smith' of tiie Madras Army, and Mr. W. T. Blanfonl of the Geological Survey of India. A few conclnding words are necessary to show the circumstances under which the materiel and data have been collected.
Captain Oliver St. John, an oSicer of much practical experience in Persia, had been originally named to carry out the survey and scien- tific objects of General GoldBmid's Mission in 1870 ; but the urgency of Ms duties in the Telegraph Department at Tehrftn had stood in the way of acceptance. Captain W. H. Pierson, also an officer of local knowledge and varied ability, was next offered the post ; but his tempo- tary employment under the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury being ruled as of greater importance, the work eventually fell to the lot of Captain Beresford Lovett, a junior officer to both the above on the Staff of the Persian Telegraph. The want of honest co-operation on the part of the Shah's authorities in Makr&n had compelled the British Com- missioDer to precipitate a settlement, based on sufficient knowledge bat somewhat incomplete geographical details; so that, when nego- tiating a permanent boundary line at Tehr&n, to which the royal fiat was eventually given. General Goldsmid suggested that ' for the prevention of future disputes, and to ensure accuracy in mapping,' a newly-deputed engineer officer should certify, by careful observation and in company with an emissary from Persia and Kal^t respectively, the frontier already sketched by Captain Ijovett. This suggestion was adopted both by the Home and Indian Governments, and Captain St. John's nomination to the duty approved: General Goldsmid, in anticipation of snch adoption and approval, had left provisional written instructions for Captain St. John's guidance, when himself returning to England^ ; and about the time that the General's Mission had again
* Loral rank of Major mut givea to thete officers for ipedBl datia.
■ ThefbUowing b u eitnct of his letter to the India Office dated 7(h Mfty,iB73 : <WIibq flnt appointad to ths Boandar; Comminnon, I was permitted to select an Engineer oficei for the pnctical and acieatiSc dutiw of aurrey. A ■uperintendence lA oeaity Eve je»n of the Indo-Eoiopeaii Telegnph had made me well acquainted with its officer* and ea^^vyh, and I had, on iDore than one oconaioQ, brought to the notio* ol the Government of lodia, and PnUlo Works Department of the HomeGovenunent, their good and effident
W ISTRODUCTION.
started £>r Sistin, C^tain St. John was on his way to Gw&dar to extHTQte the minute sorrev required at his hands.
IVtained by severe sickness before embarkation at Bushahr^ and again by GoTemm<»it orders on arrival in Makrin, owing to the dis- turUfd state of the interior, it was not until the 22nd January, 1872, that the upward journey was commenced fix>m the sea-board. On the 13th March he had rmched Jiik, in the tracts due south of the Sislan desert ; too late in the season for independent action. This was« moreover, the very day that General Goldsmid*s Mission crossed the SistAn frontier tn nmtt to Tehrin. Had it been otherwise, it would have been desirable K> attempt a junction of the camps. Such a nK«i^T^ mi^t have Keen accomplished two months earlier, with due TV^;^yrd to hrtit* sctMcity, and want of carriage, by crossing the desert ak^n^ the Mashkid river, and through Pir Kaisar ; or by a western tnii'k r<U Sarhad. As it was> returning through Bampur, Bam, Earmin and Shinu. t'Viptain St. John was again in the Persian capital on the
I8t July.
The dotailtnl acoi>unl of this officer's journey will be found not the kMi«t iuton»*tiiig iH>rtion of the following pages ; and he has prefaced
vvi'vU^w* li^ytuir MtrM* «#|HH>Ul)y on the nAines of Major Bateman Champain, Captains Ml. Jt^hn and IM^mm, ami iho late Quartennaster-Sei^gfeaot Bower. The nature and i|ihMr«» \^ u^ oonit»ir wtirk induced me naturally to turo towards thoee whom I had long hail riNiMm lu eeUntiii aa ottadjuton in the Telegraph— particularly the Persian section. f\vt Mi^or Ohain|>ain*e Mrvioet I could not well ask, as he had just succeeded me in the i1ll«f l>lre(»l4>l«hi|i of the Uovemment linee : Captain St. John could not be spared by Mis|t^ i1iam|)alii, and 1 was informed at the Foreign Office that the then employment of l^plaiti IMi4iKm umler the Treanury. lor a spedal duty in Persia, rendered impossible his Iraiisfitr to my MiMilitn. 1 liail, therefore, to look elsewhere for a scientific assistant, and vvmiluaUy nehHtiml Taptatn Lovett. About a year later I had completed the actual lietfoMaMuiiii Atr th«» aoknuwleilgment of a Perao-Baltich frontier, but the difficulties hIIihiiiiiMmihI by ih«« Mliuiion in the neighbourhood of the tracts to be mapped, rendered advUiible a revliildii of the geiigraphioal boundaiy under discussion. Captain St. Juhn*s ^itrvliH*s iMiliig ai this time available, I recommended his nomination for the duty, both to %\w llMiite aii«r litillati U<»veriiments : but as I was myself called away to the settlement iif a iiMW i|UMiitl<iii III HlHiAn. \ oould not personally superintend Captain St. John*s work. *|'||M wilHtiii liiMlruniliitis whioh I gave him, and which had been duly submitted, before iMlvni'.y. it* OiiviMiiiiitiiii apprt)var, were consequently of a character to leave him much r«Ni|i>tiiillillll-y III (li>Uilii and a fn*e exeruise of judgment hardly applicable to the case of miy iii»*iiibHi' itf ilie HUtr atHHiinpanylng myself; and I felt it but a proper suggestion to liiakH, III I lilt liiiMiitMU of the Putdlo Servloe, that Captain St. John be allowed to correspond illiiM'lily, wIiIIm MiiipliiyiMl In MakrAu, wltli the Foreign Secretary in Calcutta. Thus the NiMVity MIhmImiii iliitugli mil luvMtod with any actual political authority, became, as it iVMiM, n MHpHfaiM servlufi, and Its iHiuduot and result were not without political importance.'
INTRODUCTION. Ivii
the narrative with a thoughtfiil and instructive chapter on the Physical Geography of Persia, the result of long residence and intellifjent ob- servation. The official valne of his reports has nowhere been more conspicQons than in the confirmation of the views first expressed on the independence of Kohak, a district which could not be visited by the Boundary Commission, owing to the objections put forward by the Persian ant horities ^.
Captain Beresford Lovett, R.E., accompanied General Goldemid during both his Missions. On the first occasion, to enable him to oI>tain 80me preliminary acquaintance with the frontier to be surveyed, he Wffl8 despatched from camp east of Isfah^ to Bushahr and Gw4dar, rejoining at Sampur by the Kasrkand valley and Ch^mp south-east of that place. IVom Bampur he was detached on a survey to the northward ; when, after visiting Panjgur and Kej, he was enabled to collect many material data, rejoining the Mission Camp at Gw^ar. His experience, acquired in these particular expeditions, will be foun<' tinder the head of ' Narrative of a Journey in Baluchistan,' immedi- ately following Captain St. John's papers. On the occaBion of the Perso-Afgh&n Arbitration, he joined Sir Frederic Goldsmid at Bam, having reached that station from Tehr&n, by the Karmfin road, a course which enabled him to effect an interesting exploration of Khabis and the neighbouring country, elsewhere described. He was then accompanied by the late Quartermaster- Sergeant David Bower, a non-commissioned officer of engineers, whose subsequent death, in the discharge of the noblest of duties^, will have been deplored, not alone by relatives, but by the many who could give personal testimony to his worth, zeal, and ability. Captain Lovett's labours, during the rough period of the Sist^n difficulty, comprised an expedition to the Kuh-i-Khwfija^ and a brief mission to Chakhansur.
Captain C. Bean Euan Smith was Personal Assistant to Major- General Goldsmid, and present with him throughout the two Missions with which that officer was entrusted. He has now completed a narrative of both expeditions; worked out in considerable detail, yet not incautiously infringing on secret and political archives. In justice to the narrator it should be stated that, owing to his absence in India
' Captain St. Jotm'B sorvicea In tlie Peraun telegrs(ih hare been already rocorded in Part I. of Telegraph ami Trevol, publUbed by MesMB. MacmUlan and Co. (1874) ; more Gapecially in the Appundix to tbat Tolume, p. 641.
' See note, |j. 77. ' See Geographical Magaiino for October 1873.
'^"» INTRODUCTIOy.
unA ihrlay in rec<;ipt of manuscripts, an adaptation from his diaries, riiihi;r pri?f>ared for official record than public circulation, fills up a vacuum from pages 164 to 21 1 in a manner not originally contem- \f\skUiA ; and otlier modifications or curtailments of text, which might hftvft hw!n more satisfactorily efiected by the author himself, have been m'A'M%n\\^Ut{\ in the course of publication. Apology must, moreover, be mu\v. that lh(5 order in which the pages came to hand interfered with fhii (\\w diviNJon of the story into chapters; a method suggesting itself i^t fhn odif^)r, but set aside in favour of headings originally given by r*w(il4»in Hrniih U) certain sections.
Mr. Hlanford'N reputation as a naturalist and geologist will be a *fif()(f|ifrit iiiirodiKjtion to his highly valuable contribution to the m^vituA of tlioMo volumes. His presence in England fortimately en- Mlil<jd liitii to Hce the pages on Zoology through the Press, and to \myii littlo U) bo done by editorial hands in respect of the remainder. How he came to be associated in these Boundary Commissions may be m%\\y explained. When Captain St. John was about proceeding to Makrin in accordance with the British Commissioner's recommendation, the Oovernment of India appointed Mr. Blanford to accompany him. The wisdom and uses of such an appointment could hardly find better illustration, or better warrant for precedent, than in the results obtained from the combination of duties in this particular instance.
F. J. GOLDSMID.
LOKDON,
iith May, 1876.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF PERSIA
AND
NARRATIVE
OF A
JOURNEY THKOUGH BALUCHISTAN AND SOUTHERN PERSIA
MAJOB OLIVER B. ST. JOHN, R.E.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF PERSIA.
By Major OLIVER B. ST. JOHN, R.K.
Necemitj for the chapter— Tlie Iranian plateim geDerally ilewriWl — The CaueiMUB n part of it — Its area, clemtioD, nnd drainage — Extent and drainage of Penia — Occfinic Win — Caapian boain — Helmand baun — Interior drainage area — Bain- fall— Prevailing winda— Absence uf great rivers— The Safld-Hdd — The Atrak — Rivera of Weatsm Peniia — Of Fam^Of Balrlehii.tin — Of Central Pernii — Oreography of Peraia — Error* in older inapa — Disco veriea uf M. KhanikofT— Of Major LoTett — Of the Author — Dnifbmi direction of Persian mountains — Eleva- tion of ditto _ Valleys and pUina of Persin — KatIr — The greiit salt dueert — The deaert of Lilt — Political frontier of Peraia.
I HAVE undertaken, with much diffidence, to att«mpt a description ol' the physical geography of Persia as a whole. It would have Leen an easier task, and one less likely to provoke criticism, to have confined it to those parts which have been surveyed by myself and other officers of the recent frontier commissions. But a work giving so full an account of the zoology of the country, would be incomplete with- out a general sketch of the external features which play so large h part in modifying the nature and distribution of the fauna ; and a de- scription of the geology must Decessarily contain, if it does not supple- ment, an outline of the physical geography, MoreoTer, the journey of Mr. Blanford and myself was performed under circumstances which enabled us, not only to examine the nature of the country wo traversed with a completeness rare in the annals of Persian travel, but to throw a considerable amount of light on the accounts of other explorers in proximate fields, which from want of scientific basis to go upon have been imperfectly, and often quite incorrectly, generalised by geo- graphers. The study of the works of all modem travellers in Persia, while engaged in compiling a map of the country for the India Office,
2 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
has familiarised me, ae far as reading by the light of experience can do so, with those districts I have not myself visited. In the following pages I will therefore attempt to place before the reader a sketch in outline of the outward appearance of that section of the earth's surface which owns the sway of the Shfih, emphasising, and filling up in more detail, here and in the course of the succeeding narrative, those portions of the picture which have been either changed in form, or brought from shadow into light by our recent researches and other material unknown to or unused by geographers.
Modem Persia occupies the western and larger half of the great elevated plateau, rising between the valleys of the Indus and the Tigris. This plateau, generally termed the Iranian^ may be described in relation to the general mountain system of the old world, as a section and southern spur of that great dividing range, which forms the backbone of the Europeo-Asiatic continent. On the west the high- lands of Armenia unite the Iranian plateau with the mountains of Asia Minor ; and on the east the Paropamisus and the Hindu Kush connect it with the Himalayas and the highlands of Tibet. Between the two it is bounded on the north by the vast desert steppes of South Russia^ Khiva, and Bukh&ra, with the intervening depression which forms the Caspian Sea.
The Caucasus range and the highlands between it and Adarbaij&n present no features sufficiently distinctive to entitle the geographer to separate them from the Iranian plateau ; from which they are divided by no well-marked physical boundary. The opposite sides of the valley of the Araxes, a mere mountain torrent on a large scale, which forms the political frontier, are alike in character The same may be said of the valley of the Kur ; and the great Caucasian range itself is but a prolongation of the Kuren and Kopet ranges S the undoubted northern scarp of the Iranian plateau, cast of the Caspian. At best the Caucasian provinces of Russia are but an excrescence of the great elevated mass to the south-east; differing from it only in charac- teristics produced by the more bounteous rainfall, which has scooped out the valleys to a greater depth.
On the south-west, the valley of the Tigris, with its continuation the Persian Gkilf; on the south the Arabian Sea; and the Indus
* This fact was unknown until the publication of surveys made by the officers of the recent Kussian expeditions from forts Krasnovodsk and Chikisliar against the Tdrkman f u>madB, and is not therefore shown in any existing general maps.
7^ .iAV
OF PERSIA. 3
valley on the cast, form the other limits of the Iranian plateau, which covers, in round numbers, somewhat over a million square miles. Its average height above the sea may be about four thousand feet, varying from eight thousand or higher in certain of the outer valleys, to not more than 6ve hundred in the most depressed portions of the centre. This greater elevation towards the edge givee an indication of the true basin-like character of the plateau. Less than one-half its surface drains outwards to the ocean, or to the Caspian and Aral lakes. The river Kur rises upwards of 300 miles as the crow flies, and the Kizil- ITziin or Safid-Rud over 200 miles, from the nearest shore of the Caspian, into which they flow. But with these exceptions, no river on the Iranian platean has a source more than 150 miles in a straight line from the foot of the scarp j and the average breadth of the lip of the basin hardly exceeds one hundred miles.
A glance at the accompanying sketch map (No. 1} will bring this prominent feature more clearly home to the reader than any mere description. He will also notice at once that the inward draining part of the plat«au is divided into two sections. Of these the eastern, coloured yellow, drains into a single central depression the H£mun, or lake of Sist^n, and is iisually termed, from the name of its principal river, the Hclmand basin. The western and larger half is as it were honeycombed into many depressions, each receiving the drains^ of an area of more or less magnitnde. The number of these depressions is quite uncertain, but the extent and character of the principal will be separately described hereafter. This natural separation of the central area into two parts, is nearly followed in the political division of the plateau. The whole of the western division, with the exception of a small corner near Her4t, belongs to Persia, as does the narrow belt of country draining into the Sistfin Lake from the west, with the greater part of the lake itself, and the fertile plain on its east bank. The rest of the Helmand, with a large part of the Oceanic and Caspio- Aral basins, belongs to the states of Afgh&nist&n and Kal&t, and their details are therefore beyond my limits.
The drainage areas of the whole Iranian platean are approximately as follows : —
The ocean ilnuiu ajo.ooo iqnaie milsB.
The Aral and Ciuipian .. .. 150,000 „ „
Leaving 550,000 to the interior drainage, of which surface the Helmand basin covers over 300,000.
^ I'll Y SIC A L (iKOGRAPHY
Tim ftt(j,(Ki(i m|imn* iiiilr« indudcKl in Perisa proper are drained as
Colli I WH .
|
hiiit ttin iM«iNill |
• 1 |
130.000 |
|
„ itm ('ii«|iUii mill Ar»l *cmii |
• • |
100,000 |
|
.« Dim MUUti Uki* |
• |
40,000 |
|
.. t'llMlH l»ki* |
• « |
ao.ooo |
|
lh(«tiltii iliii(iiim«> .. |
• |
320,000 |
VoUl 610,000
•IV
l(rl\Milh(f tti (ho limp it \\\\\ U' HiHUi thui the area draining into the iMt»»m (tohii|ii|i« xxf H \\^\\^ iitrip» lUMirly |>iinillel to the Tigris and the •»i^ini»iM(, Hti^l without Ik ^\\\^\i' prt^tnwion inland. It should be »iMlu.»»^l Ihmo, (ImiI Oioiv i»* no iHM'Uinty iu» to whether an outlet exists • »*'io (ho Ihiiopor phiiii to (ho »*imi. hy which the water of the Bampur Hwn iMi^jhl oiioHpo III oxtriionlinary floods. Native evidence on the •»mI\|i^oI' iIiIUmm, imkI (ho oountry south-west of Bampur has not yet I'ooh vIuKihI hv Hii KuroiH»ttn. It is possible, therefore, that the line <•! (Iio mi(or purling hIiouUI be continued eastwards, a little north of tho 4HI.I1 |iiimllol, an far as the Helmand watershed.
A iiiirniw wtrip of hind not more than thirty to fifty miles wide,
Hh>M|| (hii fiuiithorn coast of the Caspian^ drains into that sea. On the
^»«i»(. I(. Niiildoiily widens out to a depth of 250 miles, meeting the
WfidtmlMMl of the Tigris on the one side^ and that of the Euphrates
Hhil liako Van on the other, and embracing between the two the basin of
Imko CJrinfa or Urumiyah, which is thus completely shut off from the
ftmi of the inward draining area of Persia, forming, with the basin of
l^nko Van, what may be termed the supplementary plateau of Armenia,
Whioli differs only from the Persian and Helmand basins in its superior
ultiiiido and smaller area. The basin of Lake Gokcha, in the moun-
tliiiiM, between the Kur and the Araxes, might be considered as form-
iii^ another distinct drainage area; but though it has no external
'Miilut, tlie perfect freshness of its waters would seem to point with
'^ probability amounting to conviction to its having subterranean
**"tmnunication with one or other of these rivers.
On the east the watershed of the Caspian gradually increases in wrooclth, the foot of the scarp extending considerably to the north of tho south-east angle of that sea, three degrees east of which it turns ^* the south-east parallel to the axis of the Kuren and Kopet ranges, ^nich, as before stated, are a prolongation of the Caucasus. A short
OF PERSIA. 5
distance south of Heiit the Caspian wat«r-parting turos eastwards, separating the valleys of the Hari-Rud and Hfirlit Rivera. West of Herfit, the desert plateau of Khif divides the Caspian from the Helmand hasin.
It may be noticed here that the Tajand River, as the united waters of the Hari-Uud and Mash-had rivers are called, does not, as repre- sented in some recent maps, end in the desert close to Sarakhs, but forms a sw-amp in the Ahk about the fifty-eighth meridian. Had its waters sufficient volume they would doubtless find a channel to the Caspian in Hijji Bugfir Bay, or to tlie old bed of the Oxus, between the Lessor Balkan and the Kopet range. This point will probably be cleared up by the Russian expeditions against the Tekeh Turkmans, which, as these lines are written, are said to be starting from the Caspian. As far south as latitude 30°, the eastern slopes of the ranges which sbut off the valley of the Helmand from the deserts of Eastern Persia drain directly towards the Sist^ Lake. But south of that parallel the surplus water flows by several channels in a south-cast direction, or away from the lake. About latitude 29°, the water- parting of the Baliuchistin mountain system, running east and west, changes the direction of these streams, and collects them into a single channel, which, under the name of the M£shkid River, bursts through the northern scarp of the Ballich hills into the Kfaardn desert. Hero it takes a north-westerly course, thus reversing the original direction of its waters, which are lost in the desert not far from their most northern sources. It is very probable that they find a subterranean channel some distance further to the north, and aid to fill the Zirreh swamp, the southern of the three depressions which, united by flood waters, form the Hamfin or Sist&n Lake.
The great central area of Persia, included in the watersheds described above, forms a figure nearly triangular, with a base running south-west about 1000 miles long, and nearly equal sides north and east of 700 miles. The subdivision of this vast area into different drainage basins will be treat«d when wc come to describe the hill ranges by which they are divided.
It will be readily believed that the rainfall on the Oceanic and Caspian watersheds is far in excess of that on the interior. Wherever the water-parting is formed, as it is in most parts, by a lofty mountain ridge, it intercepts the moisture-bearing clouds from the sea, which are discharged on its outer slopes. The Alhurz chain, which shuts off
6 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
the plateau from the Caspian, may be taken as the typical instance of this. Its northern face is furrowed into deep valleys by the constant and heavy showers which have clothed them in forests of almost tropical luxuriance, while the southern generally presents a single abrupt scarp^ rising above long gravel slopes, unchannelled by anything worthy the name of a river, and bare of any vegetation rising to the dignity of a tree. At the most moderate estimate the rainfall of Gil&n and Mazandar&n may be taken as five times that of the adjoining districts across the ridges to the south.
In other parts, however, we find the water-parting considerably below the level of the summits further inland ; and here the interior luiH a more plenteous rainfall than the coast. This is particularly the rase in south-eastern Persia, where the Khurasdn^ Sarhad^ and Dizak hills, fur exceeding in altitude the ranges to the south, attract to tlu^mwelves the major portion of the scanty supply of moisture borne inland from the sea.
Again, the rainfall differs very much in different parts of the country, under apparently similar conditions as regards mountains and distance from the sea ; the east and south being far drier than the north and west, while the dampest parts of the Tigris valley have not half the rainfall of the southern and south-eastern shores of the Caspian.
Two palpable causes unite to produce the prevailing winds through- out Persia and the Persian Gulf. These are, with an extraordinary uniformity, north-west or south-east. The first cause is the position of the Black Sea and Mediterranean on the north-west, and of the Arabian Sea on the south-east. The second is the bearing of the axes of the great mountain chains, which lie mainly in the same direction (vide diagram II), and thus tend to guide the currents of air in a uniform course. The south-west, moreover, is not felt, except as moderating the temperature of the Makrdn coast, inside a line from R&s-al-Hadd, south of Maskat, to ELardchi.
The effect of the sun on the great Iranian plateau is to produce a heated stratum of air; which, when it rises, is succeeded by a current from the colder atmospheres above the seas to the south-east or north-west. Naturally the latter is the colder, and therefore, as might be expected, north-west winds are most prevalent. But in southern Persia and the Grulf it often occurs that the two currents meet, and that a north- westerly gale is raging at Bushahr, while a south-easter is blowing at
I
OF PERSIA. 7
Baadar-Abbas. This latter wind is the rain-bearer throng'hout the greater part of Persia, the exception being the north-west, where occasional rain-cloads from the Black Sea and the Caspian find their way across the Ktirdish mountains or the Alburz. It is true that it often rains even on the Gulf during' a north-wester, but only when this has followed a succession of south-easterly gales, the moistnre home by which is returaed from the opposite quarter.
In the absence of statistics extending over even a single year (and an average of fifteen years at least would, I think, be requisite], it is im- possible to give more than an opinion as to the amount of rainfall in Persia. But I believe I am well within the mark in stating that no part of the country, with the exception of the Caspian watershed, and that of the Persian Gulf north of the twenty-eighth parallel, and tbeir immediate reverse slopes, with perhaps the Urmia basin, has an average yearly rainfall of ten inches, taking mountain and valley together. Throughout the greater part of central and south -east em Persia, and Boluchistfin, the annual rainfall cannot be much more than five inches. On most parts of the plateau the rainfall is divided as follows: A little rain is hoped for, but not always expected, in November, to sow the early crops. In December there is generally a tolerably heavy fall of snow, and another in February, followed by showers in March and the beginning of April, after which there is nothing but an occasional thunderstorm in the mountains till the next winter. Were it not that the lofty hills store the moisture in the shape of snow, nine-tenths of Persia would be the arid desert that half of it is now. As it is, cultivation over the greater part of the country is only possible by artificial irrigation, either by canals, or by the system of wells connected by underground channels called kandt or kariz, and peculiar, I believe, to the Iranian plateau.
With BO scanty a rainfiiU, great rivers are not to be expected, and we accordingly fail to find a single stream unfordable during the dry months throughout the whole of the interior plateau. The Caspian watershed, besides the Kur and the Araxes, presents three considerable streams in Persian territory. The first is the Kizil-Uzun or Safid- Hud, which drains about 35,000 Bquare miles of country east and south of the Urmia basin. On the south-weEt nf the Caspian the streams, though often of considerable volume, are of small length. The most important is the I4r, which rises north of Mount Damfivand, and
8 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
flows round its southern foot, thus nearly encircling it before com- pleting its course to the sea.
The other two are the Atrak and the Gurgdn, of which the former and larger is very incorrectly laid down on existing maps of Persia, being shown as rising near Abivard, about longitude 60°, flowing due west through four degrees of longitude before turning south- west to the Caspian, and receiving many affluents from either side in its course.
The recent Russian explorations and the travels of Colonel Valentine Baker and Lieutenant Gill, R.E., last year, have largely modified this view. It appears that the true Atrak is the same stream as that shown on maps as the Germeh Khaneh or Germe Riid. This has its origin iu a dry torrent near Kabush&n or Kush&n, and flows through Shirvan and Bujnurd in a north-westerly direc- tion, receiving several considerable streams from the Kuren Ddgh on the norths but none of im}X)rtanco from the hills to the south. As the Atrak river is supposed in certain quarters to form the frontier of Persia throughout its course, this modification is one of consider- able importance, as it places the Persian town of Shirvan and the flourishing Persian district of Darah-gaz outside the limits of the kingdom. In describing the present state of the political frontier of Persia at the close of this chapter, I shall advert to this subject again.
The streams draining southern and western Persia into the sea^ diminish regularly in imi)ortance from north-west to south-east. The slopes of the mountains of Kurdistan and the Z^gros pour their waters into the great river Tigris through the Didla and Karkhah rivers. Further south the Diz and Kdrun^ or Kur&n, unite their waters in the plain of Khuzistdu, to form a river navigable from the sea to the first range of hills. It is worthy of remark that this stream, which formerly discharged its whole volume direct into the sea^ now parts with the larger half through an artificial channel into the Shat-ul-Arb, the common outlet of the Tigris and Euphrates. South of the Kjiriin the Jar^hi and Tdb rivers have with it formed the delta of Persian Arabistdn, the most extensive and fertile i)lain in Persia.
After this, not a single stream unfordable at all seasons bars the passage of the traveller along the coast till he reaches the Indus, eighteen degrees of longitude to the east, and five degrees of latitude
OF PERSIA. 9
farther Bouth, a stretch of riverless waste perhaps unequalled savu on the neighbouring shores of Arabia and the Red Sea. The lofty hilh south and west of ShMz originate several streams, which are discharged into the Gulf by two mouths ; one at Ru-hilleh, north of Bushahr ; and the other formed by the K&r-agach and Ftruz- ibfid rivers a little sonth of Kog&n.
There appears to be no valid authority for the extent and direc- tion of any streame delineated on the maps between the last-named and the Min&b river, which again is of far more importance than the maps would lead the observer to suppose. So little is known of the quadrilateral between the Shir^ and Karmin road on the north, the sea on the south, and the Shir&z-ftruz&bid and Karm&n- Bandar-Abbas roads west and east, that we can pronounce nothing with certainty about its streams except that all are quite insignifi- cant. On the other hand] the Min4b creek receives the drainage of all the wide plain across the hills north of Bandar-Abbas.
In Persian Baluchist&n the Aimini and Kir torrents drain very narrow valleys. The former is remarkable as being the only water- course in Baluchistan which pierces the plateau, rising amid low hills on the plain of Bampur. The uncertainty whether this latter has an outlet to the sea has- already been adverted to. It is possible that the flood-waters of its stream, after joining the Jiriift or BadbUr torrents, find a way along the north of the Bushkurd hills to the Min&b. For my own part I incline to the belief that no such outlet exists.
The Dashtiari river is more considerable than either the Kir or the
Aimini, but is less than the Dasht or Nihing, whose course has
been fully described in the narrative portion of this work. Its
. erroneous connection by geographers with the Mfishkid and Kak-
sh&n torrents has also been mentioned elsewhere.
We now come to the streams which have no outlet to the sea. Where all are so inconsiderable, and moreover vary so much at different seasons, and have as much as possible of their water drained off in canals, it is difficult to signalise the most prominent. The general character is everywhere much the same, and may be described as follows. Before the brooks have left the hills, part of their water is taken off to irrigate the mountain sides, and when they unite in the wider valleys larger canals lead from the channel. As long as the slope is rapid and the bed stony, a great deal of
10 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
the precious liquid manages to escape, but when the open alluvial plain between the ranges is reached it is soon exhausted in irri- gating the banks ; and, but for constant affluents from the never far distant hills would soon present an empty bed. As it is, many rivers struggle on for a considerable distance from their sources, till they end in salt swamps or lakes. Nearly all are brackish in the latter part of their course, being tainted by the salt common in the gjrpseous strata so universally occurring throughout Persia.
The principal of these inland streams are the Aji-Chdi and Jaghatu flowing into the salt lake of Urmia ; the Hamadan Bud, or K^rasu, and the Shurdb flowing eastwards to the salt desert ; the 2iaindarud, fertilising the neighbourhood of Isfah&n, and lost in the unexplored swamp or salt marsh of U&vkhdnah, and the Kur, commonly known in Europe as the Bendameer, which forms the salt lake of Niris, miscalled Bakhteg&n on our maps.
The Shir&z lake receives little or no water from influent streams, being apparently mainly fed by springs, as is the smaller lake of Kazr&n.
Having thus completed a brief account of the hydrography of Persia, let us tijm to the consideration of its oreography, to illustrate which I have prepared a diagram showing the direction and extent of the axes of the principal ranges, (vide fig. II) ^ This is the more necessary, as it is here that the largest modifications in maps have been made by recent travellers. A glance at the diagram will show that the most prominent characteristic of the mountain system of Persia is the uniform direction of its ranges, which lie, with few exceptions, nearly north-west and south-east, a feature I have already referred to as influencing the prevailing winds. That part of the Albiirz which lies east of Damdvand, and the ranges
* I should have wished to have included the eastern half of the Iranian plateau in this diagram as in that of the drainage areas. But I find that, with the exception of the main valley of the Helmand, and that of the Hari-Rdd, near Herat, we have little exact information regarding the axes of the ranges which make up the mountain system of Afghanist&n, west of the Indus basin. Taking into consideration the known direction of the Ghazni ridges (N.E. and S.W.), and that of the chains bounding the Herat valley (E. and W.), and supposing the water-parting of the Paropamisus to be correctly shown on our maps, it would appear probable that we have a formation in the outline of the axes of the hills identical with that found between eastern and western Baluchistan, where the Persian mountains, coming from the north-west, are connected with the Khivan hills from the north-east, by a series of parallel ridges nmning east and west.
OF PERSIA. U
jMrallel to it on the south, with the ridges intersectintr tbo Buluch plateau, form the only remarkable exceptions to the rule.
A comparison between the hydro^raphic and oreographic diagram)) will show that the disposition of the hills affords little indication of that of the watersheds. There is nothing in the latter to show which of the many parallel ridges form the water-partings of the plateau. Indeed the general outline would eeem to point rather to a great river flowing to the sea in the south-east, than to a series of depressions receiving the surplus drainage.
The view generally taken by geographers of the mountain system of Persia, is that of an offshoot of the Hindu Kush, connecting that chain with the Caucasus and the Taurus. If there be any necessity for establishing such an origin (apart from the fact that the Iranian plateau is a link in the chain of high land running through Europe and Asia), the affinities of the Persian mountains would seem rather to lie westwards than eastwards : but in the absence of any accurate information regarding the geography or geology of northern Afghanistan, the ])oiutB cannot be tinally settled. To me it appears probable that the Hari-Rud valley, the political frontier of Persia and Afgh&nist&n, is also the point of contact of their respective mountain systems.
The idea of the continuity of the Persian ranges with those of the eastern watershed of the Helmand was borne out by all maps engraved previous to the publication of the results of the travels of M. Khanikoff in eastern Persia.
A reference to any atlas published before i860, and indeed many of later date, will show all ranges east of the main road from Shiriz, through Isfahan to Tehr&n {about the fifty-second meridian), running east and west, i.e. parallel to the coast ranges of the Arabian Sea, and the valley of HerAt, the only sukveyed porxioks. M. Khanikoff was the first to show that not only the mountains of Khoras&n lie in ridges nearly parallel to those of western Persia, north-west and south- east, but that central Persia is intersected by more than one con- tinuous range, with its axis in the same direction. This fact, which is strongly insisted on in his text, is rather ignored in the unworthy little map attached to it, in which minor spurs are exaggerated to equal dimensions with the main ridges, a defect increased rather than diminished by his English copyists.
However, his journey made a revolution in the prevailing ideas
12 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
regarding the oreography of eastern Persia, and the surveys of Major Lovett and myself have done as much for the south. Major Lovett's first journey in 1870-71 established the facts of a water-parting in Baluchist&n^ about 100 miles from the coast^ dividing the Helmand valley from the oceanic basin ; and of a singular south-western deflec- tion of the axes of the ranges south of Bampur. The following year we proved the continuity of the great plateau west of Sistdn with the Sarhad and Si&neh mountains ; ascertained that Pottinger's text was right in distinguishing between the two extinct or dormant volcanos, the Kuh-i-Naushdda, and the Kuh-i-Basm&n ; and his maps wrong in making but one: further west we traced KhanikoflTs great central range west of Yazd, as far south as latitude 27" 30'; and found the other minor ridges between Karm&n and Shir&z to lie in the same uniform direction, a parallelism I had previously found to occur in the ranges on all the roads between Bushahr and Shir&z^ and that city and Isfahan .
On returning to England the new data obtained by ourselves and M. Khaiiikoff have enabled me to interpolate with them the observa- tions of older travellers, to which, from want of solid base to work upon, justice had not been done by geographers. Thus the travels of Christie and Truilhier between Tabas and Yazd, and of Keith Abbott^ between Yazd and Karmdn, conclusively demonstrated the existence of three parallel ranges between the two former towns, and of a lofty and fertile plateau (Kuh-Bandn), east of the road between the two latter, in a situation marked on the maps as part of the Karmdn desert.
The ranges on the coasts of the Caspian and of the Arabian Sea,
' It is a matter of regret that this moit paiostaldng and conicientious of non-scientific travellers has not surviyed to see justice done to his labours. No general map that I know of contains the results of his travels in Persia (published in the journal of the Geographical Society), which remained unnoticed by geographers till their value was pointed out by Colonel Yule in his ' Marco Polo.' Without pretending to aught but a most rudimentary knowledge of surveying, Mr, Abbott, in addition to a great amount of political and topographical information, kept a careful road-book by compass and watch, through twelve hundred miles of travel over a country then quite unexplored, and but little of which has been since seen by an European. Having myself followed part of Mr. Abbott's route, and having plotted the whole of the remainder from the astronomically fixed points since laid down, I can bear testimony to the skill and perseverance with which he carried out his self-imposed task. Had his labours been properly utilised by map-makers, many of the gross errors which still disfigure maps of Persia would long ago have disappeared.
^
Rud the neighlmimng part of the Pergiftn Gulf, are thus well nigh conclusively shown to form the only important exceptions to the general rule of a north-west and south-easterly direction to the ridges. It seems far from improbable that the same phenomenon will be found to be repeated in the neighbouringr peninsula of Arabia, when that conntry is opened to fuller scientific en pi oration.
The general elevation of the mountains of Persia is far greater than has been generally supposed. The volcanic peak of Damavand, whose fires are still slumbering, marked upon our maps as 14,700 feet above the sea, has been fixed by the Russian Caspian Survey at 18,600 feet. Mount SavaUn, in Adarbaijfin, is declared by the same autho- rities to be 14,000 feet in height. I found the Kuh Haz&r, south of Karm&n, to exceed the latter altitude ; and the summits of the neighbouring Jamal-B£ris range are not inferior. But I believe the highest continuous range in Persia io be the Kuh Din^r, an unvisited chain of mountains in t'ars, (the southern peak is marked on nur maps as Daena 11,000?). These are visible from the sea near Bushahr, a distance of 130 miles over ridgee known to he 10,000 feet in altitude. I myself have seen them from the hills near Yazdikhfist in August, presenting an appearance both as to outline and extent not unlike the Bernese Alps, and hardly inferior in extent of snow-covered surface. As the snow-line at that season is certainly not below 14,000 feet, I am inclined to estimate the average height of the Dinir peaks at 17 to 18,000 feet above the sea. Many other summits in Armenia, Ktardietiin, and Luristdn never totally lose their snow, and can therefore be little less than 15,000 feet. The peaks in the water- parting of the Alburz do not exceed 13,000 feet, but when these were snowless in the summer of 1871, I observed a snow-clad ridge north of the watershed, about the western frontier of Mazandar&n. In central and eastern Persia there are no such lofty mountains, but the higher summits of the Kuru range, between Isfahfin and Kash^n, exceed 11,000 feet; and the Khuras&u mountains probably attain an equal elevation.
Absence of prominent spurs is the main characteristic of all Persian ranges except the Alburz, and to a lesser extent the Khurasfin hills. Inconsiderable rainfall has of course much to do with this, but the primary reason is to be sought in the geological formation. The extraordinary gravel slopes extending for many miles from the foot of the interior hills present a phenomenon fully treated of by Mr. Blanford
14 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
in his account of the geology, and I will not, therefore, enlarge upon it here.
It remains to notice the valleys and plains between and beyond the ranges. The Khuzistdn delta is the only plain of extent and import- ance at the sea-level. The strip of land between the out^r hills and the sea is generally narrow and barren, but occasionally, as north of Bushahr, and north and east of Bandar- Abbas, expands into respectable dimensions. Part of the plain of Mogfin, at the mouth of the Araxes, belongs to Persia, and the delta of the Safid-Rud has considerable extent and extraordinary fertility. Inland the long and narrow plains between the ridges rise gradually from i ooo feet to eight times that height in the valleys between the ridges on the east side of the western water-parting, and 4, 5, and 6000 further south and east. The plains of Isfahan, Shiriz, and Persepolis are about 5000 feet ; that of Karm&n somewhat higher. The valleys of Adarbaijfin present alluvial slopes furrowed by torrents, and the only extensive tableland in Persia, that of Sultdniah.
As they recede from the east and north, the intervals between the ridges are wider, and the rainfall smaller, till grassy valleys are re- placed by gravelly deserts, which culminate in wastes of shifting sand. The valley between Abddah and Yazd, a prolongation of the Zaindarfid valley, contains the first of these sandy wastes, which, under the Influence of the strong south-easterly winds, occasionally invade the neighbouring cultivated tracts. The original city of Rhages, south-east of Tehran, is said to have been abandoned on this account.
The most remarkable feature, however, in the plains of Persia is the salt swamp called Kavir or Kafeh.
The universal condition of the alluvial soil of the Persian plateau appears to be that wherever it is exposed to sufficient moisture, either by the overflow of rivers, surface-drainage from the hills, or want of sufficient slope to carry off* desert rainfall, a saline efflorescence is pro- duced, which, forming a thin whitish crust on the surface, retains the moisture beneath for a considerable time, and thus creates, in winter and spring, a treacherous and impassable bog.
Where the supply of water is constant, but insufficient to form salt lakes such as those of Urmia and Niriz, a bog of slimy mud is formed in the lowest depression, covered with brine in winter, and in summer by a thick crust of salt. These salt swamps are termed Kavir
OF PERSIA. 15
in the north, and Kafeh in the soath. The principal ia that shown on oar maps as the Great Salt Desert, the Dasht-i-Kuwecr, or Dana-i- Kabir '. This is the eastern part of what is probably the most ex- tensive plain in Persia, that intercepted between 'the Albnrz and its parallel ridges and the heads of the ranges of the central plateau which nm south-east. Westward it is divided into two valleys, originating, one in the Sultflniah plateau, and the other north of and near Hiunad4D. Each of these is drained by a river named respectively the Shur&b and the K&rasu, which with another considerable affluent from Turshiz on the east, unite to form the great Kavir. It has only once been seen by an European, Dr." Btihse, a Russian, who crossed it about latitude 34°, when travelling from Damghan to Ynzd. He describes it as about nine versts or about six miles wide. The patches of ordinary Kavir seen by travellers on the Mash-had road may possibly communicate with the great fut^fr through gaps in the intervening range ; but Clark, who travelled from Turshiz t« Samnfin, does not mention any Kavir, though he crossed the Abrisham river, which was supposed by travellers on the northern road to end in one of these smaller Kavfn. This stream, therefore, at least would appear to be a contributor to the great Kavir.
The altitude of the latter cannot be fixed with any certainty. It may be below the level of the sea ; and is certainly not far above it, as the town of Tabas, on the edge of the hills to the south, was determined by Khanikoff at 1500 feet. The eame traveller crossed n part of the Karm&n desert, not more than 500 to 600 feet above the sea, and the lowest point of the northern waste is probably not much, if at all, in excess of this measurement.
Other kacfm, with constant mud and salt incrustations, are found in the Sarjan or Saiddbdd plain, west of Karmfin ; and in the neigh- bouring valley of Kutrti. The ordinary karirn are innumerable. That south of E^fif is one of the largest. Another receives the water of a small stream flowing north-west, from near Karm4n. The banks of the ' Gavkhfinah ' marsh, formed by the Zaindarud, are also ' kavir ;' and a kavir, perhaps the same, was crossed by Tr^l, between Ab^ah and Yazd. Abbott records another in the valley between the Kuh- Ban&n and the ridges east of Yazd. The best known is that north of
' I bnTS never myself heard this laet term nsed, nor hnve Peruana from whom I bnve enquired ; bat it hiui the Authority of the author of Hajji Baba to btKk it. The meaning would b« not ' the great iiea ' aa uxually auppnaeij, but the ' I^ake of Salt Mud.'
^^' J'ttYSJCAL (JKOGRAPIIY
Kdrri, wliich in a Imy, iih it wore, of the great Kavir; but it is by n/> ineariB fonnidalilc* in tbo worst of weathers, compared Avith the •Kaffths' of Karmfin.
The desert of Karm&n, called by Khanikoff the desert of Lut or Lot \ that of Kharfin, which bounds Persian territory on the south- east, and the smaller waste of Bampur, are drier, and therefore more sandy than the northern desert. Perhaps also the soil is less favour- able to the formation of kavir. The great depression of the Karmdn desert has Wn noticed. It should be mentioned that though no kavir was crossed by Truilhier, between Tabas and Yazd, and though there iH an undoubted water-parting between the Great Salt Desert and that of Lut, the wastes of shilling sand passed by the traveller just
mentioncHl may v(»ry possibly form a communication between the two.
As the object of the missions which have resulted in these volumes was to fix certain portions of the frontier of Persia, a few lines on the subject may not be amiss.
A glance at the outline of the dominions of the Shdh, with the Gulf in either of the diagrams, will show the general line of frontiei: to be nearly as like that of a cat on a footstool, as the coasts of Italy and Sicily are to the proverbial boot. If Persia is famous for anything, it is for cats^ so that the fitness of the similitude is undeniable.
On the north-west, the frontier adjoining Russian territory is fixed by treaty. The same may now be said of the Baluch frontier, from the sea to the Mdshkid, and that in Sist4n. Between the two, and further north, all is uncertain, save the names of the frontier towns. On the west the common frontier of Persia and Turkey, from Ararat to Basrah, is still imdefined, though it was fixed within certain limits by the Anglo-Russian Commission of 1851-54. Recent maps ema- nating from Russian sources give the Atrak, from its mouth to the point where its most northern affluent joins it, as the western boundary of the new Russian district east of the Caspian, and this is probably the interpretation placed in St. Petersburg on the so- called and oft-denied Atrak frontier treaty. Further east all is as yet uncertain, but can hardly remain so for long. Sarakhs is held by
• I cannot help doubting this denTation, as I more than once heard the word * lut * used in BaliichistAn as equiralent to waterless. A Rigi camel-driver at Jalk. describing the route across the Khar&n desert, said, that seven marches to Pir-i-kasr had water, but the remaining thr«e to the Helmand were *lut.*
OF PERSIA.
17
Persia; the D&man-i-Kuhj or Atak, by the Tekeh Tiirkoiaiis. The couthem slopes of the Kuren hills are held as tax west as Dvah-g&z by the Kurdish vassals of the Sh£h, transplanted there three centuries ago : thence to the Russian frontier they are probably occupied by the Goklin Turkmans. Even if the Russian columns now marching east- wards from the Caspian do not settle this part of the frontier of Persia satisfactorily, they will osBuredly obtain the geographical information necessary for doing so.
NARRATIVE
OP A
.iOlIRNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN AND SOUTHERN PERSIA.
Bv M.UOH OLIVER B. ST. JOHN, R.E.
CHAPTER I.
(i inula r (o PMihi,
< )n !ho 7tli of Jiiiiimry, 1872, 1 Ittmled from the British India Steam
NiiviK-iitinii Company'H Hhip * India,' in Gwfidar Bay. Orders from
ImiU'IhiuI to proHH'd io Baluchistan to survey the recently determined
nt»n!ior had found me early in October at Tehran, where I was acting
WH din'i'tor of the An^lo-Persian Teleg^raph. By the 20th of the
•noiith 111! |)re|)arationH for the long journey before me were made, and
I NturttMl for Buslmhr, expec^ting to reach that port, whence fortnightly
Mt-^MiinerM run down the Persian and Makr&n coasts to Bombay,
townnlH the end of Noveml)er. Unfortunately, when only two days'
wiareli on the rowl southwards, I was struck down by a sudden attack
«f u<?uto dysentery, which, with typhoid and typhus fever, was very
prevalent in the neighbourhood of the capital, in consequence of the
famine, then in its second year. Good nursing, and the skilful
aUendance of Dr. Baker, the medical oflScer of the telegraph staff,
enabled me to reach Isfahan in a mule litter, after a fortnight's delay
*^ Kum and Kash&n ; another fortnight at Isfah&n so far set me up
^nat I was able to sit on a horse again, though at first for an hour
^^ two a day only ; and before long I had dispensed altogether with
^^y fakht-i-rawdny or portable bed, as the Persians call that most
^'^comfortable of conveyances, a mule litter. Bushahr was reached on
the 30th of December, just a month later than anticipated. Here
■* ^clt doubtful for a moment whether I ought not to turn my steps
^^'ards England instead of to the wilds of Baluchist&n. I was still
**' from having recovered my normal strength, and the doctors
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BALUCHISTAN AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 19
advised me not to riak another hot season in Persia. But the winter was t«o far advanced for the ^vemment of India to replace me ; the large outlay that had been made in preparations would have been thrown away ; and to have deferred the survey for a year might have caused inconvenience. Moreover, I was naturally unwilling to relin- quish my first chance of geographical discovery; so the hesitation was of short duration, and I took passage for myself, ten horses, and fifteen servants, to GwUdar, for which we embarked the next day.
A week's sail, broken by a few hours' stay at Lingah and Bandar- Abb&s, and a night at Maskat, brought us to Gw^dar Bay, where, almost before the auchor dropped, I was welcomed by my friend Mr. W. T. Blanford of the Geological Survey of India, who, at my sugges- tion, had asked and obtained leave from the Viceroy to be my companion in the approaching journey. After superintending the deposit of horses, baggage, and Persian servants in a clumsy native boat, in which the unfortunate quadrupeds were packed as close as sardines in a tin, we bade adieu to the ' India,' and pulled on shore. A strong wind off the land sprung up shortly afterwards, and the impedimeHla remained in their uncomfortable conveyance all night, tossing at anchor in the Bay. The Persian servants were awfully sick, and the horses a good deal cut and bruised, in spite of tight packing. However, they all turned up the next morning without serious damage, though it is a mystery to me to this day how, in the absence of any mechanical contrivance whatever, the horses were got out of the deep native craft, whose bulwarks were high over their heads. In the meantime I had been hospitably welcomed by Captain Miles, then the Political Resident on the Makr&n coast, whose head- quarters are at Gw&dar.
The nett, few days were busily employed in making preparations for a start. Stores and instruments had to be unpacked and repacked, provisions purchased, and money provided. Besides BUnford and his servants, the party was increased at Gw£dar by an apothecary, Mr. Roane, a native surveyor from the quarter-maBter-general's department of the Bombay army, with sis assistant peons, and a couple of bird- skinners from the Calcutta Museum. Tents for all had been sent from the Bombay Arsenal, and were ready pitched on my arrival, fifty camels had been engaged beforehand by Captain Miles, and were now eating the bread, or rather browsing the thorns, of idleness at sixpence each per diem ; and more were promised if required.
20 A JO URNE Y THRO UGU BA L UC HI STAN
All was ready in four or five days, when a telegram reached me from Calcutta, ordering us to delay starting on account of disturbances at Kej, a dependency of Kal^t, some seventy miles inland. This little pro- vince, inhabited by men of the turbulent and warlike tribe of Rinds, had enjoyed a long quasi-independence under a governor whose authority was only limited by the necessity of paying a small yearly tribute to the Khan of ICaldt. The latter had lately been ill advised enough to replace him by a nominee of his own. The former governor made no resistance, but retired to a neighbouring village. The Rinds, how- ever, whose opinion had not been consulted in the matter, not only declined to submit to their new master, but besieged him in his fort. It was supposed that this fighting in the immediate vicinity of the frontier we had come to survey might endanger the safety of our party. But a day or two later tidings arrived that peace was restored at Kej, and on the 19th I received leave from Calcutta to proceed, but with the greatest caution.
It had been arranged at Tehr&n that the subordinate commission, the occasion for which has been explained by Sir Frederic Goldsmid in the preface to these volumes, should consist besides myself of deputies from Kal&t and Persia. The former never turned up at all, and his absence, as will be seen further on, was rather detrimental to the completeness of the map.
The representative of His Majesty the Shih was a lanky young man, ancien eUve of the College at Tehran, where he had picked up a fair knowledge of plan and map drawing, but whose acquaintance with sur- veying was of the slenderest. His name was Mirza Ashraf Ali, which appellation he had dignified on his own account with the afiix of Kh&n, and had further had the rank of Sarhang, or Lieut. -Colonel, bestowed on him by his government for the occasion. His full title therefore was Mirza Ashraf Ali Khdn Sarhang, but by the last he was known in the camp, and * Sarhang,' therefore, we will call him for the future. He had marched down from Tehran nearly at the same time as myself, but with a delicacy rare in his countrymen had avoided intruding himself upon my party, so that I had hardly seen him till the day after we left Bushahr in the ' India,' when I found him sitting on a couple of big trunks in the waist of the ship. On entering into conversation, be soon communicated the reason of his occupying so undignified a position. The authorities at Tehr&n had furnished him with a sum of money^ little more than suflScient to defray his expenses as far as
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. %V
Bushalir. The delay on the rood cansed by my illness had left him quite ^au sec' when he reached the sea, and the price he got for his own and his servant's horse only served to take their deck passages to Ban- dar-Abb&s and buy provisions for the three days' voyage. He had an order from the Minister for Foreign Affiiirs on the Governor of Karm&n for the equipment necessary for the expedition, and therefore intended landing at Bandar-Abb^s, marching thence to Karmlin, obtaining there tents, horees, and escort, and eventually joining me on the frontier, via Bam and Bampiir. This little detour of 750 miles would have involved two months' delay at least. I therefore at once offered to lend him money and iit him out completely, if he would only come on to Gwfidar at once, and begin operations without delay. This the Sarhang would not hear of ; in fact from his manner it was easy to see that he had orders not to go to Gw&dar at all. At Bandar-Abbfis we fortunately heard that the Governor of Karm&n had left the latter town for Baluchist&n. This decided the Sarhang to come on to Maskat, where I left him with a couple of hundred rupees to hire a native boat to Gwatar, the nearest port in Persian Baluchistan to Gwidar. After some little delay he arrived at the former place a ^eek after I reached the latter, and finding the governor at Sarb&z, got a fit out from him and met my party at Kshin.
Late in the afternoon of the asnd of January, we got finally under weigh, after the usual scene of confusion and quarrelling, grunting and groaning of camels, and objurgations in a variety of tongues. The Baluch camel-driver is not a handy animal like the Persian muleteer, part of whose regular duty it is to find ropes and fit the most awkward- looking packages on his mules' saddles. Beyond making his camel kneel down to receive the load, and remonstrating in tones barely more melodious than those of his beast if he thinks the latter too heavily laden, the Baluch takes no interest or trouble in the transaction. Packing and loading had therefore all to be done by ourselves, and starting was thus a much slower businefis than in Persia. Our smaller packages wore secured in huge baskets woven of the ' pfsh ' leaf, a sort of dwarf palm found in torrent beds all over BaMcbist&n and part of Afghinist&n as far noi'th as K&bul. The same material supplied ropes, which, though they did not last long, had the advantage of being replaceable at every village. Before all the baggage was ofif the ground, the fifty camels originally provided had increased to eighty, which, with ten horses of mine and my Persian servants, and two of
22 A JOURNEY TU ROUGH BALUClIlSTAy
Blanford's, formed the sum-total of our caravan. Blanford's Indian •ervanto and the surveying party were on foot, my Persian grooms and faranhen on the camels which carried the paraphernalia of their different departments.
Our first three stages led through dreary and desolate wastes along the line of telegraph to the banks of the Dasht river, at the village of Siroki. Before reaching it we had not seen a vestige of human habita- tion, hardly of life. The road, a mere track a few inches wide, passed over plains of whitish clay, between distant ranges of barren hills, IJiose on the south broken into the fantastic outlines which charac- terise the coast scenery of Makrdn. At Falari, the second halting- place, a few stunted bushes grew near a scanty stream better filled than usual by the recent heavy rains. Here a few miserable-looking sheep gave evidence of the proximity of some nomad Baluchis, who did not, however, honour us with a visit. Each day before noon a strong north wind raised clouds of sand which hid the landscape for hours, and added positive discomfort to the depressing influences of the scenery.
We were far from sorry, therefore, to see, on the third day, the belt of trees which marks the course of the Dasht river, and to find the tents pitched between the two clusters of eighty to a hundred huts which form the village of Siroki. Here we stayed till the ayth, observing and collecting specimens and information. My original intention had been to go on to Sis&d on the Dashti&ri river, two days' journey to the west, where I had appointed to meet the Mihm&ndfir sent by Ibr&him Kh&n, deputy governor of Persian Baluchist&n ; but the country about Sis&d being reported so swampy as to be impassable for camels, I sent a hi^id to inform the Mihm&nddr of my change of plan, and de- termined to make direct for B&hu KaUt, a considerable place on the eastern or Sarb&z branch of the Dashti&ri river, and on the Persian aide of the frontier, which had not been visited by either of the exploring parties the previous year.
At ten o'clock on the morning of the 27th we started, bidding adieu to our kind host. Captain Miles, who had accompanied us thus far from OwUdar ; and, quitting the last relic of civilisation in the shape of the telegraph line, turned our horses' heads to the interior. For about a mile the road led through the tamarisk and acacia jungle bordering the river, which we then crossed at a ford. The stream was at that time about sixty or eighty yards wide, running between steep clay banks
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 23
from a bundred to a hundred and fifty yards apart. The Dasht river is the moat considerable of the torrents which carry off the scanty rain- &]1 of southern BaMchiaUiii. It» western branch, which forms the boundary of KaUt in the upper partofit« course, rises in the highlands of iSampuslit and Zamir&Uj where it bears the name of Niliing or Na- han^. After i>a8sing the escarpment of the mflin plateaa, at a point which we afterwards visited, it turns eastward through the fertile valleys of Mand and Tump, and at Kej joins its waters with those of its eastern affluent, which flows due west through the long valley lying at the foot of the escaipment, and forming a natural highway between Persia aud the Indus valley. From the point of junction the united streams flow eonth-west through a wide alluvi&l expanse, known aa DasAt or the ' plain,' whence the river in this part of its course takes its name. Storms in the hills make it occasionally impassable for days together, and it sometimes overflows its banks. The quantity of silt brought down has raised the bed above the surrounding country, and the torrents from the Jambki and other bills bordering the southern part of the Dasht, in- stead of finding their way to the river, spread themselvM over the level plain. A belt of jungle and cultivation, principally of millet (Jowar), from a couple of hundred yards to half-a-mile in width, borders the stream on either side.
Passing this we turned northwards over a level desert towards the foot hills of the Jambki range, whose conical peaks, though not more than 2 joo feet high, towered far above the lesser ranges. A short march of thirteen miles brought us to onr camp, pitched in the wide shallow bed of a torrent issuing from a gap in the hills a mile to the north. A chain of muddy pools showed the course of a subterranean stream, and nourished a few scanty shrubs, amongst which a flock of sheep were grazing.
A small hamlet called S^man, from the name of the torrent, esi&ted here up to the last few years, when it was plundered by the Sarb^ people, and all the male inhabitants killed. The territory is con- sidered to belong to Dasht, although the sheep we found were the property of Bdhu Kalit people.
The next morning, two or three smart showers warned as to get out of the dangerous position in which the camp was pitched. Leaving the servants to strike the tents as &st as possible, Blanford and I walked up towards the hills. Before we got back to breakfast, a strong southerly wind rose, bringing clouds of dust. We loaded up the
^^ A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
camels as fast as possible to move to higher ground in case of rain, or w go on to our next halting-place if the weather should clear. Hardly was the last load on, before the rain came on, slightly at first, but soon in veritable torrents. There being no shelter anywhere, we \A^ * *^^^ o^ the gravelly bank opposite, on the highest ground we ^AA ^^g before the tent was secure, there was a stream of
muddy water a hundred yards wide and five or six feet deep, where our former encampment had been. About two the rain ceased, but the water continued to rise till within a foot of the lowest tents, causing us some little anxiety.
ae next morning rose bright and clear, but the camel -drivers ©c med to move, on account of the slippery state of the ground after
®^^^' The cameFs foot, admirably adapted for sand, is by no means
■o tor mud, which it does not penetrate enough to get a firm hold of.
^^"^^nients of a loaded camel on a muddy road are not unlike
ose of the proverbial cat in walnut-shells on the ice ; but attended with more danger to the sufferer. The poor brutes not unfrequently break their legs in falling, and occasionally, it is said, get split up by their feet slipping in opposite directions. I cannot say that I have witnessed this latter catastrophe.
After some discussion we bargained with our camel-drivers that they should go to B&hu Kal&t in two marches, instead of three as ^ agreed on, we allowing them in return to halt for the day. Ascending the torrent bed for half-an-hour the next morning, we entered the hills through a narrow gorge in the sandstone rocks. A few puddles in places were all that remained of the boiling torrent of two days before ; but the still slippery state of the gpround showed that the camel-drivers were right in refusing to move till a day's sun had partially dried the surface. Our path led up the main ravine for a short distance, and then turned off to the left up a side channel among a bewildering congeries of low hills of sandstone and clay, with no vegetation to speak of. Here we saw for the first time the little desert partridge, Ammo-Perdix Bouhami^ the see-^see or, as the Persians call it, Uhu^ which we hardly expected to find so far south. Before long we crossed a low water-parting into the Kalaki torrent, which here forms the frontier between Dasht and Dashti&rf, the outlying districts of Kal£t and Persia respectively. A second inconsiderable ascent brought us into the Rogh&n ravine, down which we proceeded in a westerly direction to our halting-place, a wide open space in
A^D SOUTHERN PERSIA. 25
the hills. Abundance of the 'pish' palm, and many fairly grown acacia and jujube ehrubs, the latter juet coming into leaf, gave the encampment a somewhat less desert appearance than usual. Three cows were grazing in the valley, though there was no appearance of cultivation. In the afternoon I climbed a rtdge a miie from the camp, to get an idea of the run of the hills, which it was not eaey to see from the low ravines through which our road had passed.
The Jumbki hills, as they may be called from their central and highest peaks, are a spur of the range which forms the south wall of the long valley, lying all along the foot of the eecarpment of the Baluchistfin plateau, and interpose between the Dasht and Dashti&ri rivers. Unlike the general configuration of the elevated masses in Southern Baluchistan, which rather tend to long isolated ridges divided by wide valleys, these hills consist of three abrupt peaks, at each angle of a right-angled triangle, surrounded by innumerable short and ir- regular ranges, inconceivably distorted and broken up. The three main peaks rise to the height of aooo to i^cx} feet, but the ridges at their feet do not attain more than half that height. It is impossible to imagine more barren and desolate scenery. Except here and in the ravines not a speck of green is anywhere visible ; nor does the clay and sandstone, of which the rocks are composed, take form or colour, which might by grandeur or brilliancy compensate for the lack of softer beauty. The strata generally dip at a very high angle, indeed are often abso- lutely perpendicular. This and the infrequent but violent storms of rain tend to divide the surface of the elevated masses into serrated ridges, between which are narrow ravines. Though the walls of these are mostly of small elevation, their steepness hides all view of the loftier masses beyond; and thus, though his path leads amid what, judg- ing by height, would be considerable mountains in Great Britain, the traveller in Baluchistdn rarely sees anything but petty ridges of rock. Further north the ranges are somewhat bolder in outline, but till we reached that called Si&neh Kijh, which overhangs the Kuhak plain and divides it from the Sistin desert, we saw nothing deserving the dis- tinction of being called a mountain.
Another result of the configuration of Baluch hills affected me more seriously than their want of beauty. The toiiuous and narrow ravines and the difhculty of recognising and fixing prominent points, made it bv no means easy to carry on the survey. A brief description of the manner in which this was done may not be uninteresting to past and
20 A JOURNEY TU ROUGH BALUCHISTAN
future travellers. At every halting-place, except in the rare instance of a cloudy night, I fixed the latitude with a reflecting circle or sextant, and artificial horizon, by meridian altitude of a star or by altitudes of the polestar out of the meridian. Wherever I halted for a day or more, thiff was supplemented by meridian altitudes of the sun with the re- fltf^f ing circle, and repetitions of the night observations. I had several |KK;ket chronometers with me, but could not get them carried on a Iiii4f r or handbarrow, and soon found that carried in the pocket of a man on homefmck they were more trouble than use. The mounted traveller who intends to get trustworthy results out of a chronometer carried by himfielf, must bo content to be its slave. Putting all ideas of galloping out of the question^ he must deny himself the quietest trot; not even a lilfht Rpring from the saddle after the weary day's ride can be indulged in with safety to the precious charge. Shooting and hill-climbing are of vt}\\rm* out of the question. If the chronometers are placed on a man on ffK;t to accompany the horseman it is not much better. The latter must k<M»p so constant an eye on his companion, that he might almost an ¥rA\ Im? carrying the chronometers himself. On a direct journey be- iw#9<fii two fixed points at a moderate distance and traversed without long kaltn, or on an expedition like that of the Turko-Persian frontier survey, where the surveyors had ample time to carry their chronometers back- wards and forwards between their stations, they may be used with advan- tage ; but for a long journey through unknown country I prefer good perambulating wheels. Of these I had four of the Indian pattern, two for use and two in case of accidents. The wheels of the latter, slung on each side of a camel, were generally considered by the Baluehis as belonging to some new and formidable piece of artillery^ and added much, I have no doubt, to the impressive appoamnco of our party.
The two wheels in work were trundled along by the Indian ][>eons aeoompanying the native surveyor, a Marhatta, who with a pris- natie oompaas made a r^^Iar traverse of the jiath. This left me at h'berty to move off the road to collect information and sketch the general features of the country. Every evening I plotted the sur- veyor's work on a large scale, and reduced it at once to that of my field nu^>, four miles to the inch, which was mounted in cloth, pro- jected and ruled in mile squares in England, and sent to me at Gwidar. This map I carried on as &r as Dizak, where the Indian surveying party left for the coast to return to Bombay. From thence I had to do the traverse mvself : but as the countrv throughout
^
AND SOVTHERS PERSIA. 27
Eaetfirn Persia is generally open, this was less troublesome work than ia the winding defiles of Baluchistan.
On arriving at Shirfiz, twelve hundred miles from Gw&dar, I found my error in longitude to be ten miles only.
To return to the record of our journey to B&hu Kal&t. On leaving the camp in the Bogh&n ravine, we kept down the latter for five miles, when we crossed the low rocks bordering it to the north, and issued on the valley of the Dashti&ri river. To the south-west the low hills on the west coast were indistinctly visible ; and north-east of us were the saccessive parallel ranges of central Baluchistan ; while beyond the dark belt of jungle, crowned by an occasional tuft of date palms, which showed the course of the river, spread a wide and apparently boundless desert. Afler break&sting by the side of a good-sized pool of wat«r, Blanford and I plunged into the jmigU to otdlect specinuoii^ with results which, though not so barren as on many after occasions, strengthened ns in the opinion we were gradually forming that the &una of BalfichisUin is as scanty as its human population. On this occasion I find in my journal that I saw a gazelle, shot at a foi, and killed a spotted woodpecker, 'Pious Sindianus.' We had some little difficulty in picking up the caravan, but found the tail of it at last crossing a deep and muddy watercourse close to the village.
As we rode in, ^a/ara»he» were pitching the tents on a low gravel mound opposite a similar larger mound, on which stands the village of ' Bihii KalAt,' the great fort. This is the principal of a number of hamlets dotted along the course of the Dashti&ri or Sarb&z river. The whole district is generally called the ' Kuchah ' (Anglic^, street), a name applied in Western Baluchist&n to any river valley, as Hudbir is in Persia proper.
Bahu Kalat has about 300 houses irregularly dotted about the low gravel bluffs overhanging the river. Half-a-dozen, perhaps, are of mud and stone with flat roofs, and capable of a certain amount of defence, the rest are mere reed huts. The surveyor, who was of an enquiring and statistical tarn, noted in his field book that Bih& contained four shops, at one of which English calico was obtainable.
Some wayfarers, met the day before near Boghin, had informed oar
people that four Kaj&re', as Persians are here called, with a ' S^hib'
and some soldiers bad arrived at Bihii. At this earlier period of
our sojourn in the land, we had an idea, derived I know not whence, that
* Pronounced bj them like our won! CudgeL
28 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
Bal(ichi8 were truthful and honest compared to surrounding nations. Honesty of a certain kind they undoubtedly have, petty thieving and pilfering being nearly unknown. But camel lifting and highway robbery are common enough on the Kal&t border, though rare on the Persian side, which is under the vigorous administration of Ibrahim Kh&n. But though the Baliich is a clumsier liar than a Persian or Hindu, he is as cynically indifferent to being found out after his object is attained as the former, while in magnitude his falsehoods are quite equal to the best performances of either.
In the present instance it need not be said that no vestige of Kaj&r, Sllhib, or soldier was to be found at Bahu ICal&t, where the venu of their presence was shifted to Sarb&z, the capital of the district of the same name of which B&hu Eal&t is a dependency. Ibrahim Kh&n, the governor of Bam-Narmashir, to which Baliichist&n is attached, was now said to be there with a considerable force. Accompanying him were the S&hib and Kaj&rs, the former of whom one man pro- fessed to have seen with his own eyes in the Persian camp. As it was just possible that Sir Frederic Goldsmid might have sent one of his party to meet me, I sent a messenger to Ibrahim Kh&n, with letters, enclosing a note for the unknown S&hib, and for my colleague the Sarhang, if he should have reached Sarb&z, asking them to meet me at Pfshin. The Sarhang turned out to be there, but the Sahib was a pure figment of Baluch imagination.
Shortly after we were settled in the tents, a message arrived from Y&r Muhammad Kh&n, the chief of the village, that he was too ill to pay us a visit, but would send his brother, who accordingly came over, but had not much to say for himself. After his departure he sent over a sheep and ten fowls as a present. In the course of the evening the camel-drivers, who had brought us so far, announced their intention of returning to their villages near Gw&dar. This was an unexpected blow, as we had no previous reason to suppose they would not take us as &r as the end of the frontier at least. How- ever, the news did not affect us so severely as it would have done had we known the endless worry and delay the question of camel-hiring would cause on this and many subsequent occasions.
Although this place is not more than a hundred feet or so above the sea-level, the nights here are far colder than at Gw&dar. The night after our arrival at B&hu Ealdt, that of the 31st of January, the minimum thermometer, hung under the eaves of my tent, fell to 34°,
^
ASD SOUTHERN PERSIA. 29
rising to nearly 80° in the day. TfaiB, with one exception, was the greatest cold we experienced in Baluchistan, though we should of coarse have found severer weather on the plateau had we reached it before spring. Altogether the weather was very enjoyable at this time, forming a marked contrast to that on the coast with its gales and sand- storms. The Zodiacal light was visible every evening of our stay, and seemed more clearly defined than I have noticed it either in India or Persia.
While I was enjoying the traveller's regular luxury on a first day's halt, a good moming snooze, the chief Y&r Muhammad Kh&n made his appearance with the notables of the village, and as soon as I was dressed we received him on a carpet spread on the shady side of the tent. Yix Muhammad was a veiy old maD, feeble and emaciated, with apparently little life about him except in his cruel trt.'acherons eye. Altogether he was as ill-looking an old scoundrel as any to be met with between the Indus and the Tigris, a region where age in combination with villany is far from uncommon. Without loeing mach time in compliments be came to the object of his visit, which was to enlist my sympathies to help bim in regaining a small annual stipend formerly allowed him by the Bombay Government for protecting the line of telegraph in his district, but wbicb for some, do doubt, excel- lent reason bad been lately discontinued. The old gentleman was so elo- quent on the subject of his wrongs, that I could get no opportunity of introducing the subject of camels before he left, which be did after a quarter-of-an -hour's viEit. As soon as he had gone, I sent after him my 'nizir,' or liomneifiT^aim, a Persian named Muhammad Husain Beg, who had been eight years in my service, to make arrangements for hiring the necessary number of camels at once. In an hour he returned boiling with indignation at the extortion and impudence of the Baluchis, who asked five rupees a camel for the journey to I^shin, which we supposed from our map to be not more than two short marches distant. In addition, Y&r Muhammad asked for a Kash- mir scarf which he had noticed round my waiet as a preliminary present for himself. This I refused, but sent him a few rupees to buy a clean turban, of which be stated himself, apparently without reason, to be in want.
The day was passed in fruitlcBs negotiation and attempts to per- suade the Gw&lar camel-drivers to continue the journey. One man, the owner of nine camels, consented to proceed ; the rest were obdurate.
30 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
The next morning, early, Y&r Muhammad made his appearance again^ and after a little public conversation about the frontier and the date of the annexation of the village to Persia, which he informed me took place six years previously, I referred to the subject of camels, which he declared his inability to supply. He then asked for a private interview, and came with me into the tent, when he stated that there were plenty of camels, but not more than two or three were his own property ; that the camel-owners were all relations, combined to- gether to keep up the price ; and finally that he would undertake to give as many as I liked for four and a half rupees each to Kshin, three long days' march distant. This was rank extortion, as we had paid only half a rupee per diem per camel from Gw&dar, and the map led me to believe the distance to Pishin exaggerated by a day at least ; so I de- clined to give more than two and a half rupees, and the old rascal went away pretending to be in a very bad temper.
An hour afterwards he sent over to say that if I would give him a present he would supply camels for four rupees each. To this, as time was valuable, tiie provisions we had brought with us rapidly disappear- ing, and little grain or flour to be bought, I agreed, sent Y&r Mu- hammad twenty rupees as a present, and sixty camels were promised for the next morning.
The day was spent by the servants in readjusting the loads, which were reduced from eighty-one to seventy, but the next morning, instead of camels, a message was brought that news had arriyed that Ibr&him Kh&n, the governor, was on his way to B&hu Kal&t, and that all the owners of camels had driven them into the jungle, afraid of their being pressed for the carriage of the Persian. This was a plausible excuse, so I answered that the Kh&n must know very well that the Sh&h himself dare not touch camels hired by an English officer; but that if the people were foolish enough to be afraid, I would wait for Ibr&him Kh&n's arrival, and trust to him to obtain camels at a reasonable rate. This caused a change of ground, the reply being that unless we took eighty- one camels, the full number brought from Gw&dar, not one would be supplied. This was too much, especially as three or four loads of fodder had been consumed since we left the coast, so I positively refused to take more than sixty-one, which, with the nine Gw&dar camels that remained, made up the full complement required. After much argu- ment and expostulation these terms were at last agreed to, but the day, the third of our stay, was too far spent to think of moving. The next
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 31
morning the camels were brought in twos and threes, and after the usual squabbling about the loads we got oET at noon. The fiction of the ownership of the beasts was by this time quite dropped by our venerable friend Y&r Muhammad, to whom the majority, if not all, be- longed, aud he sent hia son in chui^. At the last moment, when half the caravan was across the river, he made a final attempt to squeeze out another present by stopping the last camels nnder pretext of fteeb news of the arrival of Ibrihim Khiin. But it was too late. We were £urly off; even his own son laughed at him, and we shook nS' the dost of B&hu Kal&t from our feet. This was the first, but by no means the last, of our camel-hiring difficulties. The some vexatious delay occurred in every district ; and the Maud people, a fortnight later, proved so tronblesome and impracticable that we came to remember Yfir Muhammad Kh&n of B&hu Kalit as a comparatively pleasant and accommodating old man.
What we should have done was to have bought a nucleus of twenty or five and twenty camels at'Gw&dar, hiring drivers to attend them. This would have made us dependent on local carriage for the heavy baggage only, which might have been sent from point to point direct instead of wandering over the country as necessitated by the exigences of the survey. Moreover, the Baluchis could not have starved us into submitting to their extortionate charges as they invariably attempted. Supplies were rarely produced on our arrival at a halting-place, and extravagant prices always asked till the camels were obtained and the caravan just starting, when rice, com, and ghee were generally offered in abundance where only handsful had been previously forth- coming. Our own camels might have been sent to purchase supplies from other villages, and we should have had it in our own power to regulate the length of our day's journey, instead of being at the mercy of the hired camel-drivers, who halted when and where they liked.
The experiences of the mission of the year before gave us no idea of the difficulty and delay to be expected in obtaining carriage, and of the invincible repugnance of the Baluch villagers to travelling out of their own district. Sir Frederic Goldsmid's and Major Harrison's parties had not gone off the high-roads between Bampdr and Qwidar; and Major Lovett, who travelled from Bampur to Paojgur, and thence to the sea, had but a slender following. Ours was the first numerous party that had thrown itself on the resources of the country, and it was
32 A JOUB.\EY TB ROUGH BALUCHISTAN
therefoi'e hardly to be expected that we should get along without diffi* eulties of some sort.
To return to our journey from B&hu Kal&t. The Dashti&ri river, which we crossed by a ford opposite the village immediately on leaving the encamping ground, is here from sixty to eighty yards wide, and not more than three feet deep, with a slow current and muddy water. The bottom is treacherous in places, and crossing on horseback is there- fore unsafe without a guide. The actual banks are low, ten feet or so above the stream, and the water in high floods evidently overflows them. On the side opposite the village are many extensive clearings, flooded at the time of our visit with water retained on them by em- bankments. Rice and millet are the principal, if not the only grains cultivated. Garden vegetables, even onions, seemed unknown, and the date groves are far from extensive.
The road for the first march cut across a bend of the stream to a point where the spurs of the Petteh Hills, an isolated range running east and west ten miles north of B&hu, come down to the river bank, forming with the Jambki ridges a rather pretty gorge. The road lay through scattered acacia jungle and shallow ravines. This was one of the few places in Baluchist&n where game seemed at all abundant, and we got several sand-grouse and tthu partridge, besides wounding a gazelle. The day was moreover memorable as that on which we first procured the new * Nectarinia,' which Blanford has named breviros^ trisy and which is figured on page 221. It was then of course in the dull winter plumage. Crossing the stream we camped amid some fine tamarisks in the river bed, which is here confined by cliffs sixty or eighty feet high.
Our road the next morning turned abruptly to the eastward up a narrow valley between low hills. These got higher as we advanced, and the valley became a ravine which turned north again, and about the twelfth mile ended in a short and not difiicult pass. Mounting this we emerged on the water-parting between the Dasht and Dashti&ri rivers, which, except in this spot, forms the boundary of Persia and Kal^t. A mile or two in front was a steep black hill, the Si&h Kuh, rising nearly a thousand feet above the general level; and from its shape and colour a capital landmark, standing a few miles west of the frontier. To the east, wide valleys separated by narrow sandstone ridges, and covered in patches with low puh and acacia jungle, sloped gently down to the Dasht. Dismounting at the foot of the hill we climbed
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA.
33
half-way up, where Blanford pronounced the rock to be amygdaloid. Leaving him to uscend to the Bummit, a feat which he BUcceBofully ac- complished, ascertaining the height of the Si^ Kuh to he 1500 feet above the Bea, I rode on to Kastag, a halting-place ia the neighbour- hood of a few acres of cultivation at the head of one of the wide valleys. This and a neighbouring valley to the Bouth named Ohistfin, though drained into the Dashti^ri river, are cultivated by people from Pistun, and therefore belong to Persia, though on the Eal£t side of the water- shed.
The next day's march was comparatively short, the road winding through narrow ravines till it eme^fed on the great valley which lies at the foot of the Baluch plateau throughout its extent.
A mile from the village we were met by a small party of mounted men, at the head of whom was the officer Bent to escort me. He wag a fat jovial-looking young Persian, and introduced himself as Ibr^fm S^Uin, a captain in the infantry, and nephew of the governor. With him was a Bolemn-looking personage clad in a bright scarlet cloak and white turbui. This was Miistafa Kh&n, the agent of Bilawar Kh&n the chief of Dizak, whose territory marches with that of Kalit along the frontier north of Kehin. In their train were half-a-dozen horse- men and a motley rabble on foot, who escorted us to our campings- ground.
CHAPTER II.
PisMn to Jdlk,
As we rode in, our tents were being pitched on a bare piece of ground midway between the two forts, each surrounded by a cluster of mat huts, which compose the village, or, as the Baluchis pom- pously term it, the * Shahr,' or city of Pishin. This is the latest acquisition of the Persians in Baluchist&n, having been annexed only two years before our visit. The majority of the population, like that of most villages in Southern Baluchistan, are slaves ; apparently mostly of pure Baluch blood, but with many mulattos, and a few negros. Their masters are Rinds, members of a widely-spread tribe, extending even into Sind, which boasts its pure Arab descent. We noticed that the long greasy locks floating over the shoulders, which in India and the Gulf mark the Baluch among the motley crowds of the bazaar, are here worn only by the young bucks. The slaves have their heads shaved as a mark of servitude, or perhaps, as Pottinger says, to prevent their running away; and the older men use the razor to their polls, and don the turban, from motives of real or feigned piety. All alike wear the Arab shirt, a few putting on in addition a pair of cotton trousers and the sleeved cloak, or coat woven of brown worsted and worked at the seams with crimson silk, which, with the red skull cap, seems the characteristic garment of the country. The women, though not particularly shy, rather avoided, than came to gaze at the strangers. The few we saw were most unprepossessing in appearance. Like most of the men the Arab shirt was their sole garment, generally unbleached, but occasionally dark blue.
The village forts of Baluchist&n are far more solidly built and picturesque in outline than those of Persia, though inferior to them in a military point of view. From one end of Persia to the other a
BALnCHlSTAN AND SOUTHSnit PERSIA. 36
' Kalali ' or fort, from the citadel of the Sh&h at Tehrin to the tiiiit>st mountaiD hamlet of Fare or Karm&n, presents the same k-vd line of mud wall cruwned with clliptically crenellated battlementsj uLove which nothing rises to break the skj-lioe. At the angles, aitd, if the enclosure bo large, at regular intervals along the sides, are Nemi- circular towers narrowing towards the top. Apart from the intriiino ugliness of the etructure, the constant reiteration of the same type lends in many cases an additional, and quite unnecessary, feature of gloom to the dismal monotony of a Persian landscape. When em- bosomed in trees, however, the effect is not so bad.
The Baluch fort on the other hand i^ more like the castle of a Rhenish robber-knight of old, consisting of a square central tower of rough stone, surrounded by lower waited courts and minor buildings, and surmounted by a watch turret peering orer the surrounding date- groves, from which incessant wat«h is kept for the ever possible enemy. Round the little castle are clustered the huts of the villagers j here in the south mere screens of date-leaf mats, but in the colder districts to the north, solid buildings of mud and sun-dried brick.
Each of the forts of Pishin is built on the banks of a watercourse flowing from the hills to the north. Their beds unite half a mile to the south, and flow through low hills to tlie Bdhu river. The water of the western and larger of the two is confined by an artificial dam, forming a reservoir four or five hundred yards long and thirty wide. On the banks of this and of the eastern watercourse are a few acres of cultivation and a considerable grove of date palms. Here, for the Brst time, I found that mark of rudimentary civilisation, the onion, but rarely, and in small quantities, as if it were hardly as yet fully appreciated. Beyond the dat^-groves stretched a wide expanse of acacia jungle, not yet green with spring. Here and there lines of darker tamarisks showed the course of a torrent from the hills, dry, save after rain. To the north the jungle got more scanty till It fiiilcd altogether in the gravel slopes at the foot of the long scarp which seemed to rise like a wall some two thousand feet above the plain, and ten miles or so distant.
This is the southern face of the plateau of Baluchistan, which shuts off the waters of the Helmand from the sea. To the west its continuity is broken by the rapidly ascending \'a11ey between the Rflndu and Bagarband hills, the latter of which, seen in profile from I^shin, forms the outer wait of the plateau ; the valley to its north D 3
»C A JOVUSKY THHOrail BALUCHISTAN
\H:\t%yi; II th'/UMiitd f<M;i or inuT^ higher than that to the south. Next U» th<i Itdfidd hilU, the Talir ran^e etretches away to the eastward, uuvvAu*Ai¥\ hy ilm uiori) promiueut limestone peaks of Shairas, which riMs \ai m h<ti|^hi of four thouHUud feet above the sea.
IVo (layH fillor our arrival at nshin my colleague the 'Sarhang' ihimIh hiN a|»|ictaraiieo. Ho had crossed over from Maskat to Gwatar in a iiativit lioat, and riddim on a camel to Sarb&z, where he found Uitt Wakll-ul-Mullc, ^-ovornor of Kann&n, to whom he had letters fmiii thu For(*if4:n Ullloo at TohWln. From him he obtained a horse, l4iMl'tf| and liimi|tiK'o oamols, with an escort in the shape of the old ^ YAwar* who liud amnunpanieil Sir (Vederio Goldsmid from Karman to Piiihiii thtt yoar bofons and a couple of sowars. The next evening 1 atikiul thit NarlmiiH: Hwd Yiwar with my own escort Ibrahim HrillAu to diiiiittr, and Mettled with the first the method of conducting (Jin Murvoy. Wo a^riunl that it would be quite a useless labour to nai'iy nu work nintultaneously; so the 'Sarhang,' assuring me at tlio nanitt tiiiiu that he had no want of confidence in his own ability, and K^ivo way Hololy on account of the superior appliances I possessed ill (Jin Nhapo of wheels, &c., consented to accept the result of my mirvny/ which he would copy as occasion should oflTer. This arrange- ment proved equally satisfactory to both parties. It enabled the Harhang to obtain credit with his superiors by producing at Tehrfin a correct and finished map as his own performance, which indeed, a« far as handiwork goes, it was. On my side, it gave me a hold on liim I should not have otherwise had, and, what was much more important, prevented any possible discrepancy which might afford the Persian government a handle for prolonging discussion by dis- puting the accuracy of my map.
During the next three days negotiations went on with the villagers for the supply of camels to take us along the frontier, but they were frustrated by the machinations of Musta& Kh&n, the agent of the D(zak chief, who for some reason, probably by his master's orders, wished us to go straight across the hills to that place. I have little doubt that he was aided by the Y&war and Sult&n, who, even if they had no positive instructions to the effect, thought, and probably with reason, that the Wakil-ul-Mulk would be by no means sorry to see the party return with its object unfulfilled. It was not till the afternoon of the fourth day after the Sarhang^s arrival, the sixth of our sojourn in PishCn, that we got off, and then only to
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. ST
march to Kalaki, a villa^ of the little independent dietrict of Hand, twenty milea off.
On one of the intervening days Stanford and I made an excur- sion into the neighbouring country to pick up game and specimens, and ascertain the whereabouts of a little bit of Mand territory which encroaches on the B£hu watershed. Four or five miles from Ffshin are two little ' Mazralie,' or plots of cultivation away from habitation, situated on two watercourses flowing into the I^shin river. They are denominated respectively Bok end Mazamband. The former, which is nearer to Kshrn, belongs to that village, the latter to Mand. It is thus the only place on the watershed of the Bihfi or Sarb&z river which does not belong to Persia. During the day we saw nimierous ' houbareh ' bustard, OtU houbara, and many gazelloi probably 6. Bennetii, but failed to get within shot of either. In the case of the former this is the more curious, as there was ample cover, whereas in the desert plains of South Persia, where there is none, it is by no means difficult to approach 'houbareh.' About Shiriz it is easy enough to get within shot of them on horseback, either by riding round them in diminishing circles, or by galloping straight on, thus preventing their resting for more than a few seconds on the ground. About BuEbahr it is only necessary to approach the bustard obliquely, to get within forty yards or even nearer. In this way I have killed half a dozen in the course of a couple of hours. In Persia, moreover, like all other game, they are constantly shot at and hawked, whereas in Balfichistfin, the gun is seldom used for feathered game, and hanking, little, if at all practised. Yet we were unable to get within a hundred yards of a houbareh all day, though we saw scores of them. It is possible that they were birds of passage unfamiliar with the comparatively thick cover, which thus made them unusually wary ; or, if residents, they were aware of the facilities for ambnsh and had abandoned the characteristio tactics of their race, squatting on the gronnd and trusting to similarity of colour for concealment, for the safer policy of keeping well out of the way of suspicious objects. Besides bustard and gazelles no game was visible ; indeed animal life altogether was scarcer than the aspect of the country wonld seem to indicate. A few small birds and a large buzzard, Biifeo /erox, formed our only prizes. It is worth noting that Pishin was the only place in BalfichistAn where we found the common brown 'maina' of India, An ibex was
;m A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCIJJSTAN
i§tw. i\uy brought in from the neighbour'mf^ lulls by a Shik&ri. It provwl to l>e Capra agagrus^ the supposed ancestor of the domestic y^ttiii. This species extends over the whole of the Iranian plateau.
Our present eamel-drivers were more unaccommodating than the last. Tiie hire was fixed at one rupee per beast per diem, and not a man would start till the silver coin was actually placed in his palm; and then they took three days to go twenty miles. From one of the chiefs I bought for rs. 132 a very beautiful riding camel or dromedary, calle<l here * jamb&z.' I never had occasion to ride it, but it was most useful in carrying our breakfasts on the road^ from being able to keep up with the horses, which the baggage camels could not do. It was evidently a great pet, for the owner, an old man, kissed and fondled its nose repeatedly before parting with it, and it was certainly a very hand- some and docile creature, as different from the ordinary pack camel as an Arab from a cart horse. The climate of Upper Persia proved too severe, and it died soon after we reached Tehr&n. It is curious that riding camels are never used in Persia proper, though all the eastern and central parts of the country seem peculiarly adapted for them.
It was not till the third day of our march from Pishin that we reached Kalaki, where the camel-hunting process had to be reiterated. Our road had been nearly east, skirting the base of the hills bounding the valley to the south. At first these consist of a line of irregular and precipitous peaks, known as the ' N&-knh,' possibly a corruption of 'Neh,' a reed or spear, which might well be used for a pointed summit. Further north I found the same designation in the * Sianeh Kuh/ above Kuhak. South of Mand the hills are called Jhal, or
* lower,' a word which reappears in * Jhal Zamir^,' and further east in Jhalaw&n, the * low country ; ' the converse being Saraw&n, the
* upper country,' equivalent terms to the ' Sarhad ' and * Garms/r ' of Fars.
The character of the country was much the same as about Pishin. Patches of acacia and tamarisk jungle intervened between broad gravelly slopes and alluvial flats. The villages we passed were smaller than Pishin, but nearly all had a central keep of more or less preten- tious aspect, and each nestled in a grove of date-palms.
The little independent district of Mand occupies that part of the great Kej valley Ijdng between Pishin and the Nihing river, which, till it turns abruptly eastward through Tump, forms the frontier of the country acknowledging the supremacy of the Kh&n of Kalit. To
k
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 39
the north Maud is bounded by the Shairas hills and the Hamzai torrent. To the south it is separated by the Jhal Kuh from the Dasht difitrict. Its average extent in each direction is about twenty miles. It has no recognised head, each village being governed by its own chief. The dominant tribe are Rinds ; and the Mand people have the reputation of being the most thieving and murderous set of ruffians in Balljchistfin.
The day after reaching Kalaki we enlisted the services of Mir Akhirdid ', the rata or head of the village, to conduct the party to Murti] the chief place of Bampusht, which Major Lovett, from native information, had placed not far north of the frontier. He engaged to supply us with the necessary camels, and guide the party to, and as far as possible along, the Nihing river, which here forms the boundary. Lovett's map showed, and as it afterwards turned out correctly, a place called Gishtigfin as the point where the river rises ; but both Mir Akbird^ and Mustafa Kh&n denied all knowledge of such a spot.
On the 1 6th February Ave left Kalaki or Kalari, and marched five miles over an open gravelly plain, with occasional patches of low jungle, to the Nihing river, in the bed of which we camped, at a spot called ' Tarad£r-i-narm,' at the extremity of a low range which here tarns the course of the river from south-west to south-east. The stream has cut itself a bed about 300 yards wide, and 30 feet deep, in the gravel and alluvium of the plain. Of flowing water there was but a rivulet: a few yards wide, and about six inches deep.
Our road the next morning led up the bed of the Nihing for nine miles, to a place named ' Shirpaeh&r,' where two torrents from the north-west debouch from the hills. The path was in parts rather bad, over ledges of sandstone and shale, behind which, in places, the water had collected in deep pools of considerable depth, and a beautiful green colour. We passed on the right a well-wooded valley, with many date trees and a small fort called Kala'h-i-Aspik£n. Old Mir Akhird^ here gave us a first insight into his character by
' 'Tha lut given.' BtUdchls, even those boasting their Arab descent, leem very fond of tbeie Perdan componnd aames, wMch are uncommon in PeraU itself. Beaiclea ' Akhlrdid,' I met more than one ' AUahdid ' and ' Khudadiid/ The daya of the week ■re tiao and u names, Juma 'Friday,' and Sbamba 'Saturday,' I have heard else- where: bat 'Ek-Shamba,' ' Do Shuuba,' 'Monday,' ' Tueaday,' Jtc, are perhaps peculiar to Baldchiatit) in being utilised as namaa.
40 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
wanting to halt after five miles, at a place where there was good grazing for camels. Fortunately many of the loads were in front of him, and he could not call them back, so was obliged to come on, grumbling and cursing, and threatening to take his beasts back to Kalaki.
The river here runs between precipitous hills of the same monoton- ous sandstone and shale, than which we had seen nothing else since leaving Gw&dar. The vegetation was of the scantiest^ and there was no level ground on either side. Our tents were pitched on a high bank between the two torrents, close to a solitary tamarisk tree. In the course of the afternoon we were told by Mir Akhirddd that the road up the river was impracticable, and that a detour of several miles must be made through Hung before we should hit it again at Bog&n.
Our road for the next day, and part of the following, lay up the Hamzai torrent, which here marks the frontier. The ravine is bounded by lofty and precipitous rocks, and when we passed held no nmning water. Occasional patches of high grass and of the * pish ' palm formed the only vegetation.
At noon on the second day we emerged on the plateau of Hung, 2500 feet above the sea. The diflPerence of temperature was not such as might have been expected from the great increase of altitude, but possibly this was attributable to the weather, which from clear had become overcast and threatened rain. On reaching the plateau we turned north, and camped on the bank of the Hung torrent, not far from the deserted village of that name. Two small huts sheltered a couple of families of wandering Baluchis, the first people we had met for three days.
In the course of the evening Mir Akhirdid declared his intention of returning to Kalaki, to which, it now appeared, there was a direct road through the Shairas hills. We had therefore taken four days to do what we might have done in one ; but my object being to see as much as possible of the country in the vicinity of the frontier, and not to get from point to point by the nearest road, I was rather pleased at the deception which had been practised. Mustafa Kh&n had probably something to do with Mir Akhird&d's breach of contract, as he at once proposed that we should send for camels to Irafsh&n, a place about twenty miles to the north, belonging to his master, the Kh&n of Dizak. To this I assented, provided that the Irafsh&n camels would
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 41
take lis along the Nibing. This he said was impossible, there being no water or proviBions, and no one knowing the road ; his object, as before, being to force as to go to Dizak direct. There was therefore nothing to be done but to fall back upon Mir Akhirdfid, and after bribing him, giving him a sheep for a feast, and allowing him to charge for the camel on which he rode, he engaged to conduct us to Miirti for seven rupees a camel, the distance taking, as he declared, the same number of days. This was, I knew, at least too much by two days, but there was no resource but to submit. Our supply of provisions was daily lessening, and we could not hope to replenish them before reaching Murti. Moreover, the warm weather was ap- proaching, and an oyercharge of a hundred rupees or bo to save time was of small consequence to a party which was costing Government somen-here about 300 rupees a day. I was therefore only too glad to be taken in with ray eyes open, and the policy was rewarded by an offer of Mir Akhirdfid, before wo started, to convey us to Gishtig&n, the place whose existence he had previously denied, for two rupees a camel extra. To this, of course, I gladly assented.
The plateau of Hung forms the water-parting between the Nihing basin and that branch of the B^hu river draining the unexplored district of Murti. It is a waste of dark-coloured gravel, seamed with many nullahs, to which the scanty vegetation was contiued, and intersected by many steep flat-topped ranges, running a little south of west. The hills to the north are called the Kuh Salai, and their stratification being nearer horizontal than usual, have more picturesque rounded outlines than is often seen in Baluchiatdn. Through them lies the direct road to Irafsh&n, said by Mustafa Eh^n to be impasciable for loaded camels.
On the 2 1st February we struck our camp at Hung, and reached the Nihing again on the second day, its bed being here 8cx> feet below the level of the Hdng plateau. The road skirted the base of the Salai, and aiiberwards of the Surok hills, whose summits decreased con- siderably in altitude as we proceeded, those abutting on the river being of insignificant height.
The last part of the road to the Nihing lay between some low hills and the south bank of a wide torrent bed. Whilst riding in front of the caravan a shout of ' Shikir ' from one of the servants behind called our attention to a ram and two ewes of the wild sheep, which were descending the rocks on our right not fifty yards distant.
<a A JOVliNKY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
I wiw iinrciriunuU'ly rarryinjc a Hhot gun, and before the man who <wriiMl my rillo <<ouhl K:ivo it to mc, and I could load it, the game had •tnmwMl tho nm\ into tlio ravine, and I only got a long running ■not., whiph I uuiuhhI. I mention this, as it was the only occasion "II wliioh we Miw liill jfamo, i. o. »hwp or ibex, in BaluchistAn. More- "Vi»r. thuu^li wo oIlVrtHl oonHidomble rewards we failed to get good •>|HMilnii«iiH of either, Frtmi thin it would seem that mountain game is •Ml neiihM. \xx l^iloohiwtAu » an art^ other forms of animal life.
I he IhhI ot* the Nihiny river, where we came upon it at a point WheiH* it Hbiu|)tly ehau^^w it* wunsie fr»m west to south, a little above Mje \\\\\\M ^,f JUx^u, in alnmt half a mile wide, though the stream iM Winter ^M \\\\\ ^y^wxs, IWlow Bi^n, which lies a little way south of ihe ^^mit, \\\^s ohauuel i» narrowed to less than a hundred yards by |^hHM|Mto\iH r\H'kH« euoh^ing many deep pools^ of beautifully clear and \\xu\\ wutor. 'fho o|H*n part of the bed was pretty thickly grown with taiMavihk \\\\k\ mimosa. A mile further on the Shdhri river, a consider- Hbh» ullhient. of the Nihing, enters the latter from the north-west, after (rvi^utini^ the district of Irafsh&n. It flows in a narrow channel lietwimii hi^h luinks, and when we passed had far more running water iluiii the Nihing.
A (juarter of an hour after passing the Sh&hri, we found the loads,
whieli liad passed us while at breakfast, thrown down in confusion in
the lowest part of the river bed, exposing us to the danger of losing all
our property by a sudden flood. On asking the first servants we met,
why tlio baggage had not been placed in a safe place, we were told
that it was Mir Akhirdad's doing. Seeing that worthy a little way
olT, busily engaged in unloading camels in the deepest hollow he could
And, I galloped up to him, and remonstrated in no measured tones on
thtt rink to which he was exposing us. He replied with a volley of
llliilHO, drawing his sword, and swearing he would slaughter us all,
l^liranfps and Kaj&rs too, ordering at the same time his men to load
^liitir matchlocks. As an effective threat this was ridiculous, as I at
OIUM) [)ointed out to him. For Blanford and myself, with our breech-
I'Huling arms, could have shot down the old rascal, and the half dozen
^f bi« men who had firearms, in half the time they would have taken
^* IC*^t their clumsy weapons into fighting order. However it was
^^\y % piece of theatrical bravado, and Ibr&him Sult&n, coming up,
^^pUined the matter, and pacified Mir Akhird&d.
» Vide vol. ii. p. 87.
AND SOVTUERX PERSIA. 43
It appeared tliat that worthy, who had been, as usual, in rear of the caravan, had ordered his men to halt for the night at the mouth of the Sfafibri river ; but the Sarhang, who was in front, had prevented their doing BO. Ae eoou aa Mir Akhird&I reached the spot, and found hia camelt) gone on, he had pushed on, caught them up, and thrown down the loads then and there in a rage, swearing he would go back to his village and leave ue in the lurch. My coming up had added fuel to the flame, and produced the explosion of wrath just described.
After a little negotiation the baggage was moved to higher ground, and Mir Akhirdfid pacified by the promise of a short march the next day. Any concession was better than being abandoned in that desert country without a guide, and three days' march from any place where provisions were procurable.
The following morning Mir Akhird^ made to a small extent the amende honorable, by riding up to me on the road and pointing out the enrroonding hills and districts by name.
For the next four days the road lay up the bed of the Nihing, which here, as before mentioned, forms the frontier of Persia and Kalit. The scenery was monotonous in the extreme. Soon after leaving our last halting-place (he wide jungly bed contracted to a narrow channel between precipitous banks. The water soon ceased to be a continuous stream. Steep rocks of sandstone and shale, running east and west, at first bordered the bed on either side, but were further apart as we advanced. In places, where their nearly vertical strata showed through the boulders and sand which covered the channel, they formed natural dams, collecting the waters, elsewhere flowing beneath the surface, into deep and clear pools. About these were patches of high reedy grass, and occasionally a few stunted tamarisk trees. At such places we pitched our camp. Not a vestige of human habitation was seen. In one or two spots, sheep tracks crossing the river-bed showed that the country was sometimes trodden by the foot of man, but either the season was not that during which the shepherds graze their flocks here, or perhaps fear of our approach induced them to flee, and we met not a solitary human being during our four days' march. Of birds we saw hardly any, of beasts none ; a few lizards on the rocks, and small fish in the pools, with an occasional harmless snake, represented the animal life of this desolate region.
Cheerless ae was the prospect between the banks, that from above them n'as no better. To the north an arid brown plain stretched
44 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
away to the Bampusht hills^ rising like a wall in naked ugliness, some ten miles off. The few scanty desert plants were hardly fresher in colour than the stony waste from which they sprung. To the south, range after range of insignificant flat-topped hills stretched away in the distance. Between them we were told are many flourishing villages and fertile spots belonging to Zamirdn, but none lay. within sight, and wherever the eye turned nothing but a bumt-up wilderness met our gaze. For a mountainous country I cannot conceive a more desolate scene. Even my Persians^ well enough accustomed to dreary wildernesses in their own land, were affected by it, and lost their usual spirits till one of them suggested that the Sh&h ought to confer the country in * tuyul * (i. e. make them pay themselves out of its revenue) on those of his ministers who had, by their advice^ given us the trouble of coming there.
Nobody was sorry, therefore, when on the fourth day the river-bed ended in a maze of ravines ; and after crossing the plain for a short distance, we saw the palm trees and tiny fort of Gishtig&n. The latter was manned by half-a-dozen matchlock men, who made ready for action when the head of the caravan drew near^ but the presence of M^sta& Kh&n, the agent of their chief, at once allayed their ap- prehensions. Exaggerated reports of our approach had, we heard, caused much alarm throughout the country. On the Persian side it was supposed that a combined army of Farangis and Kal&tis were coming to transfer the recent acquisitions of the Sh&h to the Khfin of Kal&t ; and on the other side a rumour had spread that we were on our way to annex Ktihak to Persia. This little district occupies a some- what similar position on the north of the Baluch plateau to that of Mand on the south, its chief being completely independent of both his neighbours, Persian and Brahui. This gentleman, Mir Mur£d by name, on hearing of our vicinity, had sent his women to a village he owned in Panjgur, and plaeed his fort in a state of defence. This was serious, as I wished if possible to go to Kuhak, or at all events to the neighbouring dependent village of Kun&rbastah.
As soon as possible, therefore, a messenger was dispatched to Mir Miirid with a letter acquainting him with the purport of my journey, and an offer to visit him at Kuhak, or to meet him at Kun^ba^tah. Another man was sent off to Panjgur for fresh camels, to replace those of our friend Mir Akhird&d, who, being too close to an enemy's country to stay longer than necessary, departed directly he got his
AND .^iOUTJfEMN PERSIA. 45
moneyj gnunblitig and swearing at not receiving a handsome present in addition to tlie three days' hire, amounting to 225 rupees, out of which he had cheated ua by exaggerating the distance. Every one was glad to see the last of him and his crew, with whom the camp was an incessant scene of wrangling and contention. However, it was a matter of congratulation to have got along the most difficult part of the frontier at any price.
We had been led by M)ista& Kh^n to ^pect ample supplies of provisions at Gishtig6n, but little or nothing was forthcoming, and for that little outrageous prices were asked. A rupee, or, as it is here called, a 'kaladirV was demanded for a lump of butter the size of a walnut, or for a handful of rice or barley. This was annoying, as our provisions were well nigh exhausted by the long march through the desert, and we had not more than a couple of days' supply of rice and flour in camp, and were two or three days' march at least from the nearest place where it was supposed provisions were obtainable. Id this, too, I might be deceived, as Mustafa Kh£a's information was clearly not to be trusted. Dates of course were procurable in plenty, and the Persians, accustomed to scanty and irregular food, could get along on them ; but the Indian servants and the Survey party were already grumbling at the absence 0^ ghee, and persisted in half poison- ing themselves with stinking dried fish they had brought irom the coasts in preference to eating dates with their ' ehapfitis,' or investing part of their ample wages and food-money in a kid or Iamb.
I was therefore anxious to be off as soon as possible, but four days passed without the promised camels arriving from Panjgiir. In the mean time we had collected about five and twenty in the vicinity of Gishtigin, and obtained half a dozen more from the Persian escort, from whom I also purchased some of their spare rice and flour for the use of the Survey party. With these we made a start on the fifth day, leaving all but two of the lightest tents and the migor part of the baggage in charge of a couple otjaratiet and two of the Y&war's men.
The messenger to Mir Mur^ Khfin had previously returned with an answer to my letter, alleging illness as an excuse for not coming to meet me, but saying that he would send his nephew to the camp. With the messenger came one of Mir Mfirid's own men, sent, as he at once avowed, to see whether there was actually a Farangi in the
> KftUJir : AnglieS, btaring a ktad, from tli« profile of the Qiieen on the obvene.
*^ A JOCayEY THROUGH BALUClUSTAy
<vHinm . AS his master feared that the whole story might be a ruse of Il>nU)im KULn to get him ^Mir Mur<d) into his power. Satisfied on this jvint the spy returned at onee to Kuhak.
iMshtijjAu is a misemble little place, inhabited by Rinds and Bj^uohis, Tht\50 latter, fn>m whose tribal appellation Niulir Shdh, after \\nup)orin}r the cv^umry, gave it the name of Baluchistiln, are apj^nn\t!y of Iranian origin, mostly nomads, and scattered all through naluohist^u and Karmin, as far as longitude 56". They seem a quiet w\d inotTensive race, disinclined to fii>ht unless attacked, and generally nving under the piv^twtiv^n of some more warlike tribe, Kurd, Rind, ^MT NusUinAt^ni. The nan^e of Xharvvs, more properlv Xarahuis, which ottingxNf givt>s to the trilK»s of Western Baluchistdn, is unknown to, or nnrt\^^g^u5s^yl hy them nv»w. As most of his information seems to haxe Ivjh^u derivivl fn>m his Brahui guide, it is possible that, like M«*krAui, the term Xarahui is used in a contemptuous sense by the KnUt p«vplo ; or j>erhaps the true Narahui Baluchis are now confined to the llehmmd valley. At all events the Arbdbis, about whom he mnkes a blunder, which will be noticed hereafter, are certainly not
The appellation * Baluch ' is thus applied in two senses throughout t.lu» ct>untTy ; in the restricted sense, as a member of the Baluch tribe, in 1 1>^^ K^eneral sense, as an inhabitant of Baluchistdn. For instance, a Hi»«l ^r ft Nushirw&ni, excusing himself for poverty or bad manners, will >*fty» * What would you have, md Bal&cA hastim (we are Baluchis)'; wliiU^ the same man, if asked if he is a Baluch, will indignantly re- pudiate the idea, and answer, with all the pride of superior race, * No, I an) ft Rind,' or Nushirw&ni, as the case may be.
The Rinds take Baluch wives, but do not give their own daughters in return. This mixture of blood perhaps accounts for the fact that the Itiudu of Gishtig&n are finer and handsomer men than the Hand people, who iieemed mostly of the lowest Arab type, with small eyes, bulbous noses, and thick lips. Two brothers, relations of the chief of Gishtig&n, Vi\\k\\ Muhammad and Y&r Muhammad by names, who obtained some oarnels for us, and afterwards accompanied the party to J&lk, were two of tlie best-looking specimens of humanity I have ever seen, and their manners were as great a contrast as their features to those of Mir Akhirdid and his crew.
During our halt at Gishtigdn^ I rode out one day with the Sarhang Mome miles to the eastward, to ascertain the position of the boundary
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 47
in that direction, and connect my survey with that of Major Lovett the previous year. Five or six miles from Gislitigfin we reached the summit of the plateau, 3000 feet above the sea.
This appears to be the most elevated plain south of the wateivparting. It is an alluvial expanee, bo level that there are no perceptible water- courses draining in either direction. At one place, an embankment, called Sar-i-shun, a few inches high, had been made at some period to retain the- rainfall for cultivation ; and a few pomegranate trees marked the site of a former garden, hut all was now desolate, and there was no sign of habitation. About fifteen miles due east, over a level plain, lies the village of Diz, the chief place of the Kalit district of Piriim, visited by Major Lovett.
To the south the parallel ridges of upper Zamir&n show a bolder outline and greater height than they do further west. The most con- siderable was named to me the Kuh Manjifin, and another of serrated outline, here so rare, the Kfih-i-Mi&nuk. To the north the Bampusht hills continue their bold scarp, under the name of Kuh-i-Mazaropusht, in the same even west to east direction, until they end in a loftier and bolder peak called the Kuh-i-Sagarkand. Beyond this, which marks the frontier, the hills diminish rapidly in height, changing the direc- tion of their ridgea from E. to E.N.E.
In the Mazampusht hills the water-parting between the oceanic and central baains turns abruptly south over the Sar-i-Sham plateau, after which it resumes its eastward direction along the northern scarp of the prolongation of the Zamir&n hills.
Leaving Gishtigin on the 2nd of March, we camped in a ravine only three miles distant, hearing a rumour that the camels coming from PanjglSr to bring on the rest of our baggage were not far off. The next day we crossed a wide gravelly plain to the foot of the hills, behind the first ridge of which we found a slender stream flowing westwards to the Nihing, Turning due north up a branch of this we camped amid dismal precipices at the foot of the Hinduwfia pass. Here we were overtaken by Ydr Mohammad, with the welcome intel- ligence that the camels had arrived. He was accompanied hy their owner, a splendid-looking Baluch from Fanjglir, nearly six feet and a half high, and stout in proportion, with long curling locks floating over his shoulders. I could not help thinking what a model he would make for one of the heroes of the Shfih-namah.
Without much difficulty a bargain was struck with this worthy.
48 A JO URNE Y THRO UGH BA L UCHISTA N
and he started back to Gishtig&n, promising to catch us up in a couple of days.
On reaching the summit of the pass, 4100 feet above the sea, the next day, the finest view we had seen in Baluchistfin burst upon us. Some five-and-twenty miles to the north an imposing range of mountains, with bold peaks and rugged sides^ stretx^hed along the horizon. In front of them, and partially hidden by the lesser ranges parallel to that on which we stood, lay a wide valley sloping up towards the more distant hills. This was the Kuhak valley, and the hills beyond it the Si&neh Kuh^ and the Kuh-i-Sabz', between which the Mashkid river finds its way to the great desert which stretches away to the Helmand. In our atlases this river is shown under the name of the Boodoor, as rising in the desert and the Saraw&n hills to the east, and flowing southward to the Nihing.
Some maps indeed indicate it as a possible ancient outlet of the Helmand to the sea. This southern course of the M&shkid or Boodoor rested on the authority of Sir Henry Pottinger, who crossed the desert from Saraw&n to Kalagdn in 1810. When sixty miles from the latter place we camped on the bank of a * dry river, five hundred yards in width, running S.S.E. towards the west.' Up this river-bed he proceeded five miles in a north-westerly direction, to the site of a ruined village called B«g&n.
In the second part of his book Sir Henry Pottinger states that he was informed that the 'Boodoor' extended to the Oarmsil^ as the valley of the Helmand is termed in the great bend which it takes to the south. The improbability of a torrent five hundred yards wide, haviug its origin on the banks of a great river, in an almost waterless desert, presumably led to Pottingfer's supposition that the Boodoor was an old outlet of the Helmand to the ocean ^.
Of course a knowledge of the altitude of the Khar&n desert would at once have disposed of this theory, but Pottinger had no instruments for measuring heights. On Major Lovett's journey to Panjgur in 1 87 1, he was informed that the ' Raksh&n ' and other streams draining the Panjgur valley to the westwards fell into a stream called the M&shkid^ which flowed north and north-west through the Sidneh-Kuh and Kuh-i-Sabz, to the desert in which it was stated to disappear, several days' march distant. This information^ which, if true, amounted to a revolution in the recognised geography of Baluchist&n, was borne
' Black peak bills. * Green hills. ' See bis Travels, p. 303.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 49
out hj the levels ae far &b known. Major Lovett found Panjg^r to be over 3000 feet above the sea, and the GarmsO valley, con&idenng the height of the Sist^ lake, calculated by Khinikoff at 1500, could hardly exceed aooo ' .
Still it was possible that the Rakshia might have a rapid iall to the M&hlad, and that the latter might, aa deecribed by Pottinger, join the Dasht either by the Nihing or the Shihri rivers. Of the first possibility our journey up the Nihing had disposed.
To remove the last shadow of doubt from Lovett'a theoiy, which was, I need not say, the true one, it was only necessary to see whether the M&hkid, which we could see in the distance, flowed east or west. If east, it conld not possibly reach the Sh&hri, and Pottinger, who had seen it, was wrong ; and Lovett, who bad not, right ; if west, the older traveller was correct. Thus, though I had little doubt aa to the resalt, I was anxious to get to the stream as soon as possible.
' Dr. Bellew, in the ftppendiz to 'The Indua to the Tigria,' givea the height of Bildbir u 1S30 feet.
CHAPTER III.
PUMn to Jdlk {continued).
Tut travels of Sir Henry Pottinger will of necessity be so frequently rtiferrtil Ui in ilu; coufho of this and the following chapter, describing ft |/arL of i^iilut'liiHUlii where he was our only European predecessor, ihiki u \$rwX AvU*\\ of his journey will hardly be out of place.
W|j«M Hir John Malcolm was setting out from Bombay on his majtuA riiitfHion to Tehrfin, Captain Christie^ and Lieut. Pottinger of iliir Korubay army volunteered to find a route overland to Persia through the unexplored wastes of Baluchist&n.
'V\ii*\v offer being accepted, Christie and Pottinger sailed to Sonmi&ni, a wmull jKirt not far west of Kardchi, and travelled thence through Las fkila to Kal&t. At this time they passed as European servants of a Hindu horse-dealer of Bombay. From Kaldt they made their way to Niishki, on the borders of the Helmand desert. Here they separated, Christie striking north-west across the desert to the Hel- mand, whence he passed through Sist&n and Her&t to Yazd and Isfah&n ; while Pottinger turned southwards to complete his investi- gation of the geography of Baluchist&n. After traversing the Sarawfin district, he attempted to obtain a guide to Sarhad, even now unvisited by a European ; but he was unable to do so, and found himself un- willingly compelled to take the route we afterwards traversed through Ealag^ and Dizak to Bampur. During this stage of his travels he was forced to assume the character of a Musalm&n pilgrim. From Bampiir he followed the direct road through Basm&n to Big&n in Narmashir, and so on to Bam and Karm&n, whence he reached Shir&z through Shahr-i-B&bak and Arsinj&n, a route not since described.
In 1816, Sir Henry Pottinger published an account of his journey through Baluchist&n and South Persia, accompanied by a geographical and historical account of the former country and Sind, with a map
* Killed at the battle of Aslandiiz in 181 2.
BALUCHISTAN AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 51
<:ompiled from his own observations, those of Captain Grant, who had visited Bamp'ur in 1809, and from native information.
Careful stady of this work on the spot made it impossible for me to avoid the conclusioa, already drawn by an eminent foreign critie ', that Sir Henry Pottinger, though a most daring and successful traveller, was neither a competent surveyor nor a careful observer. Even allowing tlie widest margin for miscalculation of distance while travelling by night, and rough bearings hastily taken by pocket compass, it is difficult to understand how he could have fallen into some of the blunders found on his map. It is perhaps uniair to blame him for placing the whole of north-western Ballichistin three quarters of a degree too far north ; but his error in the direction of the Biidur or Mishkid, noticed in the last chapter, is inexplicable, as he followed lU bed for five miles by daylight ; and that there are two such rivers in the KhfiHln desert, close together but flowing opposite ways, the second of which Pottinger passed without noticing it, seems more than im- probable. Again, a comparison of his map with that at the beginning of this volume will show that some of the hill ranges passed by him are drawn at right-angles to the real bearing of their axes : e. g. the Kuh-i-Birg close to Mngas or Mughsee. Either his pocket compass must have been utterly untrustworthy, or he must have been far from careful in noting it. For instance, the true bearing of Bampfir from Puhri is exactly west. Pottinger gives it in text and map as south- west by south. Another defect is the fondness, shared by bim with some more recent geographers, for tracing all the hills in a country to a common source ; oflen true enough as regards the great elevated masses, or plateaux, but utterly incorrect with respect to the ridges rising above the general level, which throughout the plateaux of Persia and Baluchist&n are often remarkable for their isolated character. To carry out this pet theory he takes unwarrantable liberties with the oreography. For instance, from the high hill near Dizak, called by him the Kuh-i-Guebre (a name I was unable (o identify, but which is no doubt one of the lofty isolated limestone mountains west of that village), he draws a prominent range due south for mora than seventy miles, and a second south-west to meet the hills south of Bampur. Both are figments of imagination. The country on which they are shown is a vast plain, drained by several affluents of the M&hkid, flowing south-cast, and diversified only by insignificant ' KUuikoft E 2
^2 A JOURSET TIIROUGU BALUCHISTAN
riil*^»s running in the same direetion. The errors in names of dis- tricts, and in the identification of natural objects, will be mentioned as occasion arises.
Tlie task of calling attention to the mistakes of a predecessor is an invidious one ; the more so that his journey was successfully pursued in the teeth of difficulties, dangers, and hardships which would have turneil back many a traveller, and with which the petty troubles and aunoyancos exjH>rienced by Mr. Blanford and myself cannot bear the shadow of a comixirison. It seemeil, however, better to do so at once ftiul 0{H>nIy, than to be constantly contradicting him page after pa^, or to ignore his blunders altogether, and leave the work of comparison to critii»s.
\Vitl\ all its faults, moreover. Sir Henry Pottinger's volume was invalunMo as a handlHH)k ; and I know that much of the information 1 obtaineil is due to questions prompted by its pages. On many- points itM aivunu*v is wonderful; and more than one Baluch chief wiw UHtonisluHl by my knowledge of his pedigree and family history, dut* t«) iho details on such subjects which Pottinger delighted to rollrct'. The contnist betwei^n the manner of our journeys was often brought vividly to my mind in |H*rusing his daily experiences by the li^ht- of my own, to eorn>l)orate or ci>rrect his observations. The Iravollor of 1810 flitted hastily and cautiously through a country HWitrniiaK' with (Mit-thnmts. Obliged at first to disguise himself as llin Nitrvunt of* a llindui and afHerwards as a Musalm^ pilgrim, ac- eoni|ianird by u singh* Indian attendant, and mounted on a worn-out <<iiinnl, JMt WHN «>ft4'n dependent on hospitality for food, and on the sand of llin (IrNert for a couch. His rough notes and sketches could be tiiiidii only i^f. tlu* rink of discovery which might probably mean a cruel diMilJi. IIIn HUceoHHorH of 1872 ibIlowiHl nearly the same road, with lift In nioro rink than on British soil. They were provide<l with horses, t«'iil.», wtrviinln, and all the appliances of Anglo-Indian travelling; and tliMiiiih uirnnipaniinl by a merely nominal escort, used theodolite and ih»*(iim( , immHurin^c-wliwI and note-book, as freely and openly as in their
OWN llMlll.
MiinI. Ill' llin I'liiinw-n is doubtless due to the vast increase of prestige fi|^jnvi<d by IImi eotuiunrorH of the Panjdb and Sind ; but we could not uliut iMir i\y«'n !•<» H"' I'H'I' tl»«^<' "^"^''^ ^^ ^^^^ security and safety of our Iriivi'lllhK wim af Iributuble to the substitution of Persian rule for that III' |Im« liiilitpiMidi'nl. barbarians of Pottingt^r's time.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 53
To return to the narrative. Descending the Hinduw£o pass we entered- the Aekio torront-bed, now quite dry. A couple of milea further we halted for the ni^ht (March 4th) at a tiny spot of culti- vation in the mouth of a ravine from the eastward. A wall of loose stone built across the entrance served as escarpment to retain a plat- form of flood-debris and made-soil, perhaps a tenth of an acre in extent. This was planted with a few date-palms, beneath which were little patches of several diSereot seeds: cotton, barley, onions, and radishes among the number. Habitation there was none, the little garden bclongring to a tribe of nomad Baluchis encamped further up the ravine. We had seen ruins of similar walls on the Hung plateau ; but this was the first met with in working order. Afterwards such gardens were not uncommon ; and it appears that these ravine months are the only cultivated spots through a wide extent of country from Bamplsht to Fanjgur, in which there are no settled villages. The inhabitants are exclusively Baluchisj owning allegiance to one or other of the powerful chiefs in the neighbourhood, oflen quite irrespective of the district over which they wander. Thus we found on the Askin ravine, in close proximity to each other, camps of Baluchis belonging to Persian Bampfisht, to Kal&ti Panjgur, and to independent Kuhak,
This may hereafter prove as fertile a source of frontier disputes on a small scale as do on a larger the loo^ allegiance and wandering pro- pensities of the Kurds and Arabs on the Turko-Persian frontier.
The next day we made a short march down the ravine to Tashkuk, a date-grove without habitation. Here the rest of the baggage caught us up. We hod now passed two considerable ranges parallel to the Bamptisht scarp, and the country in front was more open, sloping rapidly down towards the Mishkid, but still intersected by numerous minor ridges. Leaving the Ask&n ravine the next morning we turned westward behind one of these, and by a narrow and rocky path crossed to a parallel torrent called Kod&ni, where we halted near a camp of nomad Baluchis. We were now only a day's journey from the villages of Miirti and Barui, the principal places of Bampusht. The head men came down to the camp. One of them, a pleasant-looking old man, told me he was among the defenders of Kal^t when it was stormed by the British army in 1839.
Here occurred the only episode of excitement which varied the even tenor of our march through Baluchistfin. After dinner Mustafa Kh&n' came to my tent in a state of unusual excitement, and reported that
*^ A JOURNEY TU ROUGH BALUCHISTAN
» nodtile army was somewhere in the neighbourhood. Oatlpng ihepherds had reported a strong-armed force to be halting on the JM«hkid at the mouth of the Kod&ni ravine, five or six miles below oar camp. It was supposed that they were Mamasanis from Ndl, a district south of Kalit, who were known to have a blood-feud to avenge on the people of Isfandak ; in which case it was unlikely that they would meddle with our party. On the other hand, Mustafa Khin thought it by no means improbable that they were Helmand Balfichis from Rtidb&r on a general plunderiHg expedition^ who woold certainly attack us, if they got scent of so rich a prize in their ricinity.
Baluchfs neither march nor fight nfter dark, so there was nothing to be done till the morning. In the meantime I wrote a letter to the Mamasani chief, Yusiif Kh&n^ pointing out the impropriety of his proceedings in disturbing the peace of the frontier at the very time when the British Government had sent an oiTiccr to settle its position in the interests of his master, the Kh&n of Kalfit. This missive was to be despatched at daybreak, or as soon as tidings confirmatory of the marauders being Mamasanis should arrive.
Early the next morning we heard the sounds of distant firing ; and on turning out found the nomads camped near us hard at work pack- ing their goods and chattels on camels, and driving them as soon as loaded up the ravine in the direction of Murti. Our owti people were taking it quietly ; but the Persian escort were making the hastiest of preparations for a start. The Sarhang, the Y&war and Sdlt&n, with the Bampdsht chiefs, were on a hill looking in the direction from which the report of dropping shots came at intervals. On joining them we found the fat Sult&n green with terror, and counselling immediate flight. The Sarhang was evidently ner\'^ous, but kept a good face on it; while the old Yd war counted his beads and mut- tered prayers incessantly without offering an opinion. We learnt that it was still uncertain who the enemy were ; but as the Baluehis, with whom they were then exchanging shots, belonged to Kuhak, and were therefore allies of the Mamasanis, it was supposed by the Sultfin that they must be the much dreaded Helmand robbers. This amiable people have the reputation of being the most blood-thirsty villains in Western Asia, and that^ too, under the cloak of religion. Nothing will induce them to violate the precepts of the Kor&n by plundering a living man ; but stripping a dead one appears to their tender con-
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 85
sciences a l&udable act, or at most a venial era. They therefore always murder travellers before annexing their belongings.
Mustafa Khin had not been able to find a messenger to carry my letter, and though both he and the Bampusht chiefs had little donbt that the mders were Yfisfif Kh&n's people, the mere possibility of their proving Helmand Baltichfs made them counsel oor sending off the baggage into the hills. Whilst we were diecnssing the matter, a man armed with a matchlock, half naked and streaming with per- spiration, appeared running up the ravine. He proved to be a BaMch from the camp below ; and said that they had been attacked at daybreak by a dismounted detachment of the Mamasanis, who had wounded a man and a woman and carried off several others with some sheep. He had come to ask assistance from the Bampusht people in recovering the captives. The Mamasanis had retreated to their main body, who had gone off westwards in the direction of Isfandak before
All apprehension of the marauders being Helmand people was now at an end ; but neither the Persians nor our camel-drivers would listen to any proposal for a move towards Isfandak. However, after a couple of boors, during which the wounded woman was brought in, and her wound dressed by Mr. Boane, Miistafa Kh&n found a messenger to carry my letter to the Mamasam chief, to which I added a postscript, requesting the release of his prisoners. The messenger returned the next morning with intelligence that the Mamasanis had killed two Isfandak Balfichis, who were grazing their flocks out«ide the village, about the same time that their dismounted men had attacked the camp near us. On the receipt of my letter, to which no reply was returned, they released their captives, and started east- wards for Nil at once.
In the course of the following week I learnt the whole story, which, as an example of the manners and customs of Baluchistan, is perhaps worthy of record.
The district of J^lk, on the other side of the Si&neh Hills, is &mous for its dates, and caravans from Eastern Baluchist&n resort to it yearly to buy them. Their road lies through the villa^ of Is&ndak, which was last year in the hands of a certain Baldch Kh&n, not a BalficM, as his name would seem to denote, but a Nushirw&ni ', and
' Th««e HiiakirwiDls appcu to be the moat warlike tribe in Baldiiiutin. Thej u« of Pai^u origin, havtug emignted from NluUnrtii, > diitrict, kdA former town, on tb*
66 A JOURNEY TU ROUGH BALUCHISTAN
cousin of Azid Khfin of Khdrdn, the chief of that powerful clan. This man had taken forcible possession of Isfandak, and levied black- mail on all passing caravans.
A largo caravan from Ndl, on its way back from Jdlk with dates, refused to pay, and was accordingly attacked by Baluch Kh&n — two men, Baluchis, not Mamasanis, being killed, and a large number of camels seized. Yiisuf Khdn, the Mamasani chief, complained to Az&d KliAn of this proceeding of his relative; and he, after obtaining the rcMtoration of the camels, gave Yusuf Kh6n permission to purge the 1>l(KMl-feud — no noble blood, Mamasani or NushirwAni, having been Kpilt — by the slaughter of two Isfandak Baluchis, in return for the two NAl Bttlfichis slain by Baluch Khfin. This was the object of the raid, An<l as the programme was exactly carried out, honour was fully ftat.iHru*d. The attack on our neighbours on the Kod&ni ravine was a mistake, the sufferers being supposed to belong to Isfandak, and not Kuliak.
It is very possible that this error, when discovered, had just as much to do with the release of the captives, as any remonstrance : however, we met them on our road the next day, on their way to our camp. They expressed much gratitude, and begged for rupees.
Tlie Persians, though now boasting that only our pacific mission on the frontier had prevented their attacking and slaughtering the Mamasanis, kept their horses saddled all night in readiness for bolting in case of a night attack. The precaution was unnecessary, all was quiet, and neither Ibr&him Stiltfin nor the camel-drivers objected to a start the following morning, though they kept in the hills, instead of going straight to the Mdshkid.
After a longer march than usual, crossing several small dry torrents, and one large one, the Shaitfib, higher up on which lie Murti and Barui, we emerged on the river-bed, down which an insignificant stream was trickling eastwards, thus proving its identity with Pot- tinger's Budur.
The next morning the bodies of the slain Baluchis were brought
Zaindartid, a few milen above Isfahin. As they daim kindred with the MamasanfB of NAl, an ofibhoot of the well-known Ltir tribe of the same name, the Niiahirw&nis are probably also Liirs. I could not learn any tradition as to the date of their emigration into Baldchist&n ; but it seems not improbable that they were found troublesome neighbours by Shah Abbas, when he established his court at Isfah&n, and turned out by him to make room for the Armenian colonists brought from the north, whose descendants are still numerous in the neighbourhood.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 57
to the camp by their relatives ; not, as might be supposed, to ask for justice against the murderers, hut to beg for contribations towards the funeral expenses. One, a fine young man of five-and-twenty, bad been killed by sabre cuts. He had refused to take shelter in the village, preferriug to mn the chance of death to abandoning his flocks, which he had not had time to drive off into the hills.
The Mfishkid river here runs along the southern edge of the plain, which is a vast glacis of gravel, sloping gently upwards to the foot of the Si&neh range, here about ten miles distant, and parallel to the Bompliaht hills. To the left the mountains appeared to trend north- wards, and nothing broke the horizon-line in the westward direction but three abrupt peaks, which Mustafa Kh^n stated to be the hills of Dizak.
Three miles from the halting-place we passed the village of Isfandak, the first permanent habitation since leaving Mand, three weeks before. It lies on the edge of extensive date-groves, among which flourishing crops of young com were springing. The buildings were of mud and stone ; and the whole place had an air of greater prosperity and civilisation than anything seen in Southern Baluchistin.
Our road lay across the plain in a north-westerly direction to the hills, which we entered by an easy pass, called the Godar-i-Bonsir. The summit is about 4500 feet above the sea, 1250 feet higher than our halting-place on the M&hkid.
Seen from the other side of the valley, the Si£neh hills had bolder and more varied outlines than the southern ranges, of whose monotonous ridges of sandstone and shale our eyes had long been weary. But any hopes of something new in geological formations were disappointed, and the only novelty was a welcome increase of vegetation. In an hour's stroll after reaching the camping-ground, a knoll near the path, a mile from the summit of the pass, I found asafojtida in abundance, maiden-hair fern growing round springs in the gullies, wild pistachio, and the two most characteristic plants of the lower ranges of South Persia, the broom-like wild almond, and a shrubby heath, which has a curious resemblance to a gooseberry- bnsh covered with fruit.
The asafcetida was just coming iato flower, and some of the stalks were five feet high at least. Unlike the other plants of the same family in Persia, which seem to prefer barren plains or arid and exposed hills, the asafmtida is found in sheltered and comparatively
^^ A JOURNKY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
*U«u» HiH»tH Amt»n«: ^^^^ mountains. Pottinger found it in the vicinity of Nui*l)l^i» \vlu»n» it in rolloct^ by the Baluchis both for export and their own UM». Ah fur hh 1 could learn, its value either as a condiment, or Mn tin iu'<it'li» nf roninierco, is unknown in Western Baluchistan.
Tho «liiv liiid lM'«»n oloudy, and before the baggage camels could g«t ih. It «*niiM* <»n to ""'^ heavily. Fortunately our tents got in before iliiik, but tl"- gn*«t«»r jMirt of the caravan was overtaken by darkness, Mini did not rrarh the* camp till morning. We had in consequence to mi iHMirlv dinfu'rh'HH to slwp, though not to bed, for beds and bedding \^\sw\ with Mir iniHHing camels.
Tlin nini'ning wan bright and clear; and^ after breakfast, we iloHiMtiMliMl It narrow i»ath into the broad shingly bed of the Kalagfin iiiuiir, rnllnwing this for five miles in a northerly direction, we «*iiiiip iijMin » copious spring of water, bubbling out of the stones, and lliiwiiig brinkly down the valley through green turf and rushes, the iilitiiHiiiitcMi night we had yet seen. Soon aflerwards the ravine turned iiliiuplly U\ the* (eastwards, and a mile further we halted in a date- giiivc below the castle of Aibi. This is a picturesque building, iNtrclMMl on an isolated rock ^, and is the first place in the flourishing III I In dii«trict of Kalag&n.
A mile further down the valley is the village of Pahuri or Puhri. ltd wccii t.he two, ])alm-groves and gardens skirt the edge of the hills. At tJiH time of Pottinger's visit the cultivation was much more lUtittiMivc; but a heavy flood, about ten years ago, not only carried NWiiy all the trees from the middle of the valley, but left a deposit III' rill ingle, which has prevented the re-cultivation of much of the land. Ndvrrtheless, what remains made Kalagiln by far the most inviting v|Hil. we had seen in BaluchistAn, added to which the rivulet and Ifiifilitnii promised unwonted additions to the natural history collections. Wtf thi^refore, not unwillingly, consented to give the camels ^ day's
rout"
llii^n, flour, barley, and ghee were brought in in quantities con- niilitrablu com^Mired to the supplies produced in Mand, and at prices iiiitn|Miratively reasonable, and not before it was time, for the com- liiJiMUiriat was at the lowest ebb. The vendors attracted our attention by ilicir unvarying low stature, ugly but good-humoured faces, and tJin c^onstant chatter they kept up, so unlike the sulky taciturn people of MakrAn. On enquiry I found them to be members of the tribe
» ViiU Fr<mti$pitcf.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 69
called 'Arb^bi,' BDppoeed, aa the name vould denot«, to be the aboriginal inhabitaDta '. They are admirable cultivators, resembling in this respect the Gabrs of Yazd, and the inhabitants of Karm£n generally. They have no distinctive dialect, but do not intermarry with other Tillage-dwelling tribes, or with the nomad BaMchis, like whom they invariably occupy a subject position. The villages owned and tilled by them are always under the protection of some more warlike tribe. The districts of Surin, Oosbt, Faskuh, N&liii, and Sinuk&n, much of Dizok and J£lk, bcsidea EalagfiD] are inhabited by Arb^bis.
Pottinger's description of the Dehwitre of Kal&t would serve equally well for the Arb&b!& of Western Baluchist^, and both are perhaps iden- tical with the T&jiks of Afghinistin and Central Asia. These latter are, however, if I remember rightly, described as a handsome race of pure Iranian origin. The Arbibis are, on the other hand, extraordinarily short, hardly, I should think, averaging five feet two inches, with blunt features, straight brows, and sturdy clumsy limbs, bearing a far stronger likeness to Turks of Adarbaijfin than to any Persian-speaking people of modem Ir&n. It is worth noticing that both Dehw^rg and Arb&bis are found only on the higher plateaux of BaliichistAn.
The day after our arrival at Kalagjn, the nephew and cousin of Mir Mflrid of Kuhak came to the camp, having been sent by that
* Sir Heniy Foltinger'i account of this BingnW people diffeni K> entirelj from mj experience, and hota the infarm&tion I gatbered, that I annei h» temu-ks on the lubject. He iv^ (pp. 169-70). ' Uihrab Khin IB the most powerful chief in thU quarter . . . and he is acknowledged to be the paratDOunt authority from Dfxak to Bumin . . , Hi> tribe is that branch of the Nharoea called Urbaheee, who are stated to have been of no note whatever, and had dwelt in obscurity in a aterile and elevated tract near Surhnd, whence the progenitor of the present Khan emigrated with a bod; of followen to Diialt, in which district they acquired a footing by a donation of soil from some of the Uuknuiee chieb ... his tevmuea (Mihr&b Khin's) are now computed at four and a half lac* of rupees annually (£56,950).
'The Urbabees are the fairest tribe of Belooches I met with, and there \s a pecallar •leration in their countenances that pre-eminently distinguishes them among their countrymen. They are, without almost an exception, tall bandaome men, with great Indications of activity. Their predatory character, on which they pride themselveB, is laffioieDtly proved by their deeds,' lie.
Pottinger is here probably describing the Binkiai Afgh&na, to which tribe the ruling family of Dfzak, who own all the districts inhabited by ' ArUbls,' state themselves to belong, having emigrated at no very recent date from tbe Helmand. He passed very hurriedly through this part of the country ; and must have confused the tribe cultivating the soil with that of their lords paramount.
60 A JOURNEY THROUGU BALUCHISTAN
chief to meet me at Isfandak, from which place they liad followed our caravan to Kalagan.
The nephew was a truculent-looking young man of two or three and twenty, clad in a striped red stuff, with a large turban of the same colour, and the cousin, Mirza Khin, an intelligent youth speaking good Persian, learnt at Tehrdn where he was educated. His paternal relatives were formerly chiefs of Irafshdn ; and his connection with Kuhak is through his mother, a relation of Mir Murid. A few months only before I saw him, the head of his father's family, a certain Juma Khdn, had been put to death by Ibrdhim Kh6n of Bampur, when Mirza Khdn had taken refuge with his mother's people at Kuhak.
From him I obtained all the information required about Kuhak, and the neighbouring villages of Kunir-bastah and Isfandak. Only the two first are subject to Mir Mur&l, Isfandak belonging half to a child, Shfih-nawdz Kh&n, nephew to Mir Mur&d, and half to his cousin Rustam Khfin, the chief of an AfghAn family recently settled in Dizak.
Kuhak, which is from all accounts one of the strongest fort« in Baluchistan, was conquered early in the present century by a Nu- fihirwdni chief from Khfirdn, who married the daughter of the rightful owner after putting the latter to death. Since that time Kuhak, which had been dependent on Dizak, has paid tribute or allegiance to no one, though its Nushirwdni chiefs seem to acknowledge the head of their tnbe, the Khan of Kh&r&n, as their feudal superior.
Mirza Kh&n declared that Mir Mur&d, though willing to acknowledge ■iiinself a vassal of the English government, declined to have anything tp do with either Persians or Barahuis. He added that Mir Mur&d "ved in constant expectation of being attacked by Ibr&him Kh&n of Bampur; but had made every preparation to resist him, and had 'Reived a promise of assistance from Az&d Khfin of Kh&r&n.
I had a tent pitched for the Nushirwinis, and provided them with 'ood. Being on Persian soil they were under my protection and my guests. Early the next morning they started on their, return to Kuhak, the two chiefs riding on the same camel. At mid-day we *^e six and a half miles down the valley, passing the villages of ■Mji and Bald Kal&t, about four miles from Aibi.
Opposite the first named, half-a-dozen extra-dirty-looking Baluchis Were standing in a row, headed by a man in a white turban. As I rode P^i one of them came forward and addressed me in Hindustani, which. ue said he had learnt whilst working as a day labourer in Bombay. On
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 61
being asked who bis friend in tlic turban wae, he replied, ' Ilamara siair ka padUAui hai ' (He ie the king of my city).
Ba1& Kal^t is tlie liirgest village of Kslag^, and may contain some hundred or a hundred and twenty houses. It is famous for its grey- hounds ; but not one was to be seen when we passed, as it had leaked out that Ibrihim KhSn had ordered his nephew the S^ltfin to bring him a pair or two of good dogs. Every one in the place bad been carried olF to the bills. I succeeded in getting one on our return, but lost her a few days afberwaids. They are of the Arab breed ; eimilar - to the English greyhound, but smaller. The dogs with silky ears and feathered tails, known as Persian greyhounds, are bred among the wandering tribes of Wi?Btem Persia.
Our camp was pitched behind the last range of hills, on ascending which the desert, stretching without interruption to the Helmand, lay before us. Crossing a bay in this the next morning, March 1 3th, over a firm gravelly soil, with rocks protruding here and there above the snr&ce, we reached the goal of our frontier journey, the district of J£lk, unvisited till then by a European.
A mile from the town we were met by the eldest son of Dil&war Kh&n of Dizak, who though only twelve years old is supposed to govern J&lk and Kalagdn for his father. With him was a crowd of ragged matchlock-men and other tagrag and bobtail, dignified by Mdsta& Kh&n, who proadly pointed them out, with the titles of sarbdz, gkuldm, &c. The young Khfinwas a livclyand intelligent youth, andchattered incessantly to the Sarhang and myself, between whom he rode into the town. His loquacity and the straightforward way in which he asked questions and proffered opinions, drew down on him several reproofs from a dignified, but very dirty, old gentleman who called himself tfar^r, and was, I suppose, the virtual ruler of the district.
Jfilk consists of a group of half-a-dozen villages scattered along the last two miles of a wide ravine opening between low hills on the desert. A subterranean conduit, called kan6t in Persia, and kdrh here and in A%hflniEt£n, affords an ample supply of water ; and the whole width of the ravine is filled with the date-groves whose fruit is celebrated in Baluchist&n, Beneath the trees fine crops of wheat and barley were already as high as the knee. The villages have the usual form of a cluster of huts round a central fort, in the principal of which lived the young Kh&n with his nu)ther. So closely is the valley cultivated that it was difficult to find a spot large enough to pitch our tents, Alto-
L"'' ' ! J;'i .• . ;i- ■ ■. !:4? 'M !'.'.-• ?• \v\A.\Zl\i iiTjd •.•Ltfriul ]»iact we hiiJ
!!•-• •! .-..z.-i.ijj \x.'.\i I f ■.■! M'.'i-. I'l!j1 the la»l jiwwsir* J&Ik LitU l.«« ii II ".".I;!!!-. I !ni.*ii H«l li\ A/;i'l KIjhij 'f KLaran iwicf a vt-ar. c-ncv .il'i I '!.« • iii;iiiil '.iM <■ :iitir iIh- (iat*: liarw^t. Six vi-ar* l»ef:'rr -jur VI ii^ llii.'iliiid Kiian'fl liainiiiii' li:t<l (l«'l«'uti d Azad Khdn's mt-n. aiid I iii>tiiii •! .Mill lii : tii.\iil :i Init tin- lattiT liad built on the MashkiJ. two
ilii \ ■' in. II ill t<i I III- ( :i t .
>ihi I- till 11 till |.i it ;iiii> 111" Jjilk and Kala<«^iin have enjoyed piac-eand iLUhMiillih , ti iiiiiiiiil liiiwfvrr liv iiK'rcasrd taxation. Indeed it is a
i|iii-iiiiii will I In I iim-i ill' I 111' I |iK' of JSaluohistan would not grladly
ii iiiiii til (liiii I'M '!;iii- i.r.inarrliy and insecurity of life and pro|^rty, III I'll (ill in !■ Ill Ikixiiii;- tn |iay tlu'ir taxes regularly. Probably the m'l'i I . 1.1 I-, )iittriiri| (III- i»M stale ol'thiiii^; while the actual culti- \.i(.i tli.>ii:li ilii\ ina\ iiaxr more of llu*ir produtv to give up than »■! .'1.1. HI ui j.iU' ilu- iMiitlli i»f |M\'ttHii«'U whieh enables them to enjoy ill, u lu.iiii.lii 111 .|uiri. wsili.i.i ii.ir ff ilu'ir winter stock of provisions *\ w j'l.i'.uU '.,,1 .111,1 ilu \\ w.xfv ;i:ul il'.'.Mrcu carriid iff into slavery. \ *...:. x ll.'.'.i'.i. \\.i> -.::\ l •.'.'. J.i'x. wV.ire he had been since ch ild- li. ■ •.; '.1 i*. \\'..\\ N\.. V :\'.'. \\ V -.'.v.trNnun in our camp, he
X.'. .". w. ^;. i...N^ ' *. ;> :'.is% . i.nd }»aid us a visit.
■•. . - ..'. :: ■'. c ■ •>. * ii: did not make
., ." -: - . .'..v. ,•! ::..\:ni: Ifcnme a
.".'...•. ::. j.?kt-l j^rmission
->;^-.-.l ". .V.-:cr-: from the
-•■..^'* ■■ '• r..i. Ivinir onlv
. r. va'. r^'Val.
r. .- ? '.v;iv to
1 1I1>. . '.* ied
' . i^:.£. ;. I:
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. G3
to fomiah oar camels, I obtained particulars of the road, which he had traversed several times. Its distance to the Helmand is ten nmrchea, of which the last three are Ht, a word which was explained as water- less'. The halting-place of Finkaiser, shown on our maps, should be Pirikasr, the old fort.
Some twenty miles north-east of J&lk is an extensive tract of marsh , caused apparently by the drainage from the hills flowing under the gravelly glacis which here, as in so many places in Persia, stretches a long distance from the base of the ranges. At the southern end of the marsh, which is called Dehgwar, are two villages, Ladgasht and Kalag, belonging to J&lk. Immense date-groves cover the marsh throughout its extent. These are the property of various tribes, Panjguris and Khir&nis as well as men from J^lk and Kalag&n. The proprietors visit the groves twice a year only, when the female blossom requires fertilisation by the pollen of the male, and when the fruit is ripening. A day's march beyond Dehgwar is the MAshkid river, which ceases to afford water not far to the north.
My informant in the preceding particulars accompanied the Sarhanjf and myself one morning to the point where the J&lk ravine opens on the desert. Here on an isolated rock are some deep shapeless marks in the stone, said to be hoof-prints of Ali's horse, though I could not ascertain that there was any legend current explaining what the pro- phet's son-in-law was doing there. Besides their settlements on the MfishHd, the Rigis own two villages in J41k. They are fine handsome men, proud of their valour, which enables them to hold their own against the dreaded Helmand Baluchis. In features and manners they strongly reminded me of the Persian IMts of Fars.
I tried to persuade the Rigi chief to take us to Sarhad, six or eight marches from J£lk, but he declared it impossible, and we had to resign ourselves to going to Dizak, whence we might forward the superfluous camp equipage and Indian servants to Ow&dar.
' Kluuiikoff colls Che gre&t d«ert north of Karmin the desert of Ldt, or Lot, lupposed to detlvB iti kppelUtioD from the patrikrcb of that nuoe. Prebabl? the meuiiiig given to me \» tlie true one, and lU no more a proper nmme thkn ' Sihra' or ' Kavir,' dedgnatiotu applied bj geographen to the great deserti of North A&ica and Khdruin.
CHAPTER IV.
Jdlk to Bampur,
On the 1 8th of March we broke up our camp at Jfilk, and turned our steps towards Dizak, whence it was intended to send Blanford's Indian domestics and the surveying party back to 6w&dar. Endeavours to obtain a responsible person at Jdlk to take charge of them to the coast had failed, and I had therefore to take them on to Dizak. On our journey westward they would have been more trouble than use. Indian servants, useful and uncomplaining as they doubtless are in their own country, are too much the slaves of custom to adapt themselves with any readiness to strange surroundings. Moreover, the prejudices of caste, which influence Indian Musalmfins nearly as strongly as Hindus, are a constant source of annoyance to their masters in foreign countries. A Turk, a Persian, even an Arab, soon learns to fit in his ways with those of the people among whom he finds himself; but an Indian out of India, with rare exceptions, is, in my exi)erience, a square man in a round hole.
The first halting-place on the Dizak road was that in the Kalagfin valley, which we had left on the I2th. So, leaving the caravan to find its way thither by the regular path, Blanford and I indulged in the unwonted luxury of a wandering ride across the desert in search of game and specimens. Our particular object was to obtain a male of the gazelle, which Blanford, from a female procured in J&lk, suspected, and as it afterwards turned out with reason, to belong to a hitherto undescribed species ^
During the day we saw but one, a fine male, walking leisurely along a quarter of a mile ahead, and crossing our path at right angles towards a low ridge of rock which presently concealed him from view. As soon as he disappeared I galloped straight towards the rock, and on nearing it jumped ofl* and crept to the top, rifle in hand. There was the gazelle,
* Gazella fuscifront. Seepages 192, 193,
BALUCHISTAN AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 65
walking qaietly along, utterly uncontjcioas of the presence of an enemy, and not fiily yards off. Of course I looked upon hie head as good as in the British Museum, and resting the rifle, a double breech-loading express, on the rock, took a deliberate shot. Horrible to relate, the cap did not explode j the snap of the lock startled the antelope, which set off at a canter ; and the bullet from the second barrel, as it always does in such cases, whistled harmlessly over his head. That the only Boxer cartridge I have had miss fire should have been aimed at the only male GazeUa fmcifronx I or any other collector have seen within shooting distance, was a coincidence that I cannot yet think of with any feeling of resignation. At the time the disappointment was less keenly felt, for we hoped to find more gazelles of the same kind on that or subsequent days ; but alas 1 we saw no more that afternoon, and the gazelle of the deserts further west proved to he of another and well-known species.
After crossing the desert we entered the Kalagin torrent-bed, here a mere nullah in the desert, some four miles below our former halting- place, and close to the lowest village Kal'ah-ad-din. The date-groves here are fertilised by a spring of beautifully clear and sweet water, welling out of the east side of the ravine, and conducted in an artificial channel along its steep face. Spring and channel were alike fringed with a mssj of maiden-hair fern I have never, save in Abyssinia, seen equalled in luxuriance, and whose vivid green, contrasted with the sunny tints of the rocks amid which it grew, formed a picture re- freshing to the eye to a degree unknown to those who have never experienced the wearying monotony of the arid landscapes of Western Asia.
A little further on an almost equally pleasing sight was the poplar willow, of which many small groves were scattered along the valley. In early spring, when we saw it, the foliage of this tree assumes every variety of tender hue from pink to green. The Persians call it ' P&d&r- btd' (foot-bearing willow), probably from the long narrow point in which the heart-shaped leaf terminates. It is found, I believe, in all suitable localities throughout Western Asia from the Indus to the Mediterranean. In Persia, where it is not very common, I have seen it as far north as the valley of the Safid-Rfid in Ghilin, about lati- tude 37°'.
' Tkiu miut be die tree citUed by PoCtinger the ' peepul ' (jfcui rettyion), to the leaf oT which well-known Indian apecie* thai of tbe PitUr-biii bean coniideiable rescpibltneai.
VOL. I. X
66 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
The next morning we breakfasted under the palm-trees of Aibi, close to our old camping-ground. Here I had the misfortune to leave, un- read, the last number of the ' Westminster Review,' a serious loss in a bookless land, where posts were few and fiir between. I consoled myself with the reflection that it might have been left in a worse place. There are no weak brethren to have their faith shaken in Baluchist&n.
We camped that night in a pleasant spot, a mile or so up a branch turning westward from the main ravine down which we had come in the journey northward. Here it was that Pottinger, sleeping d la belh ^loiley had one of his only pair of shoes carried off by a fox ; a loss even more deplorable than that of my * Westminster Review.*
The next day's march led for some fifteen miles up the same ravine, which is wide and easy. It is formed by the dislocation of the axes of the ridges of the Si&neh Kuh, which here change their east and west bearing to north-west, marking the commencement of the mountain system of Persia proper. Although of the same g^logical formation^ the chimg^ of direction to the west was also emphasised by a difference in the form assumed by the hills. On our left were numerous steep short parallel ridges, on our right three well-marked chains of somewhat rounded outline. The road through this pass, called Godfir-i-Brinjin4n, had evidently been improved in several places to admit the passage of guns ; and we were told that Ibrahim Kh&n had more than once taken artillery to J&lk by this route^ which presents no difficulty of importance. Only in one place, where the path had been washed away by the recent heavy rain, did it require serious repair.
The water-parting, 4500 feet above the level of the sea, lies in the last chain. Two miles further on^ the road emerged on the Dizak plain, crossed by us ten days before through Isfandak. The Dizak hills, whose tops had just been visible that day, now loomed high to the west ; and to the south the Bampusht plateau showed a gradual slope upwards from the M&shkid, varied by numerous low parallel ridges. Many date-groves dotted the plain on both sides of the road^ which led south-west to the little fort of Kalpurak&n ^, which seems to
^ This, according to the Sarhang, who was fond of etymology, means 'head full of itching.' Pottinger says 'full of spirits or fairies.' The 'fort foil of sands,' p6r rigdn, would seem the most obvious derivation, but the plain is stony, not sandy. Perhaps it is the fort of Piira Khan from the name and title of the first owner; though I cannot say I ever heard such a name.
AND SOUTIIEBN PERSIA. 67
have given iia name to the district in Pottinger's time. It ia now called Debak, from a mach larger village to the east.
Our road the next morning (the 27tli of Muvh, new year's day in Persia) lay north-west across a barren plain, passing some low ridges of limestone rock, one of which, called Gw&nkuh, has the echo men- tioned by Pottinger, A few miles further we halted for breakfast at a garden containing, besides the usual date-palms, rose bushes, apple, apricot, and pomegnmate trees. The sight of the roses was hailed by the Persians aa a happy omen on this their great national fSte day, presaging a fortunate issue to the journey, and a safe return to Ir&a, In the afternoon we continned our march, passing the villages of Zi&rat, Aspich, and Muharamadij before arriving at the principal place, and residence of the chief, called simply Kalali ', ' the fort,' opposite the gate of which the tents were pitched.
DuEak consists of a group of half a dozen villages scattered along the north bank of an affluent of the M&hkid, flowing from the lofty plateau of Sarhad, whose only permanently inhabited spot, Washt, is said to be six days' journey from Dizak. Considerable groves of palm- trees lie between the villages of Dizak and the river, interspersed with carefully-tended fields neatly fenced with stone. This district, the richest in north'-westem Baluchist&n, has been paying tribute to Persia for upwards of thirty years, but had not been brought thoroughly under subjection till some six or seven years before our visit, when Ibr&him Kh£n reduced the chiefe to submission, freeing them in re- turn &om the attacks of their enemies, the Kh&T^n Nusbirw&nis. Besides Kalsg&n and Jilk, personal appanages of the chief. Sib, Magas, Bamplisht, and Irafsh&n are subject to his authority, which thus ex- tends over a third of Persian Baluchist&n.
The land-tax, levied on the whole district by the Pergiaas, amounts, I was told, to no more than lOOO tomans of five rupees each. Of thia J&lk and Kalagin contribute 200, Bampusht, Irafsh&n, Sib, and Magas I CO each, leaving 400 as the contribution of Dizak and its dependent villages, Faakuh, Dehak, and others. Supposing the re- maining two districts under their native chiefs, Geh and Sarbiz, each to produce an equal amount, we arrive at a total of £1500 a year as the land-tax of Boluchistin, excluding the BampUr valley, farmed by
* PotUnger cklb it Gull, evidently the Bune word m Kal'ab, which ii twiitod into mui; larmi in BBldchiaUn. Besidaa \Lt\iX and ita diminutiTe KftUtak, we find Kftlag, I.e. iUl'*lutk, 'little fort,' whence KaUgan, the little fort*.
68 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
the governor himself, where the produce is stored for the consumption of the troops. This is marvellously little considering the extent of the country, 50,0CX) square miles, and the apparently flourishing condition of some of it. It would amount to no more, according to such statistics of the population of individual places as I was able to collect, than one shilling per head per family. It must, however, be remembered that this tax is payable in coin, only obtainable by the sale of part of the scanty produce on the coast ; also, that the Persians keep no permanent ofiicials and no garrisons in these outlying districts, which are imder the entire authority of their hereditary chiefs.
In Pottinger's time a certain Mihr6b Kh6n held all the country from Dizak to Basm&n, and his revenue was stated to amount to ^^56,250 a year, about the same amount as the whole land revenue of the wealthy province of Pars at the same period, as given by Macdonald Kinneir. Pottingor's informant must, I think, have multiplied by ten at least.
During our stay at Dizak I exchanged visits with Dildwar Khin, the chief, a dull heavy-looking man of forty. He received me in a wretohed mud-plastered room over the gate of the fort. Trays of hot wheaten cakes fried in butter, very rich, but palatable, with spiced dates, were brought in. Contrary to custom on such missions, I had no presents to bestow, and paid for all services, past and future, in hard coin ; in my opinion a better plan for both donor and recipient, except in cases where the rank of the latter would make the offer of money an insult. In this case, having travelled so long in Dil&war Khfin's country, I thought it incumbent on me to give him something, so presented him with a silver hunting-watch of my own. He showed some anxiety about his inability to offer me anything of equal value in return, so I asked for one of the Baluch cloaks, woven in his own house, n very good specimen of which was accordingly sent to my tent.
On the occasion of the chief's visit to me I made particular en- quiries as to the geographical extent and meaning of the name Makrdn, applied by Pottinger to all Baluchist&n west of the Kh&rdn desert. The Dizak people scouted the idea of their country being in Makran, which they said does not extend north of the water-parting along the crest of the Bampusht hills. This would bring Irafsh&n and Sarbfiz into Makrfin ; but men from the former place declared that Makr&n is limited by the scarp of the plateau north of the Kej valley and its prolongation ea«t and west. Dil&war Kh&n said that
i
ASD SOVTSERN PSRSIA. 69
hie country formed properly part of Saraw&n, a tenn limited on maps to the elevation on the eastern side of the Kb&r&n deBert on the west, corresponding to the Disak plateau.
As to the derivation of the term Makran, no one seemed to know or care anything. Dean Vincent, in the ' Voyage of Nearchus,' says the word is derived from the Mehrin or Indus ; and rightly adds that it is confined to the country near the coast. The most obvious de- rivation, and one that appears to have the authority of history to back it, is ' M&hi-khor^n,' fish-eaters — ' Ichthyophagi,' as the bistoriaos of Alexander's march tell us the people of the coast were called. Against this view philologists, I beheve, state that the guttural kk never de- generates into the simple k. Possibly not ; but the modem Baluch is as incapable of pronouncing the guttural Arabic ik as is the Turk of Constantinople, though the inability takes a different form. One leaves out the h, the other the k. Thus the common words, khdaim, a lady, kiumd, a dat«, become hdnum, Aurmd in Turkey, and Mttus, kurmd in Baluchistan, This peculiarity of pronunciation struck me forcibly at the time, many years passed in Persia having habituated my ear to the full force of the guttural ; and on retunung to England, I was glad to find the same observation had been made by an in- telligent native traveller, Hajji Abdun Nabi, sent by Major Leach, resident at Kal&t, to explore Baluchistin in. 1859, and whose ex- periences were published by that o£Soer in the Journal of the Asiatic Society.
Rustam K.h4n, the part owner of Isfandak, came in one day from his village of Saijo, a few miles off, and called to see me. His grand- father was an emigrant from Afghfinistfin, and he is descended, on the mother's side, from Mihrdb Kh&n. Both in person and manner Rlistam Kh&n was worthy of his name. His face was eminently handsome, and his manner as good as that of a well-bred Persian. Among other things he told me that all the chiefs, on both sides of the frontiers, north and east, are careful to connect themselves by marriage, so that if one chances to be slain in a foray, it may, if oecessary, be treated as a mere family quarrel, not involving a blood- feud. I also asked him about the Loories, a tribe of gypsies mentioned by Fottinger as having murdered the chief of Magas and his family, under circumstances of peculiar atrocity, just before his arrival, and as being addicted to all sorts of evil-doing. Rustam Kh£n*B head servant, an elderly man who had followed him into the t«nt, and stood,
70 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
according to custom, by his master's chair, interrupted me with an exclamation of astonishment at the accuracy of my information. It appeared that his grandfather was chief of the Loories on the occasion of the murder of the Magas chief; since which some of the tribe had returned to Persia^ and the rest become absorbed in the population of Dizak^ by whom the eccentricities of their forefathers had been for- gotten. The old man was evidently much displeased at my raking up old stories^ and his indignation gave rise to a good deal of chaff among the others.
On the 24th we started off the Indians to Gw&dar, their baggage and our superfluous tents accompanying them on donkeys, the whole caravan being in charge of a trustworthy servant of Dil&war Khfin, who undertook to hand them over safe and sound to Captain Miles. They travelled by the direct road through Irafsh&n, and reached Gwadar in safety in twelve days. The next day we started for Bam- pur. For two miles the road lay west across a sandy plain to the village of Sarjo, after leaving which we crossed the dry bed of the river and followed that of another torrent, smaller but with plenty of water, through dreary hills skirting the great limestone rocks of the Dizak rang^. Crossing the water-parting, we descended by a rather steep pass to a group of palms in some long grass at a gap in the limestone ridge, here very low. Below was a wide nullah^ on whose bank we camped. The place, which has no permanent habitation, is called Ab-pat&n. Here, for the first time since leaving the banks of the Dashtiyari river at B&hu Kal&t, we heard the well-known call of the francolin partridge. Our present camel-drivers, though in other respects their conduct was unexceptionable, had a habit of grazing their camels on the road, so that, even though we started early, the baggage rarely got in till dark. With .former camel-drivers our trib- ulation had been the impossibility of getting them off in the morning till their camels had had a three hours' graze. Either arrangement involved spending the heat of the day in the sun, and making absurdly short marches. With every effort to push them on, we seldom got more than twelve miles a day out of the camel-drivers. Under these circumstances it was most provoking to be told, when enquiring the distance to any place, * It would take you Farangis ten days to go, because you march so slowly : we Baluchis do it in four or five.'
Seven miles across a barren stony plain sloping to the south-west brought us the next morning to Sur&n^ a group of three villages built
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 71
close together ia thick groves of palms. The principal villa^ gives its name to the whole place ; the other two are called Pogi and Kalakf. The inhabitants are mostly Arb&bis, undersized, ugly, and loquacious as usual. After breakfast, the sk; being cloudy, we walked towards the stream which irrigates Stiribi and the village of Sib, some half>a- dozen miles lower down. We found it half a mile from the villages, the intervening space being covered with msgni6cent crops of wheat and barley, manured I noticed with a compost of dry tamariek leaves and camel dung. The stream was about thirty yards across, but only a few inches deep, running slowly between very low banks. We were told that it never entirely fails, in confirmation of which we shot a common water-hen, not previously seen in Baluchistan, Here too, for the first time, was noticed the true comel-thom of Persia- I am no botanist, but I cannot help thinking that several plants are known by this
Our march the following day led through low hills, having the now regular direction north-west and south-east, over two insignificant passes, to the dry bed of a torrent called Khaur-i-chah&r-rukftn. Water was obtained by digging holes a couple of feet deep in the torrent-bed, which was covered with pretty thick grass and tamarisk. The word Khaur seems universally applied in Baltichigtin to any sort of water< course. Its proper meaning is creek, which word is, I believe, used in the same way in North America and Australia. The ravines called Kbaur in upper Balucbist&n would be called W&di by Arabs.
The direction of the road the next day (March 28th) was 15° soutii of west, and it lay for the first fonr miles through low hills. Aft^t this was A steep descent, probably that mentioned by Fottinger as being hollowed ont of the rock and defensible by a handful of men against an army. The road has been lately improved by Ibr&him Kh&n, and now presents no formidable difficulties. Below this pass was a good deal of tamarisk jungle, where we breakfasted. The tamarisk is here of two sorts, long and short leaved; the latter was in full flower, lliree miles farther we passed Kosh&n, a tiny square tower with a little cultivation, due to a pleasant brook running from the north-west. We were now on a wide plain sloping gently to the south-east, and better clothed with vegetation than usual. To our right front rose a lofly and im- posing range of mountains with steep rugged sides and vividly tinted rocks. This was the E,uh-i-Birg'. Nearer us were low isolated hills. ■ PcMdbly Kdh-i-bdij, but more probablj > oontnetiun of K^h-i-buiiiiV'
72 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
A slight descent brought us opposite Kaimag^r, a small date-grove half a mile to the east, after which the road gradually ascended towards Magas, a small fort surrounded by huts and extensive date-groves.
Pasand Kh&u the chief came out on foot to meet us, a fine-looking man over six feet high. He is one of the most noted warriors and thieves in Baluchist&n, and told the Sarhang and myself that we had quite spoilt his trade by settling the frontier. He had been unable for some time to chapdo ^ villages on the Persian side for fear of Ibrahim Kh&n, but had hitherto been able to indulge his taste for murder and robbery at the expense of the outlying tribes across the border who were not recognised as belonging to any-one. This little game was now stopped by order.
The com crops of Magas were the latest we had seen, the plain being 4200 feet above the sea, and the date-trees had sufiered more severely from the frost than those of Sur&n and Dizak. The past winter had been one of unexampled severity ; snow having fallen for the first time in the memory of man all over the Mdshkid plateau. Numbers of date-trees had apparently perished, but the people said the greater number would revive the next spring. In the evening I took an alti- tude of the Kuh-i-Birg, and found the nearest high peak to be 4000 feet above Magas.
We crossed the plain the next morning, and after ten miles entered a dry torrent-bed among low hills, up which we rode for five miles. The plain was covered with low bushes, and here and there a few aca- cias and tamarisks. Our camp was pitched in a place called ' Sar-i-pa- h&ru,* * puhrd,' or 'fahraj,' marking the commencement of the Bampur district of which PAharu, PuhrA, or Fahraj, is a sub-division. Immense quantities of asafoetida and wild rhubarb grew around. The use of neither seemed known to the natives. This was the last place where we saw asafoetida, and the first where we saw rhubarb. About SMr&z and Karm&n the latter is extensively eaten as a relish raw with salt, never cooked with sugar as in England. It is not cultivated in gar- dens, but the rhubarb gatherers go to the hills as soon as the snow is off* the ground, and heap up earth round the young plants, the stalks of which are thus properly blanched. The rhubarb of Shirfiz is whiter and more tender than any I have tasted in England.
The night we spent at Sar-i-fahraj was bitterly cold, and the next morning a piercing north wind blew, which made us glad to walk the
* Anglic^, harry.
ASD SOUTHERN PERSIA. 73
first few miles of the road. Three milee from camp we came npon the edge of the plateau. "We were now exactly at the angle formed by the meeting of the plateau of BsllichietAQ with the great Khfiraeiti range, which divides the deserts of central Persia from the Helmand valley, and whose furthest extension eouth we had just crossed. All ranges on our right front had a north-west, all to our left front a west- Boutb-west direction. The eastern angle, far less clearly defined, is in the Siineh Klih, where we crossed them by the Bringinfin pass. Right and left of us were lofty limestone crags, and some twelve miles in front a high isolated conical peak was pointed out as tlie KHh-i-Homand, marked by Lovett on his map of the year before. It does not, however, stand on, but quite clear of the scarp, and is drained entirely into the Bampur river. The road now descended a ravine rmining west, with springs of water rising amid high and thick grass in many side clefts, but no running stream. Further on the ravine widened and turned north, having a stony bed with thick tamarisk jungle at intervals. The tents, which did not get in till dark, were pitched on a level plot of turf, at the foot of lofty limestone hills called the Kuh-i-Ispidfin. These I climbed the next morning while the camels were being loaded, in the hope of seeing the Basm£n mountain, a high conical peak beyond BampHr. . It was not visible, though it ought to be in clear weather. The sides of the hills were clad with the many aromatic plants characteristic of the Persian mountain Flora.
For seventeen miles the road lay down the bed of the Ispid&n ravine, which varied from a mile to a quarter of a mile in width, and was tilled with pretty thick jungle of tamarisk and acacia. The path then turned southwards through low igneous rocks, joining the ravine again a couple of miles further on. The latter here separates into many arms, one of which we followed to Haftar, or Aptar, a neat fort and village with large date-groves and corn-fielde. None of our camels being up we accepted the Sarhang'e offer of tea and kalidta, while waiting for dinner. Here I found, to my great grief, that a small hnll-terrier, the faithful companion of many thousand miles of trarel, was missing. He had stopped to rest in the shade, or to drink, and had not been seen since, I rode back twenty miles the next day, and offered a large reward to any one who would bring the dog to Bampiir, but without effect. He was probably carried off by a leopard, said to he very numerous in the Isfid^n ravine.
The next day's march was twelve miles only, over a shingly plain
74 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
to Puhri, a large village with abundance of water. This js the place Bupposed by geographers to have been the identical Pura mentioned by the historians of Alexander as the capital of Gradrosia^ and the spot in which he was joined by Stasanor and Phrataphemes from the upper provinces with a convoy of provisions, when the army proceeded to Karmania, where they met Nearchus^ who had left the fleet at the mouth of the Min&b river. The locality of this last meeting is identified by Dean Vincent, on very clear evidence, with Jiruft, which is not however, as he supposes^ a town, but a district.
He therefore places Pura, which had then never been visited, a de- gree due east of Jirufb, that being the distance travelled by Alexander between the two places. But actually they are three degrees of longi- tude and one of latitude apart, or two hundred miles instead of a little over sixty, a fact which would seem to dispose at once of the claim of Puhr& to have been the site of the ancient capital of Gadrosia. More- over, there are no ruins in the neighbourhood.
A clue to the real site of Alexander's halting-place is found in Dean Vincent's pages, which, added to a piece of geographical information obtained by Sir Frederic Goldsmid's party on their march to Sist&Uj places the question to my mind beyond a doubt.
The Dean says^ * One circumstance, however, must not be omitted^ which is, that the position of G^rofb depending on the Gadrosian Pura or Phoreg, it is remarkable that the Nubian geographer places Phoreg at the commencement of the great desert which extends to Segestin^ and at 210 miles from the capital of that province.' In another place he says that he 'cannot account for the sixty days attributed to this march through Gadrosia, viz. 480 miles.' Again, he notices that D'Anville writes * Fahrag, Fohreg, Pohreg, Puhreg, Puregh, and Pureh,' a variety of spelling which agrees with my own experience.
Now Sir Frederic Goldsmid, marching from Bam to Sist&n^ passed, about twenty miles north of Rig&n in Narmashir^ extensive ruins, called Fahraj. This is clearly the place referred to by the Nubian geographer, being on the edge of the great Karm&n desert, and about 200 miles from Sist&n. It is also 160 miles further from India than Puhr& near Bampur^ and therefore gets over the Dean's sixty days' difficulty; and, finally, is exactly at the right distance from the Jiriifb plain. The only difficulty, if difficulty it be^ in identifying this Fahraj as the Pura of the Greeks^ is the consequent extension of the limits of ancient Gadrosia beyond Baluchistan over Narmashir.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 75
In the early part of his march through Baluchistin, Alexander must, I think, have been deceived by his guides, vho seem to have kept him exactly at that distance from the coast where there is least water. Had he followed tiie Kej valley, the natural road from the Indus to west^n Baltichistin, he would have found abundant water. It would certainly puzzle a Craterus now-a-days to march his elephants and heavy baggage from the Helmand to Nannashir; but there is every reason to suppose that part of Persia to have been far better populated and better watered than it is at present ; and if the canal &om the Helmand to Zirreh was then opened, he could have crossed the desert much lower down than Sir Frederic Goldsmid's party, where it is comparatively narrow.
To return to our journey. We were now 2000 feet below the Magas plain, and about the same altitode above the sea-level. Though the nigbta were still cool, the snn was getting too powerful to make mid- day marching pleasant. This morning (April 2] we started early, intending to breakfast half-way and halt till the evening, both to avoid the heat and make a fonnal entry into Bampfir, where the governor, Ibrihim Kh&n, had lately returned from a successful attack on the Arab port of Ch&hb&r, the last spot on the southern coast of Persia to retain ita independence of the anthority of the 8h£h.
A couple of hours' ride brought na to Ab-band {the dam), a few hute by the side of a delightful stream fringed with thick wood, where a weir has been thrown across to supply the first irrigation channel. At four we started again. The road lay through sparse jungle over a sandy plain. Two miles out of Bampfir we met Ibr&him Kh&n's mirakhor ', with a led horse for my use. A little further the governor's nephew, with an escort of thirty or forty horsemen, forming the usual itiikbdl, came in sight and accompanied us to the fort, under which we found our tents pitched in a walled garden.
The usual difficulty in obtaining camels detained us five days at Bampfir, a delay which would not have been unpleasant but for the climate, the most disagreeable I have ever felt. Hie highly-irrigated land to the south and the burning sandy desert to the north cause sudden changes of temperature, and alternations from intense dryness te complete saturation, that make Bampur a by-word for unhealthiness
' Angllcb, nuufer iff thi horse; liUrftllj, Mtad iff Ikt naitga; perhaps Uie most faouoarmble poaition in k Paroan houMliold.
76 A JOURNEY TU ROUGH BALUCHISTAN
even in Baluchist&n. The first night of our stay the thermometer did not fall below 58°; the next night it was 50**; the third 60°; the fourth 62"*; and the fifth 48°. Until a year or two before our visit the garrison consisted of a battalion of infantry from northern Persia. Although relieved every year, half the strength died of fever each season. The consequence was something very like mutiny ; and the governor of Karm^n at last obtained permission from the Sh&h to raise a local regiment of two battalions in Bam-Narmashir to garrison that province and Baluehistin. Though physically inferior to the sturdy Turk of AdarbaijAn, as good material for infantry as any in Asia, the men seemed a hardy lot ; and though they dislike military service, do not suffer much from the Bampur climate.
Bampur (Bam-putr, the son of, or lesser Bam) consists at present of a small fort on the first of a line of sand-hills stretching parallel to the river, and sheltering the fertile strip in its vicinity from the sand of the desert. These hills are caused by a bed of clay which here crops out and intercepts the sand carried before the prevailing north-west wind. No offer of visiting the fort was made to mo, but the Sarhang drew a plan of it which he showed me : of the wonderful interior stair-* case, mentioned by Pottinger, he saw no trace. It has possibly fallen in, as the whole fort has been recently rebuilt, but without flanking defences. At one side of the fort stretch the gardens in which our tents were pitched, and on the other eighty or a hundred palm-leaf hutB, occupied by the soldiers and a few Baluchis levied from the neigh- bouring tribes for military duty. From the fort to the river a couple of miles south, and for many miles on either hand, stretched a vast sheet of wheat and barley now just in ear. This is cultivated by Ba* luchis, who receive a per-centage for their labour, the rest being stored for the food of the troops.
The morning after our arrival the old Y&war and Ibr&him Sultin called, nominally to congratulate us and themselves on the successful termination of our frontier labours. I saw that there was something else on their minds, and remarked to Blanford that they had come to find out diplomatically whether I was going to call on Ibr&him Kh&n the governor (or, as he is generally called here, the Sartip, from his military rank), or whether I expected him to call on me first. Actually I did not care who made the first visit, not being perhaps so particular in these matters as the traditions of European diplomacy in Persia would insist on. A minute observance of every detail of Oriental
AJfD SOUTHERN PERSIA. 77
etiquette, all important, no doubt, attbebegintUDgof the century, is now rather out of date. FersionB themselves are not so careful on these points as they were (for instance, the use of an elaborate scale of tai^d complinients in correspondence has quite ceased). Although it does not do to put up with an impertinence, I know that I lost more than I gained in my early days in Persia by being always on the look out for covert insults. Such, when they occur, are generally better parried by a joke or by absolutely ignoring them and waiting an opportunity of a return in kind, than by taking angry notice of them. Success with Orientals depends a great deal more upon bow you treat them, than how they treat you. The great thing is to hit the happy medium be- tween over familiarity and restraint. Frenchmen, who perhaps are more successful in gaining the confidence of Orientals than any otliec nation, incline too much to the first error, we Englishmen to the last'. But this is a digression. Just as I anticipated, Ibr&him Sultan, on getting up to take leave, said that his uncle, the Sartip, proposed to call on me in the afternoon.
About half-past five he made his appearance, and we sat outside in the shade and drank tea. The redoubtable ruler of Bam-Narmashir and Balflchist&n is a short punchy man, of any age from forty-five to sixty, with a full and well-dyed beard, and small sharp eye. He speaks Persian with the broad southern twang, and uses provincialisms n6t very easy to understand by any one accustomed only to the conversa- tion of educated men. My experience in out-of-the-way parts of Fare, however, enabled me to get on with him pretty well, but our conver- sation was confined to generalities, and the examination of fire-arms. To our breechloaders he made the usu^ objection of the difficulty of obt«ning cartridges. There seemed nothing in his talk or in his face to indicate the really superior man he must be, not only as having risen to his present position by sheer merit, unaided by money or
' The matt luoceHful Europeui I hnve ever seen in obtuniag the recpect tad friend- ■hip of Peruani wu the l»t« QuMtet'Moater-Serge&nt Dsvid Bower of the Royal Enginecn. la ipite of the duadvuitagea of eocUl position, for thej knew perfectly veil tlwt be vu bot » naD-oominiBnoned officer, added lo & somewhat quick temper, hie geniiil muDera guned him the heart of every Persian he came in contact with, from the royal princes who governed Shlrii and the haughty chiele of the wandering tribes of Fan, to tbe homble larbdi and villager* wbo formed our working partiei on the Celegrapb. Ailer ten yeare of admirable eervioe in Fenia he died, a victim to hia own philanthropy, of tjpboi fever, oaugbt while be was voluntarily engaged in the distribution of alma, collected among the European community of Tehria, to the tufibrera from the famine of 1870-71,
78 BALUCHISTAN AND SOUTHERN PERSIA.
interest, bat as having reduced one of the most turbulent countries in Asia to a state of order and tranquillity, comparing favourably not only with most of his own country but with many native states further east. Lucky would it be for his people and ours on the Sind frontier, if His Highness Khudaddd of KaULt had Ibr&him Kh&n*s head on his shoulders.
Nevertheless this doughty warrior caught a Tartar some few months before our arrival. Having received intelligence of a raid of Hehnand BalucMs on some outlying villages of Narmashir, Ibr&him Kh&n made a forced march to intercept them on their retreat in a well-known pass in the mountains between the desert and Sistdn. Unluckily they were beforehand with him, occupied the pass in force, and, after firing a volley, fell on the Persians sword in hand, killed twelve sarbdz^ and the Sartip's horse, and wounded twenty more men. The rest got on a hill and beat them off, but the Baluchis carried off 150 camels, with all the Persian baggage and spare ammunition.
The next day I paid the Sartip a return visit. He would not let me into the fort where he lives, but received me in a miserable little room on one side of a stable, underneath it. Our conversation was mostly on camels, which he could not promise us for four days more.
These we spent not unpleasantly, but for the heat, in collecting specimens, principally about the river, where the shade and water offered attractions to birds which considerably increased our collections. More unpleasant animals, too, were disagreeably common ; tarantulas and scorpions of all sizes and colours were constantly found about the tents, and more than one of the servants was stung by the latter.
' Infantry soldiers.
CHAPTER V.
Saitipxr to Karmdn.
The road from Bompur to Kig&n, the first village of Narmashir, presents little of interest. For the first five marches it continues in the Bampur valley, which forms one with that of Rudbir and Jirufl. The northern side of this is clad with acacia jangle, the south is a sandy desert intervening between the mountains of Basha- kird and the Bamplir and Rndb&r rivers. These meet at a place called, according to Keith Abbott, Jaz-mori^n, but whether their flood-waters escape thence to the sea or are lost in the sand is un- certain. Major Lovett heard the former ; my informants stated the latter.
Our first halting-place was near Etichihgardfin, a small village belonging to Bampur, a mile north of the river, whose waters are here nearly exhausted by the sandy bed and by irrigation. Immense quantities of drift-wood showed the force and frequency of floods. Here, for the first time, we saw the high conical peak of the B&smfin hill, miscalled on maps the Kuh-i-Naush&da, or mountain of Sal- ammoniac, the name of a much loftier hill further east covered with constant snow, and abounding in sulphur, as well as the mineral from which it takes its name, and having hot springs. It is probably, like Damivand, a dormant volcano, and the Bism^ bill an extinct one. The proper name of this latter is the Meh-kuh, or Mehzir- kuh, the misty or cloud-producing.
The next day's march led away from the river across a level plain of hard sand, bearing a few scattered tamarisks and acacias, and many thorn-boshes, like what is called the milk-bush in India, but here almost a tree, bearing a dull scarlet blossom. Vie passed a Ui^ flight of the European bee-eater feeding on yellow locusts, of which mnltitodee were about, apparently breeding. Twenty miles from Ktich&bgard&n we camped at a group of wells called Chfih-shiir, the
80 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
* bitter well,' but the water, though undrinkably foul till the well was cleared, was better than might have been expected from the name. The following morning brought us to Kaldnzao after a five-and- twenty mile ride through similar country. Here the road to Rudb^r turns off, and that from Geh through the Fanoch pass joins in. On the road we met a family of Baluchis journeying westwards, the two women riding on a single bullock, an uncommon sight in western Asia. In south Persia Ilidts of Kurdish descent are the only ox- riders.
This sandy valley abounds in reptiles and noxious insects. Our lights at night attracted winged creatures innumerable ; among them^ one of singular appearance^ a delicate pale-green ephemerio, whose posterior wings were lengthened into the form of a racket, like the tail of the curious Drongo shrike of the sub-Himalayan forests. I had once seen the same insect in the oak forests of Fars. At Kalanzao the servants caught a tarantula of enormous size, two and one-eighth inches in length from the tip of the jaws to the end of the body, a hideous brute. Echis vipers were frequently found about the tents. Persians believe the flesh of an animal killed by snake-poison to possess equally deadly qualities with the original venom. We had experimented with an ei*.his on a fowl, which died, if I remember rightly, in about five minutes. Muhammad Husain Beg, my old steward, told one of the farashes to bury it, that no other creature might come to harm by eating it; but im- mediately changed his mind and said, ' No I throw it out in the plain, that one of those sons of bumtfathers, the jackals' — which were numerous and bold — * may find it and get his business in this world finished.'
The fourth halting-place on the Bam road is Ladi, a well in a thick jungle. To-day we saw far away in the north-west the snowy peaks of tlie Persian hills.
The next day we turned northwards in the direction of the low hills which had skirted our road from Bampur at a considerable distance. Sixteen miles across a stony plain of limestone and trap pebbles brought us to Khusrin, a marshy spring in a torrent- bed, elsewhere dry, but filled with thick tamarisk jungle. We were now at the entrance of a wilderness of barren hills of every conceivable form and colour, but of inconsiderable height. Beyond them lay the plain of Nar- mashir, to which it took us four days to cross. South of the sacred
AND SOrTHERN PERSIA. 81
city of Kum, ninety miles from Tehran, a chain of lofty hills rises t«n thousand feet above the desert, and stretches south-east right across Persia, dividing the narrower valleys of the west from the vast deserts of the central plateau. The continuous character of this range as iar as Rarm^ was first pointed out by Kfaanikoff, though indistinctly shown on kU map, and not at all on others. It is crossed by the traveller from Islahfin to Tehrfin, near the pretty village of Kohrfid, by a pass 9000 feet above the sea. On the Yazd Isfuhin road an easier passage traverses it near Kuhp&. West of Ya^d its peaks are very lofty. Further south it diminishes in height. Where we crossed it a month later, by the Khin-i-Surkh pass between Mashisb and SaldibUd, there are no high peaks, though the water-parting is 8500 feet above the sea. South of Karm&n this long range attains its greatest elevation, many summits being from fourteen to fifteen thousand feet high, and covered with eternal snow. It is singular that this, the best defined chain in Persia, with the exception of the Alburz, should have so long CBcaped recognition. So well marked indeed is it, that the road from Kum through Yazd and Karmlin to Narmasliir, a distance of 600 miles, lies in a single valley along its eastern declivity.
The mass of volcanic hills that we were now about to cross connects the southern extremity of the chain just described (which, for want of a better name, may be called the Kohrud range) with the great Khurasan plateau, whose lower end we had crossed between Jilk >ind Bampur. Tliough both have a direction east of south, their axes are inclined at a considerable angle, being 400 miles apart at their nortliem and 100 only at their southern ends. Between them and ^e Alburz to the north is included that central depression of the Persian plateau, called on maps the great eastern desert of Persia, or the Darifi-i-Kabir and desert of Lut. Barren and inhospitable as this reeion doubtless is, it contains many pleasant oases, and is, Moreover, furrowed by many minor ridges parallel to the great outer ranges.
Our first march after quitting the Bampur plain at Khuann led through low hills of trap and trachyte for fifteen miles to GwAm- i-Talab Khfini, the lote-tree of Talab Khin, passing Garambig^b, the usual halting-place at the tenth mile. The road was tolerably easy, and passable for guns. The next day (April 14th) brought us to Giranrig, the heavy sand, after fifteen miles of very stony road VOL. 1. °
82 A JOURNEY THROUGH BAWCHISTAN
leading up and across torrents flowing south-west between high flat- topped hills. The most prominent is called the Takht-i-N&dir. Our third march brought us to Chdh Kambar, the first place in Narmashir^ and therefore out of Baltichist&n, on which no one in camp regretted having turned his back. A valley without outlet, covering some twenty square miles, and 3850 feet above the sea, occupies the summit of the pass. Its drainage collects in a sandy depression at the north- western end, called the Dag-i-Farhdd. It was dry when we crossed it. Just beyond, an easy pass, named Saifu-d-din, marks the frontier of Persia proper. From the summit of this we had a magnificent view of the snow-clad peaks to the west.
Descending the pass by a good road we crossed a plain, terminating in a narrow valley leading north. The tents were pitched by a well of tolerable water named Chdh Kambar. Near us was a camp of Baluchis, the first people, except travellers, seen since Kuchahgard&n.
The usual halting-place further on is Ab-i-garm, ten miles from Ch&h Kambar, the road leading through a marshy valley bounded by low hills of volcanic ash, more than one of whose peaks contained a small crater. But the unusual copiousness of winter rains enabled us to find water five miles further on in the bed of the little river Konar-n&i, a clear stream running over granite pebbles along the skirt of the hills from the Sh&h-Sow&rdn range to the west. The march throughout from Chdh Kambar was most disagreeable from the innumerable swarms of gadflies, sandflies, and mosquitos that rose from the swamp. We were now clear of the hills, and before us stretched the great desert of Eastern Persia. To the west rose the rounded hills of Shdh-Sowfirdn, beyond which rose peak after peak of the snow-clad mountains of Jamal-bdriz ^ Behind us to the south lay the irregular hills we had passed, which were continued, as far as the eye could reach, in a north-easterly direction.
The next morning was dull and overcast, threatening rain. The road lay due north across a stony plain. Sandflies and other insect pests annoyed men and horses terribly till eight o'clock, when a breeze sprang up and they disappeared. A few days before I had shot, on the other side of the hills near Khtisrin, a specimen of the rare and curious Uromastix lizard, described on page 337, vol. ii. To-day we saw another, sitting in a semi-erect posture outside its hole, looking not unlike and almost as big as a rabbit.' On seeing us it scuttled into
' Corrupted from the Arabic, Jabal-b^da, ' the cold hills.'
ANJ} SOCTUERX PERSIA. 83
the burrow, but Blauford, notliing daunted, set to work to dig it out, with no better implement than his geological hammer. After nearly an hour's labour, the lizard's retreat was so far laid open that the tip of his tail could be felt with the fingers. Being the smallest- handed of the party I then managed to slip a noose made with a leather shoe-string round the tail and to draw it tight over tlie spiny tubercles. A steady pull soon brought out our friend, a magnificent specimen. We might however have spared the labour, as further on we saw and shot several others. In spite of his formidable looks, which make him quite a miniature of the mighty saurians of ante- diluvial times, this lizard is quite harmless. The Persian name is Bus-m^i, or goatsucker, from a settled habit of bleating like a kid to attract the she-goats, whose teats it then sucks.
Fourteen miles from the Konar-n&i the path entered a jungle of tamarisk and acacia, interspersed with magnificent crops of wheat and barley and occasional swamps. Here the Katkhuda (head man) of YiAg&a, with a Sultin (captain) commanding the little garrison, met us with a few horsemen, and led the way to the village. They stated that a courier from the Sist&n Boundary Commission camp had passed Rigdn six days before en route to Karmin, with information that Sir Frederic Goldsmid had left Sist&n to return to Tehr&n via Khuras&n ; leaving Major Smith to complete the survey. This Utter proved false.
Rjg&a is a neat little mud-built fort in the Persian style, enclosing the villagers' houses, not surrounded by them as in BalucbisUin. The people, like all Narmashiris we saw, are thoroughly Persian in dress and manner. We particularly noticed that the women wore wide petticoat trousers instead of the loose Arab shirt uuiversal further east. The direct road from Bampur through Basmdn, followed by Pot- tinger, joins the main road here. It is considerably shorter and less hilly than the one by which we came; but impracticable for large caravans from want of water. Either the site of the fort of Rigdn has been changed or its dimensions contracted since Pottinger's time, as it is DOW less than half the size he describes.
A raid of Kh&rfin NusbiTW&niB and Nil Mamasaiiis is said to he expected through Sarhad, and troops have been sent to the outlying villages of Narmashir. This turned out to be a false alarm, but Ibr&him Kfa&n must have hard work to keep out his troublesome neighbours to the eaet.
84 A JOURS EY THROUGH BALUCHI ST AX
The next morning ,' April 1 8th we marched sixteen miles to Burj-i- Muhammad Khin, or Buij-i-Mirza Husain, a small walled village with a neat round tower. On the way we passed two villages close together, Sangdb&d and Gamboki. The country is generally culti- vated, the crops principally wheat and barley, though much henna and tobacco is grown later on. The day was cloudy, with an oc- casional sprinkling of rain, ver^' refreshing after the arid weather of the last week. A reminder of being on Persian soil was to-day furnished by the Katkhuda coming to the tents to ask for brandy for a sick woman — the usual excuse — and offering to sell a horse. Further evidences of civilisation were offered by the presence about the ^-illages of darvishes and cats. The former have been driven into this out-of-the-way region by its comparative cheapness during the famine. The cats^ I suppose, are aboriginal. It is curious that we saw none in BaluchistiLn. Apropos of cats it may be remarked that the long-haired variety, known in Europe as Persian, and in Persia as 'bur&k,' is confined to particular parts of the countn', notably to Isfahitn, whence a considerable number are annually ex- ported to India by horse-dealers, the cats travelling down to the coast on the horses' backs. Most of those seen in Europe come from Angora, in Asia Minor. As far as my experience goes, the Persian cat has a better tail and ruff, the Angora cat longer body-hair. I think too that the former has a longer pencil of hair on the ears than any other domestic breed. It is singular for its want of that fear of strange localities which is so marked a characteristic of the race generally. I have several times taken cats from Isfahdn to other to^-ns, and let them out of their cages at the daily halting-places, whether tent, post-house, or caravansarai, without their showing any signs of alarm at the strange place.
Seventeen miles the next morning along a good road, through cultivation and sparse jungle, brought us to Jamdli, a small village among several others on the south bank of a marshy river running between steep cliffs to the north-east. Further up this stream is Kunik, the largest village in Narmashir, and some miles down it Fahraj, mentioned in the last chapter as the ancient capital of (radrosia. From Jamdli there was a magnificent view of the snowy hills, of which there are here two ranges, that nearest us being slightly lower than the other. The valley between the two is called Paskuh, i. e. * behind the hills.' This fashion of naming districts from
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 85
their position with reference to the neighbouritig mountainB has led to a very odd mietake occurring more than once in the best maps of Persia. Finding a district lying along the base of a range named by a traveller Pusht-i-Kuh, i.e. 'back of the hillg,' the compiler in England, knowing that kuh means a hillfbnt knowing nothing more of Persian, imagines ^«'«A^ to 1» the name of the hills, and transfers the title from their base to their summit. A second compiler, copying the first, improves upon his model by translating kih into range ; and we then have Pushti Bange, a misnomer that may be found in more than one place on any map of Persia.
From Jamfili the old Y&^\■ar pointed out a distant snowy peak, barely visible above the horizon to the north-west, which he said was the Kuh Hazftr, near which our route would lie six marches further, and which can be seen from the road to Shir^, a long way on the other side of Karm&n.
The next morning (April 20th) was cloudy and cool. The road, after passing the river, already nearly dry, led north-west across the plain for a couple of miles, and then traversed a swamp for four more ; after which it lay through a gravelly desert sloping upwards to a range of low-peaked hills to the north. After eighteen miles' march we turned abruptly to the north along the base of a line of ragged sandstone cliffs, thirty or forty feet high, and through large gardens of dat«-pi)lms and pomegranates, intersj'^TEed with barley crops.
Here we found the camp pitched opposite a little Im£mz&iah. A fresh fall of snow on the hills had made the weather delightfully cool, and as we had but a three-and-a-half miles ride into Bam we did not start the next rooming until long after our usual time.
A mile from the camp the istihbdl met us, composed of no very distinguished individuals, nearly all the military swells being with Ibr&him Khfin at Bampur. Bam had been left by him in charge of the Lieut. -Colonel of his regiment and brother-in-law, Sulimfin Kh&n. The escort conducted us to a semi-mined house of sunburnt brick, opening on a large garden of date-palms and rose-bushes, with abundance of lettuces, which formed a welcome addition to our breakfast.
The next two days were rainy and cold, though the spring was far advanced, and Bam is only 3000 feet above the sea. It can hardly be called a town, being a mere collection of isolated houses standing in gardens often sown with corn. The bazau' is small and poor. The
H\i A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
fort, famous in Persian history^ is a quadrangle about 500 by 4XX> yards, with a dry ditch, but no flanking defences. Within it is a citadel, crowned by a high narrow watch-tower. The population does not^ I was told^ exceed 2000 families. The neighbourhood is extremely fertile. A great deal of henna is exported from here, with a certain amount of indigo grown in Narmashir. It is however considered in- ferior in permanence to the Indian dye. We had the curiosity to visit a henna manufactory. The dried leaves and stems brought from the villages in bundles are ground to powder by a large stone roller driven by a camel.
After a couple of days' halt we left Bam on the 14th April. Tlic road led north-west directly towards the Kuh Haz£r, now a promi- nent object above the lower hills. The main range, of which the Kuh Haz&r is an outlying spur, was nearly parallel to our course, which lay up a wide and gradually ascending valley between it and a nearer ridge of volcanic rocks, the Kuh Kafut, separating the Bam valley from the desert. On their further face is a district called Kashit. The valley, though even, is nowhere level, its surface being formed by the two gravel slopes at the bases of the bounding ranges, while the whole ascends gradually to the north-west. Rdyin, which we reached on the fifth day from Bam, is four thousand feet above that town, yet there is no perceptible rise between the two, except an insignificant cliff near Tahrud.
The first halting-place was at Bidar&n, six and a half miles off,- a large village on the bank of the stream which, by the time it reaches Bam a mere torrent-bed, is hero a respectable wat^r-course. The next day we got over nine and a half miles only to Daharzin, a caravansarai, built in the desert by the late Wakil-ul-Mtilk, governor of Karmfin, and supplied with water by a kanat from Sarbistin, sixteen miles off. It is difRcult to admire too much the patient labour and ingenuity displayed in Persia in providing the first necessary of life in the most unlikely spots. The third march of seventeen miles brought us to Ab4rik (the slender rill), a small village on the bank of the Tahrud river, which runs in many minute channels over a shingly bed. Near the village a rock of volcanic formation is crowned by a ruined fort, apparently of considerable antiquity, but a1>out whose history I could learn nothing. One of the towers is square, an unusual construction in Persia. The hills to the right, hitherto irregular and of igneous rock, here give place to a lofty
AlllD SOUTHERN PERSIA. 87
regular ridge of limestone running north-west and rising a couple of thousand feet ahove the plain. To the south-west, some five miles off, SarbistAn, doubtless a eorruption of Sabzist^n {the place of verdure), showed on the brown desert slope of the southern hills like an emerald on the neck of an Indian chief. From near it a spur of brightly-tinted cliffs projected northwards and contracted the valley in our front to its narrowest point.
Nine and a half miles the next morning brought us to the cara- vansarai of Kh£n-i-Kb&t)Jn, a couple of miles north-east of the village of Tabrud. Here the eastern road from Karm&n to Bandar-Abbas branches off from the Bam road. This route — travelled throughout by Major Murdoch Smith in j866, and partially by Mr. Keith Abbott before him^ and Sir Frederic Goldsmid afterwards — leads through Sarbist&n and the Deh Bakri pass over the Jamal-B&riz range to the phiin of Jiruft. Colonel Yule, in a note to hie 'Marco Polo,' thinks it probable that this was the road followed by that traveller from Karm^n to the sea ; but it will be seen that his description of the first five days from Karm^n, throngh a populout, feHile, and ffradnally aicendiiig country, does not at all answer to our experience of the road from Tahrud to Karm&n. I have little doubt that the ordi- nary caravan route from that city to the sea, which is open for ten months in every year, and often throughout the year, was the one followed by Maroo Polo. No modern traveller is known to have traversed it; but the description I obtained of it from muleteers corresponds in every particular with that of the enterprising Venetian.
Heavy rain during the night soaked the tents, and made the ground slippery for camels, so that we did not get off the next morning (April aSth) till nearly noon. The distance to B^yin was variously stated from five to ten farsakhs, which might be anything from twenty to forty miles. However, we were hard up fov supplies, and determined to make a push for lUtyin in spite of the distance, our average marches from Bam having been hitherto ridiculously short.
The road soon quitted the little plain of Tahrud, which is only an expanaoa of the bed of the river, and with a little mora water would he a lake. It then ascended the bed of a little stream, here and there filled with tamarisk and jujube jungle. On the way we passed a small camp of wandering Balficbis, whose women ran out and offered us and the servants 'drik ',' seeming quite astonished at being given a krdn ' This » tfa« common baverage of Perida, anJ ia mule by mixing; tour curds with «ftter.
88 A JOURNEY TUROUGII BALUCHISTAN
or two in return. Immense numbers of sheep were being driven up to their summer pastures. They are much smaller than the sheep of Western Persia, and mostly white, the rarest colour elsewhere. Their wool is perhaps equal to any in the world, large quantities being ex- ported to India for mixing with the down of the Kashmir goat, or perhaps for using alone, in the manufacture of the coarser kind of shawl. Their meat is remarkably fat and well flavoured, even for Persia, the land of good mutton. After riding eighteen miles we passed a small caravansarai, named Muhammad&bfid, in a patch of cultivation half a mile to the right of the road. Here we ought to have halted, but, seeing the trees of RAyin on the horizon, we pushed on. A little way further we caught up a jovial-looking Persian on a donkey, accompanied by a boy on a pony. lie announced himself as one of the ghulams (cavalry soldiers) quartered at Karm&n, returning from collecting arrears of revenue, of which he had a considerable amount in specie in his saddlebags. This spoke volumes for the pacific character of the country, or the efficacy of the Wakil-ul-M ulk's police. Further west or north he would have been robbed, probably by the people whom he had been squeezing, before he had gone ten miles. He declared we had three good /armMs to ride to RAyin, an estimate which was corroborated by the Yiwar and Sdltdn, who just then caught us up. This seemed incredible. The trees of the village were not only distinctly outlined against the now reddening western sky, but a fir-tree at one end and a clump of planes at the other were clearly distinguishable. Blanford, as good a judge of distance as I know, was convinced they could not possibly be more than four miles off, after making every allowance for the wonderful purity of the atmosphere. Nevertheless it took us three good hours' ride before we entered the village soon after dark. The march had been close upon thirty miles, and it seemed unlikely that the camels would be in till the morning, as indeed they were not. Fortunately Muhammad Husain Beg had strapped my bedding behind the grooms' saddles, and we had plenty to eat and drink, the cook and his pots and pans being with us.
Bfiyin consists of a cluster of gardens with scattered houses some two hundred in number. It lies near the edge of a great gravel slope attending from the foot of the Kuh Haz&r, the top of which is twelve miles off to the south-west. This slope is covered, as far as the eye t%n, reach, with wild rhubarb. In the gardens, walnut, quince, apple
I
A ND SOUTHERN PERSIA . 89
and pear trees were abundant, with a few vines trained over masonry pillars. Near the village mosque is a group of the most magnificent plane-trees I ever saw, and a little way off a solitary one, if possible larger, which might well pass for the ' Arbre seul' of Marco Polo.
At the east end of the village rise a single fir-tree and a single cypress, visible from a great distance. The young wheat not more than SIX inches above the ground testified to the altitude we had at- tained, which I found to be between "jooo and 7500 feet, the Kuh Haz&r being as much higher. Magpies were numerous about the gardens^ and the carrion crow of Baluchist&n was replaced by the raven.
The house allotted to us was large and well built, though unfinished and of sunbaked brick only. The courtyard was neatly paved with rubble stone, black basalt, and white limestone in patterns, divided by lines of burnt brick on edge. It belongs to the widow of a local mag- nate who died before he could finish it.
Owing to one of the camels straying, and the drivers positively re- fusing to start till it was found, we had to halt three days at B4yin. On the 2nd May we started for Karm^n, three marches distant by the road we took, but only two by a shorter path, still closed with snow. The road lay north-east for the first few miles to the south-western angle of the Askaruh hills^ a precipitous range^ north of R^yin. Bound- ing this we turned north, and west of north, up a long easy slope till we reached an altitude of over 9000 feet between two subsidiary ranges at the foot of the lofty mountains of Jup&, of which the Askaruh ridge is the south-western prolongation. The direct road followed by Pottinger from Tahrud to Mdhun lies outside the range on our right, and is much shorter than that through Rdyin, but is rarely used, from the long distance^ sixty miles, without water. Beyond the pass a more rapid descent brought us to the caravansarai of H&naka, after a ride of twenty-three miles. Here a beautiful piece of turf by the side of a sparkling rivulet formed the pleasantest camping-ground we had seen for some time. A few Ili&ts were about, and there were a few patches of barley further up the road, but no signs of permanent habitation.
The next morning I witnessed a phenomenon which enables me to bear testimony to the accuracy of one of Marco Polo's facts, without agreeing with him as to its cause. While measuring angles sometime after sunrise the next morning, I noticed that objects in the plain
J>^> A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
below wore g^dually becoming less distinct, and at last disappeared in a dull grey haze that seemed to form spontaneously, and gradually to rise until it hid all the surrounding hills from view. The air was still, and the sun was shining brightly. There had been no dew, and the fog rose from an arid plain ; nor indeed had it in auy way the colour or appearance of watery vapour rising from the earth under the influence of the morning sun. When it enveloped us it gave no marked sensation of damp; nor did it leave any deposit of dust. The darkness produced was about that of an ordinary London fog, a horseman being invisible at a short distance. As the day wore on it was less dense, and shortly before sunset cleared away as suddenly as it began.
It wa<4 no doubt such a mysterious fog as this that Marco Polo ex- periencedj and attributed to the enchantments of the Caraunas, a tribe of freebooters, who used its gloom as a veil for carrying on their nefarious proceedings with impunity. Possibly they may have known by some signs when such a fog was likely to occur, and have timed their raids accordingly.
Under these circumstances we did not see much of the road to M&htin^ except that it led down a gentle slope of desert for sixteen miles. M&hun is a large and flourishing place of the same character as B4yin. We were conducted to an unfinished Mihm&n-Kh&na, rebuilding by the Wakil-ul-Mulk^ opposite a large Im&mz&dahj with which it is connected by two flat pointed arches of no use or orna- ment. A stream of water ran under the pretty room in which we put up, and irrigated a neat garden in front. It is seldom one gets such good quarters in Persia.
The hills on the east side of the valley up which we had come all the way from Bam, hitherto far inferior to the great ranges to the west, rise suddenly to a nearly equal height opposite M&hun. M. KhanikoflTs map^ the only one that shows the mountain system of this part of Persia with any attempt at accuracy, incorrectly represents the two chains as joining behind M&hun.
Actually, as before mentioned, there is not a single hill on the road from Narmashir to Kiim, though there is more than one water-parting. But it is one of the vices of Russian cartography^ this representation of every water-parting as a lofty ridge, and every water-course as a mighty river. The western range, named Jupd, from a district at its foot, is very steep and craggy, and ends abruptly twenty-five miles due
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 91
south of Kann&n. The eaBtern range diminishes in height towards Karmfin, rising again further on into the lofty plateau of Durmdnu and Ban&D. Beyond it is the desert, the beautiful diEtrict of Khabis lying in a valley at its edge.
The road from M^un lies down a barren slope with traces of ruined kandta od either hand. As we approached the city there was a little cultivation, hat roost of the irrigated land lies on the other side. Three miles from the town an istiiidl from the Waltil-ul-Mlilk met Dfl, with led horses, headed by the commanding officer of an Infantry battalion for me, and the Superintendent of the arsenal for my coadjutor the Sarbang. Entering the citadel we separated, our conductor leading Blanford and myself to a tolerably good house inside the Ark or citadel.
CHAPTER VI
Karmdn to Shirdz.
Of all the great cities of Persia, Karm&n has perhaps been least visited by Europeans. In the present century Pottinger (1810), Keith Abbott (1845), Khanikoff (1859), Goldsmid and Murdoch Smith (1866), Goldsmid again in 1870, and Lovett in 1871, were our only predecessors, with the exception of a German named Mirheim in 1865.
The town is uninteresting even for Persia. It occupies but a portion of the site of the old city, razed to the ground in 1795 by Agh& Muhammad Kh&n, the barbarous founder of the Kaj&r dynasty. A mud wall and shallow ditch enclose about two-thirds of a square mile, closely filled with low mud-built houses. The prevalence of earthquakes renders it unadvisable to erect lofty buildings without solid and expensive masonry, which the dryness of the climate renders unnecessary for any other reason.
In Persia, as I believe elsewhere, the elegance and strength of domestic architecture varies regularly with the rainfall, as does the character of the roofs of the poorer class of houses. On the coast of the Caspian, where the rains are very heavy and constant, the roofs are tiled; a little further inland we find them thatched. In Pars and about Tehr&n they are flat and terraced, and in Kum^ Kash&n, and Isfah&n^ where the extreme of aridity is reached, mud domes aflTord sufficient protection.
In the older maps^ on the authority of Sir Henry Pottinger, the position of Karmfin was laid down in latitude 29° ^6' and longitude 56** 6'. This very erroneous position was corrected by Khanikoff's surveyor, Mr. Lentz, to latitude 30° 17' 30" and longitude 57** 13' ; but this latter correction I find too great, and have therefore placed Karm&n in longitude 56° 59", for reasons given in the Appendix '.
^ Vide Appendix, Longitude of Karmdn.
BALUCHISTAN AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 93
Its altitude above the sea is about 5700 feet, 700 feet higher thaa Tsfahdn or Shirdz. The summer heats of Karmdn are, however, more intense than in either of those cities. The reason is probably to be sought in the arid and sandy valleys to the north-west, the direction of the prevailing wind, which becomes heated in blowing over them. Karmdn enjoys an unenviable notoriety for unhealthiness of climate, occasioned by the sudden changes, caused by currents of cold air from the lofty mountains in the vicinity. Madrid, if I remember rightly, has a similar ill fame.
There is not a single building of beauty or importance in the town ; but the ruins of the fort called Kala'h-i-Dukhtar, or Kala'h-i- Ardashir, on a limestone rock a few hundred yards from the eastern wall, are somewhat curious, showing traces of considerable antiquity. Unlike most Persian cities, there are but few gardens outside the walls, though the land is cultivated, where not occupied by ruins, up to the edge of the ditch. Quantities of fruit, however, are brought from M&hun and other villages in the Jupfi district. This site was evidently selected for a city from its position at the confluence of four great valleys, and therefore roads. Two lead north-west on either side of the Badamdn hills to Yazd and Kuh-Ban&n ; the third, up which we had just come, communicates with BaluchistAn ; while the fourth, rising gently for several days' march due south through a fertile country, is the usual road to the coast at Bandar-Abbas. This route, which has never been described by a traveller since Marco Polo, traverses the Kiarat- ul-Arab country to the water-parting of the great Kohrud range, here at its greatest elevation ; it then descends the mountains by an easy pass to the plain of Jinift, reached by Murdoch Smith and Keith Abbott during severe winters by the roundabout route through the Deh Bakri pass.
The Kuh Haz&r, so long a landmark on our road, is not visible from Karmdn, being hidden by the almost equally lofty and more pictu- resque hills of Jupa, which seem to tower over the city, though twenty-five miles distant. Further west a long line of snow-covered peaks marks the main range of the Kohrud mountains. The most pro- minent group is called the Chahdr Grnnhaz^ the four domes. Looking west the hills are insignificant and broken, but to the north a suc- cession of terraces called Durm&nii rises to a considerable height, and is said to be rich in minerals. A gap between them and the mountains north of M&hun gives access to the fertile low-lying district of Khabis.
94 A JOlRyEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
The shortest road to Tehr&n, that vi& Yazd and Kash&D, was less likely, as lying at the foot of a single continuous range^ to afford opportunity of geological research to Stanford, than the altematiye route by Shir^, which would cross several ranges at right angles. By this way too I ought to have reached a telegraph station sooner, and thus put myself in communication with my superiors earlier than by going vi& Yazd, on which road Kash^n would have been the first telegraph station. We therefore decided on making for Shir^, to which there are two roads from Karm&n^ about equal in length. The northern, described by Pottinger, and by no one since, passes through Shahr-i-B&bak and Arsinj&n to the Persepolis valley ; the southern traverses the Sarj&n or Saiyid&b^ district to Niriz. As Lovett had travelled by the latter a few months before, we should have preferred Pottinger's route, but it proved impossible to persuade camel or mule drivers to risk their beasts on it for fear of robbers. We were there- fore obliged to make up our minds to the Niriz road. Even for this it was a fortnight before we could make a start.
The famine which had been desolating Persia for two years was now nearly over. The bounteous rainfall of the past winter had given con« fident hopes of an abundant harvest ; and the holders of corn all over the country were getting rid of their hoards as fast as possible. In Karm&n the Wakil-ul-MuIk proudly boasted to me that not a single native had died of hunger^ though it is the driest province of Persia. At the first suspicion of famine he had taken a careful census of the grain resources of his province, prohibited exports without permission, fixed a regular standard of prices, and limited the amount to be sold in every market to the absolute necessities of the population, besides establishing relief centres for the absolutely indigent. By these wise precautions not only was famine averted from Karm&n, but the Wakil- ul-Mulk was able to send considerable quantities of food to the neighbouring province of Yazd^ which suffered perhaps more terribly than any other part of the country. This shows what might have been done in other provinces by equally wise and honest governors, unmeddled with by the blundering central authorities at Tehr&n. As it was, the few and tardy attempts at remedy only made matters worse.
The food resources of Persia, as a whole, are far in excess of the wants of the population. All cultivation on the plateau being entirely de- pendent on artificial irrigation, absolute failure of the harvest is un-
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 95
known except in isolated spots, and then from preventible causes^ such as neglect of the water-courses. Scarcity and high prices must naturally occur from time to time, but famine should be impossible under the present conditions of commerce. If the country is ever so penetrated by roads or rail as to enable the surplus stock of food to be exported at the close of each harvest, a famine like that antici- pated in Bengal last year might be looked for. But here again facility for export means facility for import^ and the cause of the disease would indicate the remedy.
The rise and progress of the recent famine in Persia were briefly as follows. From the winter of 1863-4, the rains, with a single exception, 1865-6, had been regularly below the average. Lakes, springs, and kanats all over the country got lower and lower every summer. The crops, nevertheless, had been generally good and abundant. During the sixth winter, that of 1869-70, hardly any snow or rain fell in the valleys. In the south particularly, the scanty showers produced little or no grass in the lower plains, frequented as cold-weather quarters by the nomads who form half the population of Fars. The consequence was the loss of the majority of the flocks and herds, upon which they depend for subsistence and for the carriage of their families and pro- perty in their half-yearly migrations. The camels and goats, hardier animals, survived, and the richer tribes, who alone possess the former, were thus able to get up to the elevated mountain plateau where snow had fallen, though to a less depth than usual. The poorer families, owners perhaps of a few sheep and goats with a mare or cow, on which their cooking pots and scanty tent are packed while travelling, saw their only means of transport to better pastures perish before their eyesj and either lay down and died or made their way to the towns and villages, prolonging their miserable existence with roots and herbs, or with the carcases of the dead animals that were unusually numerous on the great highways.
Towards the end of 1870 I marched down the road to Bushahr from Shir&z with Major Champain, Director-in-Chief of the Anglo- Persian Telegraph Department, of which I was then Officiating Di- rector. At every halting-place crowds of famished half-naked men and boys (the women and children were nearly all dead) thronged around our camp, too weak to beg, but hoping, yet hardly expecting, succour from the bounty of the infidels. All that we could do was to give them a meal of rice for the day ; and this we had no difficulty in
^M5 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
pi\Hninn|^ from the villagers at moderate prices, showing that there wiiH no hick of food in the country. On my return, partly to avoid these terrible scenes and the contagion of disease — for typhus, cholera, iiiul dysentery were adding their ravages to those of hunger — and jMirtly for surveying purposes, I took the unfrequented eastern road to Slur&z. Even here my servants buried three corpses on one day's march of 35 miles, during w^hich we did not meet a living soul, and I found disease, induced by bad and insufficient food, causing great mor- tality among the wealthier tribes of Ili&ts, who had lost nearly all ilieir horses, sheep, and cattle.
During this first season of distress, the villages suffered comparatively little, though a few places in the intermediate valleys from two to four thousand feet in altitude, notably the district of Kdznin, were nearly deserted on account of the failure of water in the kandts. In the plains near the coast, where artificial irrigation is not used, the corn crops had totally failed ; but the date harvest having been unusually plen- tiful, there was no want of food.
In Isfah&n, Yazd, and Mashad, prices were very high through this first winter ; and though the peasants generally had enough, the artizans and day labourers, who fonn a larger part of the population here than elsewhere, suffered terribly. Isfahan and Yazd are the })rincipal manu- facturing districts of Persia, and in the best of times dependent on Fars and Karminshih for a large proportion of their food. The rains of the second winter, 1870-71, fairly plentiful in the south, were again very scanty in the north and east of Persia. The harvest conse- quently failed entirely in many places, and was everywhere below the average. Still there was plenty of food in the country, the harvests in the south and west having been fairly good: but the great land-owners, who are also the great corn-dealers, instigated by love of filthy lucre, or perhaps, as they declared themselves, by fear of a third year of famine, held for a rise, utterly indifferent to the sufferings around them. A few feeble attempts were made at Tehrdn to check the impend- ing calamity, but without much effect.
The government granaries were emptied and grain imported to Teh- ran from the fertile districts of the west, and sold at a loss to the bakers. The governor of Isfah&n, a wealthy landed proprietor of Fars, who had been bringing food from his own estates to Isfahan, was recalled in obedience to popular clamour, and the distress in that city at once
>idly increased. Orders were sent to the authorities in the suffering
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA, 97
towns, to register the amount of grain in the storehouses of private parties ; but the order only served to enrich the men to whom its exe- cution was entrusted, who were bribed to silence by the possessors of secret hoards of grain, who again were, strange to say — in Shir&z and Isfahan at all events — perfectly well known.
During the summer of 187 1, the fruits and vegetables, so plentiful in Persia, kept the people alive, but as the autumn advanced, crowds of diseased and famished wretches, bringing pestilence in their train, thronged round the cities they were not permitted to enter, clamouring for food. Others beset the caravansarais on the great roads, to beg from travellers and feed on the dead bodies of camels and mules.
The winter rains of 187 1 commenced early; and before the end of the year a heavy fall of snow covered the land, and cut oflF all commu- nication between the capital and the villages, whence the land- owners, in whose granaries all the com of the country was collected, were doling out scanty supplies. This put the finishing stroke to the calamities of the country. The winter was the coldest and most pro- long^ ever known : thousands died of hunger, thousands more of cold and disease. But this was the end of the famine. With the return of spring, it became evident that the coming harvest would be most abundant. All motive for hoarding having ceased, food became com- paratively cheap and plentiful at once, though strenuous efforts were made here and there to keep up the prices ^.
Passing through Kum in June, I met endless files of camels taking last year's wheat and barley to Tehr&n from a fertile district near Hamad&n, belonging to one of the Sh&h's near relations and ministers. Kum is not on the direct road, but the harvest there was then being
' At Isfab&n, in April 1873, a large quantity of com was known to be on the way from Shir&z. The news caused all stores to be opened, and prices fell rapidly. This was taken advantage of by the Iin4m Juma, the head of the priesthood, and Rahim Khan the prin- cipal customs officer, the two most notnble inhabitants to plan an operation. After proclaiming the advent of the corn from Shir&z, and pretending to dispose of the entire contents of their own granaries, while secretly buying up all the com they could find through agents, Bahim Khan took advantage of his position to prevent the Shir&s caravan from passing the frontier ; and the two worthies, having thus complete conmiand of the market, raised the price of bread four hundred per cent in a single night. Unfortunately they reckoned without tlie English Telegraph Officer, who at once sent a message to his superior at Tehran, by whom the man was reported to the Prime Minister. The latter wigged the Imam Juma severely, and ordered him to sell his grain at a reasonable price, but the other culprit got oif soot free.
VOL. L H
WH A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
«nit , while that of Hamad&n is two months later. The caravan had ooiiio that way that the Prince might be able to evade the charge of having hoarded grain, by swearing that it was fresh grain brought from Kum. Further from the capital people were less particular; and hoarded grain was produced without any shame. Altogether I have no doubt that, had timely measures been taken when the first warning was given by the distress among the Ili&ts of Fars in 1870, most if not all of the subsequent distress would have been avoided.
The west and north-west did not suffer from anything beyond a rise of prices. Fars suffered severely only the first year, and almost entirely among the nomads, who could hardly have been helped in time. Kar- m&n, thanks to the wise precautions of the Wakil-ul-Mulk, escaped entirely. Yazd, Isfah&n, and Khuras&n were the greatest sufferers^ though Tehrdii and its neighbourhood had a terrible time in the snows of the second winter. The population of Isfah&n, Yazd, and Mash-had was diminished ' by a third at least, though not all of these died, numbers having emigrated west and south.
The population of Persia is variously estimated at from ten to four millions, or from six and a half to sixteen to the square mile. I myself am inclined to put it at the higher figure. Even then, taking into consideration that half the population at least were unaffected by the famine, I do not think that the actual deaths from disease and starva- tion can have exceeded half a million, though from the disproportionate mortality of women and children, the ultimate loss to the country will be far higher. One of the immediate effects of the famine was to let loose bands of robbers, generally half-starved Ili&ts, all over the country.
At the time we were in Karmdn, the road to Yazd had been held for some time by a chief of the Arab * tribe, whose grazing-grounds lie north-east of Shir&z. The last exploit of this worthy had been to murder and rob the messenger bringing the annual dress of honour from the Shah to the Wakil-ul-M ulk. This was too much, and a price was put on his head. Shortly after we lefb, news w^as brought that the blood-money had been earned by one of his relations, who asked him to dinner, and shot him in the stomach at dessert.
Thus, as before mentioned, we were forced to take the southern road. Even here matters were not much better. What with the famine, and
^ OriginaUy emignints from Bahrein. They have become Shia'hs and adopted the ordinary Ili&t dress. They speak a patois compounded of Arabic and Perdan.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 99
a succession of incapable governors, Fars, at all times one of the most turbulent provinces, was in a very disturbed state, aggravated just then by an interregnum between the death of one governor and the arrival of his successor. Personally I was under no apprehension of danger, being well known among the tribes ; but the difficulty was to persuade E^rmani muleteers or camel-drivers that they need be in no fear of losing their beasts. This seemed hopeless; and at last the Wakil-ul-Mulk lent us fifteen mules of his own for our personal effects as far as Shirdz ; and had seized in some outlying district a sufiiciency of camels to take the tents and heavy baggage to Sarjdn, five marches on the road, where he sent orders to the governor to have carriage in readiness for us. All this took some time : and it was not till the fourteenth day that we turned our backs on Karm&n. But for the annoyance of being detained, and losing all the best travelling weather, our time passed not unpleasantly.
Directly we entered the city, we were visited by the entire Hindu community. There were some dozen or fifteen of them, merchants from Sind engaged in the cotton trade. The more lucrative business of exporting wool they are not allowed to meddle with, it being the monopoly of the governor ; though as British subjects, indirect means must be taken to prevent them. They have adopted the Persian dress, with even more outrageously high lambskin caps than usual; and their appearance therein showed that the Persian Aryan is a much better-looking man than his Hindu brother, and does himself woeful injustice in the matter of dress. Our friends from Sind looked nearly black compared to Persians, and in their dark under-garments and brown a^bds * were more like dressed-up monkeys than men. They seemed delighted to see representatives of their masters in India, and begged us to return their visit, that their dignity might be exalted in the eyes of the foreigners. Accordingly we went one afternoon to their earavansarai, a visit which, it is to be hoped, had the desired effect.
From the Wakil-ul-Mulk we met with the greatest civility, and paid him several visits. He is a stout, pleasant-looking man of forty or a little over, and in his father's time, from commanding the local regiment, was known as the Sarhang. The old Wakil-ul-Mulk held sway in Karm&n, for about a dozen years, either as Wazir to a ])uppet governor, cousin of the Shdh, or as actual hakim. In this period he
^ J^ng Arab clookK, worn by aU pious Muslinui west of the Indus.
if 2
100 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
raised Karmdn from the desolation it had been plunged in, since the siege, to its present position of the most orderly and one of the most prosperous divisions of the kingdom. The city has been rebuilt, caravansarais constructed, kandts dug, and robbers put down. The major part of the Yazd trade with India, formerly carried on through Shirdz, has now been transferred to the more direct route through Karm&n. The Wakil-ul-Mulk found means to carry out these im- provements and pay a yearly increased amount of taxation into the royal treasury, by assuming an absolute monopoly of the wool trade with India, which is very extensive, the Karmdn sheep producing the only wool capable of being used to adulterate or represent the down of the Kashmir goat. Formerly the accounts of Karm&n, like those of most other provinces, were audited in Tehrfin; but the present Wakil-ul-Mulk, who succeeded his father some three years before our visit, has obtained exemption from this arrangement, and pays a fixed sum of 200,000 tomfins, about ^80,000, to the Sh&h yearly, besides an annual present of perhaps a fourth of that sum.
He is extremely anxious to develop the mineral resources of the; country, which are doubtless considerable ; and evinced great pleasure at hearing that Blanford was a geologist. He showed us some copper smelted from mines in the neighbourhood, and said he was instituting a search for coal. At his request Blanford one day took a long ride into the hills to the north to look at a supposed coal mine, which how- ever turned out to be bituminous shale. Besides copper, lead and iron are known to exist, the latter in the ore called by Persians j^/^, or steel, from their being able to forge steel from it direct without passing through the intermediate state of wrought iron.
The conversation turning one day on snake poison, the Wakil-ul- Mulk professed entire belief in the efficacy of bezoar as a remedy, and declared he had himself tried it successfully on a servant who had been bitten. He produced several bezoar-stones from his writing-desk, giving us each one. They are, as is well known, concretions formed in the intestines of various animals, most commonly in those of the wild goat of Persia, * Capra aegagrus,' which, though found on every range of hills of any height, is said to contract the disease that pro- duces the bezoar only on certain mountains of Eastern Fars. The stones vary much in size and form. That which I have is thirteen- sixteenths of an inch long, and three-eighths wide ; an elongated oval in shape. Its surfiice is smooth and highly polished, and of an olive
AlfD SOVTBERN PERSIA. 101
preen colour, faintly marbled. Its gravity is about five-siTths that of water. Besides its attributes as an antidote to poison ', bezoar has certain qualities as a talisman tbat make it much valued by ladies. It is usually euclosed in a little case of filigree gold, and worn round the neck.
The lieutenant-colonel of an Adarbaij&n regiment quartered at Kar- mfin called and invited us to dinner. He had been educated in Paris, and bitterly bewailed the dulness and savagery of his country quarters. A companion in miafortunc is a doctor, also brought up in France, and called the Nawfib*, being descended from some emigrant from Hindust^.
The curiosities of Karm&n are the carpet and shawl manufactories. The former, once the most celebrated in the east, have much dimin- ished in number since the fatal siege, from which date all the calamities of Karm&n. In the governor's private factory alone are the finer qualities produced. The white wool of the Karmfin aheep, added perhaps to some quality of the water, gives a brilliancy to the colouring unattainable elsewhere. In pattern the carpets arc dis- tinguishable from those of the north and west both by this ' purity of colour, and a greater boldness and originality of design, due probably to a slighter infusion of Arab prejudices on the subject of the representation of living forms. Not only flowers and trees, but birds, beasts, landscapes, and even human figures are found on the Karm&n carpets. The Wakil-ul-Mulk gave me two in return for a pair of double-barrelled breech-loading pistols of greater value that I presented him with ; and I purehaeed a still finer one in the bazaar. The price varies from ten shillings to almost as many pounds for the square yard ; but the ordinary price is about fifteen shillings. The costliness of Persian carpets, as n-elL as their durability, is caused by the fact that each Btit«h is separately tied and finished off. The proof of a good carpet is that it should show no permanent mark of burning from a lighted coal being placed on it, left for a few seconds, and the place brushed smooth.
The best felt-carpets are also made in and about Karmfin. A very beautiful one came into my possession at Bam, covered with an intricate geometrical pattern in blue, red, and green worsted. As
' Id Faniuk ' F»-zfthr,' from Pidiahr (or B&duhr), ' poUoTi'^xpeUiiig.' • The tit]BofNftwib,>ooominoiiiiiIi]ilia,iBTeaervBdinPeni«totheBo;>IFiuiiil;,wbo ftr« ao nddnnad in writing only.
102 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
Bome curiosity was expressed by experts who saw this carpet in London, as to the roanner in which the design was worked on to the felt, no apology is perhaps necessary for detailing the process.
In an inner room, carefully protected from the wind, is a polished plaster platform. On this pieces of coloured worsted are arranged in the desired pattern, with some sort of size. A very thin felt is then carefully pressed over them, and at once removed, carrying on its face the pieces of worsted in their proper places. This thin felt is laid on the thicker felt of the carpet, and the two incorporated with blows of a mallet.
The shawls of Karm&n appear to diflTer from those of Kashmir in being of worsted instead of the under-down of wool. The term shawl, as we use it, is quite incorrect, shdl meaning the stuff, not a particular article of dress. That most commonly made in Karm&n is in pieces five or six yards long and three-quarters wide, which are cut up into outer coats for both sexes. It is also used by the rich for door hangings and tent lining^ for caps, tray covers, and many other purposes. Long pieces of a single colour, embroidered with needlework at the ends, are used for turbans and waistcloths, and come nearer to the European idea of a shawl than anything else. The white turban shawls make an admirable material for ladies' dresses, and might be profitably exported to Europe, being no dearer than French merino.
On the 1 7th May we left Karmlin shortly after sunrise and rode to B&ghin. The distance is called seven farsakhs^ but proved to be eighteen miles only. This stage being common to both the Yazd and Shir&z roads is shown on most maps in two places, north-west and south-east of Karm&n. Several kandts flowing N.N.W. from the Jupd hills crossed the path to irrigate the fertile valley leading to Kuh-Ban&n, in which many large villages were visible. At the twelfth mile we rounded the end of the Badam&n or Dawirfin hills and crossed a desert tract to Baghin, where we put up in the post-house, kept by a woman, a curious anomaly in a Musalmfin country.
There is nothing remarkable about B&ghin, which is a large and apparently flourishing village, rejoicing in bountiful crops of wheat and opium. We had the Wakil-ul-Mulk's fifteen mules and ten camels with us; having left the tents and heavy baggage to be brought on by the impressed camel-drivers, under charge of Mu- hammad Husain Beg and Blanford's Portuguese butler.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 103
During the day no oue a])peared, but towards morning the butler appeared with a doleful but somewhat confused tale, confirmed by Muhammad Husain the next morning. The impressed camels were unbroken, ringless as to their noses^ and their backs unaccustomed to any loads but grain-bags. All efforts to make them keep our tents and boxes on their backs had proved ineffectual ; and after every load had been thrown off a dozen times, the servants gave it up as a bad job^ and came on to B&ghin to tell the piteous tale. In the course of the day, the Wakil-ul-Mulk's muleteer, a sturdy, quarrelsome^ and energetic little Turk, brought in twenty good camels he had found grazing in the neighbourhood ; and with these Muhammad Husain Beg and the butler were sent back to Karm&n to bring on the loads as best they could, and join us at Saiyid&b&d, for which we started with our fifteen mules and ten camels the next morning.
The road led south-west across the plain, here quite desert, and up the usual long gravel slope of a chain of low volcanic hills, named from two prominent cones, which may be supposed to stand for horns, Kiih Kal-i-g&v, the buUVhead hills. The pass, which is easy, is called the Godar-i-Dukhtar. A mile afler entering the hills, we halted to breakfast at a small caravanserai named Kunukuh. Immense quan- tities of wild rhubarb, now in flower, grew in the valleys. Descending the hills by another long gravel slope, the road crossed a little river running north-west, and two miles further on reached Mashish, a large village with many ruins and minor clusters of houses in the vicinity. In former times it possessed a strong fort, destroyed in the struggle between Zand and Kajfir, at the end of the last century. The snowy hills were now prominent to the south and south-west, our old friend the Kiih Hazfir being conspicuous some fifty miles off, with a still higher peak twenty miles south of it. The next two marches being eight farsakhs each, the first a very tiring one up hill, we halted a day at Mashish, spent in specimen-hunting on the river, and idling in the shade of a magnificent double chinar-tree in a neighbouring garden.
The ghuldm sent to escort us by the Wakil-ul-Miilk was one of the most tremendous drawers of the long bow I ever met even in Persia. On the road from Bdt^hin he showed me a kandt^ which never requires repair. The villagers, he said, have only to kill a sheep on the spot, and let some of the blood trickle into the channel, to start the water with renewed vigour. Another object of interest in the
104 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
neighbourhood is a spring in the high mountains south of Mashlsh, whose water bubbles up to a great height with a noise that is audible a farsakh off, but which never overflows its basin. There was probably some substratum of truth in this latter story, but we had no time to verify it.
One of the direct roads to Bandar-Abbas from Yazd passes through Mashish, whence it leads three long marches south to Baft, beyond which is the beginning of the gradual fall to the Garmsir or hot plain pountry. Tbe Wakil-ul-Miilk returned this way from Baluchist&n last month. The Mashish river unites with the stream irrigating Bfighin to form a salt marsh at Kabutarkh&na on the Yazd road. The hills we crossed on the way from Bfighin are thus isolated.
For twelve miles the road from Mashish traverses a gently rising plain in a westerly direction to a small river flowing among low hills to the Mashish stream. For two miles we followed its bed in the hope of finding wild pigs among the thick tamarisk jungle with which it is filled, but without seeing any. Swarms of soft-bodied grey-flies tor- mented the horses, and we were glad to leave the river. We continued however in its vicinity, crossing and recrossing it more than once for the rest of the march of 29 miles. Many small canals are taken from the stream, irrigating extensive fields of wheat and grain. A large umbelliferous plant was very plentiful, not unlike asafoetida, but more closely resembling that found on the Yazdikh&st plains, from which a drug is extracted. We halted for the night at the caravanserai of Khlin- i-Surkh, a mere stable with a couple of deep recesses on either side of the arched entrance. All around us were rolling green hills dotted here and there with bushes of the arjan or wild almond. The next morning was very cold, the halting-place being over "jooo feet above the sea. The road continued to follow the course of the stream. Here and there patches of wild asparagus and briar-roses in the hollows showed we were approaching less arid regions. At the end of the sixth mile an easy pass led to the water-parting some 8500 feet above the sea-level. Two short and easy descents about a mile apart brought u^ to a gentle slope for eight miles further, rounding the base of a pro- minent hill to the right, the Kuh-i-Panj.
We had now passed the great central chain which I have called else- where the Kohrud range, and whose junction with the Khuras&n mountain system we had crossed between Bampur and Narmashir, Before us lay the great valley stretching from the sources of the Zain«
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA, 105
darfid near Gulp&ig&n to the ranges bordering the Persian Gulf. Wo breakfasted under some trees at a spot called Bfidbini, where is a little cultivation belonging to some semi-nomad T&jiks. Here I found a pair of the curious wormlike Typhlops snakes, which proved to be a new species. A mile and a half further, where the road leaves a secondary range of low hills, a curious cave was pointed out in a rock of volcanic conglomerate by the road side. I clambered into it with some little difficulty. It was evidently meant for habitation^ having recesses for holding things cut in the walls, and a depression for a fire in the middle. On one side a hole served as a window. Below it is a large natural cavern on the ground-level which might serve for a stable. Such cave- dwellings are not uncommon in Persia ; but whether they were origi- nally tombs of great men like those of the kings at Persepolis, or not, is difficult to say. Perhaps not, as nowhere else have I noticed recesses hollowed out to receive the coffins or bodies as in the royal tombs at Persepolis.
Ten miles further down an even gravel slope brought us to Saadati- b&d, commonly contracted to Saat&b&d, the first village in the Saxj&n or Sirjun district. We lodged in a large empty house with a fine tank, bordered with pomegranate-trees, and full of immense carp. Hearing that the camels with the rest of the baggage were close behind, we halted the next day in preference to going on to Saiyidabfid, a much hotter place.
The next morning the camels turned up all right, with the baggage less damaged than might have been expected. After breakfast we rode on to Saiyidab^ down a long slope descending a thousand feet in sixteen miles. A short distance from the town, Zohr&b Khan, brother of Yahia Khan the governor, met us with a dozen horsemen, who went through the usual feats of skill, firing ofi* their long guns in all sorts of positions with their horses at a gallop. This escort led us to a little house in the middle of the town, which is unwalled and entirely of sunburnt bricks. The roofs are domed, and several wind-towers bear witness to the heat of the climate, though the plain is 5500 feet above the sea.
Hearing that camels were ready we hoped to start the next morning ; but, alas I the drivers fled with their beasts in the night, and we were left lamenting. The governor, a bloated young man with coarser manners than any Persian I have met, came to see us and asked us to dinner. The Sult&n (Captain) of the soldiers quartered here also paid
10(1 A JOURNEY THEOVGH BALUCHISTAN
tiH a visit — a mild, middle*aged gentleman^ from Adarbaij&n. He had onlrrs to send thirty men with our caravan to Niris, and asked my leave to give the command to his son, a boy only ten years old, but nevertheless a sub-lieutenant in the regiment. He gave me some in- teresting details of the interior economy of the Persian service. A tarhang gets 500 tumdns a year ; ydwars^ equivalent to our majors, 150; sultans 60; iidihs or lieutenants 40; and sub-lieutenants 30; a iumdn being worth about eight shillings. Each medal gives right to additional pay at the rate of ten tumdns to a sultdn, five to a ndib, and two to a private soldier.
The gardens in this part of Persia show signs of superior cultivation to any 1 have noticed elsewhere. They produce the finest pistachio nut« and pomegranates in the countr}% the former forming a considerable article of commerce. Potatoes too were abundant. Shahr-i-Blibak, the principal town of these parts when Pottinger passed, is now completely abandoned, though several flourishing villagpes have sprung up in the neighbourhood. It lies seventeen farsakhs to the north- west.
After a second disappointment about camels, nearly as many as we wanted were at last got together by means of threats and promises, and on the 28th of May we marched to the little village of Tar&b&d, twelve miles ofi* on the edge of the Salt plain. The country passed through was rich with wheat and cotton. Two miles from Tarfibdd we reached the salt swamp, called here * Kafeh,' and * Kavir ' in the north. It is about nine miles wide, the last four having a solid crust of white salt, through which the horses' feet did not break. In winter the whole is covered with water, and it is then very dangerous to cross, as the mud, pretty solid where we passed, liquifies everywhere off the beaten track. As it was, our mules, who carried heavier loads on smaller feet than the horses, came to considerable grief, and were not in till very late. This salt swamp extends to a considerable distance northwards, but it is not a continuation of that in which the Zaindarud terminates, though in the same valley. This latter must be considerably below 5CX)0 feet, the altitude of the river at Isfahlin, while the Khair&b&d swamp slopes south-east, and is 5400 feet above the sea. The valley descends by a gentle slope to the L4r plain on the one hand, and the Jiriift plain on the other, the fall being probably between three and four thousand feet. It« western edge forms the boundary between Pars and Karm&n ; but Khairabfid, where
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. 107
we halted, is now attached to the latter for revenue purposes. It is a wretched little walled village at the foot of the hills, with a good kandt of water, and a few fine Jordan willow-trees.
There are two roads from Khairab&d to Niris, one through Beshn&, the other through Parpi, an abandoned iron mine, the two meeting at Kutrti or Kadaru. We took the latter, which was fortunate, as Lovett had gone by the Beshnd road. The path lay up a long gentle slope between craggy limestone hills, prettily wooded with the wild pistachio. Fifteen miles from Khair&bad the top of the pass was reached, 7300 feet in altitude; after which an easy descent led to Parpi, a spring near some deserted smclting-works. A short slope on leaving Parpd the next morning brought us to a wide desert plain, closed by hills to the west and north, but of apparently illimited extent to the south-east. It is famous for wild asses, but we were not lucky enough to see any. At the western end we crossed a small salt swamp to Kutru, where we spent the day on a stone terrace built round the trunk of a magnificent plane-tree in a neat garden.
The hills we had crossed should be the continuation of those south of Isfahan, known as the Kiih Dum-ba-Liir, i. e. extending to L&r. Those in front of us are probably a prolongation of the chain of those south of Murgh&b. But all this very interesting country is entirely unknown, save from Pottinger's meagre description, and an unin- telligible account by Serjeant Gibbons in the Geographical Society's Journal.
The next day (June i) we crossed the hills to Niris, or Niriz, often erroneously written NejTiz, a blunder that has led to its being twice inserted on many maps. Six and a half miles from Kutru, the road entered the pass, which bears no more distinctive appellation than the Dahna-i-Niris. Tlie scenery was extremely pretty, and, to our eyes accustomed to the barest of hills, charmingly wooded. On the top is an open plateau three miles across, after which a steep descent leads to the plain. The day was misty, so that the lake was not clearly visible.
As Nins was in charge of an old friend of mine, the Karaen-ul- Mulk, the principal nobleman of Shirdz, but at that time in Tehrfin, I had sent a letter from Karm&n, asking his son, who was looking after his father's affairs at Shirfiz, to send some one to meet me there, Niris having an evil reputation for inhospitality. Accordingly, at a
108 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
distance of three miles from the town, a horseman appeared, sent from Shir&s by the Karaen's son to receive us, and bringing a wel- come packet of letters. A little further on an extraordinary pro- cession met us, as iatikbdl or cortege of welcome.
After the usual train of horsemen came a lot of men with kettle- drums and trumpets, headed by a professional jester. Then followed a band of singers, and then a miscellaneous crowd of ragamuffins. At every two or three hundred yards, an unfortunate sheep was brought forward, swiftly decapitated, and its head carried across the road. Tall glass vases of flowers with thin necks were held in the air at intervals, and broken with a sharp tap of a knife. All the time the drums were beating, the trumpets braying, as only Persian trumpets can, the jester making jokes, not always the most decent, while an unfortunate poet was trying to recite an ode iu praise of somebody. At every turn more people were added to the crowd, till at last we were attended to the door of the house prepared for us by the whole male population of Niris, and a large proportion of the female. This is the good old-fashioned way of receiving a grandee, only now kept up in out-of-the-way parts. Before the Kaj&r times dancing- gfirls were added to the show; but this is strictly forbidden now-> a-days.
Niris is chiefly remarkable from having been the head-quarters of B&bism, that extraordinary heresy which bade fair at one time to revolutionise Persia. The persecutions to which those suspected of participation in the forbidden mysteries of the Bdb were subjected half depopulated Niris, and the famine, from which it sufiered con- siderably the first year, drove many of the remaining inhabitants to seek their fortunes elsewhere. It has three parishes, surrounded by very pretty gardens of fruit, walnut, and chinar trees, with here and there a cypress or palm. The lake is distant about seven miles to the north-west.
After a day's halt to renew our extra carriage, we left in the evening of the 3rd June, with most of the spare baggage carried on asses. We spent the night twelve miles from Niris, on the borders of the lake, and went on the next morning early to Khir, a large village on a stream flowing from the hills. Here we breakfasted in a garden with a magnificent avenue of chinars: and after breakfast held a consultation with the elders of the place as to our onward movements.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA, 109
The road usually followed to Shirdz leads along the south shore of the lake to the Kolv&r or Kurb&r district. It is flat and safe, but in the summer is infested with gad-flies to such an extent as to render it dangerous to horses. Moreover, we wore told that it would be difficult to find asses, which we were only able to hire from village to Tillage. The other road passes over the hills to Sarbist&n, in the Sbir&z valley, and though comparatively free from flies, was said to be infested with thieves of the Baharlu and Kashk&i tribes. After due consideration, I resolved to take the latter, and we started off with fresh asses the same afternoon for Rohnis, the first stage. The lake opposite Khir is at its narrowest, being barely a mile across. In sum- mer a man can wade to the other side. The water is not so salt as that of the Shir&z lake, which receives several springs of brine, but is too much so for fish, which exist only at the mouth of the Bandani river, its main feeder. Passing a gap in the lofby limestone cliffs bordering the lake on its south side, we entered a wide valley running west, at the other extremity of which lies the town of Istabonat or Savonat, and the ancient fort of Irij or Ij. After a pleasant ride through a green valley bounded by high cliffs to the south, called the Kiih Tudah, we arrived at Rohnis, where the Katkhuda, a surly ruffian, would hardly take the trouble to get us a house.
Eleven miles the next morning over a desert plain covered with wild liquorice brought us to the pass of Tang-i-Karim, shortly after passing which we halted in a garden. A little way off under the hill is a deep clear pool in the rocks full of enormous carp. Its water is said to remain always at tbe same level. It is called the Atash Kadah, or * place of fire,' presumably from a fire temple having existed there, though there are now no traces of it. Three fansakhs to the south of Tang-i-Karim lies the town of Fas&, one of the most i)rosperous towns in Fars, and the first place in the Garmsir or hot country, whose limit seems to be that of the date->palm bearing fruit.
The most dangerous stage of the journey was now before us. A reiving party of Baharlu, a hundred strong, had carried off several hundred sheep and attacked a village in the plain the night before ; and a band of Kashkdis was said to be holding the pass to Sarvistan, the next village on our road.
The heat during the day was now becoming oppressive to man and beast, but I determined to wait for broad daylight before going on. Halfway to Sarvistan is a ruined caravanserai named Mi&n Jangal,
110 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
and here a halt might be made, if the cattle seemed unable to get through the whole stage of twenty-seven miles. Here also I hoped to find some one to take a message to the Kashk&is, who, I was sure from experience, would not knowingly touch my property.
Accordingly, after getting a few matchlock-men from the village as a guard against minor pilferers, we started off our miscellaneous caravan of horses, asses, mules and camels, and rode on in front to Mi&Q Jangal as an advanced guard. The caravanserai so swarmed with fleas and gad-flies that to stay there would have been misery to man and beast, and the donkeys coming up pretty fast, we made a push for Sarvist&n. The path lay through a thick wood of the wild pistachio, hawthorn, and other trees below the high cliffs of the Kuh Kashkdi, and rose rapidly for five miles, when the summit of the pass was reached, and we saw the plain of Sarvist&n beneath us. Once there all danger was over, and leaving the caravan w^e rode on to the village.
Sarvist&n is a large place with magnificent gardens of walnut and other trees, though the cypresses, which presumably gave it its name, have entirely disappeared ^. It occupies nearly the same position at the south-eastern end of the Shir&z plain that the city does at the north-western, the lake lying intermediate between them.
We were now only fifty miles from Shir&z — so, leaving Muhammad Husain Beg to bring on the donkey part of the caravan as soon as he could find fresh beasts, we started the next afbernoon, and camped for the night near a small village named Khairdb&d, going on to Mahdiu the next morning. Mah&lu, which gives its name to the lake, is a picturesque little village choked in between high limestone cliffs and the water, and reminding one a little, with its terraces, orange and pomegranate trees, of a place on the Italian lakes. Leaving Blanford to come on the next morning, I rode on the same afternoon. The path skirts the lake for twelve miles to the Pul-i-Fas&, a bridge across the main stream which fills it, whence a canter of as many miles more over smooth green turf brought me to Shirdz, 1200 miles from Gwddar, four months and a half after leaving that place.
Here I found that Sir Frederic Goldsmid and his party had just reached Tehr&n, whither I was ordered to proceed at once. After a few days' halt at Shirdz I therefore rode post to Tehr&n, leaving Blanford
' Sarvistdn meaiiH ' the place of cypresses.'
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA. Ill
to march up by the summer road, by which he reached Tehr&n a month Liter, aboat the same time as the Sarhang, my coadjutor in Balu- chistan, did by the Yazd road.
Thus ended a journey of 2500 miles, of which the most remarkable thing was its utter want of incident.
APPENDIX.
The longitude of Karmdn,
As mentioned in the text, the Russian scientific expedition under M. Khanikoff to Eastern Persia in 1858-9 showed that the position of Karman, given in our maps on the authority of Sir Henry Pottinger, was very incorrect. As also mentioned, I have found reason to diminish this correction considerably — an alteration which aflTects the longitude of all places on the high road from Karmdn through Yazd to Isfah&n^ and from Karmfin towards Sistdn, as determined by the Russian expedition.
The following is a brief outline of the case, which 1 leave to the judgment of geographers.
M. KhanikofF had with him an astronomer^ M. Lentz, and several topographers. The result of the labours of the latter have as yet been given to the world on a very minute scale only ; but the observations of M. Lentz were published in a pamphlet of 158 pages at St. Peters- burgh in 1868.
Being unfortunately in Russian^ nothing but the results^ and the bare data on which these are founded, are intelligible to a foreigner. From them, however, there is no difficulty in gathering that M. Lentz determined the positions of ninety-four stations, of which the prin- cipal, taking them in the order observed, are as follows: Astrab&d; Mash-had; Ilerfit; Tun; Birjand; L&sh ; Nehj Karm&n ; Yazd; Isfahfln ; K&shdn ; Kum ; and Tehriln.
Of these, the first and List appear to have been assumed from the Caspian survey and from Lemm. Of the intermediate stations, the longitude of Mash-had given by M. Lentz is almost the exact mean
112 A JOURNEY THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
of tliose determined by Frascr and Lemm respectively; and that of Her&t agrees nearly with its position as fixed by English officers in 1839.
From Herdt to Karm£n was new ground or nearly so, and the first serious discrepancy with older authorities occurs in the last-named city, whose position had not been previously laid down from astrono- mical data.
It may be premised that M. Lentz fixed his longitude by chrono- meters, of which he appears to have had four. To correct them he took four sets of lunar distances at Mash-had, one at Ghori&n^ three at Herfit, one at Tun, and two at Neh. Of the value to be placed on the last — on the correctness of which appear to depend all his longitudes between Neh and Tohr&n, three and a half months' journey — ^geo- graphers will be able to judge when I mention that they were taken on two successive days, and to the same star, which had an angular distance of 2%^ to 36** only from the moon, and that the results of the two are i' ai" apart.
In my own journey from Gw&dar to Shir&z I found, as stated in Chapter I, that little dependence was to be placed on chronometers, on a rapid bind journey during which the same place was never twice visited ; and I therefore trusted entirely to perambulating wheels and azimuths for longitude, fixing the latitude nightly by observation. On arriving at Shir&z, 1250 miles from Gw&dar, I found my position ten miles east of that fixed by Captain Pierson and myself by tele- graph. A careful revision of the sketch sheets enabled me to distri- bute this error without much doubt or difficulty, aided by sets of lunars, observed at Jdlk and Bampur, and reduced at Greenwdch, which, though not enough to depend on, were useful in showing on which side my error at those places lay. In this way I laid down the longitude of Karmfin at 59° 59' 6o'\ being thirteen to fourteen miles nearer its old position on our maps than M. Lentz had placed it.
A superficial examination of that traveller's book with its formid- able array of figures made me tremble for the correctness of my con- clusions ; but on going into it more carefully, and testing it in a manner now to be described, my confidence was restored, and I was emboldened to pin my faith on my own perambulators rather than on the chronometers and lunars of M. Lentz. I was fortified more- over in this resolve by a passage in M. Khanikofi^'s brief sketch of his expedition, which I have not at hand, and cannot therefore quote,
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA.
113
bat which shows that he himself had small faith in astronomical longitndes on land journeys, compared to carefully measured distances. My test was as follows. In the spring of 1870, I made a compass nrvey along the line of telegraph from Tehrdn to Isfahfin^ checked by latitudes at each halting-place. An easier road to survey accurately with little labour would be difficult to find^ three azimuths, none in- clined more than 2^" to the meridian, covering the whole distance of 250 miles. The next winter Captain Pierson and I determined by telegraph the differences of longitude between Tehrfin, Kum, KAshdn, and Is&h&n; in each case by four independent sets of altitudes at dther station. The results showed errors in the sketch sheets in no case amounting to more than a mile.
This gave me a method satisfactory to myself — whatever it may be to M. Khanikoff^ who does not believe in the scientific accuracy of Indian officers — by which to measure the dependence to be placed on M. Lentz.
The following table shows the position of each halting-place between Isfah&n and Tehr&n according to my sketch sheets (corrected by longitudes fixed by telegraph), and according to M . Lentz's chrono- meters (uncorroborated by any topographical drawings). Ten seconds of time have been deducted from each of the Russian longitudes, on account of the correction for the longitude of Tehran from Greenwich, ascertained by Col. Walker, Captain Pierson, and myself, in 1871 : —
Locality.
Isfalubi 6az .. ..
Miirchikur . .
Soh .. ..
Kohrud
Fin (K&ahdn)
Sin-sin
Pasangan ..
Kiim ..
Kinaragird
Tehran
Longitude from M. Lentz. ; Longitude i j^^
from Major i -
"• ference.
Time.
h. m. s. 3 26 53 3 25 55 3 25 50 24 58
Arc.
St. John.
//
//
|
3 |
24 56 |
|
3 |
24 54 |
|
3 |
24 50 |
|
3 |
23 52 |
|
3 |
22 57 |
|
3 |
24 54 |
|
3 |
25 40 |
51 43 15 51 28 45 51 27 30
51 14 30 51 14 o
51 ^=^ 30 5' 12 30 50 58 o
50 44 15
51 13 30 51 25 o
5» 39 2 51 37 30 28 30
26 15
//
61 61
51 26 30
51 51 61
22 30
16 45
4 30
50 54 o
51 18 o
51 25 o
+ 4 13
- 8 46
- I o
-II 45 -12 30
- 9
--t
9
o
15 30 45 - 4 30 o o
By telegraph.
By telegraph.
By telegraph.
There are startling discrepancies. Taking the places first of which the longitudes were fixed by telegraph, it will be noticed M. Lentz and I agree as to the relative positions of Kum and K&sh&n; but
VOL. I.
114 A JOURS E Y THROUGH BALUCHISTAN
^
that he places them nearly ten miles farther west than I do. Oar agreement so fiir tends to corroborate my correctness^ my longitude being independently fixed by teleg^ph from a common station, Tehrin. In the case of the intermediate stations I have no tel^^raph to rely on, bat let it be observed that while M. Lentz and I are .nearly in agreement as to the relative positions of Soh and Kohrud, •ei4inited by a range of mountains and a winding pass, we differ as to those of Soh and Murchik&r by ten miles and three-qoarters. Yet these two places are visible from each other, and an error of that magnitude seems impossible in a compass survey.
It may be objected that our points of observation may have been &r a[iart. In Tehr&n this is not the case, as the old Russian embassy, the station given by Lentz, and the telegraph office are on nearly the same meridian, and not more than a quarter of a mile apart.
In the other stations, with the exception of Kum, where they might be a mile perhaps asunder, our points of observation must be practi- cally identical. In Isfah&n, no doubt, they were some distance apart, though certainly not more than half of 4' 13'', the difference shown in the table. From my knowledge of the town and places where distinguished travellers are lodged, I am inclined to give about a mile and a quarter as the most probable distance apart. The dis- orepancies in the intermediate stations are, however, quite enough to make any English geographer doubt the accuracy of M. Lentz's work generally, and fully justify me, I contend, in adhering to my own longitude of Karm&n. To a certain extent, moreover, I am able to corrob(»rate the correctness of that longitude from M. Lentz's own work. The above table shows that his chronometers between Is&hfin and Tehrdn were misrated to the extent of two to three minutes of arc. Now ho took twenty days to do this journey, and seventy days from the date of his first observation at Karmdn till his arrival at Tehr&n.
The error at the former place should therefore be three and a half times that between Isfahan and Tehr&n, or from seven to ten and a half minutes of arc. Adding to this his error of two and a half minutes in the longitude of Tchrdn, we obtain nine and a half to thirteen minutes, which, deducted from 60° 13', gives a result closely approximating to mine, viz. 59° 59' 60".
In justice to M. Lentz I must add that I believe that his chrono- metric measurements between Isfah&n and Tehr&n are not a fair sample of his work generally.
AND SOUTHERN PERSIA.
115
Taking my own longitudes of Karm&n and Isfah&n as a base, I re- adjusted his positions of the intermediate stations, and found them with a single exception to agree closely with those on a careful compass survey made by the late Quarter-Master-Sergeant D. Bower, E.E., in 1870-71.
His Her&t lunars also seem good, and the positions of places in Khuras&n, fixed on two expeditions, starting from and returning to that city, are probably trustworthy.
The error, if error there be, would seem to lie between Her&t and Karmfin. In constructing the map of Persia I assumed M. Lentz's position of Neh to be correct, and interpolated the whole error of 13' 30'^ between that place and Karm&n. Subsequent examination of M. Lentz's work rather inclines me to distribute it throughout his whole route from Herat via Sabzw&r, L£sh and Neh, to Elarmfin. Were this done, the position of Neh on the map would be shifted 5' to the west and that of L£sh 3' 30" in the same direction.
O. St. John.
I 2
NARRATIVE
OF A
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN.
BT
MAJOR BEKESFORD LOVETT, R.E., C.S.I.
k
NARRATIVE
OF A
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN.
BY
MAJOR BERESFORD LOVETT, R.E., C.S.I.
1. Preliminary Remarks.
The tract of country in which lies the frontier line of delimitation between the territories of H. M. the Sh&h and the Kh&n of Kal&t may, I think, be best described in a general manner by reference to the river systems comprised within the limits of Bampur to the west, Fanjgur to the east, J&lk to the north, and the shores of the Arabian Sea to the south, as it is by a study of the disposition and distribution of the watercourses that a just idea of the configura- tion of a country can be arrived at.
2. Hiver Systems.
There is a mass of mountains lying east of Bampur, of which the peak called the Kuh-i-Homand ^ is near the culminating point, from which stretch out three water-partings, dividing the country through which their ramifications extend into three larg^ and distinct river basins. The basin which extends south of the Homand Peak is drained by various streams, all falling eventually into the Arabian Sea, at different points along the coast, and amongst the principal of these rivers are those which at their mouths are called the Hingol, the Dasht, the B£hu or Nigor, the Nam, and the Kir. There are, besides these, numerous smaller intermittent streams, comprised within the area of this southern river basin, which likewise make their exit into the waters of the Arabian Sea. The next or the north-west
' The spelling adopted by Major St. John in his Map of Western Baluchistan is here retained : but Baluoh words are not always easily transliterated. — ^F. J. 6.
120 NARRATIVE OF A
river basiu is drained by a stream of considerable size, which after collecting the waters of numerous tributaries, flows past the fort of Bampur with a volume of water which, occasionally, is from 30 to 50 yards across and is forded by wading up to the knees. The ultimate course of this Bampur river is not precisely known. It is supposed by some, and this is the generally received native opim'on, to flow on w^esterly and issue into the Persian Gulf, near Mindb, a port not far east of Bandar-Abbfis. But as the whole of the tract of country lying between the sea and the limits indicated by the positions of Kasr-Kand, Bampur, Bam, and Bandar-Abbis is unexplored, it is very doubtful if this supposed course of the Bampur river will be borne out by future explorations. The third river basin, formed by the lines of elevation of the Baliich mountains, is that lying to the north-east. The rivers draining the districts of Magas and Dizak, as also perhaps the streams flowing from the still more elevated tracts of Sarhad, unite with the rivers coming from the east beyond Panjgur and its outlying districts, and pour their united waters into the northern desert through a defile in the range of mountains called the Sidneh Kuh. The river thus formed goes by the name of the M&shkid, the same which has been given to the stream flowing eastwards through the Dfcak valley. The eventual course of this stream is problematical. According to the information I was enabled to collect at Panjgur, the M&shkid, after its passage through the Sidneh range, runs northerly for four stages or about sixty miles, and loses itself in a tilt marsh, at a place called Hauz-i-Kaisr. This river was crossed by Sir A. Pottinger in 1809, and is represented on all maps published previous to our surveys as belonging to the southern river basin, that is, its course is represented as flowing south and tventually emptying itself into the Arabian Sea. That mistake is now rectified, and I think, from a consideration of the diflerence of •lovation between the plateau in which lies the valley stretching Arom Dizak to Panjgiir and that of the lakes of Sist&n, that the yH9>Ustn of the M&shkid, at some seasons at least, eventually imite in .the SiiiUln marshes with those of the streams fiowing from the hills of Ilcirit and Kibul. Should future exploration of the Persian frontier •OUthwArdfi from Sist&n towards J&lk succeed in establishing this fact, thu drainage area of the Sist&n Lake will be found to be vastly larger thM it if at present estimated.
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN, 121
3. Mountain Systems,
Having thus briefly given an outline of the Balueh river Byst<?m8, our next consideration will be regarding the general direction and disposition of the mountains comprised within the limits of the districts we have visited.
The general direction of the ranges of hills in Makrfin is east and west^ in fact more or less parallel to the general line of the sea-coast. These ranges of hills have been elevated in chains parallel to each other, with valleys lying between them. Beginning with the level at the sea-shore, each valley inland is successively of a greater elevation than the preceding one; and thus it is that the valley in which are situated the villages of Dizak, Kuhak, and Panjgur has a general elevation of 2500 feet above the sea-shore, from which it is not distant, in a straight line, more than 125 miles. The length of the valleys enclosed by these parallel ranges is in some instances con- siderable. We have an instance of one remarkable for its length in that, extending beyond the limits of Dizak to the west, to five stages east of Panjgur to the east, where the barrier of the Kal&t Hills running north and south closes it in. South of this valley, at the distance of about seventy miles from it, is another equally remarkable for its extent. Commencing at Kasr-Kand, it stretches to the east for about 250 miles, the important towns of Pishin, Hand, Miri, &c. being situated in it. The other ranges of hills, parallel to those forming the northern and southern limits of these two long valleys, are generally so closely packed together that the intervening valleys are insignificant. There is, moreover, another axis of elevation which, cutting obliquely across these mountain ranges, closes them in on the west; as, for instance, at Kasr-Kand and near Magas. The country lying between these two points has consequently a very contorted mountain system — ^its ramifications run in some parts north-east and south-west, in others east and west — and peaks and masses of mountain of the most curious and fantastic appearance are frequent. It is undoubtedly the case, that should railway communication from Isfahan to India be undertaken hereafter, the construction of the line from the plain of the Bampur valley, along the tortuous defiles that pierce this mass of mountain till the western extremities of either of the long valleys we have described be reached, will prove one of the most difficult tasks to be accomplished in the whole
122 NARRATIVE OF A
length of line. The route between Isfah&n and Bampur is so level that a coach can be driven without much diflBculty between these two cities^ and certainly no difficulty or obstacle exists for wheeled traffic from one end to the other of either of the two valleys we have mentioned, so that the selection of either of them as the line for a future railway is inevitable, and the importance of information regarding them is thus greatly increased.
4. Mode of Travelling.
Having thus in a brief manner sketched out the general conforma- tion of the districts through which I passed, I will now proceed to describe with more detail the various routes I followed. I at first proceeded from Ow&dar on the sea coast to Bampur — ^reaching that place after a journey of twenty-six days ; but as we were com- pelled to halt at various places owing to defective arrangements for carriage, this time must not be taken as the standard for marching. From Bampur I returned to Kshm, on the road back to Grw&dar, and striking off thence proceeded eastwards to Kej, and from that place northwards to Fanjgur, and then back to the coast. These wanderings enabled me to see a good deal of the country and of its inhabitants. Our mode of travelling was on horseback; servants, tents, and provisions being carried by camels. As I experienced considerable inconvenience from defective arrange- ments for carriage, a matter in that country of the utmost importance, it may be for the benefit of future explorers to embody the result of my experience in a few practical hints. My first recommendation is to bring your own horses, not to trust to the country to produce anything rideable, provide yourself with plenty of horse-shoes and shoeing apparatus, as also some one capable of shoeing horses, as a blacksmith possessing that art is very rarely met with in Baluchist&n: If you desire to proceed at your own time, where and when you like ; to avoid delay, disappointment, vexation, bargaining, and bother, it is by all means advisable to purchase your baggage camels ; pay any price, in order that they may become actually your property. It is only fair to warn future explorers against the Baluch camel-driver, who partakes largely of the nature of the ungainly beast he tends. These men, for obstinacy and perverseness, are unequalled. Amongst other annoyances they will never stir from a halting-place till long after sunrise, and any stage over ten miles or any load over two
JOURNEY IN BALUCUISTAN. 123
hundredweight may be made a pretext for desertion or a general strike. If you can procure mules and dispense with the services of that much over-rated animal the camel, do so by all means^ even though perhaps the former may require more elaborate arrangements for feeding them. There is fodder, however, to be obtained in most river-beds at a few miles from the coast, sufficient to sustain these useful animals.
5. Gwddar to Chiralc,
WTien we set out from Gwddar on the loth of January, 1871, we had to make three marches to the Dasht river, which flows into the Arabian Sea, near Gwatar. These marches began between nine or ten in the morning, and we reached our halting-places at about 2 p.m. Our halting-places between Gwfidar and the Dasht river were Ankora and Faleri, the first thirteen miles and the latter twenty- six miles from Gwfidar. The selection of these sjiots as halting places depended on the presence or absence of fresh wat^r. As it had rained hard about fifteen days previous to our quitting Gw&dar, the presence of a few pools of fresh water in the ' fiumara,' called as above, induced us to halt there ; but when we set out from Gw&dar we were prepared^ if necessary, to make a continuous forty-mile march to the banks of the Dasht river. At the season of the year in which we journeyed this would not have been attended with any hardship beyond fatigue to man and beast, but later on in the year the passage from Gwfidar to the Dasht river is a formidable under- taking, and much suflering from thirst is experienced. Our route up to the Dasht river lay along the teleg^ph line.
From the Dasht river, on whose right bank we halted several days, we proceeded westwards to Miri Baz&r. Our destination was Bampiir, and we might have selected the route vid Pishin and Sarb&z, or B&hu and Sarb&z, but as Din Muhammad, the chief of Dashtifiri, represented to us that difficulties existed from want of water along these routes, we were induced to choose the route vid Min Bazfir and Kasr-Kand. Subsequent events proved there was no foundation for the representa- tions Din Muhammad made, which were dictated entirely by interested motives. As a direct route from Gw&dar to Bampur there is no doubt the route 1^ Kshin and Sarb&z is preferable. Sir Frederic Goldsraid, who arrived at Gwfidar from Bampur, performed this journey with a very numerous retinue in twelve days. I would observe
324 SARRATIVE OF A
\ym liiai veT« it not for the eonveDiences that exist at Gw^ar for td^nphie and postal communication with India and Europe, and also frail tbe &ct that an established British authority is there resident, Gvatar wodd have been preferable as our ' point de depart/ and I think that, for militaiy operations in Baluehistdn, should necessity ariwu troops landed there could advance along the banks of either the DtKsht or Bihu riyer with greater facilities and less hardship, to the points in the interior where their presence might be required, than they could by proceeding from Gw&dar.
We halted twice between the Dasht river and Miri Baz&r. Our fii«t halting-place, Bimd&n^ was about eighteen miles from the banks of the Dasht ; the road thereto lay over a perfectly flat plain, sparsely dotted with camel-thorn shrubs^ which aflbrded pasturage to our camels aa they marched along. The Baluchis do not attach their camels one behind the other by nose-tethers as in India, but they allow them to wander about, the drivers moving about in rear from flank to flank of the herd, urging them forwards with an occasional thwack^ but mostly by a monotonous grunting^ which seems as inherent to camel-men . gfrnerally when driving their beasts, as the peculiar ' shishing ' noise, whfn brushing down a horse^ is to our grooms. The halting-place at Kiindin oommended itself to our notice by a few pools of fresh water, otht^rwiso it had no attractions, and the early part of our journey the next day was equally uninviting. Nothing was Jbo be seen but the bare ex- lent of plain all around, with arid-looking hills about eight miles to the BOrihi and a singular mass of hills (the Darabol Kuh) lying about ten mltc^ ^^ ^ ^^^ south. The summit of the Kh&khi Kuh to the west WAi visible, but all other objects to the east, and towards the sea, were distorted by the eflects of the mirage which generally commenced to tpptMir about two or three hours after sunrise. As we neared the village nf 8(sAd, however^ the dreary aspect of the country changed, and from this point, till we emerged a fortnight later upon the Bampur desert, tha country we passed through, whether plain or mountainous, was moru or less interesting. The villages of Sisdd, N&o, and a few fary small hamlets, lay in our route to Miri Baz&r. They are attuatod on branches of the B&hu river, here much subdivided {nto small streams, which reunite south of a solitary rocky eminence in this neighbourhood, called Char-gul-ka-Dikri, and being joined lUao l>y the waters of the Kaju river, flow on in a broad stream to the \^ into which it disembogues near Gwatar. The banks of these
k
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN. 125
streams, especially in the neighbourhood of the villages we passed by, were fringed with a thick belt of tamarisk bashes, as also grace- ful acacias and date-palms. The fields^ fenced round by thorn hedges^ were sown with barley and wheat, which were then green. There were numerous pools formed by the overflow of the B&hu^ on which teal and wild duck were disporting themselves, whilst the adjacent copses a&brded cover to numerous francolin, whose slaughter enabled us to effect a grateful change in our menu. We noticed too on the intervening plains lying between the streams sand-grouse and bustard, the * ahubareh ' of the Persians, a name which has been twisted into * ob&ra ' by the Indians. We found Miri Baz&r an inconsiderable place, and to judge from the difficulty we experienced in obtaining provisions and fodder, as well as fuel, its resources might be supposed limited; but as our difficulties in that respect were entirely owing to the obstructive conduct of the local chief. Din Muhammad, such a deduction cannot be made. Our route towards the north lay in the direction of a lofty rang^ of hills we could discern from Miri Baz&r, which is known as the Bag&rband, on the further side of which we were informed lay Kasr-Kand, the chief town on our route to Bampur. One day's march from Miri Baz&r brought us to Chirak, a village at the northern limit of the plain of Dashtidri. We passed the village of B&ji en route a few miles out of Miri. Up to this place our route lay through well cultivated lands, irrigated by numerous canals, and plentifully studded with acacias, date-palm, tamarisk, and jujube trees. From B&ji we had to cross a wide hot plain, irrigated by a system of reservoirs, representing considerable expenditure of time and labour — I will not say money, as the works were probably constructed by forced labour. We at last reached the village of Baila, and a couple of miles further on that of Chirak. As we had here attained the edge of the mountains, the leading characteristics of the districts we traversed may be thus summarised. From Gwddar to Bimd&n we crossed the plain through which flows the Dasht river, and from Bimd&n to Chirak our course lay through the districts of Sis&d and Dashti&ri, which, as we have stated, are watered by the rivers Bdhu and Kaju. The northern limit of these plains is the Bagdrband range, and more to the east the Niger Hills. On the west of the Dashti&ri plain a series of hills runs along the Kaju, and terminates south of Miri Baz&r, at the peak called Bipak. The hills lying east
126 NARRATIVE OF A
of the Dasht river, and south of Miri in the Kej valley to the Tal&r Pass, indicate approximatively the eastern limits of the plains; and a cliain of hills extending southwards from Pishin, and termi- nating in a very distinctive double-headed hill called Jambki (near to which are the villages of Saman and Zirhan)^ separates the plains watered by the Kaju and Bdhu, or Dashti^i and Sisad, and from those irrigated by the Dasht river and its tributaries.
These plains are at a level above the sea, varying probably from 90 feet to 300. The soil is alluvial and very fertile, and its capa- bilities for produce under a systematic scheme of irrigation would be boundless. The other principal town in Dashti&ri, besides Miri Baz&r and Chirak, is Bdhu, which I have not visited, but which I understand is of considerable size for Baluchist&n. It would be more conducive to a distinct appreciation of the positive size of these places we mention could we give even an approximate esti- mate of the number of inhabitants. But though endeavours were made by our party to obtain such information, the results are little to be relied upon. I suppose, however, that Miri Bazdr may contain some 1200 souls, Chirak 800. This estimate I form from their size as compared with that of the village of Kaldtak in the Kej valley, where I had an opportunity of taking a census with tolerable accuracy. I happened to be at that village on the Id-i-Kurbdn, one of the great Islamic festivals^ on which occasion all the adult males of the place were ranged, as is the custom for Musalmdn congregations, in two rows in rear of the Pishnamiz, or Leader of Prayer. The total number inhabiting Kaldtak I estimated, including women and children, to be about 1000. Assuming this as my standard of computation, I think the numbers I have stated pretty correct. Miii Bazfir therefore passes for a considerable place according to the Baluch standard of town populations, though in our eyes it appeared quite insignificant.
The inhabitants of Dashti&ri and Sis&d originally came from Sind, and speak a degenerate Sindi, mixed with worse Persian. There are a great number of slaves^ and traces of African descent are frequently encountered amongst the population. They live in badly-built mud huts, and are clothed in garments which are never changed except when discarded for new ones. The men wear their hair long, and are very proud of their locks, which they keep constantly moist with rancid butter. The characteristic red skull-cap of the Baluchis was not much worn by the Dashtifins.
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN, 127
With regard to the aspect of these plains, nothing can be prettier than certain effects that the traveller meets with. For instance, just before and after sunset^ under particular conditions of the atmosphere, the landscape is charming. The hills surrounding the Dashtiiiri plain have very pronounced outlines : this, with the softening effect of dis- tance, makes their arid sides display various blues and greys, forming a delightful background for the middle distance, composed of date- palm and jujube trees, and picturesque Baluch habitations. The wheels for raising water out of wells or canals, and the groupings of the inhabitants^ variously occupied, as, for instance, women fetching water, have a very good effect. But like many Oriental scenes, a nearer inspection destroys the illusion.
6. Chirak to Kasr-Kand,
The next section of our march towards Bampur was through a mountainous region^ which occupied us a week of actual marching ; but as we halted at Kasr-Kand several days, the time really employed from one place to the other was longer.
We ascended from the level of the Dashtifiri plain, that is about 300 feet, to the upland or plateau of Champ, which is about 3700 feet above the sea-level. We crossed two distinct chains of hills, the fiag&r- band range, north of which lies the town of Kasr-Kand, and a lesser range called the Nigoj Hills. The latter was stated to form the northern boundary of that part of Makr^ where our route lay. In character both these chains resembled each other^ both being sandstone with strata nearly vertical. On leaving the village of Chirak on the northern edge of the Dashti&ri plain, we followed the track of a dry watercourse up to its source westerly, and then, crossing a slightly elevated water- shed, proceeded northwards along another watercourse, the watershed of which we reached in a gorge situated in the Bag&rband moun- tains ; and then we emerged into the Kasr-Kand valley. Both these ravines, along whose windings we were obliged from the steep and rugged nature of the banks to wend our way, were waterless, except at rare intervals, such as the spots where we encamped for the night. Their beds are covered with boulders of all sizes, and are studded pro- fusely with plants, called in Baluchistd-n *Pish,' and on the Indo- Afghan frontier * Muzri.' This plant has been frequently described, but it is so generally met with in Baluchistan, and is so useful in
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TmnrjQs ways to its inhabitants, that no description of that country would be complete that did not contain some account of it. The 'Fish' grows wild along the river-beds and torrents in little clusters, Hb roots or rhizomes extending sometimes from ten to fifteen feet. I noticed few plants in flower, for as they belong to the aloe family, flowering is a rare occurrence. Like the Afghans, the Baluchis make great use of its leaves. Amongst the various usages, it serves for making matting, which, according to the coarseness or fineness of manufacture, is used for thatchings flooring, baskets, bags^ bedding, caps, sword-belts, gun-slings, and even pocket-books. The leaf also, when steeped in water and beaten out so as to separate the fibres, is used in the same manner as hemp is, to make ropes, cordage, and string. The fibre also can be cleverly twisted and made up into sandals, which^ however^ will stand the wear and tear of a rough day's march but poorly. The Baluch wayfarers, whilst trudging along the rough torrent-beds and mountain-paths, are generally occupied in making up the sandals they will wear on the morrow, for as the day wanes the state of their ckaussure gets visibly woitse and worse. It is generally at night, whilst their dinner is being cooked, that they occupy themselves hammering out the stock of suitable leaves collected on the march, into fibre to be used in making sandals on the next day's march, accompanying this occupation either by singing, or listening to the vocalisation of some more gifted companions; but, however gratifying to Baluch ears^ this singing sounds to the uninitiated merely a monotonous high falsetto note, alternated by deep bass grunts. The leaf, moreover^ can be easily arranged to resemble a ladle, and as such is used by the thirsty traveller. The * Pish ' berries are threaded and then used as rosaries, and the young ■hoots are edible. I have also seen^ but this was considered ' un objet d'art,' a water-pipe for smoking made out of the leaves of this univer- sally useful plant.
7. Kasr-Kand,
After passing through the Bag&rband range we reached the town of Kasr-Kand, situated at the western extremity of the long valley we have before described as stretching eastwards to the slopes of the Kal&t bills, and close to where the Kaju stream issues from the hilly district to the north. Shortly below the village, the Parsuk stream joining the Kaju, the latter flows on past Bug and Heit, villages south
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN, 129
and north of the river respectively. Kasr-Kand is a cluster of round wigwam-looking huts constructed of the stalks of palm-leaves and wattling. There are also surrounding the fort, which is the residence of the chief Shafi Muhammad (February 1871), a number of small square-built mud houses, with flat roofs. The village or town stands in the middle of an extensive grove of date-palms, interspersed amongst which are small fields, yielding crops of rice, barley, wheat and millet, also tobacco and beans. Near the village, standing on an eminence, are the remains of what used to be the fort in former days. There are also springs (seven in number) north-east of the village, which furnish the water-supply of the village. There were, besides date-palms, a few mango-trees. The route from Kasr-Kand eastwards along the valley is quite easy; and there are, so it would appear from the accounts we received, no obstacles to wheeled traflBc, of much moment, between it and Fishin.
Leaving Kasr-Kand, where from deficiency of carriage we had to halt several days, we ascended the K&ju stream, reaching its source at Champ on the third day. The march was a repetition of what we had experienced before, our course was confined to the meanderings of the river, the bed of :^hich was covered with shingle and boulders. The banks were at intervals cultivated in small patches ; a few barley fields fringed with dat&4palms constituting all that was to be seen in the way of agriculture or vegetation. We met very few nomads and no inhabitants till we arrived at Shuriin and Champ.
The hills through which we passed are generally low, that is, not more than 400 or 500 feet high, except the Nigoj hills that are of considerable size and mostly composed of sandstone. The villages of Shuri&n and Champ are situated on a plateau, which is divided from the lower one of the Bampur plain by a range of hills attain- ing considerable elevation, especially the peak called Ahu Ban. On the west the Lashar hills bound it, as on the south do the Nigoj hills we had passed through. To the east, it is not bounded by a distinct range ; but by the blending together, as it were, of the hill- ranges to the north and south.
There was very little vegetation noticed on this plateau ; there were a few plots of cultivation near Shuri&n and Champ, but nowhere else.
Champ itself is situated on the banks of a ravine, and boasts of a tower and a few mud houses. The inhabitants showed marked signs of negro blood, many amongst them indeed being pure Africans.
VOL. I. K
:i sarratite of a
S- Fr:m f i<j.w& to Bampir^
On !«&Tin^ the TiILtg^ of Cliamp we proceeded northerly, and about a siile oa we er«:<s6ed the w^&tershcd sepantin^ the Champ plateau fevc the riTcr^4»sm drained by the Bampdr river. Descending from the irplar?!* al«:n^ tfce rugged Iwd of a rarine that runs in a northerly dirv^^tioa, we suddenly emerged, after about three hours' marching, np^ n an ininecie wide plain, extending in a boundless horizon to the we^t. We caniped for the night at the little village of Surmich, where we fc^sd the ruins of an old caravanserai, and two wells atFjniiniT a supply of tolerably sweet water. The next morning, early, we rwcmmenced our march towards Bampur, enjopng the bracing air of the desert and admiring the perfect clearness of the atmosphere, whioh itubU-d us distinctly to see the tower of the fort at Bampur, thoii^'h distant fortv milt's fnmi when? we stood. The snow-capped Basuiau IlilL aK>ut forty miK^s still further off, stood out in magnifi- ivnt splendour against the bright blue sky, a marvellously grand and l»e«uliful objtvt. Stvn fnmi the southern edge of the Bampur desert it ha« a sugar-Kvif outline, and as there are no other mountains at all appn\aohing it in height visible in that portion of the horizon, it« apiH^anuK^e thus standing alone is rendered more imposing. The depth of the sands iuter\'ening between Surmich and Bampur rendered a dirtvt umn*h to the latter impracticable for our laden camels. The ap|H*aniuiv of the desert is curious: the sands have, by the action of tho wind, Ihhmi hen{HHl up in great ridges or waves, running in a north- wtHit auil Houth-oast dinvtion, and attaining occasionally an altitude of tort Y fiH^t , The avorago height from trough to crest is about sixteen to twouty ixH>i ; tho ort»8t« of these veritable billows varying in distance HiMM't r»t>n\ t>no luinditHl to three hundred feet. It is not precisely known what tho limit m of this sandy ocean are on the west, but east- waiHJH th«\v art* ilii*taut about forty miles. From Surmich, on this HoiHiuut. wo wort^ obligtHl to pursue our march by skirting the scarp of tho (liiinip uplandrt on our right hand, halting in one of the numerous mviiu^M that iiitorwH^ted our route, where a small spring of water, called Mnriii Pinhii, iiivit^Ml our camping for the night. Continuing our iimroh Inr iibout live miles more along the foot of the hills, the lessened dpplli (•(* ''ittui iMiublod us again to resume our progress across the ititinrt ill li iinrlht^rly ilireotiou. A small date-grove called Gw£rpusht, whiM'p tlinrii wuM a well, furnishing a scanty supply of indifferent
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN. 131
water, was our next halting-place ; and here, on the following morning, our party was met by Sir F. Goldsmid's aide-de-camp, who, accom- panied by several Persian officials and their following, proceeded with us into Bampur, where we joined the Mission Camp.
9. Bampur io PhMn^ vid Sarbdz.
As Bampur and the surroimding country is described in other parts of this book, to avoid repetition I will now describe my route back from thence towards the coast, vid Ispatki and Sarb&z.
Leaving camp late in the afternoon, I rode through the jungle along the north coast of the Bampur river for about eight miles, and encamped at a weir in course of construction for irrigation purposes. I remarked several villages lay on my lefb hand, but none were to be seen on the south side of the stream. Crossing it next morning, and passing through a fringe of tamarisk scrub about a mile in depth that became thinner and scantier as we advanced, we found ourselves again in the desert, our steps directed towards a gap in the southern hills east of the Abu San Peak, as our path to Sarbfiz lay through it. Wending our way slowly and wearily for many hot hours, we followed our guide, who, turning oflP slightly to the right of the direct route, was leading us to a halting-place near the hills where we had expected to find water in a tank. It, however, was empty, so we had there- fore to do without water till about noon next day, for it happened that our third march out of Bampur on the 17th of February lasted seven hours, and though our road lay entirely along a river-bed, at Ab Duzd&n and Ab Sow&r&n, usual watering-places, there was no water to be had ; mercifully, after proceeding on about four hours more, a little water was obtained by digging in the river-bed, otherwise our little party might have suflPered severely. We encamped where the ravine or river-bed bifurcates, at a place called Kahiri. One route from hence is the easier but longer road to Sarb&z, and is practicable for guns ; but the other, the more difficult one, vid Ispatki, over a watershed of considerable altitude, was the one we pursued. The hills through which we passed were composed of clays, marls, and limestones, in vertical strata with occasional beds of sandstone. The vegetation was almost exclusively tamarisk and aloe.
We arrived at Sarb&z the next day, that is, in four marches from Bampur. The road as hitherto was confined to the river-bed which
K 2
132 NARRATIVE OF A
at Sarb&z is of considerable width : water was found everywhere along this march, after w^e had descended about five miles below or south of Ispatki. We observed date-trees and cultivation commencing at about ten miles above Sarb&z, which consists of a mud castle on the summit of a rock overlooking and conmianding the river, and surrounded by about fifty huts. It is situated at the junction of the rivers draining the Champ plateau to the west and the Nashkand district to the east — an area of considerable extent ; so that occasionally, as happened in 1869, inundations occur, very destructive to the date-groves fringing their banks. I noticed the ruins of small breast- works of stone erected on the small hills surrounding and commanding the Sarb&z castle, indications of hostilities that had occurred here about the year i860, when Saif-ud-din was ruler of Magas.
10. Sarbdz to PisMn.
Our march on the 20th of February was interesting, and lay chiefly through a long defile, piercing the continuation of the Nigoj hills to the west. Passing the village of Dipkhur we halted at a village called Ghufar-Khan. The road as usual was the river-bed itself, in which was a full running stream all the way. The clifis on both sides are of sandstone, and about !ioo to 300 feet high and very steep. The banks on each side were thickly planted with date-trees, and every piece of ground capable of cultivation was covered with barley crops. We passed the small villages of Kuhmetah and Pirsan, on our way through the above defile.
The village of Dipkhur, or the * River mouth,' is situated at the confluence of the river flowing past Sarb&z and of another coming down from the north-west, called the K&h.
We continued our course for two marches along the Sarbdz river to where it issues into the continuation of the Kasr-Kand valley which has been previously described. En rmite we passed the towns of Parud, Firuz&b&d, and Bask ; the river as we advanced became much wider, and meandered through hills composed chiefly of conglomerate. At Rask, leaving the Sarbdz river, our route lay in an easterly direction at the foot of the Sardu or Rundu range, on the north side of which lies the village of Mortaneh, and south of our route lay the village of Baftdn.
On issuing from the mountains we saw a wide plain stretching out
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN, 133
to the south, bounded on the east by low hills, apparently connected by smaller ones to the Bagdrband range. The Kshin and the Baft&n valleys are drained by rivers which, uniting their waters to those of the Sarb&z river, have cut a deep river-bed through the clay and con- glomerate soil as far as B&hu. The vegetation, consisting as usual of the aloe and tamarisk^ was scanty until we reached nearly half way across the plain towards Pishin, where, owing to the presence of numerous streams (then dry), a thin fringing of mimosa thorn, tamarisk, madder, bushes^ and jungle grass indicates the meanderings of these rivulets.
The village of Kshin has two forts, one called Mulla Chdkar's tower, and the other belonging to Abd-ul-Rahim. Each of these towers is surrounded by a congeries of palm-leaf huts inhabited by a motley population of Baluchis and Africans. The date-groves attached seem to be of recent growth, and are extensive.
11. PisMn to Kej,
Another geographical feature we have to describe is the valley ex- tending from Pishin to Kedj or Kej. This valley, as the reader will bear in mind, is but the continuation of the Kasr-Kand valley east- wards, though at a much lower level. The mountains on the north side of the valley, of which the peak called Kuh-i Shairas forms the most conspicuous object, have a lofty and bold outline. Those on the south are comparatively low. On our march from Pishin to Mand, the only place we found water at was a well a'bout half way between these two places.
Mand is a place of considerable importance; it is inhabited by Binds, a Baluch tribe, who can here turn out about 15CX) fighting men. There are five towers to be seen, denoting as many villages at different points of the vast date-grove in which they are situated. This grove is irrigated by kandUy or subterranean canals, leading from the foot of the hills on the north side of the valley.
The next town to the east, and distant about five hours* march, is Tump. The road thereto lies on the south side of the valley : the Nihing river, issuing out of the northern range at about ten miles east of the Kuh-i-Shairas, makes a sweep to the south and east, and is fed by numerous tributaries, dry when we passed, but their courses from either side of the valley marked by bushes and trees. At
134 NARRATIVE OF A
about fifteen miles from Mand we passed a date-grove called Gumdzi, and farther on those belonging to the village of Tump commence. They are extensive, and include within them small plots of ground under cultivation, that yield crops of barley, wheat, beans, clover, and tobacco. At the south side of these groves is a high mud-built castle situated in the midst of a quadrangular enclosure. Here, as also at the village where I halted the next day, viz. Nasirabdd, we found that the inhabitants do not sow more than what just suffices for their immediate wants. We found their stores of wheat exhausted, and as no barley was to be obtained, our horses were obliged to be fed on millet grain and rice.
We crossed the Nihing at Asiab&d, traversing from the south to the north side of the valley. The river at the time was about thirty feet wide and only a few inches deep ; but it must be a mag- nificent stream when in flood, judging from the deep holes scoured out in its bed.
Nasirabdd is the lowest point in this valley ; here the Nihing meets the Kil river, and the two uniting flow south under the name of the Dasht river. The defile through which it traverses the chain of southern hills is at the foot of a mountain called the Kuh-i-Mulla. The general character of the soil through which the Nihing flows is a conglomerate composed of debris washed down from the adjacent hills. The jungle growing on the banks is almost exclusively of camel-thorn trees, and east of Asiab&d is very thick. Cultivation near the river is however abundant, and the number of kandts^ some in use and others abandoned, testify to former if not present prosperity.
Kedj or Kej is a small district comprising ten villages. Miri is the chief village, though not the largest, that being Turbat. The fortress of Miri looks very picturesque at a distance, as then it resembles a grim Bqoare four-towered castle, perched upon a rocky eminence overlooking tfaie surrounding villages, fields, and dark-green date-groves. The dis- tant background formed by the hills in the Kalwar direction has a fine effect, which, however, is rudely dispelled on a nearer approach. The grim medisBval-looking castle fades into the ugly reality of a paltry mud enclosure ; the pretty villages are found to be but collections of miserable hovels of mud and thatch, and the soft blue hills are ■hown to be but arid bare rocks glistening and sweltering in the sun. ^ is reputed to be the hottest place in all Makr&n, and this not ^dy iff correct, as even so early as the month of March, whilst
JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN, 135
surveying in the neighbourhood, I observed the thennometer in the shade marked 125° Fahr.
12. Kej to Panjgur.
The next portion of Baluchist&n we have to describe is the Z&mr&n district, in which also lies the Bolida valley. This place had never been visited by any European before myself. The hiljs to the north of the Kej valley, which we have been describing, are traversed through to the Giruk Pass, which is about north of the village of Miri. It is not very long, but impracticable for guns, though a few hours' labour bestowed on improving the road in the neighbourhood of the watershed of the hills would suffice to make the track passable. The pass is of course, as generally elsewhere amongst the hills in Baluchistdn, the bed of a torrent; the surface at its mouth is very broken, being composed of large boulders, but the track improves as one ascends. The gradient is very easy.
On issuing out of the Giruk Pass, we reached the plateau of Bolida, which stands considerably higher than the Kej valley-^in fact, it is on a level only slightly lower than the watershed of the hilly range through which we had passed. We marched for several hours over a plain dotted here and there with a few low hills, and having its surface sparsely studded with a scant vegetation of camel-thorn shrubs and other bushes. At last we arrived at the river Ghishkhur, on the banks of which is situated the Bolida date-grove. A descrip- tion of Bolida must necessarily very much resemble that of other villages or clusters of villages, such as we have several times already described. In the midst of the grove are five villages, viz. Minab, Salor, Chib, Bert, and Koshk. These villages are surrounded by a few fields yielding the usual crops of wheat, barley, millet, beans, &c., besides a few gardens in which I observed mango and lime trees. Each village has its castle or fort, built of mud-bricks, with its look- out tower and small gateway, and also its own chief or head man. Chib is supposed, at least when I was there, to be the chief village of this little district.
I will now describe the route from Bolida to Panjgur vid Dis. There is an alternate route vid Isay&b, which I took when returning from Panjgur. The route vid Dis lies for two long marches through the sandstone ridges of Zdmr&n. These ridges vary in breadth from
JOrtfshY /A h.iLK'f:HJ>,TJ^S.
137
yu\'.s ytx'j^'fA h'^r l/i ^ i?.r.jc:*jy' i:yytiknz*'j^. . ai*d art Haid to IjC •/^** ii-v.^i li-f^,-t V,'- ^^*i%/ :y.*r'^^r;^ yv;y^. TiJ: jMikkk r*flk;}j an altitude
V'.* vi4fU}k 'A ^Lt y^r/iSi ;.^VA'j do .v.t fji^d au outJ*^ into any H'Mv^,'; */J '//,v^/^ vv;^-, V.«"k *.'•- ';'..'>',^>/J ijj a i/aaj>}j Ivin;' ^jasl of j/jt, ir'/M*/;./,;^ '/•>♦. ;iv/vi tvk<-jv«: .'/-.l^* jj- '3Lfcr/.«:l^r. AfW h'Avy rain*
^* '/;•/*// z*^//; »J) vmi>rf i^ '^vaj/^raVr-J: afjd ih'r anra liable' to th*^t4fiiiiif/h '^ati *iUtt/it^sik;ti*/iY 'i.<rJ;/j<raVyi hy an 'fxydUhf: of thiz/Mnfr vthiU u* WA, \ti'AHfAA \jy ba)*.i! J'rft aft^T lh«: trvai^jriasiiion of thr;
'fl4< hiiiiiiffikhi raripr<: j(i>.l i/«<rnlion<;<l fctn;1/;li<'h in a thin brok(;n line of UtUn iiliitni'X tj|/ ly/ I'uhjpr^ir. Vf'fUi tli<r Kununit of owt of th(;HCf liillii, '*jlli'l l'iui\tUUtk, I ol/t.(iJn''d u l>;l<'rttl>ly ^'X;'! idfu oftlu^ »K[K.'r:t of tlie ittiiitiif ^yutyi to tliif iiortli, wlii''ti itrt'-wuiM ii K]i(«f;ta(:l(i of incon* niviilfli i\tbif\iiUtiu, undily, and Imrn^nnifHH. In fnrt, hIikm* litivinf^ IIm- i ofiijiiiiiilivily lijhuMoiih liiinliH of llin NhilAli Hin*iiui, ho d(*HO* ImIi- tVMti iIm^ riHinl.iy wi* |mHHiid Miroii/^h, Mint our jonrnoyin^ MUM I'filiiiilv dr|M-nili«nl on Mh* |ii'ithi'nn> of wii(4*i', iind the* Irn^th or uliiiiliii tiii III Hill iiiiiinliim uiiH I'pf^'iiliiti'd HiToi'diti^ly. Ah tlio mipply III luili'i III lliit »i|Mi|h \Mt IuiIIimI lit iM |inMNirioiiH, (Jii^rn wiiH iilwiiyfl oiiiMi nil kill) ulii>lliiti, iih iiinvtil III. Ilto \v<«ll or |iontl our ^nidoH iiiHiiiiiiMnloil, (lii> iiriimriiirv \\iili<r I'nr iiiiui and IkminI. would Im^ fortli- iMiiiiiifi riiMM, nil liiii\iiiff iMn. \vn linllml t^f^lit niilcH rurtli««r on notir I III riiit|ii'ilMi |ii>idi III II wi'll . mid llin iii<\t <ltiy W(« imMMMultHJ thirty mil. > liitdiid'i l*iii\|f;iii, mid IiiiIIimI iiittt in lli(Mtrit«ntoou ut. llu« SowYir&n l.ni I s^hi'ii- I III! |ii«WM>htto III II hii>{-o |innd of I'ltiu \vnl4'r invitvd our ro- iifihihu) liii (lh> \\\^\\\\ t'f* t\*ttfi- wo ri'iiHh(Ml th(i IhhI ol* tho (i\viir^> mil (lull |miIim(I\ di\. mid IVoiii \\w idiHoiicn of vo^«liiti<»n, KUrh I
\\ hIiI Miini.ii- !.• !!.• uniiid i.|itt«i llo\\«t\or, tlin IIimhIh in tluM Ktrmni, \\\\>\\ \\\% \ di>i>i(iii till* iliMihllonn h««\««v«\ \\' I iiiiiv HO lut'or tVom tho .1 I' «.«min.; ■ iiinl i«(li,^i iiitlit iit itii\n of ( hii drhlrurtivo loivo of tho " »* » l'»» » »n III ii.- I»i»l It di'iiii'^ till* iioi-(li<«ru |ioi'tion of Hid^ottA, » '« •>'•* tdl iiiit %|*li'i«>d . iiiid |».i>'M'u (liioii^-li mtotlior district rallod **' l*» till I lii« I i«>iiii ,•( wliiili \.» ii.iiiiihI • Sludm/.* Thin t mot of I «i« \ u\\\ I I, iiit>ii- jiiiidih iiNo (liiiii till' «ii()(iroi\t diNtriotn, as nearly nil ill. \Ji. II I ,>i« Muiid III r.ii\|»jiii i» ««)>(mi\i^l i\\Mu l>asl)t, A nhort n«ii li ill, Ml »i \U\ )>ioiii<li( nil* to t\n\)r.\i( I ludlrd at a small
»»»Nui.. vdli.M » lUi'd ' K\'hij\ ' ^ii ^vtioiu' Ualuoh torni, it would
138 NARRATIVE OF A
appear, for a date-grove in which there is also cultivation), and was there met by some of the Panjgur officials. Panjgur is the name collectively applied to a cluster of villages situated on the Rakhshan stream. The names of these villages are as follows : on the right bank^ commencing from the west^ are situated Dum and Tasp; then on the other side of a tributary called the Piskul is Khudabandan, where the present governor resides; on the further side of Khudabandan flows the Newan tributary into the Rakh- shan; and beyond that again^ still on the right bank of the main stream, we have Orumkhan and Wajb6de. Opposite to these villages^ on the left bank of the Bakhshan, is Sar Khuran and Sordu respectively. Returning westerly, we next pass a zidrat (shrine) situated between Sordu and the small village of Chil Khan ; and further on lies Dozaneh, also a small village ; and then^ after a considerable interval^ the villages of Mir Shing Khan, Esai, and Miri, which, however, are so mixed up together that I could not ascertain their precise limits.
Of all these villages, Esai is the largest as regards population, and Tasp the village where most of the * ancienne noblesse ' reside. The date-groves surrounding it and the villages of Khudabandan and Sar Khuran are extensive.
No wheat is raised in Panjgur itself, all being imported from the outlying districts of Parom^ D&sht, and Gichki. Oreat attention is paid by the inhabitants to the cultivation of dates. These form the staple commodity of Panjgur, and are exported to India via KaUt, and to the sea-coast, 6w&dar being the principal port for ex- portation. The best description of dates grown at Panjgur are of the kind known locally as *masauti.' These dates are carefully packed in earthenware jars for exportation, and are highly prized, as much because the supply of this kind is limited as from their delicious flavour. As is well known^ the fecundation of the female date- palm is effected artificially. When the spathe containing the male flowers, which resemble ears of corn, bursts, the flowers are culled and inserted amongst the flowers of the female tree. One or two of these ears of male flowers suffices to impregnate one female tree. There are about forty to fifty ears in each spathe, sufficient for about thirty female trees. The Baluchis use the pullen of the wild male date- palm trees found at a distance from any date-grove, as they say the produce thus obtained is finer. The palm-trees are raised from seed,
JOURNEY I^ BALUCHISTAN. 139
/-and after the third season they bear fruit. The natives have to ascend the trees frequently for the purposes of artificial fecundation^ gathering the fruit, and lopping off the dead branches. They perform the ascent by means of a rope passed round the tree, and also round the climber, who by alternately lifting the rope and then himself on the scars of the old branches, gradually gets to the top. The value of dates of all kinds annually exported from Fanjgur is said to be about £4500.
None of the villages at Panjgur, with the exception of Esai, present any feature of peculiar interest: they resemble other villages in Baluchist&n. Esai, however, contains two forts ; one called Miri, which was lately demolished by the Kal&t Khfin. Its premises cover over three acres of g^oimd, consisting of a high enclosure wall of Bun-dried bricks and a lofty interior keep. The architecture was readily recognisable as pure Persian, the remains of vaulting and groining being exactly similar to that seen amongst the ruins at Isfah&n. The other fort, which is occupied, is called * Thull' Besides the Bakhshan, the water supply of Panjgur is further increased by three kdriz coming from the north, from the direction of the Kuh-i-Sabz. These mountains, the northern limits of the Kal&t Kh&n's possessions near Panjgiir, are distant about sixteen to twenty miles north of this town. They form the eastern continuation of the chain that forms the northern boundary of the Dizak valley.
13. Panjgur to Mtn,
The route from Panjgur to Bolida, vi4 Isay&b, and along the course of the Gazbastfin river, occupied four days. The marches were long, and over very dreary country. Our first march out of Panjgur led us over a plain covered with an efflorescence of saltpetre, which is collected and used for manufacturing gunpowder. We reached a well at a spot called Narain late in the evening. The next day we crossed the D&sht plain. We started at 7.30 a.m., and marched till 3 p.m. Shortly after beginning our march we passed a ruined fort, unoccupied, called *Chib.' The plain was thickly covered with coarse grass, such as is used for thatching in Upper India ; a few thorn bushes were <^^ also scattered about. Isay^b is at the head of one of the sources of the Gazbast&n. This stream eventually falls into the Ghishkhur or Bolida river. Its course was westerly, and wound about considerably, being bounded on the north and south by lofty and precipitous hills.
140 NARRATIVE OF A
between which it meanders about. This stream has worn for itself a bed through a hard layer of pebbly conglomerate and alternating strata of indurated clay and sandstone^ of the formation usual in Makr&n. There is plenty of water in its bed, but in deep pools at short distances apart. Tamarisk^ aloe, and oleander flourish in abundance, and the latter being in flower (March) presented a gay appearance in an otherwise desolate route. We at last left the Oazbast&n, which trended away south, and crossing a watershed^ arrived at the Shit&b stream^ the upper portion x)f whose course it will be remembered we had partially ascended on our way from Bolida to Panjgiir. Here the stream was larger, and there were large deep pools of delicious water at frequent intervals. We crossed it ; and after a march of twenty miles, through sandstone hills, very arid and bare, reached again the grateful shade of the palm groves of Bolida, at whose easternmost village of Koshk we halted.
14. Mirt to Gwddar,
We must now, to avoid repetition, pass over the route from Bolida to Miri in the Kej valley, and, resuming our description from this latter place, relate our journey thence to Gwfidar. We accomplished the distance in four marches. The first was to Amulani. The road lay along the banks of the Kil river for about eight miles. Our guide said that about twenty years ago (1851) a destructive flood had swept away completely an extensive date-grove that occupied the ground we were then traversing. As before mentioned, the rivers in Balu- chist&n, issuing into the Arabian Sea, are liable to very severe floods. The country through which our path lay was green with tamarisk jungle and gutoasir thorn ; and francolin or * Black-breasts,' as the Baluchis called them, were numerous. After leaving the banks of the Kil river, we turned southerly, and entered a series of ranges of low hills, pursuing our course through them for about ten miles. We then issued into a valley called the Amulani Dumuk. Water was very scarce during this march, and very muddy. The heat also amongst the low hills was most oppressive, the thermometer in the shade marked 1 25® Fahr. We halted for the night at a place where we found a few pools in which rain-water had collected, and where, accordingly, a few irregular patches of cultivation testified to the readiness of the inhabitants to utilise to the utmost the scanty rainfall. Sixteen miles over a plain
JOURNEY TN BALCrciIISTAy, 141
of alluvial soil, intersected by the rivers Sh&hid, Niliik, and D&deb^ brought us to a ridge of sandstone hills, crossing which we entered the bed of the Biri river. Here we found water, and afber a halt proceeded westerly and south for about five miles of very arid hills of sandstone alternating with clay. These hills are low, and form the northern outlying ridges of the lofby Saiji range, which extends from the D&sht river at Dradund for a long way to the east. Between these hills and the main range there is a narrow valley drained by rivers flowing from the east and from the west. These streams united form a considerable river, which flows south through the Tal&r Pass on its course to the ocean. The Tal&r Pass is about one mile long, and narrow. The defile, from the loftiness and steepness of its sides, presents a remark- ably bold and rugged appearance. There is always ample water along the course of the stream, and judging from the marks left by former floods, which were fully 40' above the level of the stream when we passed through, the roaring flood of water issuing through this defile must be a grand spectacle indeed. Shortly after leaving the T&lar Pass, the road to Gw&dar may be followed either vid Tonk and the Kolanch valley, or tnd the villages of Bin and Kapar. The latter was the route I adopted. At first we marched over a bare sterile plain, the only vegetation being jujube-trees at rare intervals. Bdn is a small village lying on the right hand of the path. We eventually got amongst some low sandstone hills, very arid, and so glistening and glaring in the sun as to be painful to the eyes. When, however, we reached a position about west of Nolent, though yet invisible, we knew by the difierence in the moisture of the air that we were approaching the ocean ; and towards the evening the temperature was much lower than what we had previously felt for many days. Kapar has a few date-palms, and a little pasturage, with a few wretched hovels. However, I was rejoiced at reaching this place, as the line of telegraph passes through it, and that was tangible evidence of a return, after an absence of many weeks, to the outer confines of the civilised world.
The march into Gw&dar the next day was along the sea-shore, and would have been uninteresting and monotonous, were it not for the curious spectacle presented by the Kuh Mehdi, which stands half way. Our route on leaving Kapar was through a labyrinth of ' fium&re ' for some miles. We then crossed the Kurwad river, and three miles more brought me to the sea-shore, along which I travelled right into
142 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY IN BALUCHISTAN,
Ow&dar. The Mehdi hill is a vast cliff of clay, perhaps 350 feet high. The rains of centuries have so farrowed and scooped it out, that at present it resembles, from some points of view^ the ruins of some vast cathedral, or of a gigantic amphitheatre. The harder horizontal strata, comparatively unaffected by the rain which has furrowed the intervening softer clay, represent very strikingly tier upon tier of picturesquely dilapidated galleries^ or of ruined pinnacles and buttresses. Altogether, the sight is one of the most impressive I have seen. I passed after leaving the Mehdi hill^ near to the Daria Cham, a mud volcano, which has, however, been frequently before described; from this a canter along the hard sandy sea-shore, which swarmed with small crabs, for about eight miles, brought me back to the port of Gwadar.
BERESPORD LOVETT.
TUB
PERSO-BALUCH FRONTIER MISSION,
1870, 1871,
AND THE
PERSO-AFGHAN MISSION,
1871, 1872,
BY
MAJOR EUAN SMITH, C.S.I.
THE
PERSO-BALUCH FRONTIER MISSION,
1870, 1871.
BY
MAJOR EUAN SMITH, C.S.I.
Narrative of the Mission to Makrdn,
The Arbitration on the question of the Persian frontier in Sistfin was undertaken by the English Government, under the provisions of Article 6 of the Treaty with Persia concluded at Paris on the 4th of March, 1837, which provided that the Shah should 'refer for adjust-* ment to the friendly offices of England' any diflTerences that might occur * between Persia and Herfit or Afgh&nistfin.'
Persia was the first to signify her willingness to submit the ques- tion of Sistin sovereignty and boundary to British arbitration ; and the Amir of Afghinistfin also acceded to the proposal after some correspondence.
The officer selected by Her Majesty's Government to undertake this difficult and delicate duty was Colonel (now Major- General Sir) Frederic Goldsmid, C.B., who had had a long experience of Eastern peoples and Eastern countries, and who was, at the time of his being nominated the British arbitrator, filling the important post of Director-in-Chief of the Government section of the Indo-Europeai^ Telegraph. His instructions were, to proceed with as little delay as possible to the province of Sist£n, where he was to make a careful survey, and collect as much local evidence as was possible, in company with the delegates of the disputing powers of Persia and Afghfin** istfin ; and from whence he was to retire to Herdt, or some other convenient town, deliver his arbitral decision, and there await the
VOL. I. L
14G PERSO'BALCCU MI SSI OX.
result of the reference that would necessarily 1)C made thereon to head-quarters at Tehrdn and K&bul.
Together with the Sistfin arbitration, the settlement of a disputed frontier between Persia and Baluchistan was also entrusted to Colonel Goldsmid by Her Majesty's Government ; but that oflBcer was informed that it would not be advisable for him to proceed on this duty, pending^ an answer to the references on the first ; and that it was purposed to address him thereon separately. It will be seen how greatly the line of procedure laid down at the outset had to be modified by force of circumstances \
Sir Frederic Goldsmid left England on his special mission on the 28th August, 1870. He was accompanied by Captain Euan Smithy who had been apix)inted his personal assistant and secretary; and he was empowered to engage the serv^ices of one of the Royal Engineer ofiScers attached to the Indo-European Telegraph Department in Persia, to carry on the survey oi)erations incidental to his task. Travelling by Hull, Gothenburg, and Stockholm, the Mission reached St. Petersburg on the 7th September, where Sir P. Goldsmid had an interview with M. Strem&Yukoff, the Secretary to the Asiatic Department of the Russian Foreign Oflice, and after three days' stay left again for Moscow and Nijni-Novgorod, from whence a trip of six days in a very dirty steamer brought them to Astrakh&n. At the time the Mission arrived at Nijni-Novgorod the annual fair had just finished, and the filthiness of the town had reached its climax. It is impossible to do even faint justice to so gigantic a su]>ject : Nijni- Novgorod must be seen to be appreciated : the intensity of the dirt, the mud, the smells, the vermin, can only be brought home to one by bitter personal experience. At St. Petersburg we had been joined by Dr. Colville, returning to his appointment as Residing Surgeon at Baghdad. On our arrival at Nijni^ we found, to our dismay, that the steamer did not start for Astrakh&n till noon the next day, and we were consequently obliged to have recourse to such hospitality as the tingle hotel at Nijni could afford us. This building, already crowded to the utmost, had not even a dingy bedroom to place at our joint disposal, and we were beginning to meditate on the necessity of passing the night on the soft black mud of the so-called streets, when the cosmopolitan head-waiter suggested that we should jointly occupy
' For further details the reader is referred to the Introductory Chapter, the particulars given in which it is rather intended to illustrate than to repeat in the present narrative.
THE PERSIAN BOUNDARY COMMISSIONER. 147
one of the dressing-rooms of the public hot baths attached to the hotel, where we passed a very steamy and uncomfortable night. The hotel was crowded with the queerest of characters, and with nation- alities as numerous as the stars. A funeral party was carousing in one room : there was a Russian wedding party on the first floor ; a Hungarian concert on the second : everywhere merchants were drink- ing, swearing, and spitting; while the air was permeated with a variety of smells so terrible as to defy analysis. Our steamer passage was not more comfortable. The decks and cabins were crowded with Persians, Armenians, and Jews, returning from the fair, the latter of whom spent their whole time in eating pickled cuciunbers steeped in oil, of which they seemed to have an inexhaust- ible supply in the cavernous pockets of their baggy trowsers. On arrival at Astrakhan we had to go for lOO miles in a flat-bottomed boat to the Caspian steamer, for the mouths of the Volga are too shallow below Astrakhan to admit of navigation by vessels other than of exceptionally light draught. After a pleasant voyage of six days on this inland sea, during which time we had an opportunity of in- specting the famous everlasting fires at B&ku, described by so many writers, we landed at Enzeli, whence it is a five hours' journey to Resht, partly over a large inland lake, and partly over a very bad jungle road. At Resht we stayed for two days at the hospitable house of Messrs. Ralli and Co., and then, riding post for the aoo miles which intervene between that city and Tehrfin, finally reached the capital without accident on the 3rd October, 1870. Here we became the guests of Mr. Alison, the British Minister, re- siding, for the season, in stunmer quarters at Gulahak.
At the time of our arrival in Tehran, the Shah, accompanied by most of the principal oflScers of state, was absent on his pilgrimage to Karbala, having left the conduct of afiairs at the capital in the hands of a high dignitary entitled *Mustofi-ul-Mum&lik' (Paymaster of the Kingdom). The Persian Commissioner for the Sist&n arbitration had, however, been appointed, and was awaiting Major-General Ooldsmid's arrival. Mirza Ma'sum Khfiu was a native of the province of Adarbaij&n, very dark and swarthy, and with a sufficient knowledge of French to enable him to converse fluently in that language, though Turkish was his ordinary medium of communication with servants. He was a man of no family or position, and owed his present appointment to his being the nephew or cousin of Mirza Sa'Vd Kh&n,
L 2
1 48 PEHso - lu Lrcii Missrox.
the Perrtian Minister for Foreign Affairs, who at this time possessed mueh influence with the Shah. Mirza Ala'sum Khfin's fitness for political employ had not as yet been put to the proof: he had hitherto filled but very subordinate offices, and had been attached to the Per- sian embassy at St. Petersbur<j as one of the smaller attaches, where he i^icked up his knowled*^ of colloquial French. He had no lack of geiu»ral intelligence, and was possessed of a considerable fund of humour, which, when matters of duty were not on the tapis^ made him a very pleasant travellinjj companion. But it is neveilheless probable that a more unfit man could not have been found for the work to be aecinu]>lisheil. Beiu'j i>08sessed of no wealth of his own, he lookinl upon his presiMit api>ointment as, above all, atlbrding him the menus of enrichin»j himself by bribes and extortion, to which rulinjf idea the whole of his conduct was entirely subordinate. His want of social }H>sition, agf'ain, jHinilysed any things like free or inde- )H'udeut action, thn>u^h fear of responsibility ; and his only notion of carrying on diidcmiatic work, evidently acquired in the Persian Foreig-n Oflice, found vent in endless carefully-worded letters, in which the sole obji»ct was so to distort the true sense of matters as to render it no long^cr rcco<)pni8able. In this accomplishment he took especial pride, and showed great skill in using words which might bear two or three meanings different to that which they naturally at first sight con- veyed. He was in utter ignorance of the nature of the work which lay before him, an ignorance which even extended to the geographical position of the province of Sistan ; but it is fair to say that on this point he made no profession whatever of even superficial knowledge. Being a man of a singularly presuming nature, he was always striving for a little more than he had a rightful claim to ; but the many and severe rebuffs to which he subjected himself by this line of conduct never served to ruffle his extraordinary good-nature. This wonderful good-humour certainly stood him in good stead ; it made him a bear- able companion, even when the knowledge of his endless petty wiles, deceits, and malversations of the truth was rankling very deeply in the mind — and possibly more than once saved matters from coming to a complete standstill ; for it was evidently useless wasting anger upon a man who would not see or believe that you were angry with him, Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n was, in short, a deceitful friend, and a tricky and nntrastworthy public servant ; but he was ever and always a cheerful d good-humoured travelling companion.
CHANGE OF DE.'STI NATION, H9
The British Commissioner had only been in Tehran a few diiys, and was busy making his preparations for an early start for Sist&n^ when ho received instructions from the Government of India that completely altered his plan of operations. It was notified that owing to the diffi- culties in which the Amir of Afgh&nistdn found himself involved with his son, Ya'kub Kh&n^ the question of the Sist&n arbitration must be unavoidably postponed. Major-General Goldsmid immediately tele- graphed to propose that in that case the question of the Ferso-Kalfit Boundary might be proceeded with at once, the Sistdn arbitration being left to follow ; and to this proposal the Government of India gave their assent. But here difficulties arose on the Persian side : the Shah's consent had been given to the Sistfin arbitration on the under- standing that it was to be immediately proceeded with ; and there is no doubt that His Majesty felt considerable anxiety that, during his absence from Persia, his eastern frontier should be protected from all possibility of Afghan attack by the presence of the British Arbitrator. Now that this matter was postponed, none of the Persian authorities at the capital would take upon themselves the responsibility of ordering Mirza Ma'sum Khfiu to proceed with the Makr^n question. A great deal of discussion and correspondence took place on the subject, and the utmost that could be obtained, in furtherance of the British Com- missioner's wish to utilise the time at his disposal, was that the Persian Commissioner should march with the former in the direction of Kar- m&n. Time was thus gained to make the necessary reference to the Shah ; and there was also an understanding that, should affairs become sufficiently settled in Afghdnist&n to admit of the Sist&u question being proceeded with by the time we reached Karm&n, the Commis- sioners should branch off thence to Sistfin and follow the procedure originally proposed. When it afterwards became evident that the chance of carrying into effect a Sist&n arbitration during the year had quite passed away, there was much delay and difficulty in obtaining the Shah's consent to the immediate investigation of the Makrdn Boundary. The non-receipt of orders gave the Persian Commissioner endless ex- cuses for delaying at all the large towns through which we passed, where he had favourable opportunities of squeezing the Persian autho- rities : we were detained in this way four days at Kitshfin, and fourteen days at Isfah&n ; and it was not until the ayth November, and after Mr. Alison had been obliged to despatch his secretary to the camp of the Shah at Baghdad, that Major-General Goldsmid received official
150 PERSO'BALUCU MISSION.
intimation of the consent of the Persian Government to the Makr&n Boundary question taking precedence of the other. This consent was not conveyed to Mirza Ma'stim Kh&n by his own Government until the 26th December. We had then been halted five days at Karm&n^ and it would have been impossible to induce the Commissioner to advance a step further without official instructions.
While, however, all this preliminary correspondence was going on at Tehrdn, preparations for an early start from the capital were being actively proceeded with. Sixteen good horses were bought at singu- larly low prices — for the approaching famine had already begun to make itself felt, and the keep of horses had become so expensive as to render owners generally anxious to part with them. The British Legation had furnished an ample supply of excellent Jabalpur tents, and the necessary train of mules had been engaged. The strength of the Mission had been increased by Captain Beresford Lovett, of the Boyal Engineers, who had ridden up post from Shirfiz to take charge of the Survey department ; and by Quart-ermaster-Sergeant Bower, of the same corps, who joined as Captain Lovett's assistant, and as a general and most efficient supervisor of camp arrangements and disci- pline. Mr. Alison had also kindly permitted three of the ghuldnis (or couriers) attached to the Legation to accompany the Mission, and these men proved of the greatest use. One of them, named Ghafur Beg, was appointed our Mirakhor, or master of the horse, and did his work right well. There can be no doubt that in this capacity he did not neglect the many favourable opportunities which occurred of feathering his nest by the acquisition of ' Mudfikhil V and in many other ways ; but he was always active and energetic, and the horses and mules under his charge were, with few exceptions, unusually fit and in good condition.
It was on the aand October, 1870, that the camp finally started from Tehrfin, and was pitched at a small village called Kala'h-nti, where the General was joined by the Persian Commissioner's party, consisting of Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n, his son, his step-son (a beautiful scribe always clothed in sky blue, and consequently known henceforth by the cognomen of the Blue Munshi), and an engineer officer or * Muhandis,' with a pronounced taste for spirituous liquors. At this
^ 'Mud4khir is a word of universal use and great significance in Persia, and is applicable to every sort of profit that is made, legally or illegally, justly or unjustly, by fcU classes, high and low. It is generally u.sed with regard to profits in hard cash.
DESERT CARAVANSERAI. 151
village there was a halt of three days to get everything into proper marching order, and to ascertain that no essentials had been forgotten. The weather was most delightful, and nothing could be finer or more delicious than the pure and bracing air. While we were at Tehrdn a very remarkable aurora was visible to the north of the Alburz Hills, presenting the appearance of the whole sky on fire. This occurrence was said by the natives to betoken a severe winter, a prophecy that was certainly borne out by facts.
It was arranged for the sake of convenience that the camps of the two Commissioners should always start at different times, one slightly in advance of the other ; and it may be noticed here that at each halting-place the flagstaff with the Union Jack was invariably pitched in front of General Goldsmid^s domicile or tent. No objection what- ever was made to this arrangement during the whole period of the Makrfin Mission ; even though the Persian Commissioner had omitted to provide himself with a flag. The fact is mentioned here merely to mark the contrast between the course followed on this occasion, and what, as will be explained, happened later on during the progress of the Sist&n Mission.
From Tehrdn to Isfahfin the road is so well known, and has been so often described by various travellers, that there is but little new to be said about it here. From Kala'h-nu we marched in seven marches to K&sh&n, passing in the second march through the desert known as ^ The Valley of the Shadow of Death ' to the magnificent caravanserai of Hauz-i-Sult&n ^. This caravanserai, one of the finest in all Persia, consists of three courts and a hammdm or public bath. The principal and largest court was built by the Sadr Azim of the present Shah ; the second largest by Shah Abbas the Great many years before ; and the third by Shaikh Ali Khdn, in the reign of Fath Ali Shah. It owes its greatest attraction, however, to its abundant supply of water brought from the neighbouring hills by underground canals six miles
' On onr return to Haui-i-Siilt&n in July 187 1, as we marched back from Bushahr to Tehran, we found the supply of water completely exhausted. The caravanfierai was quit-e deserted, traveUers being, of course, unable to stop there. The ground was strewed in every direction with the carcases of animals that had died from thirst ; and as we left the post-house in the middle of the night, we passed two dead bodies of men who had also perished from thirst, within 50 miles of the capital. The persons in charge of the post-house told us they were often put to extreme straits, having to fetch water from many miles off; but there was not at that time, and probably wiU not be for some time, any effort on the part of the Pendan Government to ameliorate this state of affairs.
152 PERSO'BALUCH MI:SS10X.
long, which were executed at the expense of Hajji Ali, a rich merchant of Tehran. The accommodation which this caravanserai affords to all travellers, rich and poor, is really on a magnificent scale ; but such princely buildings are very common in Persia, being ordinarily erected as ' Sawdb,' or good work, by wealthy men, who have amassed large fortunes, sometimes perhaps in a dubious planner.
Between Hauz-i-Sultin and the holy city of Kum we crossed th6 * Kavir' or Great Salt Desert, which stretches away for hundreds of miles to the east towards Khuras&n. At this point it is 16 miles broad, perfectly level, and quite impassable in wet seasons, when travellers skirt round it along the base of a rang^ of low hills which here terminate its encroachment to the west. The telegraph posts stretch across it in a perfectly unbroken straight line of 25 miles length, commencing from a little north of the Hauz-i-Sult&n caravan-* serai and continuing a long way the other side of the desert. The scenery is of the most desolate description, and all the streams are salt — including the river at the station called Pul-i-Dalfik, or the Barber's Bridge, situated 22 miles south of Hauz-i-Sultin, the surface of which was nevertheless covered with ducks and waterfowl of every description. *
We halted for one day at the holy city of Kum (where we received by telegraph the news of the capitulation of M etz with 1 70,000 men). This city, which is a very favourite spot for the interment of the Faithful, who are brought here from great distances, and of whose dead bodies carried upon mules we passed several caravans upon our way, contains one of the most holy shrines in Persia, in which is interred the body of Masuma Fatima, the sister of Im&m Raza. The shrine, which presents at a distance very much the same appearance as one of the gilded domes in the Kremlin at Moscow, was originally erected by Shah Sultin Husain Nfidir, the gilding of the dome being subsequently commenced by Fath Ali Shah, and completed by the present king. It is, as usual, a surface of gold on plates of copper. A handsome clock was afterwards added to the dome by the liberality of the Governor of Hamad&n. The bodies of ten sovereigns, 444 saints and immediate members of royal families repose within the sacred precincts of the shrine, and the whole of the neighbouring ground outside the walls presents the appearance of one vast burying- ground. It is customary to make a pilgrimage to this shrine before proceeding to Mash-had or Karbala. A theological college was estab-
CITY OF KtJM. 163
lisbed here by Fath Ali Shah, which is now held in great repute, and is attended by more than lOO students.
Another curious feature at Kum is presented in the number of conical buildings that rise above the level of the neighbouring houses. These are the shrines of saints of lesser note, but are more remark- able as being the favourite resort of an immense number of storks, which year after year have built their nests in a succession of layers on the top, and are looked upon as sacred. Notwithstanding the great' repute in which the city is held on account of its shrine^ it presents but a melancholy appearance, from the greater part of it being in ruins. Out of ao,ooo houses \^hich it originally possessed, only 4,000 are now habitable. Its streets and bazars, except in the immediate vicinity of the shrine, are deserted and dangerous from the innumerable holes and pitfalls with which they abound ; and its general condition provides an impressive commentary on the state of absolute stagnation which seems to be one of the chief characteristics of the Muhammadan religion. As might be expected, the muUas, or priests, form a large proportion of the population, which though extremely fanatic, are still much more civil and respectful in their bearing towards Europeans than in many other cities in Persia. A curious instance of fanaticism was, however, related by one of the European sergeants here in the employ of the Indo-European Telegraph, who, having lost his child, vainly endeavoured to purchase a plot of ground sufficient for its burial. The muUas, by asking an exorbitant price for the smallest allotment, practically refused the request, and the body had eventually to be interred in the sergeant's own compound. The principal manu- factures of the place are pottery and shoes, the leather for the latter being tanned with the bark of the pomegranate, which abounds here and is excellent. Capital cotton is also grown in the vicinity, and the castor-oil plant appears to be largely cultivated. The Governor of the place, who visited Sir Frederic Goldsmid, expressed a most righteous horror of the telegraph, which he appeared to think exposed him to constant danger of capricious orders from Tehrfin.
We reached K&shfin on the and November, and found our enforced halt there very welcome — especially for the horses, many of which were suffering greatly from severe chapped heels, occasioned by the unac- customed exercise of regular and long marches at a foot pace, and by the excessive saltness of the soil, which irritated the open wounds and prevented their closing. Only the grey and white horses were affected
151 PERHO'BALUCII MliS^SION,
in this manner. Horses with black or brown feet did not sufler at all.
While we were at K&sbfin the usual ceremonial visits were inter- changed between Sir Frederic Goldsmid and the Prince Governor, a man of very unprepossessing appearance, who had the reputation of being excessively cruel. He was, however, very intelligent, and, strange to say, took a great interest in the Franco-Prussian war. His subjects in Kdsh&n give him but little trouble, as they are famed for their industry; and especially for their love of peace at any price, which has caused them to be considered the greatest cowards in all Persia — a sweeping accusation. There are some 90,000 inhabitants in K&sh&n, of which town silk and copper pots are the chief produce. The latter, many of them beautifully inlaid and engraved, find their way to all parts of Persia; and the silk, of which the annual out-turn is about 1400 tnanttSf is sent in a manufactured state to Russia. The bazars in the city are very fine^ and so extensive that it takes 25 minutes to ride through the main avenue. And there are no less than 24 caravanserais for the sale of goods, and 35 for the accommodation of strangers ; in addi- tion to which there are 34 kammdms or public baths, 18 large mosques^ 90 lesser shrines, and a large college founded by the mother of Fath Ali Shah. The most interesting place in the neighbourhood is, how- ever, the Palace of Fin, which has attained a melancholy notoriety in connection with the ill-fated Wazir, Mirza Taki Kh&n, to whom we shall shortly have occasion to revert. We rode oyer to see the village, situated about six miles west of Kfish&n, of which the principal attrac- tions are its water and its g^arden. The former, which irrigates all the neighbourhood, is remarkable for its extreme purity, being clear as crystal, and is said to be possessed of wonderful curative properties for diseases of the skin. The villagers value its benefits at a mann, or seven pounds weight of pure gold a day, and gratefully compare their lot with that of other villages on the parched-up plains. The garden of Rn, surrounded by a high wall, was originally commenced by Shah Abbas, and finished by Fath Ali Shah, who beautified and enlarged it, and, finally, made it his favourite and almost constant place of stunmer residence. It is in the form of a large square, on three of the sides of which are dwelling-houses, while the fourth is occupied by the grand entrance — the centre being intersected by avenues of large cypress trees, between the rows of which flow streams of pure water in marble canals. Large marble tanks supply these
AN UONEST PERSIAN MINISTER. 155
canals^ and the side walks are furnished with metal jets, by means of which, in an instant, the whole garden can be filled with playing fountains. In the middle of the garden is a large erection of Shah Abbas, called the * Kulah-i-Faringi/ or the Faringi's hat, now much out of repair, from the top of which an extensive view may be ob- tained of the somewhat desolate K&shfin plain. On the side opposite to the entrance gate is the principal building, which, though some- what dilapidated, still shows many signs of former magnificence. It is filled with pictures of Fath Ali and his six principal sons, all amazingly alike, and all painted with an absolute ignorance of perspective. Some hunting and battle scenes are however rendered with wonderful life and spirit. An English gentleman and lady are also depicted on the walls, with the inevitable glass of wine in each hand. At the rear of this building are two tanks, one for male and one for female bathers, which are much frequented on account of their supposed curative pro- perties. Many of the medallions painted on the ceilings are still remarkable for the taste and beauty of their colouring, and the whole place is made up of paltry pettiness and real magnificence. Whatever may have been the delights of the garden of Fin in former days, it is impossible to deny that now it has a most melancholy appearance— partly, perhaps, due to the gloom shed over the whole place by the huge cypress trees, whose deep shade throws everything into seeming darkness, partly to the deserted aspect of the buildings, and partly to associations connected with the locality, for it is only twelve years since Mirza Taki Khfin, ex Prime Minister of Persia, was killed here by order of the present King. This unfortunate Minister appears, from all accounts, to have been one of those men whom Providence sometimes creates, as it were, to retrieve by their means the destinies of a fast sinking nation. Of low birth (for it is said that he was son of the King's cook), he contrived by his abilities and talents to gain the favour of the reigning Shah, while the latter was still only heir to the throne ; and shortly after the Shah ascended the throne he made him Prime Minister, giving him at the same time his only sister in marriage. The conduct of the new Prime Minister was in no way affected by this sudden accession of fortune and power. Honest in purpose and able in action, he set himself to redress the abuses that he saw all around : he revised the code of laws ; raised the politics of Persia from the low depths to which they had fallen ; corrected with an unsparing hand the universal corruption that existed in all
15G PERlSO-BALUCn M1:S^10X.
departments of the State, and, by himself setting the example in all the courses he initiated^ speedily won an extraordinary popularity among the lower classes of the people. This popularity was his ruin. The numerous enemies his conduct had procured him among the corrupt noblesse were not long in filling the King^s mind with doubts as to what might be the results of his fast-increasing influence ; and while in the very midst of his career of well-doing, he was suddenly deposed from his oflice and sent to live in the Palace of Fin. Once having got him out of the way, his enemies had full play, and, forty days after his banishment, prevailed upon the King to issue orders for his execution^ which the Shah had no sooner done than he was seized with remorse. It was too late, however. The executioners had arrived at Fin, and, seeing the ex-Minister, told him that they had been sent by the Shah to ask after his health. Mirza Taki Kh&n at once saw that his fate was sealed : he merely asked that instead of having his throat cut he might be allowed to die in his own way. The request was granted ; he went into the h^mmdm^ where the King's barber opened the two principal arteries in each arm, and he quietly sat there and bled to death. We saw the stone on which this unfortunate man expired ; and the gardener who showed us the place was one of those who had helped to remove the dead body. The remorse which the Shah suffered, on reviewing this cruel deed, has been lasting, as it was at first severe. He has not entered the garden since, excusing himself on the plea of the dust with which K^hdn abounds. The two daughters of the deceased he married to his own two eldest sons, and his widow he married to the son of the unfortunate Premier's successor, while the corpse of the murdered ex-Minister was removed with all sanctity to Karbala for honourable interment. The fate of this able and upright Minister renders successful attempt at Reform in Persia somewhat problematical, though it is something to know that Mirza Taki Kh&n's uprightness and honesty were so appreciated by the lower classes, that his memory is revered and himself regretted to this day.
K&sh&n has one more notoriety, and that not of a pleasant na- ture. The town and neighbourhood are infested with black scorpions, considered to be of a very venomous kind. The Governor in-« deed told us that unless instantly treated with ammonia their bite was fatal ; but this is probably somewhat of an exaggeration* There is a hill on the outskirts of the town which abounds with them ; and the K&sh&nis make parties to this place for the purpose
ENTRANCE INTO ISFAHAN. 157
of having a regular massacre of the scorpions, which are driven out of their holes by the application of hot water, and instantly killed.
From K&shfin to Isfahan there are six stages with an aggregate distance of about io6 miles^ during which nothing of any consequence occurred. The marches at this time were most delightful, owing to the glorious climate and the weather, which, though very cold with hard frost at night and in the early morning, was most enjoyable during the day. We used to march generally about 7.30 or 8 a.m., breakfast by the roadside two or three hours afterwards, and get into camp early in the afternoon. The most excellent fruit was obtainable at every little village that we passed.
We reached Isfah&n on the loth November, and had our first expe- rience of a real Persian MjAdl — or deputation that is sent out by the Governor of a town to receive honoured guests, and the number and rank of the members of which are accurately laid down by rule and precedent. The cavalcade here was on a large scale, commanded by a * Sartip ' or Persian general, who was also accompanied by the Chief Commissioner of Customs, an enormously fat man, mounted on a magnificent grey horse. There was a crowd of cavalry as an escort ; and as all the European inhabitants had also ridden out to meet Sir F. Ooldsmid, by the time we reached the gates of the city the cortege was very large indeed. The heat, dust, flies, and, above all, the dense crowd of Jew beggars, made us very glad to get into the shade of the lazarSf where the importunities of the begging populace were kept at bay by the long wands of the fara%hes who preceded the procession ; but the crush was very great, and our uniforms got much damaged. We rode right across the city ; and, traversing the grand square or tndiddn, made our way by the Chh&r Bagh across the river to the Hafb Dast Palace, where excellent quarters had been prepared for us. This was a very handsome building built by the present Shah in the usual form of a quadrangle, with the rooms all looking inwards on to a fine marble tank of pure water situated in the centre. The Persian Com* missioner and suite occupied one side of the quadrangle, and our party filled the other three: the rooms were unusually handsome and lofty, with beautiful stained glass in geometrical patterns, but it was so cold that we were compelled to have roaring fires all day long.
The day after our arrival at Isfah&n, at 9 a.m., Sir Frederic Gold- smid, accompanied by his Staff and the British Agent, proceeded to call on the Governor of the town, who was by far the most gentle*
138 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION.
manly Persian we had yet seen — an agreeable talker, and an amusing man. He was splendidly dressed in a Kashmir robe of honour, sent him by the King^ which was ornamented with two magnificent diamond, ruby, and emerald brooches of great value. Our visit lasted some time, and was not at all tedious. Agreeable as we found the old gentleman, however, he was enormously unpopular in the city; and it was said that, owing to the representations of the populace on this head, the King had actually given orders for him to be killed, when his friends bought him off for 30,000 tumdns. Had he been executed, he would only have experienced in a milder form the fate of his ancestors, for his grandfather is stated to have been boiled alive in grease for oppressing the inhabitants of Yazd. One would have thought such a reminiscence calculated to make future generations more careful ; but our particular Governor, quite conscious of how the people under his jurisdiction were starving, persisted in buying up every kind of grain that came to the city for 7 tmndns the kharwar^ and selling it for 12. He was so hat«d for this, that a short time previously, when out walking, he .had been attacked by a crowd of women, two of whom, brandishing swords, threatened to kill him. He ordered them to be seized and kept until they gave up the names of their husbands ; but they persisted in saying that they were the wives of his two principal officers (already mentioned as having been sent out io welcome the General), and as they were veiled he, of course, could not discover who they were, and was obliged to let them go. It was generally believed that he paid 2000 tnmdns or ^800, monthly to the ^Mustofi,' or Regent, at Tehran, to speak well of him to the King, but he could well afford this when screwing such enormous sums out of the populace. He showed himself especially desirous to be civil to the General and officers of his staff, and after he had returned the former's visit on the 14th November, sent an invitation to the whole Mission to dine at the Palace on the 15th. For this entertainment he had made preparations all the day, with the asked-for aid of our N&zir, table servants and cook, so that he might have every- thing ready according to European notions. He had also sent many servants to search through Julfa for wine, brandy, and whatever other intoxicating liquors they could lay their hands on ; and finally, as a last thought, an express came to our camp to borrow our English cheese. These preparations were thoroughly successful, and a better dinner has seldom been seen in the East. At 6.30 p.m. the General
A GOVERNOR'S BANQUET. 159
started from camp^ preceded by bearers of many lanterns^ the size and number of which articles are indicative of the rank of the individual they illuminate. When we reached the Governor's pahice, we found that the guests had already assembled. The grandees were seated in an inner sort of room, very hot, while the smaller fry sat in an outside chamber, and could congratulate themselves on the greater purity of the atmosphere they enjoyed. Tea and pipes were, of course, brought in, and we were then invited to take a sort of * zakouski/ or Russian relish, before dinner, which, in this case, consisted of sweet- meats and raw brandy. The room in which we dined was the Chamber of Mirrors, and from top to bottom the walls consisted of nothing, but mirrors and fantastic patterns formed out of looking-glass. It was brilliantly lighted up, and looked very well. The table literally groaned under the enormous number of dishes of sweet-meats of every description placed on it, most of them good, and made by the women of the Governor's household : and the dinner itself was more than respectable. It was very good indeed ; well cooked, and consisting of everything in the way of fish, flesh, and fowl procurable in Persia. The jellies caused much amusement ; for the Governor, a very jolly old gentleman, discovering that they were flavoured with brandy, pressed them vehemently upon all his unsuspecting Musnlmfin guests, and then rallied them on their sin in having transgressed the law by tasting intoxicating liquors. During dinner we had plenty of music, which was not absolutely inharmonious, though the solos (vocal) by which it was accompanied were very trying. The principal performer on this occasion was a boy of about 14, with a falsetto voice on its last legs, which he pitched at the highest note it was capable of, and then continued in one long shake, accompanied by violent writhings and contortions of the body. Of melody and harmony there seemed to be no idea. The dulcimer, a stringed instrument, was, however, very soft and pleasing. The music was accompanied from time to time by dancing. The dancers consisted of four boys, of ages from 12 to 15, dressed alike, who danced in and out among the servants waiting round the table, accompanying their motions by constant jingling of castanets. Their gestures could not have much charm for English eyes ; but the noise of the castanets was not unpleasant. These boys are, in purely Persian entertainments, gene- rally dressed as women. There was abundance of wine and brandy Iianded round, of which none of the Persians partook, though some of
IGO PERSO'fiALUCII MISSION.
them wero very groat drinkers in private ; but a Persian thinks it is UHeleHS drinking wine except to get drunk, and this was not a favour- able ooeaHion for the latter exhibition. The musicians^ however, had no iK'niple, and drank freely. We all dined with our forage-caps on, and the Knglish clergyman, Mr. Bruce, and also Mr. Hoeltzer, sat at dinner with their wide-awakes, which presented a somewhat incon- gniouN apiHUininoe. The Persian community ate little^ but probably nuuh^ up for their abstinence when we were gone. Some of the guests had their eouHins and brothers there, who, not being invited to sit at table, eame, during (muses in the banquet^ and received on the ground pttrtiitUH of f^KHl fnmi their more fa\-oured relatives. Directly after dinner, the window*! hn^king out on the courtyard were thrown open, and A grand display of fireworks took place, better and more artistic than wo had bwn KhI to exi^eot. This finished, a company of lults^ or plavom, oame forwanl, and acted a species of farce. A few of the aotorn had Hon\e idea of dramatic treatment, and many of them had very gcMtd voices; but all these exhibitions are remarkable for the groMH indeciMiey which characterises both the language used and the aoei)niimnying pantomime, and this one was no exception to the rule. Wo heard afterwards, however, that, in deference to our insukr preju-. dioeii, the Oovernor had desired that the more glaring objections should bo subdued. The company rose and took their departure im-* lUi^iately this performance had been brought to a conclusion^ and we reached home by 1 1 o'clock.
Prominent among our earlier and more interesting visitors was the Archbishop of the Armenian community at Julfa. He was a most noble-looking old man^ of great stature, with a magnificent, long, snowy white beard ; clad in purple velvet, covered with jewels ; his mitre on his head, and his episcopal stafiT in his hand. Mounted on a gigantic mule, with jewelled trappings, he presented a gorgeous bit of colouring as he rode slowly along under the dinar trees^the very impersonation of priestly dignity and magnificence. The Armenian community are, however, much persecuted by the Persian authorities, and the Bishop has little real power. Their cathedral is a handsome building, with a fine dome, and many pictures, principally repre-* aenting the torments of the damned, and more remarkable for prodi«i gality of detail than artistic treatment. In the churchyard are several graves of Englishmen, among which are noticeable those of two young men, each aged 21, who both died of cholera on the same day at
THE SHAKING MINARETS. 161
Yazdikh&st) and were buried the same day at Julfa. The Armenians make excellent wine, of which the monks, as is proper, keep a famous cellar. Through the Archbishop's kindness we were enabled to purchase some of their best samples, and attest their value.
There is one other of the lions of Is&h&n that must be noticed^ namely, the shaking minarets situated about six miles to the west of the city. The minarets themselves are about 70 or 80 feet high, and are built of strong brickwork ; their circumference being just large enough to admit of one man inside them. They have a narrow flight of stairs that leads to the top, and which merely commences from a platform that divides the two. A man in either of them can shake both easily at the same time, and the vibration is distinctly felt all along the intervening platform, which has a width of some 12 feet. The top of the minaret when violently shaken diverges at least i| or 2 inches from the perpendicular, and the whole tower moves with it* The platform, however, does not move, though it is sensible of the vibration in the towers at each side of it ; but there is a large crack between the towers and the platform, into which a man could put his hand, and the idea is that there is a chain that communicates between the towers, concealed somewhere beneath the platform. The natives, of course, ascribe miraculous agency to the movement, and the place contains a shrine of a very holy man, a visit to which will, it is said, cure all present disorders and prevent possibility of future ailments : but this very easy way of getting rid of a doctor's bill does not seem to be much practised by the Persians themselves, though the keeper of the shrine evidently believes in it. The shrine and tower are said to be 782 years old, and are kept in wonderful repair. And the place is often visited by Persians as an agreeable rendezvous for a picnic.
For a general view of Isfahan the most advantageous resort is a summer-house on the slopes of Mount Sufia, which overlooks the Armenian burying-ground on the south of the city. From this point can be seen every part of the city^ and the eye can trace, by following the line of ruins, the former boundaries of Is&hfin. Owing, however, to the universal mud-colour of the buildings, it is difficult at this distance to distinguish either streets or bazaars* The Chhdr Bagh and the great dome of the Masjid-i-Shah form the most conspicuous features in the landscape, which looks like a great mass of gardens inter- spersed with domes and minarets. No traveller, with a more intimate
VOL. I. M
^^2 . PERSO'BALUCH MISSION,
acquaintance with Isfahfin, can avoid regretting that this is not the true capital. Of all the cities in Persia, it alone appears to possess any really princely buildings ; and the ruins of former greatness, with which it abounds, show of what it would be capable were it taken in hand by a really intelligent and appreciative king. The pigeon-towers, which dot the landscape in eveiy direction, are quite peculiar to Persia. They are large round towers, about 30 feet in height, and inside consist of numberless little brick cells, in which the pigeons lay and hatch their eggs and rear their young. The well in the middle col- lects all their dung, which supplies good manure for the melon-beds of Isfah&n, and it is only for the purpose of collecting this manure that the towers are used. They are opened once a year. The Madrasah, or College of Isfahan, forms another landmark. This is, however, prmcipally in ruins ; but enormous silver gates testify to its former flourishing condition, while large patches of tin let into the gates prove that thieves have been at work, notwithstanding all precautions. The size to which the ciindr tree grows here is very remarkable, and distinguishes Is&hfin from all cities in Persia ; indeed, it may be said that the chief features of this once famous city are chindr trees and ruins, for at least nine-tenths of the town is in ruins, and its ancient circumference must have been close on 20 miles.
As before stated, the Mission was detained in Isfah&n during a fortnight, owing to the uncertainty on the part of the Persian Govern- ment as to the Makr&n Enquiry taking place, should the Sist&n Arbi- tration prove impracticable for that year. On the 22nd, Mr. Alison telegraphed that the Viceroy of India had informed him that nothing could be done for the present in Sistfin ; and that the Shah would con- sent to the Baluchist&n Enquiry being commenced. This news having been confirmed two or three days after. Sir F. Ooldsmid determined to move on to Karmfin, thus giving time to the Persian Commissioner to receive his necessary instructions before arrival at that city. He accordingly left Isfahfin on the 26th November; but the ji>ersonnel of the Mission had by this time undergone one or two important changes. In view of the approaching Makr&n question, Sir F. Goldsmid had directed Captain Beresford Lovett to proceed, vid Bushahr, to GUirddar, on the Baluchist&n coast, and from thence to make his way up through Baliichist&n and meet the Mission on the fix>ntier, acquiring such useful information as he could gather on the march. That officer was accordingly left behind at Is&hdn, from
FAST OF THE RAMAZAN. 163
which place he started for the coast on the 28th instant. The strength of the Mission had been in the mean time increased by the presence of Dr. Gumming^ of the Indo-Earopean Telegraph Depart- ment, who was about to proceed to England on sick leave, and to whom the Oeneral gave authority to accompany the camp as far as Ow&dar. Dr. Gumming joined the Mission on the 17th November. We had an agreeable surprise one morning, by Gaptain Gampbell, of the Bengal Gavalry, riding in to breakfast. He had accompanied Major Gham- pain, of the Royal Engineers, from England via Russia^ and was then on his way to join his appointment in Madras^ riding post. Gaptain Campbell is^ it is believed, the first Indian oflScer who has returned to duty from furlough in this way. He found the life novel and pleasant; though riding post for any distance in Persia is beyond measure &tiguing.
The day before our departure for Earm&n was the first day of Bamaz&n, and at early dawn a gun signified to the inhabitants the commencement of this great fast, which is very strictly observed in Persia. The hour at which the gun is fired is not fixed, but it is supposed to be when the day has dawned su£Sciently to enable the inhabitants to distinguish between a white and a blue cord. All true believers observe a strict fast during the whole day, and are only released from their obligation as soon as the sun has disappeared below the horizon, when another gun gives the fasting populace the signal to ' fall to.' Everything is in readiness for the feasting that so soon succeeds the &8t. The kalian is held ready to be lit, and probably not one man in fifty exists but has his mouth occupied in some way or other before the echoes of the gun have ceased reverber- ating among the surroundUng hills. This trying ordeal — ^for trying, no doubt, it is — is of course escaped entirely by many people; but numbers get over it by sleeping during the greater part of the day, and feasting violently at night, especially toward the morning, when the time for firing the &tal gun draws near; but those who are actually en voyage^ or about travelling, are excused this penance^ having to make up for it at some other time in the year — as also all sick people. Our ghuldms, however, whose duty it is to be always on the march^ do not hold themselves excused, and fast accordingly.
Between Isfsthin and Karmfin, vid Yazd, whither we marched from Isfah&n, there is a distance of 420 miles, Yazd being 191 miles from Isfah&n and 229 miles from Kann&n. The halting-stag^ are at easy
M 2
164 PERSO-BALUCII MISSION.
intervals, and so generally level is the track that for the most part the journey might easily be performed on wheels.
The morning of Saturday, the 26th of November, was bright and cold. Having sent on our tents and baggage in good time, we left Isfahan at i p.m., and were accompanied for a certain distance by almost all the European community, inclusive of the Roman Catholic priest. The road was along the south bank of the Zaindarud for some miles, and then crossed the river to pursue a twisting, deviating' course up to some rising ground which passed by the left of a large hill easily visible from Isfahfin. The many ruins observed ihow thcj^ormer enormous extent of the city and, especially on this wde, [mark the epoch of the Afghan invasion, the quarter never having been inhabited since. A very high mindr or tower was noticed on our left hand. The road, after rising as before mentioned, ran nearly due east for some miles, passing a gpreat number of pigeon-towers and a large and seemingly prosperous village. After Bkirting the base of the hill, another village was passed to the ''ight, and then the old mud caravanserai of Gulnabad (twelve miles) became plainly visible. The Katkhuda had sent out his son to meet us shortly before arrival, and was himself in waiting on foot, a Bmgular spectacle, with a bright green coat and a bright red beard« A sheep had been also stationed on the road with its feet tied, all read^ to have its throat cut directly the * auspicious feet ' of the General should approach. We saved its life, however, just in time. This barbarous custom of sacrificing an Animal on the approach of an honoured stranger, so that its blood should actually flow under his feet, is somewhat too antiquated for modem ideas. We found the ca^p pitched outside the walls of the caravanserai, and fruit, with other orthodox minor presents, laid out in the General's tent. The i"ght was very cold and bright; and the water froze hard in all the tents. The village, now principally in ruins — the inhabited part^ about 100 families, being at some distance from the caravanserai- was the scene of a battle fought between the Afghans and Persians in the beginning of the last century, followed by the taking of Isfah&n. We were told that no rain or snow, to speak of, had fallen here for three years. The water was excellent.
The day following, we marched at 10 a.m., after vainly pressing a present on the Katkhuda, who would neither accept one for himself or for the poor of the village. The road to Segzi was over a perfectly
CURIOSITY AT SEGZI. 165
flat plain covered with bhufu, which, by its parched-up appearance and the universal salt excrescence on its surface, testified to the long and trying drought. About half way to Segzi we were overtaken by Captain Lovett, who had galloped out from Isfahdn^ bringing two telegrams for the Oeneral, one from the Bombay Grovemment and the other from Mr. Alison. The last informed him that^ in view of the impracticability of the Sistfin question being settled this winter, the Persian Government had consented to their Commissioner accompanying the Oeneral straight to Makrfin. This was good news, and relieved us from all uncertainty. Arriving at Segzi (fourteen miles) about two p.m., we found quarters in a small caravanserai of the time of Shah Abbas, still in excellent repair. Captain Smith was sent to the Persian Commissioner to apprise him of the contents of the telegram received by the General^ at which he expressed himself much pleased. Segzi is a village of some size, with the usual fortifications in the shape of mud walls. The Katkhuda informed us, however, that there were but forty families, and that they were miserably poor. The efiect of getting off the chapar^ or post roads, and leaving the vicinity of the telegraph line, was here visibly apparent for the first time. So unfamiliar were the inhabitants with the sight of a European, that the whole village could do nothing but stare at us. Driven from one point of vantage to another they still persevered, and night found them scattered at every point round and in the caravanserai from which they could possibly hope to get a glimpse of the strange Faringis. They were, however, very civil and well behaved.
At sunrise on the 28th, we found all the inhabitants of the industrious and energetic village of Segzi seated in a body round the doors of the caravanserai, waiting for it to be opened, and evidently unwilling to lose a moment in pursuing their- investigations into the personal appearance, habits, and customs of English officers. The inner square was soon filled, and there they sat until we made our appearance. When turned out by the departure of the mules, they calmly formed large groups outside, and considered themselves happy if rewarded for their patience by an occasional glimpse of us on the roof. This continued until our departure at 10 a.m. Captain Lovett left us early in the morning, returning to Isfahfin, whence he was to receive instructions, by telegraph from the Bombay Government, as to the course he should pursue. The road to Kupa
166 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION,
lay over a tract of desert and nearly flat country, covered with the usual bhuta; but there is little of interest to recall in this march. Some sand-grouse were seen : an excellent db-ajnhdr was passed, with really good water, and shortly after a smaller one ; and the plain was dotted here and there with ruins of deserted villages. On arrival at Kupa (nineteen miles) at 2.30 p.m., we found the whole village turned out to see us ; and the usual sheep, which was prepared for sacrifice, had its life saved at the critical moment. The Katkhuda, an employSoS the Sahib-i-Diwan of Isfahdn, and a schoolmaster, all three sing^arly intelligent men, paid the General a long visit in his tent on arrival, bringing the usual presents. They told us that the water of the Zaindarud loses itself in a sort of quicksand about eight fariakhB to the south-west, near which the banks are from thirty to forty feet deep ; but we had no means of testing the accuracy of the information. We found excellent quarters in a caravanserai of the time of Shah Abbas, and in capital repair. Kupa was represented to contain 500 families, most of whom were in great distress from want of rain. It is famous for its manufacture of cameFs-hair cloth, said to be the best in Persia. We went to see it manufactured in a building where there were about ten looms of the ordinary description, on a level with the floor of the room, the workers sitting in holes conveniently deep to bring them on a level with the looms. The cloth is made of cotton and cameFs-hair, the warp being cotton, the woof camePs- hair, and it is woven very close together, so as, in fact, to be quite impervious to rain. The camel's-hair, we were informed, is chiefly brought from Shiraz, where the camels are shorn once a year. The hair is carded in the same way as cotton, and spun into thread with the fingers. An ordinary coat made of this material costs about three and a half tumdns, but some better descriptions of cloth are made which are very much dearer. The glimpse we got of the village of Kupa gave the impression that it was clean and airy; though the inhabitants looked wretchedly poor ; and indeed General Goldsmid remarked that he had never before seen so many beggars in Persia. They crowded round .the doors of the caravanserai, and followed us for some distance on the road with their importunities. Kupa pos- sesses four Aammdms, and is surrounded by a strong mud wall with flanking towers.
The camp marched early the next morning, but the General and others remained until twelve o'clock, vainly awaiting the arrival of
POOR VILLAGERS, 167
one of the ghuldmB left behind to bring on the English mail expected at Isiah&n. After twelve o'clock, however, as further waiting seemed useless, we started among a perfect crowd of mendicants, for whom General Goldsmid left five tumdna to be distributed by the Katkhuda. On leaving Kupa, the road continued over the same flat and desolate plain for about eleven miles, to the almost deserted village of Mushkintin, the inhabitants of which were engaged in making a coarse cotton cloth. Two or three flourishing-looking villages were observed on either side of the road. Three miles from Mushkinun, Tudeshk was reached^ situated at the entrance of the hills^ which apparently form a continuation of the Kohrud range. We had passed numerous patches of cultivated land^ generally surrounded by a wall^ in the plain. Here^ with our tents pitched on capital ground to the left of the road, we halted a day, in the hope of receiving the English mail ; but the result was disappointment.
On the 1st December, we set out at 7.45 a.m. in tolerably bright but very cold weather. The Katkhuda of the village came to escort us on our way, dressed in a yellow skin-coat and mounted on a ridiculously small white donkey. Passing a white tower on a hill to our left outside the village^ which our guide told us had been built as a precaution against robbers, we found the road gradually ascend, winding in and out in a narrow valley lying between hills of no great height. Numerous villages were observed on every side, with cultivated patches of land enclosed by walls. The inhabitants of these places seemed miserably poor, and a small landowner in one of them, who accompanied us for the first few miles, gave us a startling account, probably somewhat exaggerated, of the shifts to which they were put. He told us that his own &mily had so little clothing that his wife and daughters were unable ever to go out of doors ; and spoke strongly of the screwing propensities of our friend the Governor of Isfahan, in whose jurisdiction all this country is, and who, he said, had just made him pay a yearly tax of four tumdns out of his miserable earnings. Ascents and descents in very gradual gradients succeeded each other as we moved onward; and the scenery was of a generally monotonous character till beyond Ishratab&d, when the road, turning sharply to the left, sloped down- wards to a continuation of the plain of K&^h&n which skirts the mountain range of Kohrud. The large town of Nain was here visible on the left under isolated^ and comparatively low hills. At about eleven
168 PERSO'BALUGH MISSION.
miles from Tudeshk, the government of Yazd begins and that of Isfahfin has attained its limit. We found all the villages strongly and well built, with excellent ponds of clear water : and all possessed respectable mud forts, in which to find shelter from the attacks of robbers. The houses, without exception, had dome-shaped roofs, probably adopted from the scarcity of wood or straight timber. No trees of any size were visible. After leaving Ishratabdd, Allahabdd (half a mile to the left), and then Pudir (the latter being the last village in the hills, and having an especially strong fort), the road turned to the right and made a more decided descent on Bambiz, which place we reached about half-past four, finding our tents already pitched. Its probable distance from Tudeshk is twenty-eight miles, of which three-sevenths of the road is through the hills. On arrival at Bambiz (a large village possessing eighty or icx) families, with little cultivation and no gardens or trees), the worthy old Hajji with whom the Greneral and Major Smith had stayed on their journey in 1865 came to see the former. He literally was overjoyed at the meeting, and could for some time do nothing but utter ejaculations such as 'Praise be to God!' He stayed a very long time indeed talking to him, and telling him all about his travels. Well had he won the title of Hajji, for he had been five times to Mecca, having made his last journey only in 1869, when quite an old man. He had visited Damascus in the course of his travels. The General gave him a knife containing the usual saw, corkscrew, and accompaniments, with which he was much pleased. The air was here quite warm, and fires in tents became unnecessary: this difierence in temperature on crossing the range of hills explains the meaning of the name garm^lT^ or warm region, applied to these parts as elsewhere under similar conditions. The inhabitants of Bambiz were mostly in a state of great destitution, and there may have been many deaths from starvation : for we were told that numbers had had nothing but turnips to eat for days, and there was no chance of improvement in this state of things before a heavy rain-fall. Bambiz had no caravanserai, and but little accommodation of any sort for travellers. The water was very good.
Our next day's short march of twelve miles brought us to Nfiugum- baz, where we found excellent quarters in a caravanserai of the time of Shah Abbas. The road, after leaving Bambiz, over a flat and perfectly desert plain, covered with scanty hhuta^ is worthy of no remark. We
ROAD' SIDE TANKS. 169
joined here the direct chapar road to Yazd and Karm&n from Tehr&n via Kdshfin. Nfiugumbaz consists of merely a chapar-khdnaA^ the cara- vanserai, and a walled enclosure containing from eight to ten fiunilies, all dreadfully poor. So bad and salt was the reputed water that we brought our whole supply with us. Gentle rain began to fall about 1 1 a.m., and continued without intermission all day, but it was hardly su£Scient to do much good to the wretched and parched-up country. Our g^ide informed us that from this place Tehrfin could be reached in three days across the desert by a determined and hardy pedestrian. There was some little cultivation in the neighbourhood of the caravanserai.
From Nfiugumbaz we marched twenty-six mi)es to Akda. The road was over the same flat and desert plain, with gravelly soil, and without any signs of population or cultivation : there were hills in the far distance right and left. Our g^ide stated that the several beds of water-courses which we traversed are impassable in the rainy season, when a fresh comes from the mountains. After twelve miles we reached a tank, or db-ambdr, with the inscription Ja, AH ! amUi" Husain Akddi — i. e. '' Oh Ali 1 Husain of Akda constructed this " — where we breakfasted. The water was good ; but only about one foot and a half remained. Leaving the tank at noon, we continued our march over a monotonous tract. At three miles was a large caravan- serai, in excellent repair, with a small walled village of twenty-five inhabitants, called Husainabfid, where a large circular db-ambdr is being built at the expense of a benevolent merchant of Yazd. Five miles further was another tank of rude construction. The Persian Commissioner joined the General at Husainabfid, and rode in with him to Akda. He had bought a horse on the road from a travelling merchant, for five tumdns or ^2, Seven miles from Husainabfid, at the cultivation of Shahrabid, we first saw young date trees, a sure sig^ of the garmHr. Three miles further on, over ground much broken and cut up by kandU, we reached Akda at 3.30 p.m. Young date trees and wild myrtle bore witness to the general mildness of the climate; but we learnt that, sixteen years before, the whole of the date trees of this village were killed by severe frost ; and those now standing were not allowed to grow to any height, their leaves being cut for brushes, sold for the benefit of the mosque. Akda is famous for the excellence of its pomeg^ranates. It is a town of about 1,200 inhabitants, exclusively engaged in cultivation, as the extent
170 PERISO'BALLCU MISSION.
of its gardens showed. The caravanserai where we found quartern was the finest we had seen in Persia, and was distinguishable aikr off from the height of its bddgir^ or tower for catching the wind in warm weather. There was also an excellent db-amldr^ with four bddgirs^ built by a merchant of Besht, who had settled in Yazd and died there. It was about twenty-five years old, but still had every appearance of being quite new, the walls being of such immense strength and thickness to warrant the belief that it might last for centuries. Shortly after arrival, the General received a visit from five of the principal men of the place : four of these were Saiyids, of whom there is quite a colony here — lOO men. The guide spoke of a possible attack of Bakhtifiris, but we saw no signs of them, and had every reason to believe his fears groundless.
On the 4th December we made a thirty-mile march to Mdibiit : road, as usual, over a perfectly fiat and desert plain, in this instance very bad for our cattle, on account of the stones with which it was covered. A small village was met with on the left, about a mile from Akda, and after twelve miles the village of Chafta, with its good but deserted chapar-khdiiah^ the horses having been removed on account of the deamess of grain. The only inhabitants were three men, two women, and four children, who inhabited a very strong mud round tower, lately put in repair. Breakfiusting at Chafta, in the open plain, we resumed our march at 1 1 a.m. A very fine range of hills on our left, and a magnificent mountain range that appeared on our right front, with very high peaks, appear to be omitted in the generality of maps. But these hills, especially some to the westward, must be of great height and extent. The road, after leaving Chafta, pursues an easterly direction, and crossing a range of low clay hills reaches, at fourteen miles, a deserted walled village, built like a fort with towers at the four comers. For about four miles before reaching this point we had noticed some villages, evidently of large size and with extensive cultivated enclosures, lying at the foot of the hills to our left, and we now saw that those signs of habitation and cultivation continued, without intermission, right up to the walls of M&ibut. From the deserted village above-mentioned to the caravanserai of Mdibut is about four miles, and the road crosses over a peculiar white clayey soil, cut up in every direction by kandis. Cultivation was visible to a very great extent. The entrance to Maibiit lay through a narrow lane, with walled fields on each side, until it
THE POTTERIES OF MAIBCtT. 171
merged into the principal street of Mdibut with its high two-storied houses on one side and cultivation on the other: then passing up a narrow ascent we reached the splendid caravanserai built by private munificence, with an excellent covered tank and spring of pure water situated in the centre of the open space inside. This caravan- serai was quite as fine as the one we had seen on the day before, and we could not help being struck with admiration at the open-handed charity which builds these splendid resting-places for all travellers alike, rich and poor, and provides liberally for their wants and those of their horses, mules, and camels.. The rooms in this building were very high and lofly, and the stables especially spacious, and every precaution appeared to be taken to make passing travellers comfort- able, alike in winter and summer. On the opposite side of the narrow lane in which this caravanserai was situated rose an enormous Yakh^ chaly or ice-house, which, constructed on high ground, formed a con- spicuous landmark for many miles; we had noticed it for at least ten miles before arrival at Maibut. There were hardly any of the inhabitants visible on our approach, a circumstance explained by the fact that they had heard a Persian Ambassador was coming, and had bolted, to escape the inevitable and recognised extortion. M&ibiit is famous for its pottery manufacture, made out of the porous clay which surrounds the place. The goblets and other articles manu- factured here did not appear to be as good as those of Kum. The village, it may be remarked in conclusion, we found to be completely cut up by deep, dangerous, and precipitous ravines. The water, as at Akda, was very g^ood. There were many villages seen or reported in the vicinity; and the large town of Ardag&n was distinctly visible from the top of the caravanserai, lying about seven miles distant, north by west.
The day following we did not start till ten o'clock, owing to Dr. CuBMning's illness. Our road was, for three miles, through a succession of cultivated vilUges and fields, and over ground much cut by iandts, to Buknabad, a village possessing a most remarkable cypress tree, presenting, at a distance, the exact appearance of a Persian, hat and all, in a standing position, previous to making his prostrations at evening prayer. This tree is visible fifteen miles on the other side of Miibut ; and its resemblance to a human figure is quite unmistakeable. Four miles further on, over a flat road following the course of a kandC, we reached the village of Muhammadab&d
^72 PERSO'BALUGU MISSION.
on the left, with a ruined fort, of which the walls were riddled with bullets, probably a memento of the attacks of the Bakhtifiris. Four miles further, we passed the village of Ibrahimabad on the nght, and Shams-abad on the left,— the former noticeable from standing in a grove of Scotch fir trees, about thirty or forty in number, crowded with pigeons. In every direction the fields were alive with men, women, and children, busily engaged in preparing the ground for seed, and in sowing. About this point in the road the soil became excessively sandy, and proved very bad travelling for the horses and mules. The village of Shaftarabad was passed on the left, and, at the distance of six miles more, the chapar station and usual stage of Himmatabad was reached. We continued our march, however, through very bad roads, to the village of Ishkizar, where we had expected to find our camp, and good quarters in a caravanserai. On arrival there, failing to discover any trace of the domestics, we pushed on four miles further (in all thirty miles) to irird-Firamurz, where our camp and people had taken up a position in a rude, small caravanserai. From this point the minarets and badgirs of Yazd were visible. Gird-Firamurz, or, as some call it, * Tifl-Omar/ SIX miles from Yazd, is a village of about loo houses : its inhabitants are principally engaged in the culture of silk, of which it yields lOO manna per annum, sold at 150 krdna per maun of seven and a half pounds. Dates were obtainable here in abundance. The whole of the march from Miibut to Gird-Firamurz there was a really splendid view of the range of mountains lying due west of Yazd. Two of the highest were covered apparently many inches deep with fresh snow, and presented a beautiful spectacle against the cleat blue sky. The highest is called the • Shir-Kuh,' and the formation of its summit much resembles Mont Blanc. It must be between 11,000 and 12,000 feet high, and it is indeed astonishing that no notice of the existence of the two fine ranges of hills, which lie to the left and right of the road from Isfah&n, should have been heretofore taken in the maps of Persia. The road for the last six miles into Gird-Firamurz, that is, for about two miles before Ishkizar, beggars description. It consisted of nothing but loose heaps and drifts of sand, and in muddy weather would be impassable. As it was, our horses sank over their fetlocks at every step, and the mules sufiered so much that many of them did not arrive at the caravan- serai till past midnight. Two miles an hour would be the utmost
ARRIVAL AT YAZD. 173
a well-mounted man could do on soil of this deseriptiou^ and that with extreme difficulty. But there are plenty of villages built in the neighbourhood, and Ishkizar is only approachable by wading through seas of this fine shifting sand. The drifts in some places were very high, and it would be easy for any traveller to lose his way and perish here on a dark and windy winter's night. The long-delayed mail came in, with our letters and papers, at a somewhat late hour.
About a mile after leaving Oird-Firamurz we came in full view of the town of Yazd, lying perfectly flat on the plain^ in an amphi- theatre of hills, quite unlike what it is represented to be on the maps. A fire-worshipper^s temple was observed crowning a small hill to the extreme right front. Shortly after we had met the Persian Commissioner, a member of the Persian Foreign Office, re- sident at Yazd^ and styled an 'Adjutant,' came galloping out to meet us, and begged our chief to delay his approach to the city as much as possible, as they were preparing an istiibdl, which would take some little time. Accordingly, in about an hour's time, a number of horsemen, consisting of the principal men of the city, came out to escort the Oeneral, all dressed in uniform, and wearing whatever orders they might possess. They escorted us to our quarters, in a large and now somewhat dilapidated palace, called Daulatab&d, at the entrance of the road going into the city on the left. Here we found our tents pitched in the enclosure, and also rooms prepared in the mansion itself. On the floor of the largest room, forty-eight plates of sweetmeats of various kinds were laid out, as a present to the Oeneral. The road from Gird-Firamurz to Yazd is very good, over a flat, hard plain. In the evening the Hindu residents in Yazd, five in number, with a fakir, came to visit us. The General had found seventeen of them here in 1866 ; but their number had now been reduced to five. These men, inhabitants of Sind, sent here only for the purposes of trade, seemed to have rather a bad time of it, and gave one a* melancholy impression of their status. They were all dressed with very tall Persian hats, and told us they were much oppressed by ^the Musalmin population. They traded principally in indigo]and silk, but did not seem to be doing much, and, of course, wanted the Oeneral to inquire into and redress their wrongs. They told us there were forty of their compatriots at Karm&n, and also that two Hindu /akirs had lately left Yazd for the fires at Bdkd
i
174 PEESO-BALUCII MISSION.
on the Caspian, which they worship, and which we found deserted on oar expedition thither in September last. It was strange to hear them talking Hindustani.
We stayed for three whole days at Yazd, where the nights were 80 cold that fires became necessary. The city is large and com- paratively populous: but it has few buildings, save one mosque, worthy of notice ; and it is choked with ruins within and around. The new bazar looked handsome enough of its kind ; but the older bazdrs were very dark^ ruined, and dirty ; and we saw in them small signs of life or active trade. The second day of our stay, the General^ accompanied by Captain Smithy proceeded at 2.30 to visit the Prince Governor of the place, a youth of about fourteen or fifteen years old, son of the His&mu-s-Saltanah, and married to the Shah's daughter. Our way lay through the heart of the town and bazdrs^ to the ark or citadel, a walled enclosure inside the city, within which the Governor always resides. The latter official, a good-looking, fi&t-faced, and chubby youth, was clearly bewildered at the honour of the visit, and displayed a stolid indifference when informed of the war in Europe. He was handsomely dressed, and had nothing to say for himself, being evidently much relieved when we took our departure. It is difficult to understand the policy of placing these well-bom puppets in such responsible positions, and thus leaving all the real power in the hands of the Wazirs of the towns^ often unscrupulous and intriguing men. This boy of fifteen, we were informed, expected shortly to become a father! We found the Persian Commissioner here in full dress, quite different from the uniform which had attracted our attention at K&sh&n. On this occasion, his coat was covered with embroidery, and he had no less than five orders of the Lion and Sun, three Russian Eagles, and a large red and white ribbon over the right shoulder. He seemed somewhat embarrassed by such unusual magnificence : but he clearly reserved it for very special occasions, as he divested himself of his fine feathers when preparing to call with us upon the minister — a duty we performed soon after the visit to the young Prince. The Wazir, a very fine old man, with pleasant manners, possessed one of the best appointed and most comfortable houses we had seen in Persia, and his whole household seemed to be peculiarly well drilled and disciplined. Certainly the conspicuous bundles of bastinado-canes cooling in the tank in the enclosure, and the inevitable * Felek ' stick, pointed to that conclusion.
k
THE MERCHANTS AND THE TELEGRAPH. 175
Our visit here was a short one, as the time for the believers to say their evening prayers was near. The Wazir expressed in courteous terms his regret that, owing to it being the month of Ramadhan, he would be precluded from showing hospitality to the Generals Our way home was again through the bazdrs, crowded with masses, of people anxious to see the Faringis, but generally civil and orderly. They all seemed to be very poor, and we heard that the destitution of the city was very great.
On the third morning, the General received a visit from two of the leading merchants of Yazd, most intelligent and gentlemanly men. The elder, Hajji Muhammad Taki, was very anxious to have a telegraph constructed from Yazd to Dehbid, and said that^ were the work undertaken^ the merchants of Yazd would gladly pay for it. This accomplished, Yazd would be at once connected by telegraph with London and India, and her trade would of course greatly benefit. This merchant had a brother resident at Hongp-Eong. His principal business seemed to be in opium, of which he informed Captain Smith that 4^000 chests were exported last year. He complained much of the heavy duty levied at Bombay on the opium which touched there on its way to China, and which, he said, paid 600 rupees a chest for merely lying in harbour, it being taken on, as a rule, immediately. A handsome profit must, however, still be made on the drug, which is obtainable in Persia at comparatively little cost. For sale in the towns and villages here it is worked up into thin, dry, and brittle sticks, about a foot in length. In the afternoon the old Wazir returned General Goldsmid's visit early, and was much interested in looking at pictures of the war in the * Illustrated London News,' which he took away with him. The Hindus paid us another visit. We learnt that in the time of the former Governor, Muhammad KhUn, who greatly encouraged the silk trade, there were 1,800 silk manufactories in Yazd, emplopng probably 9,000 hands. Since' his removal, and the governorship of the present boy and of his Wazir, only 300 were in work. The silk so extensively manufiuitured in these parts is considered by some persons to be the best in all Persia. There were in the city fifty mosques, sixty-five public baths, and eight public schools and colleges. The number of Gabrs in the government of Yazd was g^ven at 3,800, and that of Jews 800. The revenue was stated to be 60,000 tumdns paid to the Shah's treasury, and 40,000 retained to defray the cost of government. The exports
i
wi»>^ ffigikry opium, silk« rope. cottoiL ccipper, juid felt; and the imports — liemia, wheat, and cc«tton goods. Yazd is celebrated for it$ sweetmeats.
On the icth Decemlter we lesumed cur joumer, moving ont^ on a bitterly cold morning, thrc-cgh a series of cultiyated endosares and villages, to Muhammadab41 a large village of silk manofactorers, K>asting some j^cc hooaes. planted in every direction with mulberry trees^ A s4>-oaIIed ledple <i nie-wcrshippeis. passed on our way, turned v'ut to K^ a ' :ower cf sSence,* cr place where the Gabrs expose their deaJ oq gTa:ing$ till the bodies are devoured by birds. From Muhamosiab^ ten miles . the road continued for fourteen miles ov<r a desened country to Sar-i-Yazd, where was a capital new aftrftva&jerai. built, as that of MiLibut, by private munificence, with first-rate stabling. The old caravanserai, on the other ode of the nxid, wTiks utilised for mules and camels. The village had been an extensive one, but was for the most part in ruins at the time of our visit, and the inhabitants were, as usual, very poor. A fine view of the snow-capped hills to the west is obtained from the summit of the caravanserai. Water very good.
Hence our road lay for eighteen miles over a flat pebbly desert, witii occasional undulations, to the caravanserai and ckapar^kkdiuih of Zain-u-din, situated in the midst of a very desolate landscape. The former edifice, of the time of Shah Abbas, must originally have been of great strength, being built with circular flanking towers of great thickness. Its ruined walls bore marks on all sides of having^ seen service, probably against the Bakhti&ris. We found a few musketeers stationed here for the protection of the road. They must have been useless for any real purposes of defence or protection, as, a few days before our arrival, two camel loads of opium had been stolen at the caravanserai or in the neighbourhood, and the victims of the fraud had not succeeded in obtaining assistance or redress. No provisions of any kind were to be had at Zain-u-din, and] the water was salt. On the 12th we continued to move over the same pebbly desert, with no sig^ of habitation or life, to Karm&nsh&h£n. For the first nine or ten miles we marched between two low ranges of hills, probably about three or four miles apart : then gradually Moonded over a ridge of high ground, descending half a mile, to the halting-place (sixteen miles). The nearly new caravanserai at tbi« place was an excellent one, with four or five good bdldkkdnahs^ oc,
CONTINUED DESOLATION. 177
upstair rooms. It was built by the old WakO-ul-Mulk, father of the present Governor of Karm&n. There was also a good chapat" JkAdnaAy and a kdlah^ or walled enclosure, where the few inhabitants and musketeers resided. Some slight cultivation was observed ; and there were sand-grouse in the vicinity.
Leaving Earm£nsh&hiLn, we found for the first seven miles a gentle ascent in the road, otherwise pursuing its course over the same stony desert as on the previous day. A spur of low hills was then crossed, and after another slight descent the road debouched again on to the desert plain. The entrance to this low rang^ of hills was, we were told, a favourite place for the attacks of robbers, who, two or three days before our arrival, had - carried away two camel-loads of opium, a valuable prize. Our first information was that it had been stolen from the caravanserai at Zain-u-din. The musket-men were principally employed in escorting caravans over this dangerous spot, which seemed certainly well adapted for the attacks of brigands, but as the guard always withdrew its protection at the same place, it would seem easy for the robbers to change their ' venue.' From this spur of hills the road continued for about eleven miles over an absolute desert to Shams, the name given to a deserted chapar-khdnah and a ruined fort, inhabited by the few musket-men stationed there for the protection of the road. The water was very salt, and supplies should be brought from Rarmdnshdhdn. The scene of desolation presented by the station of Shams, as it rises to our memory, could hardly be surpassed even in the desolate scenery of Persia. A stony unbroken desert, intersected here and there by low ranges of barren, bleak and rocky hills, stretches on every side, as far as the eye can reach ; and neither beast, bird, shrub, tree, twig, nor human being breaks the impressive monotony. We had passed on our way hither a caravan of fifty or sixty camels, proceeding with dates and dried fruits from Earm&n to Yazd.
The road to An&r was over a continuation of the same desolate and inhospitable country noticed in the previous march. It was stony, in some places very sandy, and no signs of animal or vegetable life were visible. At about fifteen miles from Shams we halted and breakfasted at a deep well of salt water dug in the desert, with a small mud hut adjoining. The wind was so high as to raise clouds of dust, and breakfast in the open air under these circumstances was not enjoyable. At this place we were met by an employ^ of the
VOL. I. N
178 PERSO-BALUCII MISSION.
(jovftrnor of Karm&n, who had been sent to An&r, a distance of n<!ttrly 200 mileg, to meet the General and conduct him to Kann&ny w^*in^ hi; wanted for nothing on the way. He had been waiting fMfV<fiit(!f*n days at Anar, being unaware of the delay that had taken \t\tu*A* fit iHfah&n. About seven miles further was the village of An&r, oonMiMiing of 300 houses, the old mud fort of which with double wu1Im| situated on a hill, was visible for many miles. On arrival wu were immediately conducted to the Governor's house, a n<tw and oxUmmvo building with a large tank of fresh running wniiir ill tlu^ (courtyard, where most hospitable preparations had been nuuin for our roiH^ption, fires lit, rooms carpeted, and the invariable pritMMitii of fruit and HWiH.'tmeat« spread out on the floor. The local < iovi^rnor at iho Niuno time entertained the Persian Commissioner and liJM Hiii(4» in another building. It need hardly be said that means witrn iijund of nH*onipensing him for his open-handed hospitality. 'i*h(i Wivi lioro had the reputation of harbouring foxes. The caravan- Mcrai and rhafHir-khdnah were good, and there was a fine mosque. The WttU*r MUpply was commendable.
From An&r the road, for the first few miles over a much cultivated plain, changed into the usual sandy desert until within three miles of Bai£z (eighteen miles), when the surface became covered with stones. We found Bai£z a small village, with a row of mulberry trees and a spring of running water ; possessing a good caravanserai, the completed portion of which supplied us with excellent quarters.
The morning of the 17th December was bright and windy. With the exception of the last four miles into Kushkoh (eighteen miles), when it became very stony, the road was again over the sandy desert, here sparsely sprinkled with camel-thorn. Streams of pure water flowed along each side of the road for some distance before we reached the village, the country around which appeared to be well irrigated. Many cotton fields were observed covering a considerable tract of country, and cultivation of all sorts seemed abundant. The caravan- serai here not being a good one, and the two large rooms on either side of the doorway being very dirty^ General Goldsmid and Captain Smith camped in tents pitched outside. So short did \hefarsaki9 on this side of Isfah&n appear that we generaUy calculated them at three miles, instead of three and a half or four, as elsewhere in Persia.
The next morning commenced with a light misty rain^ which
BAHRAMABAD. 179
increased as the day advanced, . and at last there was a heavy downpour, which with slight intermission continued till past mid- night. This was a great blessing for the country in general, and the simple inhabitants of Bahramab&d of course attributed it to the 'auspicious feet' of the General. Our baggage came up in good time, though most of the things were more or less wet, and the road, even in a very few hours, became slippery and difficult to traverse. A few days' rain would, it is to be supposed, make the roads in this part of the country quite impassable. For eighteen miles after leaving Kushkoh we traversed a plain of great extent, stretching as far as the eye could reach, and bounded apparently by hills on every side, at this season capped with snow, especially a range ^7^^ y^ behind Kushkoh. This plain was covered with earthy tumuli and the tamarind plant, and promised to afford excellent shooting. We saw a flock of thirteen or fourteen bustard feeding close to the road, but they were frightened by the dogs before we could get a shot at them: hares and deer were also said to be abundant. At about eighteen miles distance the large and flourishing village of Hormuzabad was reached, and in a quarter of a mile further another village named Daniab&d. Hence to Bahra- mab&d, about seven miles, the country wore a very desolate appearance, and was cut up and scored in every direction by kandls, while occasional patches of green, though affording but little relief to the landscape, showed that cultivation had not been wholly neglected.
We halted on the 19th. Bahramab&d, a large and flourishing village — almost a town— -of recent and rapid growth, contained, at the period of our visit, a population of perhaps 5,700. It may be said to owe its success to the late WakO-uI-Mulk, father of the present Governor of Karm&n, a man of energetic and enterprising character, by whom the greater part of the caravanserais and tanks contained within the provincial . limits were directly or indirectly constructed. The mud caravanserai was of inferior kind: but we found quarters in an excellent house belonging to the Government. In the evening of our first day at Bahramabdd, ten Hindus came to visit the General, one of whom remembered him when he had passed through five years before. These men, most of them natives of Shikarpur, had come out from Karmfin for the purpose of purchasing the raw cotton extensively grown in this neighbourhood. It is cleaned first by the natives here, and then exported to India tid
N 2
180 PERSO'BALCCn MISSION.
Bandar-Ablias, whither they informed us there is a direct road from this place, doing away with the necessity of first transporting the cotton to Karmin. They seemed to be very happy and in good case, and presented a strong contrast to their miserable brethren at Yazd. They informed us that the yield of cotton in the Karmin district was a))Out 4,cx>0 manns yearly, or 28^000 lbs., and that its price was twenty-five shillings per eighty pounds. The imports for India appeared to be chiefly sugar, indigo^ and cotton goods. There is no doubt that a good transit road from Kann&n to the coast would work wonders in opening out the trade of this district, and in en- couraging trafiic with India from every part of Persia. Some few Parsis or Gabrs are to be noted among the residents of Bahramabfid, which has a reputation for pottery. On our second day, the General received visits from the Nai'b of the place, and the Y&war or Major, who had been sent out to meet us from Karm&n. The Hindus also paid him a second visit. The inhabitants here have a practice during the Kamazan of sounding a drum in the early morning, as a notice to the faithful that it is time to prepare their last meal before the rising of the sun compels them to commence their daily fiist. The ' tattoo * was very loud, and awoke us regularly every morning about four o'clock.
On a bright, but cold and windy morning, after a night of hard frosty we quitted Bahramab&d. The road for the first five miles led through a well-cultivated plain, cut up and scored in every direction by kandU, until it reached the village of Abdulab&d, when it passed for sixteen miles over a pebbly desert^ and for about three miles more over soft sandy soil interspersed with patches of Ihuta, We stopped and breakfasted at about fourteen miles, at a covered tank of excellent water, near a mud hovel situated on the side of the road. The hills on all sides of the plain we had crossed were covered with snow, and the snow-capped and lofty mountain rang^ beyond Karm&n was distinctly visible^ forming a beautiful boundary to the landscape in our front. Kabutar- Kh&n, which takes its name from an old pigeon-tower in the vicinity, consists of two villages^ one almost in ruins and the other neW| containing about 150 inhabitants. A large number of these politely came out to meet the General, and the Katkhuda informed us he had orders from the Wakil-ul-Mulk to supply all our wants both for men and animals free of charge. This, however, was an
k
A GOOD CARAVANSERAL 181
arrangement which was not allowed to have effect: we preferred pajring for everything. It was impossible to prevent the villagers sacrificing a sheep by a rapid process of decapitation on the approach of our cavalcade. One man kept the bleeding carcase on the left of the road, while another ran across with the head; so that we had to pass between the two, which we understand to be the orthodox way of accepting a Persian welcome. They had endeavoured to sacrifice a sheep in a similar way at our every halting-stage, but we had, as a rule, hitherto managed to save its life. The caravanserai at Kabutar-Kh&n, in which we put up, was not in very good repair, besides being rather dark and dirty : but it had two pretty good bdldkhdnoAs. Numerous pigeons were observable everywhere in the vicinity. The water here was good and abundant. Kabutar-Kh&n^ as the private property of the Shah, paid no tribute, but had to supply certain articles of consumption on occasions. It had an arsenal with thirty guns.
There was more hard frost and much ice when we left Kabutar- Kh4n. The road, which had previously run over a hard sandy plain, after five miles entered an extensive marsh, which, owing to the heavy rains of two days previous, would have probably been impassable had it not been for the frost of the preceding night, which enabled us to get over the ground while it was yet hard. This tract is only difficult in wet weather; but, after any continuous rain, it would evidently be quite impassable, receiving, as it were in a basin of soft clayey soil, all the streams from the neighbouring high grounds. At thirteen miles we reached the flourishing village of Rib4t, where we stayed and breakfasted at an excellent caravanserai, built by the late Wakil- ul-Mulk, with a complete suite of good upper apartments, and with doors to all the downstair rooms — an unheard-of luxury in Persia. After leaving Ribdt the valley became narrower, being bounded as before by the magnificent Jafar Kuh and range of snowy hills beyond Karm&n in our front. The road from Rib&t to Baghin was for fifteen miles over a stony desert, interspersed with patches of cultiva- tion. The large village of Sadi was passed to the right, about eleven miles from Rib&t. We were met at Baghin as usual by a deputation of the inhabitants, of whom there are about 1600. Baghin, we were told, paid no money revenue, but in kind, principally wheat and barley. The village was clean, and well supplied with excellent water. There was much cultivated land in the vicinity, extending to
^*^^ PERSO'BALUCU MISSION.
the foot of the hills bounding the plain on the right; and good shooting. The General and Captain Smith pitched tents outside the indifferent caravanserai. We halted here one day, and received a visit from the Z&bit of the place, accompanied by the Yiwar and his son. All three were greatly surprised at and interested in a breech-loading gun, on the ordinary principle, with central-fire cartridges. Hey had never seen anything of the kind before, and their pkudits were long and loud.
From Baghin, which is really south of Karm&n, the road, for several
miles, winds about over sloping stony ground, until it has completely
rounded the point of the Dawir&n range, when it descends into the
plain of Karm&n (nineteen miles). At an old caravanserai, distant
thirteen miles, the General was met about 12.30 by the istikb&l,
sent out to meet him by the Wakil-ul-Mulk, consisting of from forty
to fifty horsemen commanded by two Colonels, one of whom, Sarhang
AH Agha, spoke French very well, having been educated for three
years at the ficole de St. Cyr, in Paris. A tame boar came out with
the escort, and we were told that it invariably accompanied the horses
when taken out. The Persians allow these wild boars (caught very
young) to live in their stables, where they strike up a great friendship
with the horses. This custom is the more curious, as the pig, being
the uncleancst of animals in a Muhammadan's eyes, would hardly
appear a fit object for admission to the stables, often considered
ft place of great sanctitude : the stables of the Shah and the British
Minister at Tehr&n are, for instance, privileged places where all
criminals can securely take bast or refuge. We were escorted to
the lodging assigned to the General by a great concourse of horsemen
^^^fardshes. On arrival, however, the quarters and general arrange-
inent were found to be so defective that Captain Smith was despatched
to the Persian Commissioner to represent the state of aiSairs. The
^*tter Was found to be in a state of great discomfort and disquietude^
^ his abode was infinitely worse. The Governor, on learning the
"^ferior character of the accommodation provided, directed the Bfigh-i-
•^*8nfit to be placed at our disposal, and sent numerous apologies
^' not having selected it before, on the ground that there were
^ stables available there. Our habitat for the first day and night
^® situated on the east of Karm&n outside the walls, and belonged to
^ chief of police ; but was in a state of wretched repair. The
^^n^H a^ii of the Wakil-ul-Mulk called in the afternoon to ask
RECEPTION AT K ARM AN. 183
after the Generars health, and the whole of the Hindus of the place, ahout forty in number, also came to pay their respects. We entered Karm&n on the last day of the fiist of Ramaz&n.
The next morning we made arrangements to move into the B&gh-i- Nish&t, situated on the other side of the city. A man brought us a large and very fine wild goat as a present, he having shot it the day before in the Juf&r-Kuh, which abounds with these animals. The General, accompanied by Captain Smith, paid a ceremonial visit to the Wakil-ul-Mulk. Our way lay through the heart of the city, which was crowded with masses of people, in their best attire, at all places of vantage, to see the English envoy pass. The bazdrs were filled with fruit, sweetmeats, and such like things, but shops that did not sell eatables were closed in honour of the feast following the expiration of the fast. We found the Governor's house situated inside the ark or citadel — practically a large square, with spacious huts inside the courtyard. The Wakil-ul-Mulk received our chief with great cordiality, and spoke much . concerning his friendship with his father the former Governor : alluding to the occasion of the General's visit in 1866, when he himself was only Colonel of a regiment. His rapid rise in fortune may be principally attributed to influence gained by the notably successful administration of his late father. After sitting for some time we took Sur leave, and proceeded to our new quarters on the opposite side of the city to those we had abandoned. The B&gh-i-Nishdt, one of the nicest residences we had seen in Persia, was built by the present Governor, and is better adapted for summer than winter. The grounds are of great extent, partly laid out for fruit and partly for flowers. In the afternoon, the Naw&b of the Governor came again to see the General, and arranged about his return visit the next day. This gentleman spoke French fluently, and told us he had been seven years in Paris. He seemed to feel keenly his exile in this out-of-the-way part of the world, and longed to get back to Europe.
Our Christmas Day (Sunday) was bright and cold, with frost. We had visits from two Colonels in the morning; but the civility may have been prompted by a desire of consulting Dr. Cumming about their eyesight. .At breakfast time, five large trays of sweet- meats arrived from the Wakil-ul-M61k, as a Christmas present. At one o*clock, the Governor, attended by the Deputy Governor, Persian Commissioner, Chief of Police (an enormously fat man), the French-
184 PERSO-BALUCU MISSION.
speaking Colonel and the Nawfib, paid his return visit. He stayed nearly an hour, during which time the .General presented him with a very handsome pair of gold eye-glasses, at which he was mach pleased. He was also very anxious to consult Dr. Gumming about his eyes. The whole tribe of Hindus came about 6 p. m. to see the General. They said they had been trying ever since the morning to get access to him, but had been beaten away at three of the c^^y gates : eventually, the Wakil-ul-Mulk, hearing of their distress, had given orders for their admittance. These men generally have many complaints, either well or ill founded, to make against the Persian Government, and would naturally try to engage every passing Englishman in their favour ; but General Goldsmid was, of Course, unable to interfere directly in their behalf by any formal or adequate investigation.
On Monday, a very large present of oranges and dates arrived from the Wakil-ul-Mulk, who had forbidden his servants to take any presents in return ; and a deputation of Gabrs, succeeded shortly after by one of Hindus, made its appearance at our quarters. On Tuesday three Persian gentlemen called to see Dr. Gumming, and asked him to treat them for bad eyesight, a complaint which appears to be prevalent in Karm&n. The Wakil-ul-Mulk sent a present of deer that had just been shot, and a quantity of partridges and game, to the General. At two o'clock Captain Smith visited His Excellency^ by desire, to present him with the translation of Malcolm^s ' History of Persia,' done into Persian by order of the Bombay Government, and at the express wish of his late father, the old Wakfl-ul-Mulk, personally communicated to General (then Colonel) Goldsmid. The Governor was exceedingly pleased at the receipt of the book, and expressed his gratification and thanks in the most cordial manner. He read the preface, which set forth the circumstances under which the work had been translated, and said he felt strongly the kind- ness which had recollected and acted upon a wish of his father's expressed so many years 9go. He was further very anxious to know when the second volume would be ready^ and said that, when it was finished, he would have them both printed in Bombay. The book is beautifully written, and illustrated with copies of the engravings which accompany the original work. Captain Smithy on leaving the Governor's^ proceeded to visit the Persian Commissioner, who had quitted his first place of residence, outside the walls^ for one inside
L
SEVERE AND SUMMARY PUNISHMENT. 185
the city, and certainly had not made a change for the better. He stated that he had by yesterday's post received instmctions from the Persian Government to proceed with the settlement of the Balu- chistan frontier, should Sist&n be found impracticable on arrival at Karm&n; and that he was accordingly willing to proceed at once with this mission^ if the General would inform him officially of the impossibility of going to Sist&n. We were told that the hands and ears of two thieves had been cut off on the previous day in the public square^. In the evening a large dinner was provided for the servants of the Mission and those of the Governor employed about our domicile, which was kept up, with music and like accom- paniments, until twelve o'clock.
Little of novelty occurred on Wednesday. The Y&war called on the part of the Wakil-ul-M&lk to tell the General that everything he, the Governor^ possessed was at his disposal. The General called on the Persian Commissioner at his house in the town. There were no chairs, so we had all to sit on the ground. Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n expressed his willingness to accompany us to Baluchistan, on the understanding that the Sist&n matter was impracti(»tble for this year at least. The English mail arrived from Tehr&n,
^ Dr. Cgmming relaies » oariotui story in connexion with thieves. Three men had made an entiy into a Penian's house at IsfiJiin, and, having secured a sufBciency of plunder, were on the point of making their way through a hole in the wall, when the victimised owner woke up, and arrived on the spot just in time to see the last of the party with his body half through the hole. He immediately caught hold of the burglar^s legs, and held on, shouting in the meantime for assistance. The captive's comrades, on their side, tried with might and main to pull him through, but finding their efforts unsuccessful, and being, moreover, afiraid of capture themselves, or recogni- tion should they escape and their comrade be taken, they hastily cut off his head and decamped with it, thus leaving no trace by which they might be known, and doing away with all danger of their friend turning king*s evidence. Bloodshed in any form seems to come natural to Persians. A slave boy in Shir&z, twelve yean of age, shot his master's son, it was supposed by accident. The Governor, however, took a more serious view of the case, and ordered the wretched lad to be crucified. This was ac- cordingly done, the victim being nailed up against the wall in the public square, with iron pegs through his hands and legs, and a stake driven through his back into the wall, to which he had his fiuje turned. It is said that the sufferer actually lived in this position for some hours. At Shiras, also, Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower saw the executioner cut the throats of eleven robbers in one morning. The wretched men stood all in a row, and smdied a kaUdn: the executioner walked up to them one by one, put their heads under his left arm, and cut their throats in much the same way as he would have killed sheep. All the shopkeepers had to pay a fee to the grim oflBcial.
186 PERSO'BALUGU MISSION.
having been brought by one of the servnnis we had sent back from Isfah&n in the incredibly short time of seven days. His report was that he had started on the afternoon of the 20th, and had been sick one day at Yazd. By our route the distance would have exceeded 650 miles; by his it might have been about 6cx). On Thursday we continued our experience of the bright cold mornings of Karm&n. The Nawdb of the Wakil-ul-Miilk called to express his master's willingness to serve the General in any way. He brought with him as presents six or seven very ancient coins. In the afternoon, some of us proceeded to the town to visit the carpet and shawl manufactories. The Governor sent a man as escort from the Bdgh-i-Nish&t, and on arrival at the shawl manufactories, we were shown into a room where there was a variety of sweetmeats and fruits laid out for our acceptance, and where, while enjoying tea and the universal kalidn, the owner of the factory showed us some of the best specimens of shawls manufactured^ beautiful in texture, pattern^ and make. An official of the Governor's household here presented himself, and said he had also been commissioned by His Excellency to take us round the workshops. This tall fine-looking Persian, with splendid black beard, turned out to be the individual who had been appointed mihmdnddr to the General when he and Major Murdoch Smith passed through Earm&n in 1866. He had not known that the English Commissioner of to-day was the Colonel of five years ago, and was delighted when informed of the identity. The factory we were now at was, moreover, the same visited on the former occasion. After tea was finished we proceeded to the workshops, entering by a hole in the wall, just big enough to admit a man but certainly not large enough to pass a chair ; and the first thing that struck us was the utter want of ventilation, there being absolutely no way of purifying the air, which was close and smelt most unwholesome. About sixty or seventy men and boys were seated in three rooms, working at looms placed horizontally before them. Each loom, worked by one man and two small boys, contained the fabric of one shawl. The man^ always an experienced hand^ sits in the middle, and the two boys on either side. They sit so close together that their arms actually interlace, but, nevertheless, their nimble fingers work away with great rapidity. They make the shawls with the right side downwards, so that their eyes can be of very little use in guiding them, and they learn the patterns by heart. Extraordinary as it
THE STORY OF THE SHAWL. 187
seems, these intricate patterns are learnt by heart and rote^ not from painted pictures with long written explanations, but entirely from manuscript. The pattern of a shawl is composed in the same way that another man would compose a piece of poetry, and the workers then learn the pattern by heart. This is certainly most marvellous, and must demand a constant and never-ceasing strain upon the memory. We were informed that it would take a clever lad six months ox more to learn a pattern, but that when once learnt it was never forgotten. Some of the children we saw working there could not have been more than seven or eight years old, and children were by &r the majority of workers. In one of the rooms the shawls in course of manufacture were of a very simple design^ and adapted to beginners; a man was walking up and down reading out the patterns from a dirty and soiled manuscript. But the better shawls have all, as it were, to be learnt by heart. The threads of kurk, or goat's-hair, dyed, are cut in short lengths, and these are woven in by the fingers into the web of the shawl stretched horizontally before the maker. The boys and men sit in holes with their feet under the web, which position brings their arms on a level with the shawl. That the work is unhealthy in the extreme, the pale sallow faces of the men and boys sufficiently testified; but it has also a serious effect in damaging the eyes ; few of those whom we saw but had bleared and weak eyes, and many wore spectacles. The emaciated bodies of the children were especially noticeable and very pitiable, and their arms seemed to be almost withered away, — but there is no 'Factory Act' in Persia. We were informed by the proprietor that the hours allotted to sheer work averaged fourteen a day! A shawl of the best description^ three yards in length, takes about a year to make, and should cost from forty to sixty lumdns (i^i6 or <^24). The men are badly paid, the best workers averaging about i«. a day, and the children about zd. to 4d. It is impossible that, always being in such a position, with the body everlastingly bent over the same work, and the mind as well as fingers constantly strained^ any of these poor creatures can live long. But the manufactures that spring from their nimble fingers are very beautiful. The Karm&nis boast that their shawls are superior to those of Kashmir, to which place they export annually quantities of kuri by way of Bandar-Abbas and Bombay. Kuri is the fine wool found next to the skin of the goat. These shawls
188 PERSO'BALUGH MISSION.
are entirely made from this material. The goats are shorn twice a year, in the spring and autumn. From the shawl manufactory we went some little distance to that of the no less celebrated carpets. These are manufactured in a way reminding one strongly of the gobelin tapestry made at present, or rather before the war, in Paris. The looms are arranged perpendicularly, and the workers sit behind the loom, but in this case, unlike the gobelins, they have the right side of the carpet towards them. The manufacture of carpets differs from that of the shawls also in this particular, that each carpet has a painted pattern, designed and drawn out by the master of the manufactory, which is pinned in the centre of the carpet, and which the workers can consult, if necessary, from time to time. Advantage, however, is rarely taken of this facility of reference, for the boy who sits nearest the pattern reads out in a monotonous voice any information required concerning it. The carpets are made entirely of cotton, woven in by the fingers into the upright web. Their manufacture is tedious and costly in the extreme, but they are beautifully soft and durable. The work is constantly hammered close together by a wooden hammer every few stitches. The man whose manufactory we visited was said to be without a rival in Persia, either for beauty of design or excellence of manufacture. We saw a beautiful carpet that he was making for the sacred shrine at Mash-had, which was to cost 500 tumdnSy or <^200, being eleven yards long by about two and a half broad ; than which nothing could be more beautiful. But its manu- facture would take at least two years from the commencement. The boys and men here did not look so unhealthy as in the shawl workshops. We were entertained here with the usual sweetmeats, fruits, and sharlaty laid out on a most beautiful rug that had just come from one of the looms. The doctor having left us to advise the Wakil-ul-Mulk on the subject of his eyes, we went straight home through the bazdrs. These are lofty and well built, owing their existence, as indeed do all the improvements in this town, to the energy of the late Governor ; before whose promotion to high local administra- tive functions Karmfin was, by all accounts, a wretched place. We noted that a great part of the city was in ruins; but the high wall by which it was surrounded, with its six large gates and flanking towers at regular intervals, gave it an air of neatness and solidity.
On Friday we were busy the whole day preparing the despatch of a Tehr&n courier. In the evening the Persian Commissioner, with
PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 189
the Naw&b and the Colonel, Ali Agha, who had headed the istikhdl^ dined with the General. The conversation was carried on entirely in French, as these gentlemen had been in Europe, the two last having been chiefly educated in Paris. The next day, Saturday, the last day in the year. Captain Smith visited the Persian Commis- sioner, to ascertain what were his precise intentions as to future move- ments. Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n, evidently in g^eat fear of the responsi- bility to be incurred by proceeding directly to Baluchist&n, finally consented to go there, if informed in writing that the move to Sist&n was impracticable.
On New Year's Day, the Naw&b of the Wakil-ul-Mulk called in the morning with his verbal congratulations; and also brought some handsome presents from the Governor, consisting of a carpet and namad (felt) (worth about £66) for the General, a rug for Captain Smith, and a shawl for Dr^Cumming. The two former it was decided to send off at once to the India Office in England. After breakfast Captain Smith called on the Persian Commissioner, and announced to him the General's intention to march from Karm4n on Wednesday at latest. He promised to be ready. The General received a letter from Sir W. Merewether in Sind, dated the 29th November, which had been brought up from Bandar-Abbas by the Wakil-uI-Mulk's kdsidy or messenger.
The day following, the Y&war called early to inform the General that he had been ordered to accompany him all the way to Bampur, and that he wanted leave to meet him at R&yin, three stages on the way, as he was going to visit his family residing there. Per- mission was of course given. At 3 p.m. the General, attended by Captain Smith, Dr. Cumming, and Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower, called on the Wakil-ul-Mulk to bid him good-bye. Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n was in attendance, as were the usual members of the Governor's suite. We were received very cordially, and the appearance of special refreshments prolonged the visit; but the ices were somewhat cold fare for a winter's afternoon. After the visit was over, the General returned to the B&gh-i-Nish&t, while Captain Smith, Dr. Cumming, and Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower proceeded to the caravanserai in the city, which the Hindu traders are allowed to rent from the tnu^htahid at 120 tumdns per annum. It is a wretchedly dirty place, opexxing off one of the bazdrs^ crowded for the occasion ; and throngs of people, principally women, blocked the entrance the whole time
190 PERSO'BALUCn MISSION.
that wo remained there. A more public visit was probably never paid ; for our chairs were placed on a platform which runs outside and over the lower row of shops, and we had to sit here exposed to the full g^e of the population of the bazars for a quarter of an hour, eating sweetmeats and otherwise engaged in scarcely dignified pursuits. One of the Hindus had been in Persia for thirty-five years, and another for twelve years ; being unable to leave, so they informed us, on account of the bad debts they could not recover. Among them were agents for Shikarpur merchants, who generally remain about five years at a time. There were also eight /akirs^ professedly on the point of starting for the fires at B&ku, on the Caspian, a long and perilous journey amiid a Muhammadan population. These Hindus would much like to have a British Consul at Karmfin, whose presence would, no doubt^ do much to encourage trade and commerce ^dth India. Tbey had asked General Goldsmid to pay them a personal visit at the caravanserai, in order that their social status might be enhanced in the eyes of the Muhammadans; but the officers of his suite^ to whom the whole scene was comparatively new, had gone in his steady and met with a warm reception. They showed us a little dirty room in the caravanserai, where they said a European, who could neither talk Hindast&ni or Persian, had stayed for a fortnight about six or seven years before ; and we were unable to determine who this might be^. We learnt that the Karmin. shawls of the finer sort, made of kuri, were not in g^eat demand for exportation, they being principally made to order. Great quan- tities of the inferior kinds, however, made of lamb's-wool, were sent to the Turkish market. They paid a duty at every provincial town on the caravan route, and again an impost duty on the Turkish frontier. The local duty on the superior shawls was five per cent.
^ When I was at Kann&n in January, 1866, Muhammad Isma*!! Khdn, the &Uier of the present Govemor, then Minister to the nominal GrOTemor, a prince of the blood royal, told me that about fifteen years previously, a strange traveller, ostensibly an Englishman, had taken up his quarters at a summer-house belonging to himself. Some boys had assailed him there, probably with intent to dislodge him, and after a time he had been brought before the Minister. Finding the latter engaged in a question of carpets, he took an opportunity of entering into the conversation, asserting that the manufiustures of Karm&n were worth more money than the amounts commonly put upon them. Eventually, he got some carpets from the Khi&n, on the understanding that they were to be disposed of to the best advantage, and for a certain considerar tion ; but after the stranger had departed, nothing further had been heard of him. —
k
STATISTICS OF HARM AN. 191
The colours, bright when new, were very liable to fade if much exposed to the sun, especially yellow, green, and blue : the material, unlike Kashmir, shrinking slightly on being wet.
On Tuesday, the 3rd January, the Nawib of the Governor came to breakfast ; and shortly after the Persian Commissioner called on the General and sat for a long time. His visit was very satisfactory, as he made no further difficulties about starting, and arranged to accompany us on the Thursday. In the afternoon the General sent the ndrakhof with two very handsome presents to the Wakil-ul-Mulk, with which he was greatly pleased — an enamelled Paris opera-glass, and some beautiful silk for covering furniture. He also gave the Naw&b a silver watch. Dr. Cumming's reputation had become a fait accompli in Karm&n ; he had numerous patients every day, especially women. The people asked him to do strange things, and apparently thought he could work miracles.
On the 4th, Colonel Ali Agha and the Naw&b called to pay a farewell visit on the part of the Wakfl-ul-Mulk in the afternoon, and to convey his reiterated thanks for the presents sent him yester- day. The Hindus also called again. Large douceurs were issued to those servants of the Governor who had been detached for employ- ment with the Mission during its stay in Karm&n. Our old /ardUAes were also dismissed; new ones, carefully chosen by the Wakil-ul- Mulk, being sent to supply their places. Earm&n was reputed to contain 40,cx)0 inhabitants: 40 Hindus; Gabrs, 180; Jews, 50: to possess Aammdms, 32; caravanserais, 28, i.e. 12 for trade, and 16 for travellers; shawl manufactories, 120; cotton manufactories, 80; carpet manufactories, really good, 6. The revenue was stated at about 310,000 tumdns, Of ^124^000.
After a detention of nearly a fortnight, not wholly profitless if somewhat wearisome, we left Karm&n on the morning of the 5th January; skirting the city walls up to the gate opposite the side by which we had entered. Our road passed through several miles of ruins and beside the Kala'h Dukhtar, or Virgin Fort, a high hill about two miles from Karm&n, evidently strongly fortified in former times, but of late years in ruins. There were marks of a covered way that must have led to the outskirts of the city from the fort. On clearing the ruined suburbs the road ran over a sandy desert, much cut up and scored with old kandUy until at about twenty-one miles distance from Karm&n it rose to the village
^'^- PERSO'BALUCII MISSION.
of Mflifin, visible long before it was reached, lying on the sloping ground which bounded the view in front, and surrounded with most extensive gardens. The blue dome of the shrine stood out a conspicuous and eflTectual landmark. At about half way was a small mud caravanserai, where good water could be obtained. The Kuh-i-Jufdr, to the right of the road, formed a beautiful object in the landscape. The village of Jufdr itself might be just discerned lying at the end of the spur which terminated the hill to the west. At about five miles from Mihun we were met by a ' Yiwar/ with three gentlemen in scarlet, who had come out to meet the iJonoral ; and as we entered the village we were received by some more funUhei : finally, at the entrance to the shrine, we found a guanl of honour, drawn up in full dress, consisting of some twenty or thirty men. The whole village turned out to see us pass, and every advantageous place for beholders was occupied by staring crowds, amid which women decidedly had the preponderance. The shrine here is a famous one ; it contains the body of Shah Nidmat Ullah, a great saint or prophet of Indian extraction, who flourished in the lourteenth century, and is credited with much influence in bringing about the Indian mutiny, owing to his prophecy that the English power in India would be extinguished in 1857. Numerous devotees irom all parts of the world flock to his tomb, and we saw several pl« there, entirely of Indian origin. The shrine, which lies ^ the left of the road, is very picturesque, with its large and *>cautiful cAindr trees, in the midst of which the blue dome appears. ^^ the opposite side of the road we observed a superior sort of ^■^avanserai or dwelling-house, provided by the Wakil-ul-Mulk, 'or the use of travellers. This building occupied three sides of a ■^^are, facing towards the shrine, with which it was connected by two graceful arches that bridged the road. It contained a very pretty garden, which should be beautiful in summer, with a broad ■tream of the purest watfer running through it. We found the ■nrine somewhat out of repair. The remains of the Shah lay Underneath the dome in a large marble grave covered with irdns» ^ ^>eautiful carpet adorned the floor of the room. Almost all the sovereigns of Persia had lent their assistance in beautifying •J^d- enriching the shrine from time to time, and the record of "®*^ good deeds was emblazoned on the walls. The garden sur* funding was supplied with plenty of pure water — a most fortunate
VILLAGE OF RATIN. 193
circumstance for travellers. Indeed the village abounded with purling streams and beautiful trees. The two darviskes who showed us over the shrine were singularly intelligent and free from fanaticism; they did not even request us to take off our boots^ though of course we did not enter the sacred precincts where the remains of the prophet lay. Both these men well remembered the General's former visit in 1866, with Major Murdoch Smith, and were very glad to see him again. M&hun struck us as a particularly pleasant place, a good summer residence for the inhabitants of Karm&n. The popula- tion of Mdhun was estimated at about 50CX) inhabitants ; it had four hammdma.
Leaving a charming apartment which had been placed at our disposal under orders from Karm&n, we marched after breakfast, at about 10 a.m. ; having first paid a visit to the shrine of Mdhun. The road ran over a pebbly desert, with camel-thorn, gpradually ascending in a southerly direction till it entered the hills, when it followed the line of a watercourse till arrival at Hdnakah (sixteen miles), a single caravanserai, built seven or eight years before by the deceased Wakil-ul-Mulk. There was a brick-kiln here for making kandt pipes. In the rainy season the country about was said to abound with small game. The hills were covered with stones and the universal camel-thorn. Water was here good and abundant.
On the morning of the 7th, the Persian Commissioner started before us. We had shared the caravanserai together on the previous night. The road ran between hills until it reached a stone stable very strongly built, called Kala'h Shur, where we breakfasted, nine miles from H&nakah. At this point a strong and most unpleasant wind arose, which continued to blow with g^eat force until we arrived at R&yin. About four miles from Kala'h Shur the road had attained its highest point, and then we began to descend. Here we first got a sight of the beautiftil snowy ranges of Sarvistan and Deh Bakri, with the lofty Kuh-i-Shah. Ailer descending for some seven miles, over very stony ground and through a most desolate country, we made a detour to the right, and followed a course due south-west, for four miles across a barren plain, over which a strong wind blew, to the large village of R&yin, situated on the sloping ground bounding the right of the level tract. Here we were received by an istikbdl of the inhabitants, and conducted, amid crowds of curious villagers, to a comfortable and spacious house on the higher
VOL. I. o
194 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION,
ground. The road we had traversed was not the usual road from Karmdn in summer. There was another much more direct and shorter, which joined the Karm&n road at Mdhun^ but being impass- able in winter, ours was considered preferable. Rdym could boast about 6000 inhabitants, a census having been taken in recent years. There were some beautiful chhidr trees in the village ; and the water was good and plentiful.
The weather had become perceptibly warmer; but the days were cloudy. For the first fifteen miles after leaving B&yin we marched over a stony desert, with occasional cultivation, and covered with camel-thorn, at right angles to the road by which we had approached our stage on the previous day. Then, instead of going straight into Sarvistan, it made a further detour at right angles to the left, and fol- lowed this course for seventeen miles ; forming three sides of a square, of which the fourth would have been the direct line from H&nakah to Khdtunabad, had we followed that route. This distance of seventeen miles was for the greater part between the bands of a high and rocky ravine, along the bed of a river, no doubt high enough in rainy weather, but when we passed very sandy and stony. The course was winding in the extreme, and the march was especially tedious. Such water as there was in the pools in the bed of the river was very salt. No game was to be seen. The road then made another detour at right angles to the right, and leaving the bed of the river, which still ran parallel with it, continued for two miles over a richly-watered and well-cultivated plain to the small village of Kh&tunabad, or Khdnah-Khdtun, situated at the foot of a long and sombre black rock. There was another road from Rfiyin joining this road at its last detour y and used when the river was full, but which was much longer. The reason of this one being used in preference to the more direct one from Hdnakah and to Sarvistan was explained to be the utter desolation of the country in the latter case. We were received at Khdnah-Khdtun by the usual istikhdl of the inhabitants, and found quarters in a very large and spacious mud caravanserai, built by the late Wakil-ul-Mulk^ where the Conmiissioner also found accommodation. The water here was very good.
About two miles after departure from Kh&nah-Kh&tun we saw a village to the right, apparently overhanging the bed of the river which gives the name of Tahrud to the cluster of villages lying
FORT OF AWARIK. 195
in this small district \ We soon entered a passage between hills following the course of a winding and clear stream for about three miles, when the road forked — the right branch leading to the ancient fort of Awdrik^ and the left debouching^ afler a short distance, on an extensive plain^ covered with low tamarisk, and very stony, which apparently stretched in front up to the walls of Bam. To the right, built on a slight eminence about two miles from the road^ the ancient fort of Aw&rik, though in ruins^ presented a still remarkable construction. Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower rode off to inspect it; and came back in about two hours with the intelligence that the whole of the inhabitants living in the village below had turned out en masse to receive him at their stronghold. This building had not, it was stated, been inhabited since the commencement of the reig^ of the present Shah, having been deserted on account of the difficulty of transporting water to that height. Originally built, as were the whole of the similar group of forts in this district, for protection against the inroads of the Baluchis, there had not been a chajpdo for sixty years. It is believed that the fort of Bam is the only one in the locality kept in a state of repair ; and this state of things g^ves strong evidence of the present tranquillity of the district. Quarter^- master-Sergeant Bower succeeded in getting two or three relics dug up from the ruins ; a plate, a lamp, and an old silver coin^ said to be 631 years old. There is no doubt that this fort is of great antiquity. Further away to the right front of Awarik lies the caravanserai of Sar- vistan, situated on much higher gfround, formed by the slope of the hills that bound the plain in that direction. At Darzin (twenty-five miles), where we arrived at 3 p.m., a new village was in course of erection, in the form of a square, with all the rooms facing inwards : two of these had been prepared for our reception. The caravanserai, a small mud one, was in a dilapidated state, but our horses found good quarters in it. The water here was abundant and good. Darzin had a ruined fort, similar to that of Aw&rik.
Hence the road traversed a partially cultivated and uneven plain, and at about eight miles crossed the bed of the Bam river, on the left bank of which, a mile further on, was the large village of Bahdiran, built of low houses with dome-shaped roofs; on the left bank, opposite to the village, was the caravanserai and settlement
^ Tah-nid clearly means the bottom of the riyer-bed. — F, J, 0,
O %
196 PERSO-BALUCII MISSION.
of Kwojah-Askir, where we breakfasted. This place was surrounded by date-palms, and near it, in the bed of the river, a marsh of high green flags reminded one strongly of India. The Persian Commissioner here joined forces with us, and we rode into Bam together. About five miles from the town we were met by the usual iatikbdl^ headed by the Deputy Governor, Ydwar Suliman Khan, who was waiting on foot to receive the General, of whom he is an old acquaintance. He escorted him into the town (seventeen miles), where we found quaiiiers prepared for us in a new and partially finished house in course of construction for the famous Ibrahim Kh&n, who had gone to Bampur to await our arrival at that place. Bam at first sight is very like an Indian town. It covers a large space of ground, is very straggling, has large gardens, and there are no walls to mark a limit. The river appears to run through the centre of the town, or rather the centre of the houses and their adjoining gardens. The bazar is miserably small and insignificant, but the population seems fairly intelligent and well to do. The Com- missioner called on the General in the evening, and arrangements were made for departure on the Thursday, if possible.
A letter received from the Persian Commissioner the next morning caused a change in the plans formed by the General, who had purposed detaching Dr. Cumming and Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower from Bam to the sea coast at Bandar-Abbas. Ma'sum Kh&n now notified his intentions of bringing to Bampur the whole of his establishment, consisting of twenty servants, nineteen horses, nine mules, and fifteen camels. After some conversation with the N&ib-ul-Hukumat, Suliman Kh&n, who called in the morning, and an interview between Captain Smith and the Persian Commissioner, we were rejoiced to find that there would be no real diflSculty in procuring camels. Finally, there- fore, it was decided that the whole camp should move on to Bampur^ merely leaving the mirakhor here with fifteen horses, three tents, and the necessary establishment, as originally contemplated. Three of our servants, considered superfluous, were to be dismissed, and our marchipg strength was to be the General and three Staff, twenty- three servants, ten horses, and forty-five camels. We had at once to take provisions for fifteen days for selves and servants ; and grain for the animals was to be laid in at Began, the frontier station of the desert, for nine days. The year was one of unusual drought and scarcity : and there were at Bam 500 camels waiting to proceed
NO ADMITTANCE TO FRONTIER FORT 197
to Karm&n with grain. We learnt to-day that there were only thirteen marches from here to Sekuha in Sist&n, of which two were on our road to Bampiir. So that there would he little more trouble in organising an expedition to that quarter from this station, than there had been in making the arrangements for the Bampur march.
Owing to failure in the supply of camels we were detained at Bam for two days longer; and it became necessary to modify our respective marching arrangements by the substitution of twelve mules for ten camels. Our disappointment was gfreat at being refused admittance to the . fort, the only object in Bam worth inspecting ^.
On the morning of the loth January we left Bam. After getting clear of the town, the Persian Commissioner, accompanied by the Deputy Governor Suliman Khdn, who was to accompany us to Began, joined our cavalcade. The former told the General that he had received a letter from the Governor of Kdin, telling him that the commencement of the Sist&n arbitration was anxiously expected there ; as a firman had been received from the Shah, ordering the Persian authorities to remain perfectly quiescent and in st^tu quo until the arrival of the English Envoy. He further wished the General to telegraph to the Viceroy, asking him to restrain the Afgh&n autho- rities in like manner from taking any active steps on the frontier. The road at three miles from Bam passed through two large cultivated patches of ground, with houses and date-trees on each side of the road, and then crossed a perfectly flat plain till within a mile and a half of Wakilabad, a village fostered under the auspices of the Wakil-ul-Mulk. The whole way it ran parallel with a bright, clear, and swift running stream, the banks of which were fringed with low tamarisk and thorn bushes. Near Wakilabad, it entered a low jungle with tamarigk-trees. Thence it traversed a country with plenty of low jungle, tamarisk-trees of a considerable growth, abundance of water, and constant cultivation, but very sparsely populated ; a happy contrast and in general a great relief to the poor, dry, and stony districts of Persia. At two miles from Azizab&d (^28 miles) a deep descent led to the passage of the rud-kMna, about 100 yards broad,
^ The Deputy Governor said he was unable to give the required permission without an order from the Wakil-ul-Miilk at Karm&n. On the occasion of my semi-official visit, when alone in 1866, this order had been spontaneously given to me, and I had been admitted to the interior of the fort and received most courteously by its Com- mandant.— F. J. G.
198 PERSO-BALUCn MISSION.
choked with rushes, and with about four or five feet of water, evidently abounding in wild fowl and pig. At our camping-ground was a small caravanserai or storehouse, but we slept in tents.
The next morning was unexpectedly cold, contrary to our precon- coived notions of the Garmsir, or warm region we had reached ; but the natives said this was the effect of the strong northerly wind blowing; throughout the previous day and night. Our march was doi'idedly the most pleasant, so far as the country was concerned, that wo hail experienced since leaving Tehrin. At two miles from the enoamping^rvHrnd. the road entered a belt of low jungle, which wntiuucd to Burj-i-Mahaz ^ii miles). This jungle was well supplied with nmning streams, and thickly studded with well-grown and Uivuliarly graceful tamarisk-trees, whose shade was most refreshing. The s^nl was ven' sandy, and the travelling consequently somewhat hiNivy. There should be quantities of small game here. Burj-i- MiihAx. a small village situated on the borders of the jungle^ is pn»lmbly 80 i^alled from the existence of a mud tower {burj) in the ivntn* of the village. Dr. Gumming recounted some strange anec- tlot^'H of the 34 patients he used daily to doctor at Bam. They had nothing in which to carry away their lotions and lineaments^ and iHMUg told to procure some sort of vessel, many of them brought dinlu^t some broken bottles, some kalians^ and some actually pieces of brick and old tiles. The weather was beautifully mild, and the sun vory hot directly it bad fairly risen.
Inuuediately after leaving Burj-i-Mah&z^ the road descended a hill rovt^rtnl with palm-trees on to a stony plain, after crossing which for about eight miles the country changed, and the same description of low jungle was entered as that through which we had passed on the pntviouB day; when the track became sandy and heavy. Some of " iho Haliiohfs who formed part of the escort amused themselves and wnk by galloping all over the plain^ firing their g^uns and performing varioUN (*<iuo8trian feats. Regan (19 miles) appeared to be a village (if Noinu twonty or thirty houses, of which the inhabitants were very poor. Thti women did not wear veils, and dressed in long blue cotton (fownn, iKwmingly their only garment. They were all singularly plain. The N&ib Suliman Kh&n informed us that this village was ilrmwlfully hot in summer, and much infested with scorpions. It is vlnlbly and unmistakably dirty. Some ruins we had passed just linforo ontering Regan were the remains of the old village, deserted
SEVEN DAYS* WIND, 199
on account of the scorpions, by order of the late Wakil-ul-Mulk, who built the fort here, a large walled mud enclosure^ with one or two dwelling-places inside its walls. The camp was pitched near a running stream a little way from the village, with plenty of low jungle in the rear. Our horses found shelter inside the fort. Grame was reported very plentiful in this neighbourhood, but two of the Mission who went out shooting saw nothing but a single partridge. Most of the inhabitants seemed to be engaged in dyeing. There was abundance of good water.
We halted at Regan on the 17th, in order to complete our prepara- tions for crossing the Bampiir desert, a nine days' journey, during which we could obtain nothing on the road either for men or horses. The wind on the previous night had risen to a perfect gale, blowing down two of our tents and trying severely the stability of the remainder. In the morning the storm had increased, and continued with great violence until close on sunset, when it abated, and our camels were able to start. We learned that Ibrahim Kh&n had sent a letter to the Ndib Suliman Kh&n, directing him to find out and refund the whole of the expenses to which the General and Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n had been put to since arrival at Darzin, when they entered his government. This offer of repayment of course the General was obliged to decline.
The story that the wind blows hard in these parts for seven consecutive days might well have been true, for we set off on our journey hence with a stiff breeze, which increased during the day, and blew with considerable force in the afternoon. Ndib Suliman Kh&n came to take leave of the General before the latter had left his quarters. We had been much troubled with cockroaches during the night, a significant illustration of the change of climate. After leaving Regan, the road ran for about eight miles through a con- tinuation of the same low jungle that we had passed on our march into the place, skirting a village with mud fort on the left. It then emerged into a very spacious and stony plain, covered with camel- thorn, crossing which at about 1 7 miles from Regan, it entered the chain of hills separating the Narmashir plains from Baluchist&n. Four miles further was the stage of Ab-i-garm, so called from the existence there of a large spring of very pure water, quite hot, which issued from the side of the hill to the right of the road. All around and on the top of the hill was a marsh, of which the water was salt and cold. The
200 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION.
water of the Ab-i-garm, though smelling strongly of sulphur, was sweet and tasteless when cool. Numbers of little fishes were observed in the pool immediately below the source of the spring, of which Dr. Cumming conjectured the temperature would be about 70 degrees. The natives bathed in this water, which they said was very good for skin diseases. Our camp was pitched in a valley between the hills, marshy, and covered with tall yellow reeds. The higher ground was very stony. There had evidently been much recent rain in these hills^ for, two hours after our arrival in camp, a r&d-hhdna we had crossed on entering the hills was so swollen by torrents of water from the moun- tains, that we were obliged to send back guides and animals to help over some of our mules detained on the other side. The rain com- menced in earnest in the evening, and at one time it was thought the Mission would have had to halt, but in communication with the Persian Commissioner it was decided to continue the march on the next morning, if possible.
We did march, as intended, but, contrary to our usual practice, not until 10 A.M., after breakfast. There had been violent wind the whole of the night, accompanied by heavy rain, but the weather had broken towards daybreak, and the camels were enabled to get oflF about 5 A.M. Fortunately the stage was a short one ; for the clayey soil of the camping-ground at Ab-i-garm did not easily absorb the rain- water. In the morning a jambdz sowar (camel-rider) came in from Began, bringing a packet with letters and papers from Major Ross and Captain Lovett, and a complimentary letter of welcome from Ibrahim Kh&n. The kdsid had left Gw&dar on the 26th December. On leaving Ab-i-garm, we ascended a very stony path on the hill- side to the right ; after which we descended to the valley, following it until we reached our camping-ground at Chdhi Kambar (10 miles) in an open space between the hills. We passed several impromptu streams with the water up to our horses' girths, occasioned by the rush of water from the heights. The afternoon was fine, but it commenced to rain heavily at sunset. The Commissioner, who had pitched his camp about 2CX) yards to our right, was divided from us suddenly by a regular river, which came down from the hills in front, several feet deep, and flowing with great force. We were unable to trace the well from which the place probably took its name in former times ; and though water was generally to be found, the rain answered our purpose.
LEGEND OF FARUAD, 201
A stormy night with constant rain stopped our progress, and compelled us to halt on the 2oth. The Commissioner despatched a jamldz sowar to Ibrahim Khdn at Bampur, requesting him to send out provisions three stages, in case we should be further detained by stress of weather. The river dividing our respective camps was so high as to be up to the horses' girths, when Captain Smith crossed on horseback. The rain continued all day, but towards evening slightly decreased, and the wind showed signs of shifting to the southward.
At sunrise the sky was quite clear. The wind had changed and blown away all the rain. Our camel train got off at about 6 a.m. The road aftier leaving Chdhi Kambar followed the course of the valley for about six miles, when it turned sharply to the left round a comer of the hills, and emerged on the plain of Saif-u-Din, where Colonel Goldsmid had halted in 1 866 : this plain, impassable after continued wet weather, it crossed for about four miles, in an easterly direction, till it reached the foot of the Saif-u-Din pass. We moved over it with difficulty, for the ground was so soft and jrielding that the camels constantly lost, and could not readily regain, their footing. The pass of Saif-u-Din is about 7CX) or 8oo feet high, and is steep, stony, and rugged, but too short to be very difficult. From the summit a really magnificent view is obtained of the fine snowy range of the Dch Bakri hills, lying So miles away behind Regan. Our descent on the other side was very gradual, and led to a plain which must lie higher than the valley we had just left. In the centre of this hill-surrounded plain was an extensive lake of rain-water, of some depth and mud-coloured; skirting which for five miles, the road brought us to our camping-ground, Dag-i-Farhdd, on the opposite border. We were told that water was procurable here till the Nauroz ((2 1st March). The natives relate that the famous Farh&d gave one puff with his breath which threw up the stones on the sides of the neighbouring hills so as to form a bed for the lake. All around, on high or low ground, were sharp black splinters of rock.
The next was a bright morning, and we marched early. But the cold was excessive, owing to the north wind which continued to blow with great violence. Thirteen of the camels were unable to move from cramp, until the sun rose, and one was reported to have died during the night. The road, six miles after leaving our camp, crossed the range of hills which marked the limit of the Narmashir district and our entrance into Bampur. It then passed over a stony and
;v: PEHSO'BALUCII MISSION,
Xk\<^l \k^)Ute oountiy, windings in and out among the hills until it ritichtxl (lirSn Reg, the river of which name it crossed and recrossed. Tho dvono of desolation presented by the high rocky mountains and )Hir\^ hluok rocks of Gir&n Reg is not easily imagined or described. A vorv n»nmrkable mountain, with perfectly flat top, called the Takkt- i-.V</«///', came in view just before we had met the river; and we had to pai«8 to the further side of this by a circuitous route to find our onouinpmcDt at Sar-i-N£r&n (19 miles)^ situated on the banks of a broiul rHd'khdnah of unknown name. The ground selected was confined and very stony; in fact, the whole passage of these hills is difficult, from the large quantity of rugged stones with which the path is beset, to say nothing of stiff bits of ascent and descent. Just before diverging from the course of the Girfin Reg river, the General re- ceived a report that a Baluchi wounded in a recent aSray with some other Baluchis, was lying in the bed of the river. He rode back with Dr. Cumming to see the wounded man, and found him not far distant^ with his leg badly broken above the ankle, by the blow of a heavy stone. In explanation of the affair^ it was related that four of Il)rahim Khdn's relatives, returning to Bam from Bampur^ had fallen in with a party of Baluch shepherds, who had refused to comply with their request to sell or provide them with a sheep ; and that a quarrel had ensued, during which one of the four had got his leg completely smashed. Dr. Gumming^ on examining the leg, found it had been primitively but fairly set in splints by the patient's comrades ; but the man was in much pain, and the General had him brought into camp. His leg was afterwards reset and bandaged; and it was decided to take him on with us to Bampur, so that he might have the advantage of good medical advice and attendance until arrival at that place. The patient and his associates had a peculiarly Negro- liko cast of countenance. The bed of the Girfin Reg river was plentifully fringed with well-grown tamarisks and date reeds^ and had a considerable amount of pure and sweet water in deep pools. On this march we first observed signs of spring ; as crocuses adorned each side of the road, and vegetation was so far advanced that a pecu- liar sort of prickly heath, yellow and pink, was in full flower. We observed many specimens of the wild oleander; an intensely bitter plant, said to be fatal both to horses and camels, who sometimes bite a piece of it unintentionally^ when grazing. The water at oar cncamping-ground was very brackish.
TUE PLAIN OF BAM PUR, 203
Tho following day the weather was less eold^ but a strong wind was blowing, and had continued to blow all night. The road passed over the same rock-strewn and desolate country as before, and through barren hills of most fantastic shapes and strange colours. At eight miles from Sar-i-Ndrfin it reached the bed of another river, probably the Girdn Bega, and followed its course for five miles, emerging at last, through a somewhat difficult passage between high rocks, with very deep pools of water, on to a more open country. This pass, quite practicable in dry weather, was rendered difficult by the depth of the water in the pools, which rendered it necessary for us to dis- mount and scramble with our horses over the rocks at the side, the baggage animals having to make a long and difficult detour. After surmounting it and leaving the bed of the river above-mentioned on our right, a succession of ascents and descents over very rocky and utterly desolate country brought us to the outlet of the hills on the Bampur side, and on to a wide plain with tamarisk and oleander, through which ran the rUd^khdnah of Khusrin. Crossing the plain for four miles, we arrived at our camping-ground (24 miles) to the right of the road, and at some distance from the water in the river- bed. Our mules and camels did not come up till late in the evening, the men declaring that the road by which they had come was a distance of nine farsakhs. The breakfast things did not arrive till 3 P.M., and we were glad to get some bread from the soldiers who had accompanied the camp in advance. The wind was still strong, but showed signs of decrease. Grouse, bustard, and partridge were observed in the rushes near the bed of the rud-khdnah. Sweet water was obtainable at a quarter of a mile distance.
From Khusnn our route was across a river-bed ; whence, making a slight ascent on to a very flat and stony plain, we gradually descended to the rud'khdnah of Sol, at seven miles distance. A slight but con- tinued descent over a series of plains, more or less covered with stones, and divided from each other by dry beds of watercourses, led to the vast and extensive plain of Bampur. For some distance the vegetation was sparse and scanty, but at fifteen miles the road entered a belt of jungle, principally consisting of wild caper and thorn. Five miles further we were at the camping-ground of Laddi, about a quarter of a mile to the right of the road, where our tents were pitched on a sandy soil covered with saline efflorescence. There were two wells here, both brackish, but the water of one was much better than that of the other.
204 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION.
The weather had become quite warm, the wind having dropped during the night. The top of the snow-covered hill of Bdsmdn came into view about lO miles from Khusrin, from behind the hills skirting the left of the road, and bearing 40° from Laddi ; and on looking back, the snowy summit of the Shah Koh hill was distinctly visible. To the right, the Bashkird hills appeared to bound the plain in an E. to W. direction. Our marching force was increased by the Baluchis who had wounded the sick soldier brought into camp. The Sultdn had sent his 8arbdz for these men that they might appear before Ibrahim Khdn, at Bampur, and they were secured on the previous night. They were very dark, with a Jewish cast of countenance, and woolly hair. Two or three pigs were observed in the jungle as we rode along.
The next morning was bright and cold until the sun rose, when the day became very warm. From Laddi to Kalanzio (9 miles only) the road ran through the same low jungle as it had before entered. Five miles from Laddi the soil became much more sandy, and many thick tamarisk-groves were seen, as also some very fine specimens of the wild caper, which grows in these parts to a great size. One of the ghuldms shot a fine grey fox by the roadside. Our camp was pitched on a beautiful piece of open ground covered with low brushwood, to the left of the road, with a fine view of the B&mdn Hill bearing 30*^, at about 45 miles distance. We found a party of men here sent out from Regan and Bampur, engaged in digging kandis^ as the Wakil- ul-Mulk intended constructing a village in the locality, the soil being very favourable to cultivation. The men had built rude huts of mud and tamarisk, and seemed very comfortable.
The morning was cool, and we had a pleasant breeze, on starting for Chdh-i-Shur (23 miles). The fliat country was monotonous ; but the jungle gradually lost its character of density, and the soil became heavy and sandy. At 13 miles we halted and breakfasted under the shade of a grove of thorn-trees. On arrival at Chdh-i-Shur— or the * brackish well,' a not inappropriate name — w^e found that no messenger had come out from Bampur, and, as we had expected a supply of provender for our horses, the situation was somewhat disappointing. The Mirza of the Commissioner called in the evening to say that inti- mation had been received that a number of Baluch chiefs would receive the General to-morrow on his entrance into Kuch Girdan, and requested his instructions as to dress. We further heard that the wandering tribes of shepherds, generally encamped in the neighbour-
A PARTY FROM KALAT, 205
hood of the road we were travelling, had all removed themselves and flocks to a distance^ to be out of reach of the numerous camp-followers and Persian authorities accompanying us.
Our camp was ready to start at 5.30 a.m., but as it did not get light until 6.10 A.M. by our watches (which, even if wrong, served to guide us), we somewhat delayed actual departure. The country and road presented little change, with the exception that the soil was more sandy, and the tamarisk-tree much more abundant, growing in large clumps. The sunrise was most beautiful. The morning was somewhat cold, but it was very hot at mid-day. We halted and breakfasted at 18 miles, under a grove of tamarisk-trees. Five miles further on we found the Persian Commissioner and suite waiting for US, in expectation of the reception by the BaMch chiefs, who, how- ever, did not appear. At two miles from Kuch Girdan (26 miles) we were met by a messenger from Ibrahim Khdn, with a letter for Mirza Ma'sum Khdn, saying that he himself and a number of Baluch chiefs were waiting to receive the General at Bampur. We found our camp pitched near a quantity of cultivated land, with the wheat well above the soil, which was irrigated by the water of the Bampdr river. We sighted this rucUkhdnah at about eight miles distance from camp on the right of the road. The water was sweet and good. That near our camp was flowing in artificial channels. Ibrahim Khdn had sent out two led horses to meet the General and Persian Commissioner about two miles from Kuch Girdan, and, on arrival in camp, we found that some sheep, a deer, and forage had also been sent for the General's acceptance. Heard that Major Ross was at Kasrkand on the Jl3rd, on his way to meet us at Bampur. In the evening the General, attended by Captain Smith, called on the Persian Commis- sioner, when it was arranged, by express desire of the latter, that we should make our entry into Bampur in full dress, as all the Baluch chiefs would be coming out to meet us.
During the night a messenger arrived with letters and papers from Major Ross, Major Harrison, and Captain Lovett. By these it appeared that, contrary to the General's first instructions, the whole of these officers were on their way to join the Mission at Bampur, Captain Harrison being in attendance on the ILaldt delegate. Fakir Muhammad Kh&n, with whom also were Darogha Ata Muhammad and the Chief of Tump. Sir Henry Durand's sad death was commu- nicated to us by this opportunity. The General and Staff left the
206 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION.
camp in full dress, but half an hour after starting the rain commenced, and fell more and more heavily as the day wore on. At about six miles from Kuch Girdan we came again upon the Bampur river, fall of water, to the right of the road. At nine miles we found the Persian Commissioner and suite, wet through and having divested themselves of uniform, waiting for the General's arrival under some trees. At about four miles from Bampur (i6 miles) the istiibdl wsls also in waiting, commanded by a nephew of Ibrahim Khdn, about 17 years old, who held the rank of Major. There must have been about 500 men in all, principally wild-looking Baluchis, of whom some 2CX5 perhaps were mounted on jambdz camels, and all armed with long guns. Albeit men of weird and strange aspect, they had a warlike and workmanlike demeanour. The jambdz in many cases - carried two of these warriors. Formed up in two long lines on both sides of the road, they gravely saluted the General as he passed through them, closing in afterwards in the wake of the cortege. The rain at this time was very heavy, and somewhat spoilt what would otherwise have been a most singular spectacle. Shortly afterwards the fort of Bampur appeared in view, a picturesque-looking object, apparently in good repair, with a handsome citadel and long lines of mud brick walls. It was situated on a rising ground in the midst of the clusters of mud huts, which formed the so-called town of Bampur — in truth little more than a large camp formed by the soldiers and their &milie8, who composed a standing garrison. The women and children looked very poor, and excessively dirty and ugly. We found our camp pitched in a walled enclosure of cultivation with date-palms, and the Persian Commissioner in a similar enclosure close by. Everything here in the way of provisions, both for men and cattle, was supplied to us gratis by Ibrahim Khdn, who had, moreover, forbidden any of the inhabitants of Bampur to take money from the followers of the Mission. We ourselves found a sumptuous breakfast ready cooked and awaiting our arrival. The Persian Commissioner having sent over to say that Ibrahim Kh&n was greatly desirous of seeing the General as soon as possible, the latter expressed his willingness to receive him at once, and accordingly, attended by Ma'sum Kh&n, he soon appeared. This famous chief, quite a despot in these regions, was a little squat, stumpy man, very stout and round, with a good- natured face, a pair of piercing eyes, and an unusually long, hand- some, and silky beard. Probably about 50 years of age, he looked
k
DOINGS AT BAM PUR. 207
much younger, owing to the jet black dye of his abundant hair. Though evidently full of vivacity, he did little to initiate conversation. His Persian was very difficult to understand, being mixed with Baluch, and he talked very quickly, clipping his words at the same time. The Commissioner professed inability to understand more than half of what our mutual host said. Expressing himself delighted to welcome the General a second time, he asked his more highly- trained countryman to pay on his behalf all the compliments befitting the occasion, as he himself was quite unversed in these matters. He stayed some time, but little or nothing was said on this occasion concerning the objects of the Mission. The weather cleared up towards evening, sufficient rain having fallen to do the country great good. The day^s march was through much the same sort of country as we had experienced since leaving Laddi. The jungle was if any- thing thicker, the tamarisk-trees being larger, and the soil was very sandy and heavy. The jungle continued nearly up to the walls of the Bampur fort, but was intersected by large and frequent patches of cultivation. The water at Bampur was excellent, and the dates for which this place was especially famous were unquestionably fine.
Our first day's halt at Bampur was on a Sunday. After morning service in tents the General, attended by the whole of his Staff, called on the Sartip Ibrahim Kh&n, the Persian Commissioner being also present. The chief received us in a long low room, roughly built, and as there was a scarcity of chairs, he and Mirza Ma'sum Khdn sat on the ground. The conversation turned on general subjects, until the General happened to ask some question concerning J&Ik and Sarb&z. These two names appeared to rouse Ibrahim Khdn, who forthwith very rapidly and excitedly began to speak his mind. He said he considered this Mission quite useless, as it was well known that the disputed parts of the adjacent provinces in reality belonged to Persia, and had done so for many, many years, and that there could be no dispute whatever about them ; and that as for Fakir Muhammad and the other chiefs coming up to Bampur, it was well known they would never have dared to do so had they not been under the protection of the British authorities. Discussion could not, of course, be prolonged in this strain. The Sartip cleaxly laboured under a mistaken impression of our objects, and fancied that we proposed to take away much of the country from him for which he had been fighting for many years. The Persian Commissioner
208 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION,
appeared mueb amused at his most undiplomatic outspokenness, and his manner may have rather encouraged him than otherwise. After the visit was over, however, he stated to Captain Smith his own impression that what had passed had been entirely through ignorance on the part of the speaker, and that he himself had, on the General's leaving, pointed out to him the absurdity and impropriety of such conduct.
In the afternoon of the 30th, Captain Smith called by order on the Persian Commissioner, and learnt from him that there had been a great reunion of chiefs, headed by Ibrahim Khdn, at his camp in the morning. They were anxious to know the objects of the Mission, and apparently much disturbed at its presence, at the sight of the British flag, and also at the fact of Major Ross's party coming up to Bampur with Fakir Muhammad and the Kaldt people. They re- garded the fact of the first meeting being held here as a sign that the district of Bampdr itself, and the immediately adjacent countries, were to be made a subject of arbitration, and were also somewhat nettled that their old enemy. Fakir Muhammad, should come in the midst of their territories without being able to touch him. The Persian Commissioner professed to have quieted their fears, and General Goldsmid, affcer receiving a visit from him during the day, wrote to him in the evening, requesting him to point out to Ibrahim Kh&n how groundless they really were. There was no doubt, however, from what we heard accidentally, that the presence of the Mission, under the circumstances, caused much alarm. Ibrahim Kh&n's conscience was perhaps not quite clear on the subject of acquired territory, and the poor Baluchis, the children of the soil, hated and feared him. Ibrahim Khdn sent over some rope-dancers in the afternoon, but their performance was wretchedly bad. We had every reason to infer that the slave trade was not inactive in Baluchist&n, and it was said that •many of the natives at Bampur were slaves in Tehran. It should at least have been some consolation to them to escape from such a place as this.
The next day, after breakfast. Captain Smith again called on the Persian Commissioner, to consult him, with a view of decreasing the delay occasioned by the non-arrival of the Kaldt party, on the propriety of sending out an express, requesting Major Harrison and Fakir Muhammad to push on in advance of the others as quickly as possible. He, however, thought it would be much more advisable
DOINGS AT BAMPUR. 209
to await the arrival of the whole camp, and he probably had reasons for thinking so which he did not state. He said that the receipt of the General's letter of the evening before had quite done away with Ibrahim Kh&n's misapprehensions. In the evening a special courier came in from ICarm&n^ bringing official letters from Mr. Alison ; with copies of telegrams addressed by the Ministry for Foreign AflFairs to Mirza Ma'stim Kh&n, which authorised him fully and in any case to commence first with the Makran inquiry. This intelligence was communicated to the Persian Commissioner, but he had received his full instructions by the same opportunity.
February commenced with an uneventful day. The General came across a sepoy belonging to one of our Baluch regiments in India, who was here on leave, being a native of J&lk. He spoke Hindust&ni, but did not know Persian^ and seemed to hold in little esteem the inhabitants of these districts. A man brought in two wild ducks that he had shot in the river. The tame ducks of Bampur, so much lauded by Conolly, no longer exist, the breed being quite extinct.
On the 2nd February the weather, which had been gradually becoming warmer, was almost hot. Captain Smith called on the Persian Commissioner to inform him officially that news had been received bom. the Bombay Government, intimating to General Gold- smid the appointment by the Kh&n of ICaldt of Fakir Muhammad as his conmiissioner. Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n stated he would be glad to have the same intimation in writing. He spoke a good deal concerning the advent of the party accompanying Majors Ross and Harrison, and said that Ibrahim Kh&n told him the * whole face of Baluchist&n' was changed by their march through the provinces. This was, of course, an exaggeration, but it is not to be doubted that the ignorant Baluch chiefs looked upon the presence of the English here, and of their enemy. Fakir Muhammad, under British protec- tion, with apprehension ; as, indeed, they would have reg^arded the presence of any stranger who came armed with authority to perform a, to them, incomprehensible duty. If the truth were known, Mirza Ma^sum Kh&n was probably also himself an object of distrust, as one sent from Tehr&n to spy out the nakedness of the land. Ibrahim Kh&n's well-known unpopularity in these regions had, no doubt, something to do with the fear he expressed. The Persian Commis- sioner spoke again about the British flag, but frankly added he was quite incompetent, from ignorance, to express an opinion whether
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210 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION,
our Mission was justified or not in displaying it. He said he was convinced that the British Legation at Tehran paid for the privilege of being allowed to fly it there ! A messenger came in and reported that the Kaldt party had slept last night at Sarmich, and would consequently be in here on Saturday morning. He said there were about 150 followers in all. We sent out a packet of letters in the afternoon to Majors Ross and Harrison and Captain Lovett.
On the following morning, Captain Smith called by order on the Persian Commissioner, and found him suffering very much indeed from fever and ague. The object was to arrange about an istiibdl for the Kai&i party, but Ma'sum Khdn required a letter from General Goldsmid, informing him of the rank and titles of the persons expected. A messenger came in later, saying that the Kal&tis were only at Sarmich the previous night, so that they would be at Gw4r- pusht the following day, and at Bampur on the Saturday. One of the K&rm&n /ardsAes got into a disturbance in the village, and was somewhat severely mauled. The villagers went to Ibrahim Kh&n with complaints against the JhrdsA, whilst the latter came to our tribunal with counter complaints. The whole matter was referred to Ibrahim Kh&n for inquiry and disposal. Later in the day letters dated and February came in from Majors Ross and Harrison. These officers were then at Chdmp, four stages off, had great difficulty with their camels, and did not expect to arrive in Bampur until the 6th at earliest. Hereupon it was proposed that, instead of waiting the arrival of the ILal&t party, a move should at once be made in their direction ; but the Persian Commissioner contending that such a move would lead the natives of these districts to believe that the Kal&t party had not been allowed by Ibrahim Kh&n to come to Bampur, the General abandoned the suggestion, and requested that Ibrahim Kh&n might be instructed to send out camels or otherwise assist the progress of the Kaldtis. The Sartip wrote in reply to say that camels might be collected, but time would be required.
Next day we despatched 15 mules with a guide to meet the Kai&t party at the place, 14 farsaiis off, where they would probably pass the night — a help which might enable them to send back some camels for the things they had left behind at Chimp. We received another packet from them this morning, containing official letters for our chief, showing how completely agreeable the Shah had been some months before to have this Baluchistan question decided.
I
DOINGS AT BAM PUR, 211
The General wrote officially to the Persian Commissioner^ informing him of the rank and titles of the Kal&t Commissioner and the officers accompanying him. In the evening a good many black partridges were seen in the jungle, not far from camp.
On Sunday, the 5th February, the Persian Commissioner was very unwell again with fever. We discharged one of tYiefardshea furnished to us by the Governor of Kaiman, for inveterate gambling. Captain Smith and Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower, escorted by a Sultfin and 10 fardshes, rode out at 10 o'clock to welcome Majors Ross and Harrison, and the Kaldt Commissioner, who had arrived within 14 miles of Bampur, accompanied by about 100 horse and 273 followers, but all most disciplined and orderly. Major Ross rode back into camp, and the remainder marched in the next morning. From this date to the i6th February the Mission remained at Bampur, General Goldsmid endeavouring all that time to bring about the discussion of the frontier question. This, however, proving useless, owing to the attitude taken up by the Persian Commissioner and Ibrahim Kh&n, it was thought advisable to move down to the Coast Telegraph at Gwadur on the i6th February. Nothing of general interest occurred during the days omitted in this JQumal ^.
' It will, perhi^, be weU to supply the gap here with the aid of my own diary. On Sunday afternoon, the 5th of February, 1871, Major (now CJolonel) Robs joined us at BampUr. He appeared in advance of the Brahdi camp, which had so in- opportunely entered the territory of Ibrahim Rh&n ; and the numben and character of which had given to the Persians a means of repudiating the whole question of frontier settlement. Only those acquainted with the feelings of Baliich and Brahtil (U this particular juncture could possibly understand the sensation caused by the march of some 250 clansmen of the one side into the territorial limits of the other side, under the sanction of the British power. And the British Commissioner at Bampiir, never having himself contemplated, and consequently not having prepared his Persian colleague for such procedure, was placed in the difficult position of accounting for it, as though he approved, but had been unconscious of the whole arrangement ! That he was suspected of connivance— or rather, perhaps, that officially expressed suspicion of connivance was used against him — appears in the charge laid at his door in Tehran by Mirza Ma'siim Khitn, to which allusion has been made in the Introductory Chapter. On the 6th of February the whole party from the Eal4t State arrived at Bampur, and were received by General Goldsmid; to whom an official letter was, moreover, addressed by the Persian Commissioner, stating that he was not empowered to discuss the question of restoring lands already in possession of Persia. The new- comers called also on Mirza Ma*snm Elhlhi; a reply was despatched to the latter*s communication, and so &r aU was welL On the 7th February, the Persian Commissioner visited General Goldsmid, but rather to make objectionB on the actual situation than to progress towards a settlement; and up to a late hour of the night the British
P 2
212 PERSO'BALUCIl MISSION.
Early in the afternoon of the i6th February we again broke ground, having been in Bampur 19 days. Our mules had started very early in the morning, but there was some diflSculty in managing the camel loads. The owners of most of our camels are SuMns belonging to the regiments here, and they were very chary of admitting heavy loads. Mirza Ma'sum Khdn and Ibrahim Khdn called in the morning to take leave of the General, the former expressing his intention of soon following us. Ibrahim Khin did not seem to be in a good
CommiBsioner was engaged with his native scribe in putting to paper arguments to convince and mollify his colleague, who delighted in letters, and prided himself on epistolary style. The next day Ma'sum Kh4n*8 language to Captain Euan Smith caused Grenend Goldsmid to take the decisive step of breaking up the camp of intended conference and requesting Major Harrison, the Kal4t EMn*8 Political Agent, to prepare for departure as early as practicable. The next, a long cor- respondence was carried on between the British and Persian Commissioners, followed by a personal interview. The next, desertions of a suspicious nature took place firom Major Harrison^s camp : Greneral Goldsmid visited the Persian Commissioner ; and an attempt was made to effect a frontier inspection by means of the respective Engineer Officers, English and Persian. The next, there was more correspondence, and of an unsatis£EKstory kind, between the two Commissioners. The next, leave was taken of the KaUt Mission, which returned to its own side of the frontier after six apparently profitless days at Bampur: the movement being followed by a visit to General Gk>ldHmid of Mirza Ma'sum Kh4n and the Sartip Ibrahim Kh&n. Next day, the project of a joint survey by the Engineer Officers of either Commission fell through; and Mirza Ma'siim KhAn declared that nothing could be done towards a frontier settlement, but through the respective governments concerned ! On the 14th Februaiy, General Goldsmid visited the Persian Commissioner, and in a very long Interview sought by fiur argument and frankness to persuade him to agree to, at least, some practical course by which our ostensible object could still be attained. It was frirther essential to take every precaution, by letter as by word of mouth, to prevent any new aggression by Ibrahim Kh&n, pending receipt of instructions from Tehrdh on our unprovided-for complications. On the 15th Captain Lovett was started to overtake Major Harrison and effect a personal survey (under Kal4t protection as well as a letter itom. Ibrahim Kh4n) of so much of the actual frontier as he could visit in safety. Major Smith had two interviews with the Persian Commissioner; and more correspondence was carried on between the latter and General Goldsmid. The i6th February was the day fixed for striking the Mission tents : but letter-writing had been renewed, and General Goldsmid had to dispose of a long communication from his Persian colleague, which involved somewhat delicate questions not admitting of direct replies ; he accomplished, moreover, another interview with the Commissioner and Ibrahim EhAn, before taking leave of Bampdr. The feeling with which he mounted his horse on the occasion of departure was almost one of exhilaration. The nineteen days passed at the head-quarters of Persian Baliichist&n might not show much progress In negotiations ; but they had been days of no conmxon anxiety, and of a peculiar re- sponsibility scarcely intelligible to any but those versed in the details of the whole transaction. — P,J, 0,
THE VILLAGE OF PA HE A. 213
humour. Our escort consisted of the same Yawar and Sultdn who accompanied us here, lo mounted ghulamSy 20 sarbdz, and 10 jambdz sowars. The sun was very hot indeed when we left ; and we were not sorry that the first march to Sar-i-band (8 miles) was a short one. The road ran through the same description of jungle as that by which Bampur was closely surrounded, and presented no remarkable features. Our encamping-ground was on one side of the Bampur river, where a dam had been constructed to force the water into an artificial channel, which conveyed it to the town. The river at this time was fairly filled, but the bottom and banks were very muddy and treacherous. Its source was about two miles further on, in an easterly direction, being obtained from large springs which, the natives said, sprang spontaneously out of the ground.
The next day we recommenced our early marches. During the night we had been disturbed by innumerable jackals, which spoilers stole the boots of the ndzir and munshi. The road was much as before, with occasional cultivation, until, at seven miles, Pahra was reached, when the country became more open and the jungle gradually ceased. Pahra is a walled town, with a mud high fort and about 1 20 houses ; situated in a perfect jungle of date-trees and with abundant water. Its fort was apparently valueless for defence against artillery. Hence the road turned to the right, and led over an open country, with occasional cultivation and most wretched huts inhabited by miserable- looking Baluchis, to the camping-ground situated in a plain called Sar Kohran \i2 miles).
On the 1 8th our road was for nine miles over a stony desert plain to the hills in front, which it entered, and along a ravine of varying breadth. There were hills on either side of moderate height, which the Sult&n stated we should not quit until arrival at Hshin. In about seven miles more we found our camp pitched to the right of and at some little distance off the road, where there was a large spring of excellent water. We passed a hand about two miles before arriving at camp, which had been of some use in damming the water in the valley but had become dilapidated. All the trees and shrubs about were in full foliage, and many of them in ftiU blossom. There were ferns on the adjacent hills.
For the first nine miles of the next day's march there was little variety of road, except that the ravine got wider and more open, and i\iQjiish palm increased at every step in quantity and growth. We
214 PERSO'BALUCII MISSION.
then turned off to the right, in a south-westerly direction, and entering a narrow and winding ravine nearly choked with the said pish^ followed it for about 1 1 miles, when- we found our halting-place on the banks of a dry mountain torrent. The fardsJieSi however, with the greater part of our kit and all our tents, had taken the usual and more direct road to Sarb&z ; and we had to borrow a tent from the Sultdn, who was much put out by this miscarriage of the caravan more or less under his guidance. Luckily the provisions had reached our halting-place, so we were not so badly off as we might have been. Scouts were sent out all over the country; but returned saying that the missing camels had gone too far on the Sarb&z road to be recalled. The Sultdn declared that the road we ourselves had taken was the regular and easier one for troops and ordnance ; but we clearly under- stood the other to be the better and shorter ; and if our road were really that selected for the passage of guns, such an operation must be no light or easy matter. There were constant and heavy showers during the night. Wood and water were here good and abundant.
Again for another day were we separated from our baggage. A mile and a half through a narrow j»*i^-choked ravine brought us to the foot of the highest ridge in these hills dividing the watershed, which from hence is toward the sea. This ridge marks the end of the Bampur, and commencement of the Sarb&z district. On crossing it the road follows the bed of the Sarbdz river, which it immediately enters ; a track which narrows and widens, following the formation of the hills, and is sandy and pebbly. There was a quantity of water owing to the recent rain, but there were large deep pools at intervals collected under rocks, making it probable that water was obtainable here all the year round. Tamarisk-trees of considerable growth and the constant j9^^ covered the banks, the hills on either side varying in height. The regular campiug-place (Koldni, 17 miles), on the right of the stream, was found to be so infested with camel-ticks and bugs .that we had to shift to the other side. Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower, who went out surveying among the hills, described with gusto the fear his presence caused among some nomads until it was known that he was a Faringi, when he was taken into their tents and wel- comed. Having been observed by a scout on one of the hills, who had immediately made signs to the other hills — by the time he reached the encampment he found the flocks and herds driven in, and every preparation made for defence against the hated Persians. This was to
A PERSO-BALUCU CENTRE. 215
ns a significant commentary upon the popularity of Ibrahim Kh&n's rule. A kdsid came in with. letters from Major Harrison, reporting g^eat anxiety on the part of the KaUt Commissioner from an antici- pated attack of Ibrahim Kh&n on Tump and Kej, and consequent preparation for defensive measures. The rain was continuous ; wood and water abounded.
Leaving camp at Kolini, we proceeded along the bed of the Sarb&z river, and met at about six miles the generally used road from Bampur, coming from N.W. by W, The bed of the river had become very broad and stony; and it increased in width up to Sarbdz (19 miles), where it formed a sort of amphitheatre, surrounded by rocks and fringed by palm-trees. The high mud fort of Sarbdz seemed to be in disrepair, but the tops of the hills all around showed signs of having been strongly fortified, and this had doubtless been at one time a very strong place. It contained about 60 huts, inhabited by a population miserably poor. Rice and dates were obtainable in limited supply, with excellent water. Tobacco was grown, and sold, woven into a sort of green rope. We found our missing party here in safety ; some of them, with the mules, having come in last night. They described the road as followed very good, with the exception of the narrow gaps, where they had to unload. Two special kasids were despatched from this place, one to Major Harrison, with letters deprecating defensive or warlike action on the ICaUt side, and one to Charbar, with telegrams for Tehran and Calcutta,
We halted at Sarbdz a day to enable the camels to rest. The weather was deliciously cool with a slight breeze. Of the ruined fort here only one wall was standing, which faced towards the approach from Bampur. Local information was to the effect that Sarb&z had paid tribute to Persia ever since the time of Fath Ali Shah, and to Ibrahim Kh&n personally for 30 years. Tlie natives showed us the hill on the opposite side of the river on which had been placed the artillery that destroyed the fort and village, so far as we could learn, about 40 years ago ; but we could gather no trustworthy statement of the real date of occurrence, or name of the Persian General in command. We reckoned there were about 50 huts in Sarb&z, built of reeds and leaves ; but the people seemed very poor, and were decidedly plain and unprepossessing, at least two-thirds of the men squinting horribly. The women had large flat faces, with great blue beads strung through the cartilage of the nose, and wore the invariable long cloth gown,
216 PERSO'BALUCU MISSION.
from the neck to the ankle. Dates and rice appeared to be the only provisions obtainable, and the latter in limited supply. The natives here confirmed what we heard everywhere, that Pishin was the farthest point east paying tribute to Persia, and they informed us that Mand was independent. They showed great willingness in parting with their spears, shields, and other specialities for money.
Our next march was an agreeable one. The hills on either side of the river changed character, and enormous masses of irregularly-shaped black rock bordered both sides of the river-bed, here fringed with groves of date-palm, the mango-tree, and the orange. The constant turnings and windings of the river created a succession of very picturesque bays, in which the black rocks at the side, the date-palms, fresh green cultivation, and the running water formed a pleasant and harmonious contrast. The cultivation, prolonged without intermission to Dipkhor (14 miles), was on raised artificial platforms, on the river banks, irrigated by artificial channels. The mango, orange-tree, and mulberry abounded and flourished. Beans and barley appeared to be the main crops, and were nearly ripe for the sickle. There was a con- tinuous succession of small villages, of which the inhabitants, who lined the banks as we passed, were almost entirely engaged in culti- vation. The head man of one of these informed us that the revenue paid annually by his village of some 30 huts to Ibrahim Khan was 14 tumdnSf which cannot be considered excessive. Tlie money was obtained by the sale of dates to travellers, who came from seaward, for the villagers themselves possess no ready coin. The year before our visit, a bad one for dates, the price was 100 manns, or 7cx> lbs., for four rupees ; the year before, this amount went for two rupees ; and in a good season the same quantity only fetched a rupee. We found the river-bed very stony and trying for horses, and water freely ruiming or plenteously collected in deep pools. The bed opened out about a mile before reaching Dipkhor, situated in much the same kind of amphitheatre as Sarbdz, and possessing a ruined mud fort, and the usual number of mud huts. Major Ross considered this pass from Persia into Makr&n to be very much easier than the one by Ch&mp, through which he had marched to Bampur. The water here was good and abundant, and there were a few provisions obtainable. The revenue of Dipkhor was reputed to be 16 tumdns (£6 Ss.)
The short march to P4-rud (12 miles) presented little change, but the bed of the river widened and became much more stony with less
FROM SARBAZ TO THE SEA. 217
water. The hills on either side were not so high, and their bases sloped in a way to form a valley, in the centre of which wound the river-bed. The country in general, too, was much more open. The road shifted from one side of the river to the other, winding through patches of cultivation and groves of date-palms. About five or six villages dotted the banks. Some three miles from Pi-nid the General was met by a large istikbdl^ consisting of Husain Kh&n^ the hereditary chief of Sarbdz, who is the Persian N&ib of all the districts, including Bdhu and Dasti&ri, down to the Dasht ; of Muhammad Kh&n, a sullen- looking warrior ; of the N4ib of Bampiir, and of the Chief of Kasar- kand, with about 30 hvmedijambdz sowars. Husain Kh&n was of pre- possessing appearance, and his arms and accoutrements were profusely ornamented with silver. He had great power in these parts, and though probably otherwise at heart, was outwardly at least, and from necessity, a firm supporter of Persian rule. We received letters from Major Harrison reporting that all armed movements on the Persian side had been authoritatively stopped. P&-rud was a strange-lpoking place, consisting of the usual ruined mud fort and some 80 mud huts, with a poor population, and situated on a high bluff bank left of the river, which seemed here to terminate, as it made a detour at right angles to the left, and the two banks merg^ as it were in one to the eye of the downward passenger. It was probably from this appear- ance that the village received its name\ The road winding up through it from the river-bed led on to a stony and spacious plain beyond, whore our camp was pitched. The people all about seemed to have a great fear of Ibrahim Kli&n, who was as much hated as feared, and whose rule was by no means firmly established. They stated that when their revenue was not made up he took a girl or two and sold her as a slave ; and we heard that the price of a young man of about 25 in these parts was 12 tumdns. The revenue of Pd-rud was given at 40 tmmns (£16). A broad river from E^asarkand joins the Sarb&z river just at the angle before described.
Next morning, moving over the stony plateau on which our camp had been pitched, we descended into the date-groves and cultivation on the left bank of the river, crossing at about two miles, and following the windings of the bed on the right side for some nine miles, when the path left the river-bed and turned off abruptly to the
^ Fi-rdd, strictly Pii-rdd, the foot of the stream.—/'. /. (7.
218 PERSO'BALUCII MISSION.
right, through a narrow gorge in the hills on the bank. At less than two miles the gorge opened and the path forked, one branch leading to the village of Firuz&bM^ plainly visible on the left bank of the river ahead^ and the other winding among hills and groves on the left bank up to Rask (14 miles). By following the path we cut off a considerable bend in the river, which ran past Firuz&bdd, and then made a circular sweep round to meet^ as it were, the path to Bask. About five miles from P&-rud an old ruined square tower was observable on the left bank. Firuz&b&d had a pic- turesque appearance^ placed on a high site, and overlooking acres of fresh cultivation in the middle of green date-palms and very luxurious mango and orange trees. There was barley in the ear and there were beans in flower. The inhabitants in Baluchistdn may be considered strict Musalmdns, very exact in the observance of all reli- gious rites ^. We had noticed in all the villages a high mud chinmey, intended, as we learnt^ to provide the means of calling the failhful to their devotions. The Baliichis were busy impregnating their date- trees, which are of two distinct sexes, male and female. Unless the female is impregnated with the flower of the male, the dates form, but neither ripen nor come to anything, and the dates of the male are worth nothing. The impregnation of the tree is produced by an incision in the top of the female tree and inserting the male flower. A very small quantity is sufficient to impregnate the whole tree, and they get quite different sorts of dates by mixing the species. Bask possessed about icx> huts^ and was very similar to all other villages we had seen on the bank of the Sarb&z river.
"We marched early on the 26th February, after a troublesome night among mosquitoes. We had made a short descent on leaving Bask, when our guide, who was taking us a quick way through the hills on the left bank of the river, suddenly stopped and said he was sure, by the absence of footmarks^ that our camels had not passed along that road. Consequently we had to retrace our steps and return to the bed of the river, which we followed for about four miles, and then ascended by a steep little pass to the left bank, emerging into a wide and open plateau. The spacious plain, commencing at this point, continues between two lines of hills without intermission right up to the frontier of Sind ; and the Persians, should they think fit, may march a largo
' I do not hold this rule of general application. — F, J, G,
PERSIAN OUTPOST, 219
army across it in the direction of, and up to the Sind frontier, with- out any material obstacle, and finding water and provisions the whole way. The advance of Persia in this direction would seem therefore to present a question of grave consideration. On the right bank of the river was a similar plain, stretching back to Elasarkand and running as far as the eye could reach between two ranges of hills. On our right also, situated in a dense grove of date-trees, was the new village of Baft&n, about five miles distant from Bask ; while on the opposite side, and close to our road, we discerned the ruined fort- and remains of the old village, taken and destroyed by the Persians 1 8 years before. The Ydwar informed us he had received his bullet wound in the cheek there. The Persians^ he said, had invested the place (which was garrisoned by lOO men only) with 5000 men and 10 guns^, and in the attack there were only two men killed and 10 wounded. Our road continued seven miles over the plain, and then, descending through a most steep and rocky pass into the river-bed, which it crossed, led through a thick low jungle of tamarisk and wild caper, very stony, four miles further to the camping-groimd (Bug&ni, 15 miles), reached round a bend in the river. Wood and water were abundant, and there was a deep pool available for bathing. There were no inhabitants or signs of cultivation.
Next morning, our road crossing the bed to a pass right opposite the camp, left the river for good, and ascended on to a high plain on the left bank; stony and quite flat. After four miles we entered a belt of low jungle, and at six miles further came upon the outlying culti- vation and dense date-groves of Pishin. Our camp pitched west of the new village, on an open plain planted with date-trees. This, the last conquest of Persia towards the east, must be considered as one of the most important, for a footing has thus been obtained on the plain, within an easy marching distance of Kej and Tump — districts from which Ibrahim Kh&n himself two years ago claimed tribute, a demand he might well have enforced had not his action been stopped by English interference. So long as Persia's conquests were limited to the places on the banks of the Sarb&z river, it did not much matter, but this advance into the plains and, so to speak, on to the high road to India, might have led to serious consequences if not stopped. Hshin resembled all other villages we had seen in Baluchist&n, but it was more
' An unquestionable fiction. — P, J. Q.
220 PERSO'BALUCU MISSION.
populous ; the fort was in better repair and it wore the Persian yoke less easily. The kdsid arrived with the English mail received at Gw&dar on the nth February, but did not bring a single official communication for the General. Provisions in moderation were here obtainable.
We halted a day at Pishin. In the morning 55 camels arrived from Tump, sent to us with a quantity of provisions and grain by Major Harrison. Two representatives of Fakir Muhammad and Darogha Ata Muhammad also came with 20 jambdz sowars, as the General's escort to the coast. The Baluchis were wild fellows in appearance, and required a great deal of coaxing to get them to work, but they seemed on the whole very desirous to please. We got rid to-day of the whole of our Persian escort and farashes (with one exception), our sarhdz 2LXi(ighuldms ; in fact, of all the men who had been engaged to accompany us since Karman. They appeared in a great hurry to get away, and would no doubt have been afraid to proceed further east than Pishin. We gave them all presents, but all were not satisfied. The weather had become very hot.
On leaving Pishin, our new Baluch escort of 20 sowars^ mounted on jambdz camels, accompanied us. The road, so soon as it had cleared the surrounding date-groves and cultivation, entered the hills and followed a winding narrow gorge, between low hills and very stony for about six miles, when it emerged on to a valley ; and this gradually opened out. It was choked with j!?/«A-palm. We were surprised to find our tents pitched about two miles further on, but our progress was necessarily limited from scarcity of water. The water here, collected in pools, was good, and plenty of grass was obtainable for the horses. Our ndzir^ cook, and fardsh-ldshi lost their way ; not coming in at all, we sent out four jambaz sowars to search for them. There were no signs of cultivation or inhabitants near our halting- ground, and the hills around were barren and stony. We were still (Kustug, 10 miles) in the Pishin district and in Persian territory.
Hot weather and mosquitoes had now fairly set in. Another short march brought us to Ghistan (ten miles) : the road following the course of the valley, amid low jungle and wild caper, the latter in flower. About two miles from our halting-place the plain became very wide, and we passed to our left a small village of about twelve huts, probably a migratory one, as there were no traces of cultivation, here presents difficulties to the unattended traveller, for there
BOUNDARY POINT, 221
are many divergent paths leading into the constant openings among the hills. The scenery was of the most desolate description. Our scouts having reported to us during the night how the missing servants had turned up at Mand, and been placed under an escort, we were not surprised to fall in with them on the march: they had been sent to rejoin our camp by a cross road. On the 3rd March^ our road, after a mile over the plain, entered a wide gorge between precipitous masses of rock, and, pursuing its course along the bank of a mountain torrent full of water in pools, passed through a narrow gorge, after about eight miles, into a high plain situated on the right bank of a deep ravine. This ravine received various names according to the districts through which it passed^ and was here called the Kustuk river. Crossing the plain for two miles the road descended into the ravine, in the bed of which we found our camp pitched, the camel-men having apparently refusetd to proceed beyond Gw&r-Manzil, the boundary between Persian and Kal&t territory. This disobedience of positive orders was not to be toler- ated: so, dismounting for breakfast only and to mount again, we caused the camels to be brought in from grazing, the tents to be struck, and the whole camp to move on to the originally intended halting-place (Kulmarisunt), about fourteen miles further. There was no cultivation or village to make the country valuable, but territory was principally desired on account of the grazing for flocks and herds. The road ascended the left bank of the river, crossed a fliat stony plain, and then kept crossing and recrossing beds of mountain torrents until it arrived at a plain covered with low jungle, where the camp was pitched. Constant groups of graves were passed in this dajr's march, generally situated on eminences or tracks of ravines, which, in the absence of any neighbouring habitation, would seem to mark the scene of former conflicts. The water here was good, being obtained from pools formed by the rain ; and firewood was plentiful. The season, we heard, had been an unexceptionably favourable one for rain in this part of Makr&n, or the pools would not have been so full, and it is probable that a little later the water would all have disappeared.
On the 4th March, the road, after two miles, cleared the low jungle, and emerged on a spacious plain, which it crossed for some miles, and then descended to a shallow broad ravine, evidently under water in wet weather, with profuse vegetation and grass, and filled
222 PERSO'BALUCH MISSION,
with black partridges. It then traversed a low spur of hills and led into the river Dasht, with its banks plentifully fringed with well-grown tamarisk-trees. The river-bed was of considerable breadth, but the water was low. On the other hand, in the wet seasons, the supply is so plentiful, that communication is sometimes stopped for weeks. The opposite side is covered with a low jungle, in which the camp was pitched, but the mosquitoes troubled us, . and we moved a mile further on, to more open ground, near the village of Darddn (twelve miles), consisting of about loo huts. The headman visited the General, and made a complaint of a raid by Persians some years ago. The English mail, with the Indian one, enclosing official letters and instructions for the General, came in at about twelve. In the evening a special kds'id was despatched through Kshin to Mirza Ma'sum Khdn, forwarding him a translation of a French telegram, which ordered him to act in concert with the General, and requesting him to lose no time in coming to Gwddar. There was a strong wind and something of a dust storm throughout the day.
We marched seventeen miles from Dard&n to Gurrok. The road led for five miles through a dwarf jungle full of black partridge, and then crossing a white glaring plain, entered a passage between low, parched sandstone rocks. The surrounding country was of an un- varying ashen hue; everything looked burnt, and there was no vegetation to relieve the eye. Our camp was pitched in an amphi- theatre between diminutive hills, where was no habitation or grass, and very little firewood or water. The last was thick but sweet, and only to be obtained when rain had fallen; consequently could not be depended on.
On the 6th we marched into Gwddar (twenty miles), winding along for about fourteen miles, over a perfectly flat plain, with low brush- wood ; then crossing a series of low undulating sand-hills covered with brushwood and scanty grass, something like the Lancashire moors at a distance. Gw&dar Head was visible about fourteen miles off, but the sea could not be discerned until we had accomplished nearly a third of that distance. We cantered in the last six miles, and were all of us glad to see the blue ocean, after an inland march of iii93 ™iles. Our camp was pitched round Major Ross's pretty house. The climate was cool, and the breeze most refreshing.
The day after our arrival, the General received morning visits
I
GWADAR.
223
from flie various classes of shopkeepers in the town, who seemed a contented race^.
^ The Mission remained at Gw&dar up till the 30th April, having been joined there by Mirza Ma'siim Khan and the Brahui chie&, the latter of whom were summoned thither in the hope of reopening negotiations. After vain attempts on the part of the British Commissioner to effect a pro formd discussion, the mixed Commission was again broken up : and Ma* sum Kh&n having returned to Persian territoiy, and Fakir Muhammad, accompanied by other local chiefe, having moved into the interior, Major-General Goldnnid embarked for Kar&chi. Here he remained from the ist to the 15th May, when he re-embarked for the Persian Gulf. Touching and landing on the way at Gw&dar and Maskat, and receiving a visit from the Governor while anchored at Bandar-Abbas, he reached Bushahr on the 28th May. Here the Mission disembarked, and stayed two days, to complete all arrangements for a march to Tehr^. Major-General Goldsmid and his officers were at Shirdz on the 9th June, and at Isfahdn on the ist July. From Kohrdd he and Major Euan Smith started on the afternoon of the 7th July, and reached Tehr^ on the loth. Owing to the &mine and general scarcity of fodder and water, it was difficult to procure horses to accomplish this ride of 170 odd miles sooner. At Tehr^ the Mission remained until the 4th September, on which date the Persian Government formally accepted the boundary-line in Makr&n laid down by General Goldsmid, as notified by the late Mr. Alison to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affiurs, on the day following. — P. J. Q.
THK
PERSO-AFGHAN MISSION,
1871, 1872.
I. Bandar-Abbas to Bam.
The successful solution of the long-vexed question of the boundary in Baluchist&n, between Persia and Kal&t, was ordered to be followed up without delay, by the prosecution of a similar settlement for the equally remote province of Sistfin, which had long given rise to disputes between Persia and Afghinistin. As already explained*. Sir Frederic Goldsmid had returned to England accompanied by Major Euan Smith, in September, 1871, having previously left full instructions to Major fieresford Lovett for his guidance should it be decided to commence upon the second question. When, therefore, he received orders at home to proceed to Sistin without delay. General Goldsmid had but to telegraph to Major Lovett to act on the in- structions left with him, direct that a general rendezvous should be made at Bam in the early part of January, and start for Bandar- Abbas with as little delay as possible. He took his departure accordingly, on the 10th of November, 1871, after a stay of little more than five weeks in England. On this occasion, in addition to his personal assistant and private secretary. Major Euan Smith, he was accompanied by Mr. Gerard de Visme Thomas, of Magdalen College, Oxford, who joined the Mission as unpaid attach^. Mr. Bosario, the apothecary, was awaiting the Mission at Bandar- Abbas, and Major Lovett and Quarter- master-Sergeant Bower were to rendezvous at Bam, with the heavy baggage and general marching establishment — the Persian Commis- sioner having previously started from Tehran en route to the same place. Colonel Pollock, C.S.I, (now Sir Kichard Pollock, K.C.S.I.), who was to be associated with the Afghan Commissioner in Sist&n,
^ See Introductory Chapter, and note at the doee of the last Section. VOL. I. q
226 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION,
as agent for the Governor-General, also left England with Sir Frederic Goldmooid, and at Aden received orders to proceed at once to Calcutta, whence he would have to make his way as soon as possible, by the Bolan Pass and Kandahar (where he was to meet the Afghfin Com- missioner), to Sekuha. He was to be accompanied by the well-known Pashtu and scientific scholar. Dr. Bellew, who would act as his assistant.
It was expected that a special gun-boat would be in readiness at Aden, to convey the Mission direct to Bandar-Abbas, but owing to some mistake, this was not provided, and General Goldsmid and his staff had therefore to proceed by the mail steamer to Bombay, which they reached on the 3rd of December. Here he received a summons from the Viceroy to meet him at Calcutta, and leaving Bombay for that purpose on the 4th of December, he returned on the loth of the same month, after a stay of just twenty hours in the former city. The Mission sailed for the Persian Gulf on the i ith of December in the steamship < India,' and reached Bandar- Abbas early on the 21st idem. Here they found that camels and mules engaged for their use had been awaiting their arrival for a considerable time; as also several horses of the stud left behind at Bam in the previous year, which had . been sent down by the Mirakhor in charge. Mr. Rosario, our medical adviser, at once came on board and reported himself: two Persian gentlemen, deputed by the Governor of the place to welcome the General, shortly followed ; and at 3 p.m. the Mission, having landed under a salute of three guns, fired from a very old and rusty cannon on the beach, was conducted to quarters prepared for its reception in a house belonging to Hajji Ahmad, the ci-devant governor of the town, who was now deposed, and a prisoner, accused of embezzling some 30,000 tumdns of the public revenue. The apartments provided were far from clean, but they possessed the advantage of being at the top of the house, and consequently free from constant interruption : the furniture consisted principally of numberless mirrors, some in very handsome frames, but all dirty and dilapidated. Bandar-Abbas itself is one of the worst specimens of a Persian town : its low mud houses are half in ruins, its streets knee-deep in filth of every kind, without any drainage whatever, while its inhabitants appear as wretched as their dwel- lings. We were struck by the small number of persons to be seen in the streets ; and were told that the population had been decimated by the ravages of cholera and famine, from which the town had lately
A PERSIAN GULF WATERING-PLACE. 227
suffered. Its revenues are however of considerable importance ; large quantities of cotton, opium, asafoetida, and henna being exported hence, as it forms the chief outlet to the provinces of Karm&n and Yazd. The custom-house duties are farmed by the British agent here, Nasr Bastonsi, for 25,000 tumdna (or ;f 10,000) a year, and the remaining villages in the province pay a revenue of 5000 tumdns per annum.
The town presents but few attractions to Europeans, and conse- quently there are but four in the place, — the officer commanding the British India Steam Company's hulk, the Agent, an Italian doctor, and an Austrian photographer, with nothing to do. In summer the heat is fearful, the temperature on board the hulk at midnight being over 10^^.
At the time of our arrival the probable fate of the late Governor of the town, of whom we have already spoken, was causing much interest and excitement in the place. He had been already superseded by Ahmad Shah, the new Governor, and a Sartip, or general, from Shir&z had arrived to examine into the matter and report thereon to the head government. Hajji Ahmad of course protested his innocence ; but the Sartip merely met these protestations by a demand for a good round sum, which increased daily the longer it remained unpaid; while thumbscrews and the bastinado were darkly hinted at, though as yet Hajji Ahmad had not suffered any ill-treatment. He was very popular with the few Europeans in the place ; singularly liberal ; ever in want of money, and unfortunately greatly addicted to the abuse of stimulants.
Shortly after landing. Sir Frederic Goldsmid received a visit of welcome from the son of the Governor, who was soon followed by a deputation of well-to-do Hindu merchants, one of whom had been to Samarkand, and was full of a report that the Bussians had seized Bukh&ra; and these again had scarcely taken leave when the ex- Governor's son, a youth of about twelve years of age, came to crave an audience on behalf of his mother. Major Euan Smith was deputed to receive the last-mentioned lady and her daughter, who entered wearing the Arab mask, and at once claimed the General's protection for their husband and father on the ground that, being a British subject, he was exempt from any pains and penalties he might have incurred for his alleged offences. When it was clearly explained to them that
^ The maximum heat during our stay in Bandar-Abbas was 78% the minimum 65^
q 7,
228 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION,
this plea was untenable in the ease of a man who for years past had exercised authority as Governor of a Persian town, the wife changing her ground, pleaded that were her husband but released for one week, he would be able to discharge in full all the claims urged against him. Official interference in the matter by the English Commissioner was of course impossible ; but on his expressing a hope, both to the Sartip and the Governor, during the visits they paid him, that no severe measures would be resorted to, such as torture or the bastinado, he received from both functionaries an earnest denial of any such intention.
On the evening of the 22nd, after much trouble and difficulty, our camels were started off with the greater portion of the heavy baggage : and the same day we received a telegram from Colonel Pollock, saying that he was coming into Sistfin by Jacobabad, the Bolan Pass, and Kandahar, and did not expect to reach Sekuha till the middle of February, or for nearly two months.
On the morning of the 23rd we set forth on our journey, and emerging from the town by the north gate, followed the road running parallel to the sea for about six miles, with the islands of Kishm and Ormuz standing out in bold outline to our right, while to our left the view was bounded by the lofty ranges of the Ghanu Hills. We were escorted by the secretaries of the Governor, Sartip, Consul and British Agent, for a considerable distance out of the town, and were also joined by the Postmaster of the place. The horse of this worthy bolted with him directly we had passed the gates; and we saw no more of the cavalier for several miles till we came upon him, dis« mounted, and with his horse tied to a tree. Our horses (especially that of Mr. Rosario, who, mounted on a tall chesnut, * witched the world with noble horsemanship') were also extremely fresh, squealing and kicking, and taxing all our energies to prevent them having a battle royal with each other. The road lay over a sandy, marshy plain covered with low brushwood and camel-thorn, and studded here and there with date- plantations. Our first halting-place, B&gu, was reached by us at 6.30 P.M., lighted by a beautiful moon — no small boon, as in these parts at this season it gets quite dark at 5.30 p.m. B&gu is a humble village, fdtuated under a high ledge of ground to the left of the road, and surrounded by extensive date-plantations, whose dark foliage forms a conspicuous landmark for miles around. The place belongs to Agha Muhammad Kh&n, of Bombay, who had issued orders to supply us
CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE. 229
with all we needed free of cost. Our camping-ground was very sandy, the water brackish, and firewood scarce. The island of Ormuz (i. e. its highest peak) bore nearly due south of this place, while the loftiest peak of the Naiyun Kushkuh range in our front bore nearly north-east by east.
After one day's halt we resumed our march on Christmas Day at seven o'clock a.m., and traversing the same sandy plain, thickly covered with brushwood, camel-thorn and oleander, crossed a broad river, the Rudkh&nah-i-Shur, whose waters were quite salt ; then, turning nearly due north, we reached a higher tract of land with rich soil, bearing exten- sive fields of wheat. The view at the back of the Kuh-i-Ghanu, behind Bandar- Abbas, now opened out before us : the mountain stands alone» and between it and the range of rocky precipitous hills that rise at its back^ lies the valley running nearly due east and west^ in which is situated the village of ICala'h-i-K&zi, our second stage. This village consists of a series of very extensive date-plantations, and fields of wheat; the water is good, though rather muddy^ and is obtained entirely from wells, called by the natives ' Ab-i-Rahmat.' The land is tilled by Rfiiyats, who pay one-tenth of the produce to Government : and though there had been no rain here for two years, yet there were but few signs of the misery so prevalent to the westward ; the in- habitants had, however, this year preferred keeping their grain for consumption, to sowing it and running the risk of losing it by its drying up in the parched ground. Our thermometers were set at 9.30 this night, and the next morning at 5.45 stood thus: — max. 61% min. 38°, standard 45°. This exhibited a very marked change in the temperatiure, and the dew was excessively heavy, our tents being wet through during the night. From Kala'h-i-K&zi the road led us across a plain thickly strewn with stones, which caused great incon- venience to the horses: low brushwood, and the usual camel-thorn and mimosa covered the ground, and after five or six miles of most unpleasant riding, we came upon clusters of date-palms, and two or three swifc clear streams, whose course might be traced by the trees and shrubs that clothed their banks. From this point the date-palms began to thicken till we reached the large village of Takht, standing in a forest of date-plantations, with extensive fields of wheat and henna. This was evidently the most populous place in the district, and a great storehouse of grain. The principal street was the dry bed of a watercourse, in a most filthy condition ; the houses were
230 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
neatly built of mud, thatched with, and in some instances entirely composed of, the leaf of the ever-useful date-palm. The inhabitants who flocked out to see us as we passed^ presented features of ab- normal ugliness, which the female portion did not think it necessary to conceal with the usual veil. The populous appearance of the village was to be ascribed to the excellence and abundance of the water supply ; but in summer the heat and^ above all, the mnsquitoes, bred in the date-trees and surrounding foliage, are described as maddening. After leaving Takht, though the same plain stretehed before us, there was not a stone to be seen: all was rich, alluvial soil. The road now again entered extensive date-plantations, knovni by the name of Chfetun ; the ground became extremely marshy, and our attention was attracted by dense masses of tall reeds, which formed an apparently impassable barrier between the road and the sea, and which are largely used in the manufacture of pens and mats. The country was thickly wooded with well-grown trees of mimosa and the wild caper, interspersed with large fields of wheat, which belt of wood continued up to the village of Sh&mil, lying at the head of the valley we entered at Kala'h-i-Kdzi. Winding through the jungle, we crossed from time to time many a deep and broad watercourse, whose intricate windings we never could have threaded w^ithout the aid of the guide: the easy and usual path for camels runs a little more to the north. These watercourses, though at this season dry, form the channels for conveying the torrents of Sig-i- Jand&n to the sea. On arriving at 1 1 a.m. at the village of Sh&mil, we found that the caravan we had sent on the previous night had lost its way, and had only just reached camp. In a direct line this place is only three farsakhs from the sea-coast : it possesses a mud fort on a hill, about a quarter of a mile to the rear of the town, mounting two guns, and manned by thirty matchlock men ; but for defensive pur- poses the building would be useless against any determined attack. Here and elsewhere, in these parts, we found the villagers quiet and unobtrusive. The village or town of Mindb lies to the south-west, about eight yar^aM* from Sh&mil and two from the sea.
Our next day's march was very fatig^ng. After crossing a river of sweet water which flows through the village, the road follows the bed of a watercourse, and for four miles winds in and out, when it leads across a hard stony plain, about two miles wide, lying at the foot of a range of barren hills. This plain, a great camping-
WANDERING MINSTRELS, 231
grouDd for the Ilidts, appeared to be a network of watercourses that cany off the water from the hills beyond. The path which was very narrow, in some places only just wide enough for a mounted man, enters the hills by an opening which is known as the commence- ment of the Godar-i-Naurgun, and is the bed of a watercourse filled with a considerable amount of pure fresh water, and with many deep pools. For seven miles we rode along this rocky bed, till we ascended a higher plateau, from which we could still catch a glimpse of the Sig-i-Jand&n in the far horizon to the north-west. The constant ascents and descents, added to the stony nature of the path, made this a most trying day's work for the horses. We met no human being en rouU, save four men whom we suddenly came upon, to our great surprise, perched at the top of a narrow pass, each with a guitar, waiting to sing the praises of the British Commissioner as he rode by : and of animal life there was none to be seen, save one large black eagle seated on a rocky crag. The camping-ground at Fari&b, the fourth stage, we found unusually good, dry and lofty, with ex- cellent water and abtmdant firewood, and shaded by fine Jambul trees. It commands an extensive view of the plain of Budh&n, a district of considerable importance, farmed by the consul at Bandar- Abbas, Mirza Abdullah.
The night we spent here was, however, anything but peaceful. To sleep was impossible, owing to the troops of jackals, who kept up the most melancholy howling all night through, and who were so nu- merous that we did not even venture to place our thermometers in the open air, lest the stand should be knocked over by them. Starting at 6 a.m., we again had to follow the bed of a watercourse, until by a sharp turn the road led us through a very steep and difficult pass (Godar-i-Shurun), to a high plateau on the summit of the hills whose base we had been traversing. This plateau stretches away for miles, bounded on all sides, as far as the eye can reach, by ranges of rocky hills ; and the view from it presents a scene of utter lifelessness, solitude, and desolation, that it would be difficult to equal anywhere out of Persia, though in some of its features it re- minded us strongly of the country between Bam and Bampur, in Baluchistfin. A flock of jungle sheep, scampering over the rocky cliffs to the left of the pass, were the only living things visible. From this point to our halting-place at Rudkh&nah-i-Duzdi (sixteen miles) we traversed an undulating plain^ clothed with the usual low brush-
2^2 PERSO AFGHAN JflSSIOir.
wood : the surroanding hills being so shrouded in mist that we found it impossible to get any reliable observations.
About five miles from the Godar-i-Shurun we came upon an en- campment of 2CX) donkeys^ laden with Batavian sugar from Bandar- Abbas to Karmdn, and a little further on we reached the small river known as the Budkhdnah-i-Ghishkan, so called from the poisonous shrub (Ghish or oleander) which fringes its banks, and is said to be fatal to men, horses, and camels. Four miles beyond this river we came to a small iauz or tank, for the storage of rain-water, of great antiquity ; and seven miles further brought us to our camp pitched on the north side of the Duzdi river. The great date-plantations in the neighbourhood of this river are cultivated by the inhabitants of distant villages, who come here only in summer-time to tend the trees, leaving them to take their chance during the remainder of the year : and this IS the case also with all the date-plantations through which we had been passing. We made a halt here till the morrow, to give our men and animals time for greatly-needed rest: the pass, or Godar, had doubtless tried them severely ; and one camel had broken its leg in the ascent. The air now became very pure and bracing, and quite cold enough all day to make a great-coat very acceptable : in the morning, moreover, a reading of the thermometers had proved the temperature to have fallen during the night within four degrees of freezing-point. We walked up in the evening to visit a fort which, though in ruins, still mounted one rusty gun : it was situated on the left bank of the Kndkhdnah*i-Duzdi, with the remains of a deep ditch surrounding it : from its walls was obtainable a very good view of the course of the river, the bed of which is here some 2CX) yards wide, with a shallow stream of water running rapidly to the east. At this point, its direction is east and west, but a mile further down, the river bends to the south, and flowing by Kudhfin and Minfib, makes its way to the sea at a distance of about 130 miles. We were informed that it took its rise from springs, four miles to the N.N.W., and was supplemented by numerous rivulets. -Fish are to be found in it, but of small size. The village of Kudkhfinah-i-Duzdi, consisting of about 500 mud huts, lies in an amphitheatre bounded by hills, and is surrounded by thick date-plantations. It is part of the province of Budhfin and, in conjunction with it, pays to the Laristan Government a yearly revenue of lo^cxxD krdns, principally drawn from its date-plantations. Each date- in the province (and there are about io,cxx3) is taxed at the rate of
SCARCITY OF INHABITANTS. 233
one krdn for four trees; no tax is paid till the tree begins to bear, which it does generally when it is from about eight to ten years old. Date-palms live to a great age, and some were pointed out to us in full bearing that were over 150 years. In a good season a tree will produce from 30 to 40 manna of dates^ i. e. from 250 to 400 lbs. The price of these was very high in the year preceding that of our mission, owing to the scarcity in other parts of Persia, but they ordinarily fetch about % trans for la manna of 7 lbs. each; in English money about i*. 4^. for 84 lbs. : but the dates are inferior to those of Panjgur and Bampur. Excellent oranges are grown here.
When the Kh&n of the village came to visit Sir Frederic, he proposed to him an alteration in our route, which, after much dis- cussion, was accepted, as besides other advantages it possessed that of l)eing quite new ; for the road we had intended following was similar to that taken by Major Murdoch Smith six years ago^. We found that the inhabitants here had a lively and permanent recollection of that officer's visit.
As we had now entered the jurisdiction of the Karm&n Government we learnt without surprise that a Mihm&nd&r, named Y&war Ghulim Husain, had been deputed by the Wakil-ul-Mulk to receive the Genera!, and had been awaiting his arrival for several weeks at Khinii. Hither we were escorted by Ja^far Khfin, the headman of the district, who took us by a road which presented but few features of interest. At Zi&rat, a miserable village of mud huts, the inhabitants came out to stare at us, and to implore the services of Mr. Rosario in curing the sore eyes from which they all suffered in a greater or less degree. They were dirty, ugly, and miserable in the extreme: we noticed, however,- two of the younger gfirls, whose hair, hanging in uninviting plaits to the waist, was adorned with massive lumps of silver and beads. Many of the inhabitants had never seen an European before.
The general character of the country much resembles the neighbour- hood of Bampur, and is almost devoid of population — the soil, though rich, being cultivated only by the miserable inhabitants of a few small mud villages, who pay no tax for the land they thus occupy. The
' There are two roads to Bam from this place. One of these we followed, and of tins we had not been able beforehand to ascertain the exact distance : of the other the following are the stages : Kalali Askir, 4 faridkh9 ; Kh4nu Panjir, 6 ; Asiib Gangia)>&d, 7 ; Karimabad Jiriift, 4; Godar Makak, 8 ; Sagdir, 5 ; Oodar Deh Bakri, 6 ; Miilndasht, 6 ; Bam, 7, Wa Dindn.
234 PERSO 'AFGHAN ML'iSION.
plain was covered with a yellow shrub called * Salma,' edible for man and beast. The kahur tree affords abundant firewood ; but the water, which is very good, is obtained almost entirely from wells. We passed a great number of graves, which, unlike those we saw in Baluchistdn, were always surrounded by a stone wall two or three feet high. Large flocks of fine broad-tailed sheep were to be seen in every direction, but little human life. One man alone we met, trans- porting himself, his wife, and two children, with all his worldly goods, on the back of a fast-trotting camel. At a village called Ispid, twenty-two miles from Duzdi, the valley narrows and passes be- tween two ranges of hills, that on the right known as the Kiih-i- Garak, that on the left as the Devan-i-Murfid, which is a some- what lofty chain running N.W. and S.E. The road to Bam or Jiruft passes by the left of these hills ; that we are following passes them on the right.
At two miles from Khdnu the British Commissioner was met by a small isfikbdlj or deputation, headed by the Govemor^s brother; and just before we reached camp, a band of musicians placed them- selves before us, preceded by an individual who walked into camp nearly the whole way on his head, while the mounted slaves mean- while did astounding feats of horsemanship. We had scarcely arrived, when the Governor, a fine aristocratic old man with very dignified manners — and wearing, like all the dignitaries of the place, a coloured turban, instead of the usual Persian head-dress — came to visit the General, accompanied by his young son. He informed us of the defeat of Ibrahim Kh&n at Bampur by the Baluchis, and was greatly in- terested in the fate of Hajji Ahmad at Bandar- Abbas.
For New Year's Day it was determined to halt here, and the place well merited close inspection, being one of the most singular we had seen. It is peopled entirely by a race of slaves. It appears that more than four hundred years ago, the ancestors of the present Governor migrated here from Khurasfin, accompanied by a train of slaves, whose descendants now people the town. The governorship has de- scended from father to son, in an unbroken line for more than four centuries, and is in fact a small hereditary kingdom. The Governor of E^rmdn, it is true, is the acknowledged superior, and receives tribute from the Governor of Kh4nu, but he would never dream of appointing any Governor, other than the acknowledged heir of the reigning family ; and indeed were he to do so, his nominee would not be re-
SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS AT KUANU. 235
ceived. The population numbers about one thousand famUies of slaves^ knowing no law but the will of their lord and master, the Governor of the town, who has absolute power over them, whether for life or death. They never leave the place except when in attendance on one of the reigning family, and are never sold by any chance, as they pass from father to son as so much entailed property. Having no thought or care for their livelihood, and ignorant of the sweets of a liberty they have never known, they lead a perfectly contented life, receiving their daily bread from the hands of their owner, and in return, serving him with a blind fidelity. They are chiefly occupied in tilling the ground, the proceeds of their labour being of course the property of their master. They intermarry exclusively amongst themselves, and thus this singular settlement is perpetuated from generation to genera- tion, without break or change. Neither here nor elsewhere on this route did we find any want of suffering from famine. Many of the slaves resemble ordinary Persians, but others have the woolly hair and black skin of the negro. No guards were placed over our camp.
It was a strange feeling to realise that there was not a single free man in the town except the Grovemor's family and ourselves, for though there are about two thousand families of R&iyats in the district of Kh&nii, they are quite distinct, and never settle in the town itself. The Governor, Nuru-din, and his brother, Chiragh Kh&n, visited the General several times ; but we afterwards learned that he and all his family were such inveterate drunkards, that the state of sufficient sobriety to venture out of doors was entirely due to our presence in the town. As they left the tent the first time^ a servant from each pre- ferred a whispered request for a bottle of brandy, and Ja'far Kh&n, taking heart of grace, did the same on his own account. They had been much interested in a musical box which we showed them, and also a galvanic battery; insisting on experiments with the latter being made on the vile bodies of their unwilling retinue, and exhibiting great delight at the contortions thereby induced, until one son of Islam smashed the machine in his novel agonies. Mr. Rosario was busily employed all day doctoring the slaves ; and every member of the Governor's family also petitioned for some sort of medicine.
The fort here, though built by the present man's father only thirty-five years ago, is entirely in ruins. We learned that from this place the plain runs east, in an unbroken level, right up to Bampur ; the district of Rudbfir, to which Khfinu belongs, extending
236
PERSO' AFGHAN MISSION.
nearly over the whole distance. The Jam&l Bdrid mountain bears to the north-east, about sixty miles off. Excellent partridge shootings is to be had in the vicinity of th6 town, and two of our party shot thirteen brace in a very short time during our stay there.
From Khdnu to Dusiri, thirty-seven miles, the road runs over a fertile plain, and presents nothing worthy of remark, save, that before us lay the range of snow-capped hills, known equally by the name of the Dusfiri and Jam&l Bdrid range, which presented a tnily magnificent appearance. Far away to the south-east lay the plain stretching to Barapur. The climate was most enjoyable, and the supply of water excellent and abundant. At sixteen miles from Khdnu the village of Sohrfin is passed, and four miles further the river Halil, the banks of which are thickly fringed with tamarisk, affording shelter to immense numbers of partridge and sandgrouse. One of the ravines further on had obtained an unenviable notoriety, three years before our visit, as the haimt of a band of robbers, who were a terror to the district, till put down with a strong hand by the Governor of Khanu. Two miles from Dusfiri, we were met by the Governor's son with twelve sowdrs bringing the unwelcome news that the Deh Bakri pass was closed. This, however, we afterwards found was a mistake ^.
Our arrival in camp, pitched close to the town of Dus&ri, caused the greatest excitement, and the Governor immediately came to pay the usual visit of ceremony, and was presented with a couple of watches for himself and his eon, and also two shawls. He told us the
' There ia another route lErom Khtod to Bam, which, though much longer, has perhaps the advantage of avoiding the hills, and in this way is good for heavily-laden camels : its stages are as follows : —
Bej4nabad
Ktihisti(n . .
Togiin
Mili-Farh4d . .
Dtihindanin
Kunar Kayi
Regin
Buij-i-Mahaz
Azizdb&d
Bam
Total
|
5 |
farsakhs. |
|
lO |
n |
|
8 |
u |
|
6 |
*t |
|
8 |
i> |
|
5 |
n |
|
8 |
» |
|
5 |
n |
|
3 |
n |
|
8 |
•1 |
66
«i
P.S. — With regard to these stages it should be remarked that the people here have no ^dea of actual (lUtance, but calculate their stages by time.
MEETING WITH MI HM AN BAR, 237
name for Dusfiri is Jabl-i-B&riz (not Jam&l-B&rid)^ and signifies the ' mountain of cold/ ^ so called because almost all its jurisdiction lies in the hills, adding that the country was formerly populated from Jiruft to Bampur^ but is now desolate. The town has a substantial wall of brick, with flanking towers and two lofty hadgirs or wind-towers: its in- habitants seemed very poor, chiefly cultivators of the ground, and possessed with such a love of medicine, that they thronged Mr.Bosario's tent all day, praying for pills and potions. The Governor and all his family also consulted our medico for their eyes, and his arrival was hailed as a godsend by the whole community. We were informed that the chief of Kh&nu is also the * Begi ' of this place, and that his inordinate craving for brandy was shared by the local * upper ten.' Travellers should hence take three days' supplies of forage and pro- visions for the journey to Bam, as there is only one thinly-peopled village on the road, and all necessaries are abundant here. Before starting, we despatched a messenger to Bam with letters for Major Lovett, telling him of our intended movements, and requesting him to communicate the same to the Persian Commissioner.
The route from hence again lay over the same plain — ^in this direction boimded by the hills which, running from Jiruft, join the Deh Bakri and Dus&ri chain. Four miles on our march^ we passed a solitary hill rising abruptly from the level of the plain, called Kh&r- pusht (or the Porcupine), from whence we got a view of the snow-capped Ahmadi mountain, rearing its head to the south-^west. We passed occasional patches of cultivation, with clusters of leaf-built huts^ but the only objects of interest were the black partridges^ which kept con- tinually crossing our path in swarms. We had intended to push on that day to Dasht-i-Khushk, but the guides had brought oxitfardskes and mules to a stop five miles nearer Dus&ri ; and there we halted, the camp being in the Jiriiil district. In the afternoon, arrived Yfiwar GhuUm Husain Kh&n, who had been appointed Mihm&nd&r to the General fully two months before. He was the son of the Diwan Begi of Karm&n, and was accompanied by Muhammad Hasan Kh&n. He confirmed the news of the defeat of Ibrahim Kh&n by the Balu- chis of Chakhansur, at a place near Nasrabad in Sistin, about a month previously. He also informed us that Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n had reached Bam^ and was there awaiting our arrival. The next day
^ Perhaps rather the * cold mountain ; ' if indeed the Persian genitive may be used with such purely Arabic words. The name refers to the district. — P, /. 0,
238 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION.
we started under charge of the new Mihmdnd&r; but though his anxiety to acquit himself of his duties caused him to furnish a led horse and some very unnecessary guards during the night, we benefited but little from his presence. We were much amused by the singular way in which these Persian sentinels performed their duty at night. General Goldsmid happened to leave his tent somewhat late in the evenings and was surprised to find a very lively sentry at the door with a drawn sword, porting, carrying and saluting^ in the most approved fashion. On being questioned^ the man replied that he was acting in accordance with the Y&war's orders that the General's tent should be strictly guarded during the night. * And pray how long do you stay here?' asked Sir Frederic. *0h! we wait until the Sard&r (or General) is fast asleep^ and then we all go home and sleep likewise 1'
Our march the next day to the Deh Bakri pass came to rather an untoward ending. The Mihm&nddr had neglected to furnish us with guides, and so we wandered on and on^ greatly surprised at the length of the stage, till we found that we had overshot the mark by several miles, and had left the camp far behind. We had passed early in the day the village of Dasht-i-Khushk, which, as its name implies, marks the limit of cultivation on this side of Deh Bakri, and coming upon the stony, barren slope of the mountain range, had continued our ascent for ten miles, when we found ourselves at the entrance of the pass, from whence a very fine view of the Jirtift and Rudb&r plains is obtained. Our path then followed the course of a mountain torrent^ between rocky clifis, till we commenced the very difficult ascent known as the Gk>d&r of Sakhtdar. The summit of this pass, which is thirty-eight miles from Dus&ri, we reached with difficulty, and passing through a winding valley^ came into the open plain of Sakhtdar, with the Rud- kh&nah flowing through it. It was at this point we realised that we were fitr separated from our camp ; but as it was raining hard, with a bitterly cold wind, and it was hopeless to turn back, we determined to push on to the caravanserai at Maskun — deluded with a false report that our camels were ahead of us. Eight miles from the river, we came upon the first snow we had seen, and pursued our course^ cold and wretched, over steep and desolate hills^ for about two miles, when one of the Y&war's men who was leadings exclaimed that we had lost the way. It was now 3 p.m., and as we had not tasted food that day, a halt was ordered, and scouts were sent out to discover the right path. Shouts
THE DEH BAKRI PASS. 289
from a neighbouring hill soon caused us to hark back, and striking at last on the right track, we found ourselves, at 5 o'clock, at the desolate caravanserai of Maskun, situated in a hollow on the highest point of the passj about 7300 feet above the level of the sea. The caravanserai, though nothing but a dark and miserable stable, was yet a most welcome harbour of refuge to our wearied men and animals from the bitter wind and driving rain. The hills and all around were deep in snow, and as none of the mules, camels, or servants were to be seen, all we could do was to make the best possible arrangements for the night. Luckily for us, the Abd&r had with him a tin of sardines and another of jam, and we were thankful to dine as best we might off these. Our poor horses were in sorry plight, all their clothing and forage being with the missing mules: but in the midst of the general discomfort, we could only congratulate ourselves on having regained the right path, and thus being saved very unpleasant and serious consequences. Affairs looked gloomy enough when we awoke the next morning, after many comfortless hours passed huddled up to- gether with the horses, mules, and men, all starving and wretched : for it had snowed heavily enough during the night to cut off all chance of our getting provisions for some time, the mountain paths being so slip- pery that neither mules nor camels would be able to ascend but with great difficulty. At 9 o'clock, however, the sun broke through the dense mists that enveloped us, revealing beautiful glimpses of the snow- capped ranges around, and cheering the spirits of all the party. Our missing servants and mules now came dropping in one after the other, full of the adventures and hair-breadth escapes of the preceding night ; and mules were sent back to aid the camels and bring up loads of forage for the starving horses, and the sun soon dried all the soaking l>aggage.
In the evening all our numbers were complete, with the exception of four mules and their drivers, who were reported to be lost in the mountains, and in search of whom we despatched three ghuldms next day, with provisions and forage. This pass we shall long remember as one of the most dreary imaginable ; for there was not a human being to be seen, nor provision of any kind to be found for man or beast. The hills, it is true, swarmed with black partridges, but these were so wild as to be quite unapproachable. In the course of the day, a mes- senger arrived from Jirfift with letters from Major Lovett, announcing his arrival with Sergeant Bower at Bam on the a5th of December.
240 FERSO AFGHAN MISSION.
The next morning broke bright, clear^ and bitterly cold^ as there had been a hard frost during the night. We found that two miles beyond the caravanserai, the road makes another steep ascent, to the extreme summit of the pass of Deh Bakri, for which the aneroid registered a height of 7800 feet. Descending by a steep and slippery path, we reached, a mile further on, the caravanserai of Deh Bakri, which closely resembled that at Maskun, and had been evidently built thus near it to afford certain shelter to travellers on either side this dan- gerous pass in severe weather. Entering a narrow valley with traces of summer cultivation, our road led into the stony bed of a water- course^ which is the outlet for the streams of the high land around ; and after two miles of very rough ground, it forked off into two branches — one to the north-east, leading by Sarvastdn to Karm&n, and the other to the east, leading to Bam. Choosing the latter, we ascended some hills, from the summit of which we first saw the plain of Bam lying at our feet, with D&rzin to the north-east, and Bam east by south : the aneroid giving an altitude of 6400 feet. An easy and gradual descent to the plain soon brought us to the familiar ground we had traversed the year before, and we at once recognised the Tahrud hills and the D&rzin road.
We breakfasted at the foot of the hills, the aneroid indicating a &1I of 4300 feet from Deh Bakri, and then rode for eighteen miles to Behdirun, across a barren stony plain affording neither water nor .firewood. Reaching Behdirun at 5.30 p.m., we hoped to find that Major Lovett had sent us out tents and provisions from Bam, but finding none, we again started in the fast fading light to ride the remaining six miles into that town. We had not, however, gone &r, when we saw three figures approaching us in the dusk ; and to our great delight, these proved to be Major Lovett, Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower, and the Mirakhor Gbafur Beg. It appeared that the mes- senger we had sent them from Dus&ri had never turned up; and it was by the merest chance they had heard of our expected arrival at Behdirun that evening. We all rode in together, and found excellent quarters prepared for us in a new house belonging to the Kal&ntar or Mayor of the place, with all our old servants and fardshes in waiting to welcome us. The establishment left at Bam the preceding year had profited much from their long rest, and both men and animals were looking sleek and well.
The Persian Commissioner was reported to be in excellent health
TO SISTAN.
241
and spirits, and our preparations for the somewhat diflScnlt march into Sistin were declared to be in a forward state : for our servants, with that love of travelling so peculiar to Persians, were already beguiling^ one another with imaginary tales of the wonders and delights of the far away province, and were in high spirits and anxious for an early start. One difficult portion of our march from the sea-coast had already been accomplished most successfully, and this result was a good omen for future success. There was much to tell and to hear, between the two parties who had been separated for so many months, and night fell on a reunited and eagerly conversational community ^.
n. Bam to Sistdn.
The Mission halted at Bam from the 7th till the nth of January, 187:1, in order that the necessary preparations might be completed for crossing the desert into Sist&n. Thanks to the exertions of Captain Lovett and Sergeant Bower, these preparations were, as before said^
' The itinerary of the route followed by the Miasion from Bandar* Abbas to Bam was aa follows : —
|
Date, 1871. |
Stage. |
Distance in MOet, |
DiretHon, |
||
|
Dec. 34 |
• • ■ • |
Biigd |
• • ■ • |
14 .... |
E.N.E. |
|
,* ^5 |
• • • • |
Kala'h-i-KiUi |
• • • • |
13 •• .. |
N.E. |
|
., 26 |
• • • • |
Shibnil |
• • • • |
ao .... |
£. BlighUy N. e 7 miles E.K.E. |
|
» a; |
• • •• |
Fari&b |
• • • • |
19 |
} 8 miles E. C 4 miles SJBB. |
|
,. a8 |
• • • « |
Riidkhinah-i-Diizdi |
• ■ •• |
93 •• *• |
NJ^.E. by N. |
|
» 30 |
■ • • • |
Lipid |
•• • • |
aa .. .. |
EJ^.E. |
|
.. 31 |
• • • ■ |
KhKiiii |
• • • • |
la .... |
E.N.E. |
|
187a. |
|||||
|
Jan. a |
• • • • |
Sc^iran |
• • • • |
16 .... |
N.E. by N. |
|
n 3 |
• • • • |
DuBiri |
• • • • |
ai .. .. |
N.byE. |
|
.. 4 |
• • •• |
Daolatab&d |
• • ■ < |
17 .... |
N.W. r 14 mUes N. by W. |
|
.. 5 |
• • • • |
Maakiin Caravsnaerai |
* • • • |
36 .. •• 4 |
la miles N.byE. ^10 miles N.E. ' 10 miles N JL |
|
- 7 |
•• • • |
Bam |
• ■ • • |
36 .. .• ^ 1 |
a miles E. by S. 1 18 miles E. 6 miles E. by S. |
VOL. I.
B
2J2 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION,
in a very forward state. The greater part of the transport animals hful been engaged, and the horses that had been left behind last year under the charge of the Mirakhor were found to be in first-rate condition. The usual ceremonial visits were exchanged with the rersian Commissioner^ who appeared in excellent spirits^ seemed delighted to see the General, and prophesied smooth things and a •tylo of procedure very different from that of bst year. He had only one of his sons with him on this occasion, the other having been left behind to bo married ; and he had provided himself with a new engineer offiiH)r (Zulfakar Kh«n), resplendent in high knee boots and bright grtnm gloves. He said that on this occasion he had been furnished with instructions that were quite clear and sufficient. The return visit of ceremony paid by Sir Frederic Goldsmid to the Persian Com- missioner was chiefly memorable from the incidental misfortunes of the unpaid attache. This gentleman had provided himself for the occasion with a gold-laced cap and a necessary pair of goloshes \ both many sizes too large for him, and which could only be kept in their places by the strictest uprightness and rectitude of position. Con- sequently, whenever he had to make a slight jump over any one of the small water-courses intersecting our road, either the gold-laced cap or the goloshes, and often both these articles, would tumble into the water and float slowly away, leaving their bareheaded or half-shod owner mourning on the bank until such time as one of the laughing retinue would recapture and return them to him. The constant and unerring repetition of this incident somewhat impaired the dignity, though it added much to the hilarity, of the procession. At last, on the nth, owing to every one having worked with right good-will, all was ready for a start. We had obtained an excellent guide, one Hajji Abdullah Kh&n, thin, tall, grey-bearded, dignified, and intensely loquacious, who boasted he knew every inch of Persia, and the posses- sion of an immense Turkman grey mare, displaying ' great sjrmmetry of bone.' The missing mules and camels had been brought in safety from the Deh Bakri pass, having been found nine miles off the road with their drivers insensible from hunger ; and on the morning of the 1 2th, after the distribution of numerous presents to all who had been
* Goloflhes are always worn over the boots by Europeans in Persia when they visit Persians of rank. The discarding of the goloshes at the door is equivalent to the Fenians Invariably leaving their slippers at the door, and entering a carpeted room in their stocking feet.
UJTF ALT KUAN,
243
instrumental in assisting us, the Mission finally started out of Bam on their way to Sistdn^.
Before leaving Bam, it may be interesting to compare briefly the present state of the city with the account given of it in Kinneir's Geographical Memoir. The town is no longer, as therein described, surrounded by walls and flanking towers. It lies quite open and unprotected on either side the river, which divides it into two very equal parts. This distribution, however, is of recent date, for it is only of late years that the country has been sufficiently quiet from the chapdos of the Afghans and Baluchis to allow of the inhabitants dwelling elsewhere than in a circle of protecting walls. The present fort, situated about a quarter of a mile to the east, outside the town, was formerly the ark or citadel inside the city, which was surrounded by a high wall with towers. The prosperity of Bam seems to have reached its climax during the reign of Nddir Shah, who passed through it on his way to Afghdnist&n. Its position as a frontier town gave it much importance, for it was not only exposed to continual attacks from marauding Afgh&ns and Baluchis, but was also generally resorted to by rebellious chieftains or unsuccessful aspirants to power. As is well known, it witnessed the capture of the unfortunate Lutf Ali Kh&n, the last of the Zand dynasty, and more recently the rebellion of Agha Khdn, now living in Bombay. The famous historical pile of skulls, raised by order of Agha Muhammad Shah to conmiemorate the defeat of the adherents of Lutf Ali Khfin, no longer exists. Fath Ali Shah gave permission for it to be re- moved. Hajji Abdullah Kh&n was well up in the history of these parts, and he declared that his ancestors played an important part in the events that succeeded each other so rapidly during the rise of the
^ The strength at leaving was as follows : —
|
Sir F. J. Goldsznid and Staff |
• • |
6 |
||
|
Persian Government servants |
• • |
33 |
||
|
Private servants |
• ■ |
13 |
||
|
Guide |
• • |
I |
||
|
Mule drivers and camel men |
• • |
• • • • • • • Total |
73 |
|
|
AnimaU, |
TtnU, |
|||
|
Horses |
«4 |
Hill Tents |
• • |
5 |
|
Mules |
«4 |
Bell Tents .. |
• • |
|
|
Camels |
90 128 |
Persian and other Tents |
• • • |
4 16 |
R 2
2il FERMOAFOHAS ML-l^lIOy.
KajAr rlyna«t.y* XticxtvYxn^ to h.i:s account, kxs znuiiimrlier. H^uji Muhammail ffiisain Khiln, was a most iaSoeatial mail !iereu ami a fiftrrUr of PtiTMSi. Hti (uul Steven sons, of whom tkree. ^nnlnitTTBg the hlhf'.r of our ^li^l^, wf:re inrluced by Fath All Shah, on. his aocceednu; t/> tlu! throTifi^ Ut f^v«i him np the ari or citadel ot BaiiL •7a riis iiwr^arin^ on th#! Kiiran to rect^ive them into favoor. No joon«ir had, hti th/'rn in hiM \if»wfir, however, then he took them to Tehiaui. ponzntr nil ihfir tzytm out on the f4ame flay ; but finding that, daring their >£e- t^ntion at T<;h r^n, the province and city of Bom were jabjected uo (:huUuiu't\ ineuri«ionM from their adherents in Sistin and the TuoiA" boiirh/KHl, lie at lajit received them again into £ivoar. and sent diem. biM'fc. blind AH they were, U) quiet the province. Hajji Abdullah, aay^ f.biit. it wfiN r>ne of theM; blind uncles of hia who^ when a yoime man Im\ rji|iiMrerI Lutf Ali Kh^n, by hamstringing his horse.
Tbft |>/ipnlat.ion of Bam consists now of between eight and nine thoa- nfirifl inlmbiUntji, Um principal trade is in the products of the Narxna- pihir, lUilUiU, henna, wheat, &c., &c., which pass through it en r*mU to WmmXm AbbfMi. 'rhe water is jfood, though the natives saj it is ming^H or ' b#!ftvy/ The trjwn is the residem^e of the fiunoos Ibiai- hirn KliAn wlien he in not at Bampur^ The fort is kept in good or/l^r. but they woiihJ not fiermit us to enter it. There was gremt NurfVtrifi^ from the famine here last year, and manv people kept them* iM«lv/i<i Alivft alrri/>Ht entirely on grass and herbs. Hence to Sistan there in ft rliKUfieit of aUiiit 280 miles, of eleven marches, which it took us t%^^^^^U^t^ ftfiyrt f/> a/r/romplinh, owing to a necessi^ for haTf:ing> aeTen /Ifiyii ift vMrioim pla/^eH, Ui rest the animals and await the Persian Com- rrti*i«i/rftAr'N Mrrdn^ements for escrirt and provisioning.
ThA fimt fifty mi leu traverse the district of the Narmashir, frifrK^im f/if ifn eKeellrnt K/»il and abundant water supply. Wheat, h#«ftri»t, fi'^ snd indit^o an? ^rown in abundance, and black par* fffff^it, wild f/twl. Mm! wiKl pig are to be shot in great numbers. Tlif» |ffifi'«i|»nl htrj^ft villa^ett panscd are Kruk, Azizdbad^ Na'imab41 (\%f\\\A\ VtM\usf,^yf viNif^^il in iHro, but which is no longer in the mifri«« n<'iM'i*(hiii^ rviridi(ion), and Fahraj, a place of great antiquity, whifh )ffMtKn/| \%\U% fVfM inn |»oHH4rfiMion in the reign of Fath Ali Shah. Thft lrt«tt t<« Kfhmf^l on the rif^f ht bank of the sluggish river rising, if M imifi, frfrffi M/iffiit Kprin^M m^r Azizibicl, and flowing up to this point Ihf'rMKh (h»Ap bNfikN; fin>»lly rehraHingi spreading and losing itself in
• >l«i«i iiimit.(4>n of ItMft «bo ftt page 85.
k
PAHRA, PUHRA, OR F AH RAJ. 245
small streams in the plain beyond Fahraj, and at a much lower level (having no force to make a distinct bed) in the hard plain. The bed of the river, here two hundred yards wide, is choked with a reedy grass called * Dirdnchu,' which gives excellent cover to all sorts of game. This place has been identified by Major St. John with Pahra, the ancient capital of Gedrosia, where Alexander met his heavy baggage and elephants after his march through Baluchist&n. It now has about two thousand inhabitants, aud its mud fort is in excellent pre- servation and in a commanding position. The village is surrounded by date-groves. Some little distance off are the scanty ruins of a very old fort, which tradition says was many hundred years ago occupied by Gabrs, and opposite the present village on the other side of the river are the ruins of a most remarkable fort of considerable extent, perched on a high hill. Time did not admit of our measuring the extent of the ruins, but they were evidently of great antiquity. The remains of a large village called Takiabdd were also observed in the vicinity; the constant forays of the Afgh&ns and Baluchis having caused the spot to be deserted some sixty years ago. The inhabitants of the Narmashir, who came out to see us pass^ seemed fairly well to do, though inexpressibly dirty. There appeared to have been but little acute distress from famine last year, but we heard that the paucity of rain had advanced the price of bread fivefold within the last two years.
It was remarkable how much the vegetation had advanced in the Narmashir compared with that in the immediate vicinity of Bam. The temperature was much warmer^ there being a difference of some twenty degrees ; the tamarisk-trees were in bloom, and the wheat was well above ground. The extensive belt of jungle which intervenes between Aziz&bdd and Fahraj stretches right up to Big&n. Some very striking earth formations are to be noticed in the Narmashir, which at first sight have the appearance of an enormous city in ruins, with walls^ gates, and bastions, but which on closer inspection prove to be masses of kanhar and sand, worn into these fantastic shapes by the action of wat«r. It is difficult to account for the uniform height at which these masses have been preserved above the clear level of the surrounding plain.
The last camping-ground before entering the desert that intervenes for the greater part of the distance between the Narmashir and Sist&n, is at a place called Tum-i-Rig, or the * hillocks of sand,' where there is good fresh water ; and before leaving this point all preparations
246 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION.
should be completed, even to the taking of men to dig wells in the rare spots where salt and brackish water is to be found. All drinking- water, at least for Europeans, should be provided as far as Nusratabfid. The forage and provisions that we had to lay in had necessarily increased our transport train considerably, and the consequent number of camels and horses quite enlivened the dreary aspect of the desert. We had here an opportunity of learning by practical experience how utterly aggravating and maddening a servant the patient camel can become ; and more especially the camel of Baluchistan. In other parts of Persia the camels are fed with flour at the end of the day's march ; but here the only food they can get is that obtainable by brow^sing in the vicinity of the camping-grounds. Immediately on arrival in camp they are therefore turned quite loose to wander at their own sweet will all over the country until the evening, when the drivers go out and collect them : and this is often a work of considerable dif- ficulty, for it sometimes occurs that camels are lost for days together. Another matter is that as the camel is an enormous feeder he requires the whole day to graze in. This necessitates his marching at night, or at some very early hour in the morning, to allow of his arrival at the next stage in good time; and the operation of loading the camels in the early evening for their midnight march is one that must be experienced to be appreciated. It is impossible to give even a faint idea of the gamut of inharmonious and heartbreaking sounds which this patient beast has at its command, and with which it * protests ' against being laden at all. Grumblings, rumblings, creak- ings, snortings, wailings, and groanings, interspersed with the gut- tural oaths of the drivers, and accompanied by the most villainous smells, continue in uninterrupted discord till the would-be sleeper in the tents around wishes that he might alike lose the sense of hearing and of smell until such sore trial be accomplished. And even w'hen loaded and started these beasts are equally unmanageable, for here they are not, as in other parts, accustomed to follow each other in a long string, each attached to each, nose and tail, by a rope. Such restrictions would, say their Baluch drivers, infuriate and madden the free spirit of this child of the desert. Instead of this they must be allowed to follow one another scattered at intervals all over the country, browsing as they go along, continually dropping their loads, and giving sufficient work to a considerable body of men to keep them together at all ; besides which, each isolated beast forms an easy prey for any chance
SISTAN DESERT. 247
marauder. They are, too, excessively timid, and frightened at the least unaccustomed sounds such as a European sneezing in their vicinity. We had a proof of this one night at midnight, when a horrible clatter- ing and smashing sound woke us up, and we were informed that a young camel being loaded near Mr. Rosario's tent had been so startled by a more than usually earnest snore from that gentleman^ that he had run straight away across country with a chest of drawers packed full of pills and potions of every description. The Jamb&z or riding camel is of course a notable exception to the above remarks. His pace is pleasant for his rider when the latter has become accustomed to it, and his powers of endurance are most remarkable. Our guide told us a story, which was corroborated by other evidence, of a messenger having traversed the whole distance between Sist&n and Karm&n, with the news of the murder of Ali Khdn by his nephew Taj Muhammad Kh&n, on one of those Jamb&z camels in three days — a distance cer- tainly not less than 360 miles. This was in 1861.
The temperature fell very low while we were encamped at Tum-i-Rig, on the edge of the desert, and it may be noticed here that it daily got much colder until we reached Sistdn. Six inches below the surfece of the ground, at Tiim-i-Rig, there is a layer of pure salt, sufficiently hard to turn the tent pegs, and we found this the case at other places in the desert. The two camping-grounds so called between the Narma- shir and Nusratab&d (the latter place being a Persian settlement, and sort of half-way house to Sistdn), are Shor-Gez, at twenty-two miles, and Gurg, thirty-five miles further. The road for the greater part of the distance runs over a hard stony desert, somewhat undulating, but with no signs of life of any description. There are occasional sandy patches upon which hhutay stunted tamarisk, and small huhar trees are found ; but otherwise the desolation of these vast solitudes, which stretch away on the west right up to Tehran, is complete . and unbroken. Two most remarkable towers are passed which now serve ent;Jrely as landmarks, and which the natives declare were erected by the great NAdir Shah, to guide his army by night while traversing this desert en route to AfghAnistin. The first of these is distant about nine miles from Tiim-i-Rig, and is visible immediately on quitting that camping-ground. It is called the Mil-i-N&diri, and we found its dimensions to be as follows : — height 55 feet ; circumference at base 43 feet, slightly tapering to the top ; thickness of wall 35 feet; measurement of bricks I4by la by :i inches.
248 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION,
It is a strong structure of oven-burnt bricks (probably brought from Fahraj) standing quite by itself, with a spiral staircase of fifty steps ascending to the top, but with no interior rooms or place of protection. An extensive view of the surrounding desolation can be obtained from the summit. Though showing many proofs that it has sufiered from the weather, this tower is still perfectly solid^ and likely to last for many years. The other tower is eleven miles beyond Shor-Gez, but is now almost completely in ruins, having been destroyed by an earth- quake about twenty-five years ago. It is said to have been twice the height of the former one. From appearances, the conclusion is war- ranted that N&dir Shah merely repaired these towers, which seem to be of a date far antecedent to his epoch.
Eleven miles beyond the second tower are situated the ruins of a considerable fort and caravanserai, called Bib&t, which shows that the road must have been considerably used at one period. Both at Shor- Gez and Gurg water was obtainable by digging wells five feet deep, but it was brackish and bad ; and at the latter place there is a stream (Btid-i-Mdhi) so salt and bitter that none of our animals even would touch it : the wild ass being the only animal ever known to drink of it. Gurg is situated at the foot of the range of hills which divide it from Nusratabfid^ in a valley running N.W. to S.E., along^ which the Baluchis used to raid from Baluchistan. The Bud-i-M&hi, which is a brook of considerable size, was described as finding its way- through the Nusratabad range and other hills right into Sistdn, but it was impossible to trace its course from native description. The old road into Sistan used to follow the Gurg valley to the east and turn the hills in front, but robbers caused its desertion. Remains of kandts and mud-huts and a caravanserai afibrd proof that at one time a vain attempt was made to inhabit these inhospitable latitudes, which though so bitterly cold at the time we traversed them, are so hot in summer that the infrequent traveller has to wrap bandages round his stirrups to prevent his horse or camel being wounded from contact therewith.
The Persian settlement of Nusratabdd, some sixteen years old, is situated in a valley about seven miles broad, and 37 miles N.E. of the camping-ground at Gurg, from which it is divided by a range of utterly desolate and barren hills, of which the line of the watershed is crossed at an elevation of ^900 feet. This valley is bounded to the north also by a high range of hills, and consequently, receiving
DESERT ROAD, 249
the watershed of the two ranges, is in wet seasons quite under water : in the dry seasons it is so thickly covered with saline efflores- cence, that it has the appearance of being several feet deep in snow. The settlement is composed of a mud fort, strongly built, having walls about thirty feet high, square in form, with towers at the angles, each face loo yards, affording accommodation at a pinch for 350 men. The garrison consists of fifty men, commanded by a sMidn or captain ; and there are, besides, some thirty wretched cultivators, who were brought here nine or ten years ago, and who have never been allowed to return. Neither these wretched creatures nor the soldiers are, for some unexplained reason, allowed to have their wives or female relatives with them ; and no words could do justice to the extreme misery of their condition, thus shut off from all ties, and with no hope of a return to all that makes life bearable. The cultivators, especially, seemed to be half-witted ; and, on the night of our arrival, came round the fire we had lit as a protection against the bitter cold, and thrust their bodies into the middle of the flames, looking more like brutes than human beings. Their exertions have reclaimed the salt swamp sur- rounding the fort, to the space of about a mile radius, and this affords sufficient grain for the wants of the scanty garrison. The water is very brackish, and there are two thermal sulphur springs * (temp. 75° at surface, 38° air) in the vicinity of the surrounding hills, which even here have a reputation for the cure of skin diseases. At one of these, eight miles from the fort, a small walled enclosure marks the grave of a Baluch, who committed suicide at this delectable place. No words can give an idea of the desolate appearance of Nusratabad ; and here we were destined to halt from the 21st to the 26th of January, six days. The fort marked the limits of Karm&n territory, and the escort that had hitherto accompanied us, under the command of the Governor of Bam, would consequently return hence to the Narmashir after handing us over, bag and baggage, to the escort that the Amir of K&in, Hashmat-ul-Mulk and Governor of Sistan, had some time since despatched to meet us, but which did not arrive at Nusratab&d until the 25th of January. The halt thus rendered necessary was of great use to our baggage animals, who were quite knocked up by the unaccustomed cold, and it also afforded
' Or, perhaps three. They were viflited by Mr. Thomas and Sergeant Bower, who described them as situated one above the other, in steps, and varying in temperature. — F. /. G.
250 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION,
opportunity for the members of the Mission to shoot deer and wildfowl, as well as to gain some experience of the intense suspicion entertained on their movements and objects, which later events led us to believe the Persian Commissioner commenced here to disseminate. Up to the pre- sent, this gentleman had been the impersonation of good-humour and bonhomie and he continued to play this part until arrival in Sistfin ; when, as will be seen hereafter, his conduct completely changed. But there were not wanting even here little signs to mark, as it were, the beginning of the end of those smooth things which while at Bam he had so gladly prophesied : even in this blank and dreary spot, it was almost impossible to get answers to the simplest questions : we were told that it was forbidden to give information ; and remonstrance was unproduc- tive of redress. It may be noticed that the march hither from Gurg is a very trying one, being principally along the stony bed of the water- course that drains the range of intervening contiguous hills. A curious ruin of a gate, situated in a very narrow gorge, about twenty-nine miles from Gurg, is passed, and is said to be another remnant of Nddir Shah's passage, and to have been used as a toll-bar. The natives say that copper abounds in the hills around, and we heard the same things wherever we halted on our march into SistAn. From Nusratabdd, there is a little-used path to Bam which a determined man on a good jambdz could, it is said, traverse in twenty-four hours.
At noon, on the a5th of January, the long-expected escort from Sist&n arrived. It consisted of fifty-five sowars in all, some mounted on horses and some on camels, headed by two men specially deputed by the Amir of K&in, named Abbds Khdn and Muhammad Beg, the latter of whom was a Baluch chief in the service of the Amir. They brought us the news that the Amir was in Sist&n, anxiously awaiting our arrival, and we accordingly moved thither at daybreak on the 27th. Between Nusratabfid and Sekuha, in Sistfin, there are three halting-places, called Kildgh-db (water of the crow), Tursh-fib (bitter water), and Tum- i-Mir-Dost. From Nusratabdd, it is twenty-three miles to the first place, fifty-three to the second, and eighty-eight to the third; from whence again it is about thirty-four miles further to Sekuha. Tum- i-Mir-Dost is, however, literally in Sistin. It is situated in the Shilah tract ; south of the more thickly populated portion of the above province, and at the same elevation — namely, about 1250 feet above the sea. The general character of the country between Nusrata- bdd and Sistfin comprises somewhat lofty ranges of hills, running
CONTINUED DESERT. 251
parallel with each other from N.W. to S.E., and separated by intervening level and half-desert plateaus, which afford grazing ground for the flocks of the nomad Baldchis. The first elevated range crossed after leaving Nusratab&d has a watershed-line of 5300 feet, and leads with gradual descent on to the plain of Kilfigh-db, at 455^ f^^* Granite and white marble were met with in these hills. The second occurs on leaving Kil&gh-&b^ and has a watershed-line of 4800 feet, from which there is a gradual descent on to another broad, stony plateau ; and the third, which has a watershed-line of 5100 feet, inter- venes between this plain and the camping-ground, called Tursh-db, which lies at an elevation of 3700 feet, from which spot there is a gradual descent on to the alluvial plain of Sistan. The desolation of the country through which we passed was complete. Between Nus- ratabfid and Sist&n we did not meet one single human being : and the only living things we saw were some ibex and mountain sheep. The halting-places above mentioned are determined entirely from their supply of water ; but there are no human habitations, and the escort sent to meet us from Sistin had buried the provisions that would be required at each place. On quitting Nusratabdd, the Governor of Bam and his following rode out with us a short way to take leave, and then returned to the Narmashir, taking with them a larg^ mail for England. They went away in good spirits, having all received handsome presents for the services rendered to the Mission. The Kain escort, to whose tender mercies we were now consigned, were a far wilder-looking lot than their predecessors ; and on the cold, misty morning on which we first made their acquaint- ance— with their faces muflJed up to the eyes, armed to the teeth with every conceivable species of offensive and defensive weapons, and mounted on camels and ponies, as wild and rugged as their riders — presented a most singular appearance. There is a solitary well at Kilfigh-db, situated in the middle of the plain of that name, which, say the natives, never runs dry. It is cut through a substratum of white rock, and is in the centre of a system of iandis, which stretch on every side to the base of the surrounding hills, said to have been dug, in days long gone by, by the Parsis. A remarkable solitary rock, crowning a hill in the vicinity, is also pointed out as a spot where they used to expose their dead. The weather experienced between Nusratabid and SistAn was most trying. Heavy rain, snow, frost, and biting winds predominated ; and our servants, no less than ourselves.
252 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
were surprised and disappointed at the severity of what we had been led to believe would prove a very mild climate.
The wind, hail, and snow, through which we pursued our march between Kil&gh-fib and Tursh-ib, were indeed so severe that several of our camels died, and many of our servants arrived in camp in a semi- moribund state. The Persian Commissioner was quite unhinged, and his wretched Engineer was so shrivelled by the cold that he rattled inside his bright green gloves and top-boots like a nut in its shell. Luckily there was plenty of firewood (tamarisk) at the wells of Tursh-db, and the European members of the Mission, having pushed far ahead of the main body, had exercised themselves with such a will in procuring firewood for the perished following, that a gigantic bonfire was ready to welcome and to thaw each starving member of our melan- choly retinue on arrival. As night fell on our motley camp in this valley, the scene was really very picturesque. The beautifiil silvery background afibrded by the feathery and snow-covered tamarisk ; the numerous camp-fires, which shed a lurid glow on to the strange cos- tumes and wild faces of our Baluch attendants; the mists drivings continually across the open, and causing all objects to loom out in abnormal magnitude ; the queer sounds and echoes which came rollings in from the surrounding darkness; the uncouth conglomeration of tongues ; and, over all, the serenity of a moonlit though cloudy sky : these were elements of an admirable picture, to which however, nobody, at that time and in the then state of the thermometer, felt inclined to do much justice. Persian servants on the march are in truth admirable. Though the majority of them had arrived in camp, literally perished from cold and half-frozen, no sooner had they been thawed at the big fire, than we found our tents pitched, an excellent dinner prepared, and every possible arrangement made for passing the night in comfort. A really good Persian servant never thinks at the end of a march, under whatsoever conditions, of attending to his own wants until he has first provided for every conceivable necessity of his master, and in this respect is unequalled by servants of any other race.
From Tursh-db the road into Sistdn descends for ten miles along the broad, stony bed of a stream, which at times must contain a very considerable volume of water, for it has cut itself a channel in many places more than lOO feet deep. The path then leaves the bed of the river, and turning abruptly to the left, emerges through some low
DESCENT INTO SISTAN. 263
mad hills on to a Mi^^a-covered plain^ sloping to the north, from which we first got a glimpse of the renowned Kuh-i-Khw&jah, rising far away to the N.W. It was about three miles from this spot, or eighteen from Tursh-fib, that we first saw Sistan lying low before us, and looking very barren and desolate : as &r as the eye could reach^ there was no sign of life : a dense cloud of smoke on the horizon marked the burning of the reeds that erewhile choked the body of the lake ; and an extraordinary white radiating cloud seemed also to shoot up into the heavens from the far away horizon. A further advance of about eight miles from the point at which we had first sighted the province, brought us, by a gradual descent over shingly ground, to the tract known as the ' Shilah.*" The entrance on to the alluvial soil of Sist&n from the stony ground to the W. and S.W. is indicated by a clear and well-defined line. Stones and pebbles suddenly and entirely cease; and^ instead of bhuta and camel-thorn, the soft earth is covered with a dried-up, yellowish-looking grass, called bannu by the natives, on which our horses commenced to feed vigorously. This grass, however, though excellent food for sheep and cattle, is too salt to be used as regular forage for horses without much previous washing. It grows in vast quantities^ owing to the im- mense fertility of the soil formerly deposited after the overflowing waters of the lake had receded; and the excellent pasturage thus afforded makes this tract of country a regular resort for the nomad Nharui Baluchis, who are in the habit of coming here regularly to pasture their flocks, and who used to take refuge on the slopes of the surrounding hills when driven away by the waters of the lake. Now that there has been no inundation for five years^ it is feared that the crop of hannu^ getting less and less, may soon cease altogether. The dried grass is regularly fired about a month before the Nau-Roz, and a firesh crop of young green shoots soon appears in its place. The natives pointed to the fact of its having so long survived the absence of water, as a proof of the immense richness and fertility of the original soil deposited. This plain, called the Zamin-i-Shilah, is as flat as the palm of the hand, and, as already stated, was, until five years ago, regularly submerged during a certain season in the year. There were apparently no landmarks by which we could guide our course, and .certainly no vestige of a path to follow. Our adventures were thus described at the time by one of the members of the Mission :^-' Continuipg our route over the plain, and trusting blindly
264 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION.
to the so-called geographical knowledge of our wild Balucli guide, at eight miles we came to a low, shallow sort of ditch or canal, about thirty yards wide, quite dry, and which is known as the Shilah (the general term in Sistan for the bed of a small rivulet), and which gives its name to the surroimding country. This ditch, the guides say, used in former days to. connect the two Hdmuns or Lakes of Sistfin and Zirr&h ; but it is diflScult now to determine whether the canal was originally natural or artificial. It was now getting quite dark: a keen, cold wind commenced to blow from the N.E. ; there was no firewood, or any prospect of obtaining any ; tents, mules, and camels were far away in the rear ; and it became more and more evident that our guide had lost his way. We marched on aimlessly for mile after mile, but halted on coming to a deserted sheep-pen, where hedges of cut Ihuta aiForded the wherewithal for a bonfire and beacon to our lost companions, and we sent out scouts to recon- noitre the surroundings of our position. The Persian Commissioner and suite soon came up, and after a long interval Major Lovett arrived : he had lost his way, and was making up his mind for a night of solitude on the bleak, imsheltered plain, when the gleam of our bonfire caught his eye. The scouts returned to say that water and firewood were to be obtained at an encampment of nomad Baluehis close by, and we accordingly remounted and pushed on to a small clump of stunted tamarisk-bushes, which afforded sufficient firewood for a blaze to guide our missing mules, laden with the very material tents and provisions. Night, however, wore on with hourly increasing cold, and though stragglers kept dropping in with varying accounts of the proximity of the caravan, it did not make its appearance, and we had to make up our minds to spend the night in the open. The Persian Commissioner and his Engineer, more fortunate than we, offered to share with us the shelter of two small tents, which they had with them ; but we all, regardless of the bitter cold, preferred the purer atmosphere to be found under the open heaven. Indeed, our position, though sufficiently chill and forlorn, had its amusing con- comitants: and the woe-begone countenances of our servants, who had expected that on arrival in Sistdn all their " desert^' troubles would be over, no less than the extraordinary and indescribable costumes which they extemporised to keep out the bleak air, provoked constant roars of laughter. We soon had a fire blazing in our midst, and after a hearty al fresco dinner, disposed ourselves in a circle around it.
A COLD WELCOME. 265
wrapped in blankets, rugs, and saddlecloths, and found forgetfulness from cold and all sublunary cares in deep and well-merited repose. This march has proved the error, as perpetuated in many of the existing maps, that the route to Sistan from the south was over a sandy and nearly impracticable flat desert^. As will have been seen, from Nusratabfid the road runs almost entirely over a mountainous country^ with water and firewood obtainable at moderate intervals, and with gradients that could be easily made practicable for artillery or any wheeled conveyance.'
III. SUtdn,
•
The first morning that dawned upon us in Sist&n found us in rather a distressing plight, and it was perhaps as well that the solitude of our position protected us from the inquisitiveness of the native inhabitants, who, prone to judge by the eye alone as are all Orientals, might have formed opinions somewhat averse to the dignity of the Mission, had they discovered its members reposing on the plain, beds and rugs thick with hoar frost, and without servants, tents, or necessaries of any sort. The missing caravan however made its appearance about 9 a.m., and we all moved on for four miles further to a place called Ch&h-i-Kh&k-i- Muhammad Darwish, where a saintly Dervish had been buried many years ago, and where there were two wells furnishing an abundant
* The itinerary of the march from Bam to SistAn was as foUows : —
|
Dale, |
Stage. |
DUtance in Milet. |
Direction. |
|
1872. |
|||
|
Jan. 12 |
Knik (Off the direct road to Sist4n) |
2^ • . . • |
. . i9.0« j£. |
|
» 13 |
Aziz&b4d |
• It) • • • . |
• • £iri.Xi. |
|
.. '7 |
Kiihar Manzil |
1 • Is • . • • |
.. E. byN. |
|
.. 18 |
Tum-i-Rig |
^ • • . . |
.. N.E. |
|
>» 19 |
Shor Gez (Desert) |
22 .. .. |
.. EJ^.E. |
|
„ 20 |
Gdrg |
35 • • •• |
.. N.E. |
|
„ 21 |
Nusratabid |
37 •• • • |
t 19 due N. * I 18 E.N.R |
|
.. 37 |
KiUgh^b |
• ^9 • . • • |
. . N.E. by E. |
|
„ 39 |
Tiirsh-ib |
. 30 |
.. N.E. byE. |
|
M 30 |
Tilm-i-Mir-Dost |
1 • 35 • • • • |
. . E.N.E. |
246
256 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION,
supply of excellent water. The plain we traversed was covered with thick low tamarisk, and was a continuation of the Zamin-i-Shilah. It was regularly flooded by the lake until about five years ago, and still showed signs of its submersion. The guides say that the tamarisk has taken the place of the vast quantity of reeds formerly choking this portion of the lake, and the roots of which, though the stalks have dried up, still cover the level ground. We halted one day at these wells^ during which time the severest cold was registered. In the night of the 31st January the barometer fell to 5° above zero, or 27^ of frost, and at 8 o'clock in the morning was still 20" below freezing point. Such weather as this the natives tell us is quite abnormal, though hard frost is the rule at this season. We all suffered much from the extreme cold, having made no preparations for a temperature of this severity, and our horses especially felt the exposure. We used our bell-tents, finding them warmer and more cosy than the larger ones, but even then, with three or four tamarisk charcoal fires burning under the canvas, and covered with everything we could lay hands on, the cold was so searching that it kept us awake at nights.
From the Dervish's well to Sekuha, which may be taken as the com- mencement of the thickly populated portion of Sist&n, there is a distance of some 30 miles, for the greater part of which the road runs over a vast desert plain of dry alluvial soil, and through some of the conntless ruins that cover the province in every direction, bewildering and per- plexing the traveller by their extent and the impossibility of obtaining any reliable information as to their former history or the epoch of their prosperity. The principal ruins in this tract of country through which we passed were those of Kundar, about 5 miles from the Dervishes well, and those of Hauz-i-d&r, 4 miles further on. These ruins were of great extent, and the houses and walls, built of sun-dried brick, were still standing in a state of excellent preservation. Kundar is said to have been deserted about 90 years ago, but Hauz-i-d&r is of much greater antiquity. It need hardly be said that Sist£n is a land which teems with romance, every spot being more or less connected with the great hero Rustam, his family, his exploits, and his sufferings. Hauz-i-d&r is said to be the spot where the dead body of Firamurz, the son of Rustam, was impaled upon a stake by his enemy Bahram, the son of Isfimdiar ; and about 10 miles to the east another group of ruins, still called the Shahr-i-Sokhta (or burnt city), is pointed out as the remains
DASHT-I-SANGBAR, 257
of the famous city of Rustam, destroyed by Bahram, who, anticipating in this respect the later reported feats of the VaxiB petroleuseSy had the walls smeared with naphtha and then burnt. Two small hills about a mile apart are also pointed out to the south-west of Hauz-i-d£r, as marking the site of the stable of the famous horse of Rustam. They are called the P£-band and Akhor-i-Rakhsh, and denote the place of his manger and the spot where his head was tied. This is, however, but one of many places which boast a traditional stable of this gigantic animal. Near Hauz-i-d&r we passed a very remarkable graveyard of ancient date, in which all the graves were built above ground, every occupant having a small oblong brick building to himself. Years ago the natives say it was the custom to bury the dead thus with all their valuables upon them, but it was found that this system gave such unusual facilities and temptations for sacrilegious robbery that re- course was had to the safer mode of interment : some skulls were knocking about in the graveyard, which, as we reflected, might pos- sibly have witnessed the passage of Alexander's army. About 9 miles from Sekuha the road makes a singular ascent of some 60 or 70 feet on to a desert plain with hard gravelly soil, stretching from east to west and here about 3 miles broad, called the Dasht-i-Sang- bar, which it is said formerly limited the southern overflow of the lake in this direction to the north. We crossed this elevated barrier and again descended to the same level as the plain on the other side, and saw the three hills of Sekuha rising in front at about 6 miles distance. To the east were high detached masses of clayey soil, ap- parently severed from the Dasht-i-Sangbar by the action of water, and to the west was the Kuh-i-Khw&jah, backed up in the distance by the mountains of the Neh-Bandan. At some distance from Sekuha an attempt was made by the authorities of that town, who came out to meet us, to direct us to a place called Yiramal, some 7 miles to the west-north-west, on the ground that Sekuha was an inconvenient halt- ing-place for a variety of reasons ; but Sir F. Goldsmid decided on adhering to his original destination. The Niib or Zfibit who headed the cavalcade, a fine-looking man of some 38 years of age, was mounted on a very fine chesnut Turkman horse ; and he and his attendants, some of whom wore buttons of the 4th Bengal Cavalry, performed marvels of horsemanship in jumping the numerous ditches and deep water-courses with which the country was completely scored : one rider, a most truculent rufiian, with bright red moustaches and whiskers, VOL. I. s
258 PERSO'AFGIlAy ML^SIOX.
was pointed out to us as Wing literallv a host in himself, being at any time considered equal to the somewhat formidable odds of icxx) to i. This taste for jumping somewhat surprised us, as though the Persians are undeniably good, plucky, and firm horsemen, and will perform almost any tour^t-force on horseback, they generally have the strongest objection to riding over any ditch or wall, however small it may be. The ground in the neighbourhood of Sekuha is as bad as bad can bej cut up in every direction with water-courses, with banks which are completely rotten, owing it is said to the effect of the constant wind which hollows out the soil ; so that it was with extreme diflSculty that we found a place suflSciently hard and Ar\ to render camping possible. We had, moreover, no sooner congratulated ourselves on having done so, than we discovered that the ground allotted to us had the cemetery on the one hand, and on the other a stream used for washing the dead, a ceremony which appeared, by the broken ice, to have been lately com- pleted. This rendered necessary a speedy change of locality, and we were fortunate enough to find two enclosures with walls to protect us from the bitter wind, and still more from the obtrusive though natural curiosity of the populace. The Persian Commissioner rode off in triumph to com- fortable quarters inside the fort. Our camels and mules got bogged in the broken ground, and had to remain out all night; and one of the baggage horses dropped down dead — presumably from the severe cold.
The town of Sekuha, which derives its name from three clay or mnd hills in its midst, is built in an irregular circular form around the base of the two principal hills. The southernmost of these hills is surmounted by the ark or citadel, an ancient structure known as the citadel of Mir Kuchak Kh&n (the grandfSEither of Sard&r Ali Kh&n) ; which is at present neither armed nor garrisoned, though kept in excellent repair. Adjoining this and connected with it, is the second hill called the Burj-i-Falaksar, on which stands the present Gk)vemor's house; and about 150 yards to the west is the third hill, not so high as the other twoj undefended and with no buildings on it but a mud caravanserai. The two principal hills thus completely command the town lying at their base, and are connected with one another by a covered way. Sekuha is quite independent of an extra-mural water supply, as water is always obtain- able by digging a few feet below the surfiEU^e anywhere inside the walls, which are twenty-five feet high, strongly built of mud and in good repair. The houses are half dome-shaped and half flat-roofed, and we
SEKUHA, 269
noticed that in almost every courtyard were tethered two or more ex- cellent donkeys. The population, which is somewhat migratory, num- bers about 5000 all told, living in 1200 houses. The inhabitants are entirely engaged in agriculture, there being no manufactures of any kind, and are grossly ignorant of all matters unconnected with Sist&n. In this ignorance they take a singular pride, and the N&ib of the place told us that being a simple Sist^ni he knew nothing whatever ; did not know his own age, the division of time, or the meaning of tables and chairs, rice and potatoes ; but much of this blindness was doubt- less simulated. The gardens outside the town, surrounded with high mud walls to protect them against the wind, produce excellent melons and grapes^ with some mulberries and pomegranates ; and we noticed several solitary trees of considerable growth, demonstrating, as it were, that times had changed since Conolly asserted that not a single tree was to be found in Sist&n^. The people seemed darker in colour than their Persian neighbours, with a more de- cidedly Indian cast of countenance; their language is a species of debased Persian, somewhat similar to that spoken in Khuras&n. The climate of Sekuha is said to be the best in Sist&n during the summer, and its distance from the bed of the lake renders it free from the countless myriads of mosquitoes bred therein. The town has no garrison of Persian soldiers, and pays no revenue ; the ground belongs to the Chief for the time being, who takes one-third of the whole produce. Since T4j Muhammad Kh&n has been kept in Tehr&n, they say however that the place has lost all its former importance, which has been transferred to the new city called Nasirabfid lately founded by the Amir of K&in. The Governor's mansion on the Burj-i- Falaksar is a very handsome building in the regular Tehr&n style, quite worthy of a chieftain of rank. It was, indeed, built by Tehr&n architects as a residence for the royal bride of Sard&r Ali Khfin, whom he brought here with him in 1859 ; but after the murder of the unfortunate Sard&r in 1 86 1 by his nephew Tij Muhammad Khdn, the palace was left un- finished.
The Mission halted at Sekuha two days, during which time visits were interchanged between the Commissioners; and Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n here first commenced a repetition of his Baluchist&n behaviour. Up to this point he had been a most agreeable and cheerful travelling
^ Id some part of the province, too, the tainarifik waa found to have attained a very
respectable size.
S 2
260 PERSO AFGHAN MISSION.
companion, prophesying that all would go well in Sistfin, and that his in- fluence would smooth away any difficulties that might arise. His gt)od* humour during the march, and endeavours to secure our comfort and facilitate our marching arrangements, had somewhat lulled our sus- picions to rest, and caused us to hope that, repenting him of his former trickeries, he had intended to act in as straightforward a manner as was possible to him. How absolutely and grossly we were deceived will appear in the latter course of this narrative. Nothing too severe can be said as to his conduct from the moment in which he first came within the inmiediate influence of the Amir of K&'n, whose power terrified him, and whose constant bribes excited his intense cupidity; and most keenly had we all to repent that this man, who in oflScial matters displayed the low cunning and base trickery of the very- worst class of petty attorneys, should have again been permitted to act as Commissioner on a mission of such importance. His very insignificance made him an easy tool in the hands of the Amir of Kfiin, and the impunity with which he had escaped from all con- sequences of his Baluchist&n conduct emboldened him to attempt an even more reprehensible course of action on this occasion. From the moment we reached Sekuha to the day when (six weeks later) we finally quitted the province, he never for one single instant ceased in his endeavours to thwart the entire proceedings of the Mission, to nullify the acts of the British Arbitrator, and ix> throw discredit and distrust upon the whole of the British officers and employes ; and when afler six weeks of this behaviour Sir Frederic Goldsmid had, with an extra- ordinary display of patience and forbearance and determination, all but succeeded in initiating some sort of formal enquiry, he suddenly left the province for Tehrdn without even having once met the Afgh&n Commissioner, who had been deputed to confer with him. At Sekuha he commenced proceedings by bringing forward a trumped-up com- plaint against our old guide, H&jji Abdullah Kh^n, to the effect that he had openly said to the inhabitants of the town that all things were to be changed now the English had arrived in Sistdn — for we were to bum their fathers, dishonour their households, and so forth. The charge was found, of course, utterly insusceptible of proof, but it was an earnest of what was to follow.
On February 4, we left Sekuha for our next stage, Chelling, the weather continuing bitterly cold. Chelling is but six miles in a direct line from Sekuha, but the constant d^tovrs, rendered necessary by the
NUMEROUS WATERFOWL, 261
intervention of several irrigating canals and deep ditcbes, prolonged our march to ten miles at least. The bridges met with were of the most primitive and insecure nature^ and the baggage animals experi- enced the greatest diflBculty in the passage of the canals, which are very deep, with treacherous sides and muddy bottoms. We marched over a hard clayey ground alternated with patches of soft alluvial soil. Before reaching Chelling the large village of S&diki is passed, con- taining some 300 houses, without walls or fort, and surrounded by extensive cultivation. Chelling is a large village of some 350 houses, with a square fort and one round tower in the middle, forming a capital landmark. The village is of very ancient date, but the fort was commenced by Muhammad Raz& Kh&n and finished by Sard&r Ali Khfin. It is situated on the banks of the principal canal which draws off the waters of the Helmand for irrigating purposes, and which is at this point some thirty feet wide and six feet deep, with a current of about one mile an hour, supplying the whole of the surrounding district with water. This canal passes by Deshtak, and flows past Chelling in the direction of the Kuh-i-Khw&jah, emptying eventually into the bed of the old lake whatever water may remain unexhausted. It was said to abound with fish, which the abnormal cold had driven to seek an asylum in the mud at the bottom. Much of the country traversed on this march was covered with kirta, a species of high yellow grass, which we were told, in contradiction of Conolly's account, formed most excellent food for horses and cattle. The air was alive with immense flocks of water- fowl, principally large grey geese, teal, wild duck, and plover ; and a pair of very large owls were shot by one of our party, with plumage resembling that of a sparrow-hawk, and splendid yellow black eyes.
We were surprised to find encamped in the vicinity of the village nearly 1000 families of Barbaris, who stated that they had come here from the other side of Balkh, and were many of them hardly distinguishable from Chinese. Though apparently in the last stage of poverty, and supporting themselves entirely by begging, it was said that in their own country some of them were men of property and substance, but that the dangers incidental to travel in these little-known countries caused them to leave all behind and take to begging. They were Shia'hs like the rest of the Sist&nis, and were on a pilgrimage to Mash-had, and thence to Karbala. Their women were all unveiled, and their language was the debased Persian spoken
L>G2 PERi^O'AFGUAN MISSION.
in Sinliln, whoro ilioy had already been three months when we saw ihnn, HuliMiniin^ on charity and awaiting the termination of the cold wtMil lior <^ make a start. We were again unsuccessful in finding any traccH of b\»rrior ; hut the natives here, as elsewhere, confessed to nhnoltito ignorance on every conceivable subject, answered no questions, nntl would understand neither the nature of money nor the value or H)»|H'iinin(M» of a knin. A s^^litary date-palm is noticeable at this |)la«M» which bean* no fruit, and the soil around the village is too wilt l*or much cultivation.
VwAw (Miclling we marched thirteen miles to NasirabM, the new cti)utul of SititAn, after a night made hideous by the discordant row iHH'oui|>iinyiug the passage of the camels over the neighbouring canals. Tlrnv gt>t lH>gged, and as two others tumbled in bodily ^dth all their liwls, the screams and objurgations of the disconsolate drivers kept us Hwake all night. Before leaving camp, however, the Persian Com- unssioner commenced the discussion of what may be called the 'great Hag question ' — one destined to remain a * burning ' question during the whole of our stay in the province, to be the occasion of an endless and heartbreaking correspondence, and to remain unsettled as an ever ojH'U 'raw' until two days before the final departure of the Mission. It may be explained in a very few words. During the Baluchist&n Mission of the previous year, and in the present Mission up to this date. Sir Frederic Goldsmid had always had the Union Jack flow^n from a portable fiag-stafi* pitched in front of his tent or quarters. This had been done with the full knowledge and consent of the British Legation and the Persian authorities at Tehrdn ; and whereas last year the Persian Commissioner had not provided himself with a flag, this year, on our arrival at Bam, we found a Lion-and-Sun standard of the most approved and remarkable description flaunting in front of his quarters. In this tacit but friendly understanding, until the two C^ommiKsioners had entered Sist&n, the flags were duly floated over their reH])ective camps ; though it may be remarked that the acute PerNlan Diplomatist had taken care to have his flag-staff made at liMiNt. two or thrcH) feet higher than that of the English Commis- Ninner. Now, however, all was to be changed. Very early on the morning of February 5, Mirza Ma*sum Kh&n sent us a letter re- quoMt'ing that the British flag might not be hoisted, as it gave rise to the moHt undesirable suspicions in the minds of the Sist&nis with i*^ir(l to our intimtions in coming to Sist&n. No proof whatever
LATEST CAPITAL OF SI ST AN, 263
was adduced as to this, and the gross ignorance of the inhabitants on general matters rendered it extremely unlikely that they should have special information on the subject of the symbolic properties of a flag; but the matter was a convenient one with which to commence making difiiculties, and as before said, the question was never allowed to drop during the remainder of our stay in the province.
The country over which we passed on this march was greatly cut up by canals, some of them long since out of use, and having in general a very desolate appearance. At two miles from Chelling extensive ruins^ bearing the curious name of Chang-i-Murghfin \ were noted ; and seven miles further we observed the whole surface of the coimtry covered with great heaps of blown sand, lining each side of the road up to the walls of Nasirabfid. Our reception at Nasirabfid was very peculiar. We iad all put on undress uniform, expecting a somewhat ceremonious reception ; and as we approached the walls a great body of horsemen that had lain concealed under their shadow came rapidly forward to our rendontre. These men were armed with every conceivable species of musket, rifle, spear, sword, shield, and known and unknown weapon of offence and defence. They came on, headed by Sardfir Sharif Kh6n ^ and Sarddr Kh4n Bfib&
' Changi-mfirghdn—Mie tolon of birds. I do not attempt to explain its application. — F, J. G.
* At the time of Dost Muhammad Kh4n*s death, he left a young son, Darvish Kh&n, then ten years old, who in the ordinary course of things would have succeeded to the chieftainship. Sard4r Sharif Khan, however, taking advantage of his nephew's youth, married his brother's widow, and himself usurped the power.
This Sard4r Sharif Kh4n is a Nharui Baliich, son of Alam Khdn (who was the son of Mirza Kh4n). Alam Kh&n was the chief who constructed the Burj-i-Alam Khan, which was situated on the banks of an extensive hollow, known as the Sabs-i-Kiim, yearly filled with water brought by a canal from the Helmand. Within the last thirty years or so (1872), the supply has dried up, and the ground thus left is now com- pletely under cultivation, and is beyond measure rich and fertile, retiUTiing an ample profit to Sharif Kh4n. After this, Dost Muhammad Kh4n, Sharif KhiKn's brother, built another fort on a small hill called the Kala*h-i-Nau, about four miles distance. On his death, about 1857, Sharif Kh4n inherited the chiefdom and occupied this fort, which is now very populous, containing more than 1000 houses. He has also another fort called Kimak, containing about 300 houses and built on two hills. Sharif Kh4n is the only chief remaining who has any power in this part of Sist4n, having about 3000 people of all tribes who obey his orders. He is however completely in the hands of the Persians, whose pretensions he favours, and he has married his daughter to the son of the Amir of K4'in. He is a very pleasant-looking old gentleman about fifty-five years old, with gold spectacles and a long beard. His power is as nothing compared with that
264 PER SO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
Kh&Q — ^some of the number detaching themselves from the line, gal- loping furiously about, firing their muskets in the air, and uttering^ piercing shouts. They then halted as we approached, and, as boih flanks wheeled inwards, we suddenly found ourselves in the centre of a yelling, squealing and kicking crowd of equally unmanageable horses and horsemen. There was no better course, however, than to take things calmly, and — though we were one and all in imminent danger of having our legs broken by the kicking brutes around us — ^to look as if we liked it. Thus we remained halted for a few minutes, while the Persian Commissioner, in a loud voice, read out the names and titles of the English Commissioner and his staffs. The cavalcade was then again put in motion, to conduct us to the city, about half a mile distant, and matters became worse and worse : the kicking, shouting, laughing crowd surrounded us on every side in a state of indescribable confusion, each man being desperately eager for a closei^ inspection of the strange Faringis. We soon became separated one from another, and had not Captain Lovett's horse luckily, from time to time, cleared a circle within his heels wherein we might reunite, we should have had to enter the city singly and at intervals. As it was, Mr. Bosario^ the apothecary, resplendent in gold lace and stripes, with spurs, and perhaps a little too much of a magnificent pair of antigropelos, com- pletely disappeared for some moments, and was next discovered on the extreme right flank, at the head of a number of laughing sowdrs^ whom, it might be conjectured, from his flourishes and gesticulations he was leading on to imaginary victory. He explained afterwards that he had gravitated to this point entirely by the force of circum- stances. It is probable that the whole population had been turned out for our reception; for on entering the gates of the town, which were strongly guarded by sarbdz, or infantry, the streets were found to be nearly empty. We were conducted to the quarters prepared for the
of the Chakhansiir chief. The best but sornewhat farcical description of Sharif Khin's present appearance would be, for Englishmen, that he exactly resembles the figare in the advertisement which recommends the excellences of the Nabob Pickle to the London Public.
The two principal sons of Sard4r Sharif Kh&n are : Safyid Khan, whose mother is the sister of Riistam Kh4n Sarbandi, and who occupies the fort of Nad Ali ; and Muhammad Ali Kb&n, whose mother is the sister of Ibrdhim Kh4n of Chakhansiir. This youth afterwards quarrelled with his father and went to K4bul.
^ Before we arrived at the town, we were met by an old woman burning dried cowduDjjr on an iron plate to avert the evil eye. Conolly mentions a practice similar to thif .
TREATMENT OF THE MISSION. 265
Mission in a wretched mud house, inside a courtyard, with a tank in the centre, while the Persian Commissioner rode off to his quarters, which were infinitely superior and very comfortable ; and we at once found that, owing to the question of the flag, we could obtain no allotment of ground on which to pitch our camp, though repeated messages were sent expressive of the General^s wishes on this matter. These were replied to by a letter, enclosing one from the Amir of K£in to the Persian Commissioner, in which he stated that the Mullas and S&iyids were so fanatical in Sist&D, that a general massacre would probably take place were the English flag to be hoisted, and for which he must hold the British Commissioner in that case responsible. No one was sent by the Amir to make the usual * ahw&l pursi,' or health enquiries, on this day, and other small evidences were not wanting to indicate the existence of hostile feelings : so that night fell on our flrst residence in the capital of Sist&n, leaving a prevalent feeling that we were no longer in the country of friends.
We were halted in Nasirab&d ten days in all, during the greater part of which time many little things were done by the Persian authorities with the evident intention of slighting the British Commissioner. The Sard&r, Kh&n Bfib& Kh&n, and H&jji Ydwar Khdn, the Amir's factotum, called on the morning of the first day with the usual polite enquiries : and during the visit Sir F. Goldsmid took occasion to present the Sard&r with a musical snuff- box, which he admired : but this was returned in the afternoon, with a note saying that the Sard&r was sorry he had so far forgotten him- self as to accept a present so unworthy of a warrior I Our quarters too were found, on closer inspection, to be utterly wretched and dirty, surrounded on every side by houses, which completely overlooked us, and rendered privacy impossible ; while the Persian Commissioner's, on the other hand, were most spacious, airy, comfortable, clean, and perfectly private. Difliculties also arose about paying the first visit, and it was not until the 12th of February, or seven days after our arrival in Nasirabfid, that General Goldsmid first met the Amir in his own house ; but previously to this Captains Smith and Lovett had visited the Amir by the British Commissioner's order, and the Amir's son had called on the British Commissioner, who then him- self paid a first visit to the Amir, which was returned the next day : but even here the Amir found means to be uncourteous. After having appointed an early hour for the visit, and having
2G6 PERSO 'AFGHAN MLSSIOiW
kept Sir F. Goldsmid and his staff waiting for him over an hour, he sent an excuse^ postponing the visit until the afternoon, on the ground of sickness \ Again, our old guide, H&jji Abdullah Kli&n, was threatened that he would be killed if he did not instantly quit the province ; and the men of his own tribe, the Sh&rikis, told him they were afraid to be seen speaking to him. Lastly, during^ the whole of this time, a constant correspondence (about t«n letters a day) was going on about the Flag, and the reiterated demand for a place whereon we might pitch our camp was persistently declined. It was evident that the Persian Commissioner was playing a double game ; decreasing the dignity of the British General to enhance his own ; taking bribes from the Amir of K&in to play into his hands ; spreading distrust and suspicion broadcast among the inhabitants ; thwarting all proposals for departure to inspect the province, or for the commencement of any sort of enquiry ; attempting to establish un- friendly relations with the Amir, and all the while himself professing^ the most boundless devotion to the British Commissioner.
During the detention of the Mission in this species of prison, oppor- tunity was taken to ride over the neighbouring country in the immediate vicinity of the town — though at no great distance from the walls, as a mounted escort was always sent by the Amir whenever any of the members ventured out. The weather was bitterly cold, and on the morning of the 8th February the ground was thickly covered with snow, a faot rarely observed in this province, and proving the abnormal severity of the winter.
The new Fort or Town of Nasirabfid, simply called the * Shahr,' or town, by the natives of the province, is built in the shape of a quad- rangle, with very strong and high mud walls, having towers at regular intervals along its face, and surrounded on all sides by a deep wet ditch of considerable breadth, between which and the walls a covered way, some twelve feet broad, leads all round the fort. The present fort measures, according to a rough calculation, 400 by 500 yards, and is called by the natives the Shahr-i-Kadim (old city), in contradistinction to the Shahr-i-Nau (new city), which is gradually being built con- tiguous to it, and to mark the limits of which a mud wall has been
' It should here be added that in lieu of the Amir, Mirza Ma'sdm Kh4n hinuelf appeared ftiU of argomeots and explanations ; and that when the Amir came in the afternoon, though the British Commissioner was personally disinclined to receive hit visit, his manner was hardly that of a man giving intentional offence. — F, J, 0.
TUE AMIR OF KAIN. 267
raised, prolonging the sides of the Shahr-i-Kadim, and with a face to the north. The dimensions of this new fort will be about looo yards by 600 yards, and it will enclose an area of nearly half a square mile. Within this space the ancient Sist&n village of Husainabdd has been enclosed ; a fact which has apparently occasioned some confusion in India, for, in a report by Colonel Phayre, the Persians are described as strengthening a fort named Husainab&d, on the banks of the Helmand, near Traku, whereas the allusion is evidently to this rising city of Nasirab&d. The new town is almost entirely populated by people from Kain and Khtiras&n, but the village of HusainabM contains original Sist^ni inhabitants. Twenty-thousand people were driven by famine into the province last year, from Persia, and have of course received every possible inducement to settle down, and so propagate Persian influence ; and all the necessaries of life are cheap and abundant. The quasi-modern capital, though quite close to the populous and fertile portion of the province, has been built in the middle of a most desolate tract of country. The bed of the old lake bounds it on the west side. At the time we were there no lake existed, and the road to the Kuh-i-Khw&jah was quite dry. But though there was nowhere anything like a continuous expanse of wat^r, all the lower ground was filled with muddy brackish water in which myriads of waterfowl assembled. Their abundance may be judged from the fact that fat wild ducks were selling at about 15 for the kraUy or about three farthings each.
The Governor of Sist&n, Amir of Efi'n, Hashmat-uI-Mulk, and Amir-i-Tum&n, is a tall fine-looking man, of some forty-five years old, rather dark, with a countenance principally noticeable for the immense size of the jaw bones, which project from his face like fins. He wears a thick moustache, is not unlike the Shah, and his expression — though somewhat stem and cruel, with a want of frankness in it — can at times be made very courteous and engaging. On the occasion of the first visit paid him by Captains Lovett and Smith, he was dressed in a magnificent Kashmir robe trimmed with sable, and seated in an upstairs room inside the inner citadel of the Shahr-i-Kadim, carpeted with unusually handsome rugs, and hung round with pistols and guns, the recesses of the mantel-piece being filled with bullets. On this occasion he expressed himself very jealous of the proceedings of the Mission, and especially suspicious as to Colonel Pollock's presence with the Afgh&n Commissioner, which he seemed to think intimated
2G8 PEllSO 'AFGHAN MISS IDS.
a foregone adverse conclusion on the part of the British Government. His views with regard to Sist>&n he expressed with much frankness. He intended to make it the garden of Persia. Men had been sent for to Tehr&n to instruct the inhabitants in the cultivation of the potato, orange, date-palm, tobacco, and other plants — as he was of opinion that the soil of Sist&n would produce every fruit or vegetable known to man ; and excellent melons, grapes, mulberries and pome- granates had already been grown there. Artificers, he added, had been engaged to teach the ignorant people their various trades. The Amir confirmed the account of the deadly nature of the flies during the hot weather, when venomous insects and reptiles abound ; but he said the report of the fatality of the climate as regards horses was exaggerated. They required careful looking after, and always to be covered up from head to tail, when they would live if they were kept in regular work and not allowed to be idle. He pointed to the presence of his 400 cavalry in proof of this, and we ourselves did not find our horses suffer either at this time or afterwards. He was anxious to know the meaning of the various military terms used in the English army, such as * troop,' * squadron,' * battalion,' * company,' and the like, and had one Sikh Havildar (sergeant), and probably some 2i,\i(i\^ntpandies in his service. About the * mitrailleuse' he also expressed great curiosity. He said his artillery was excellently served. He had four light brass pieces of field artillery mounted, and one unmounted. It being explained to him that the only map of Sist&n extant was that drawn by Conolly, some thirty years ago, he said another Englishman had been there since, who had been murdered by Ibrahim Kh&n of Chakhansur (alluding to Dr. Forbes), and he him- self remembered a Faringi travelling in Afgh&nist&n, who, from his description, must have been Ferrier.
On the 13th February, during the return visit paid by the Amir to the British Commissioner, it was arranged that Sir F. Goldsmid, accom- panied by the Persian Commissioner, should go on a tour of inspection through the province, and up the Helmand, travelling in a very light marching order, and leaving all the heavy tents and impedimenta in Nasirab&d; but, as we were not to start till the 15th, the Amir took the opportunity of inviting the Commissioner and his staff to a shooting party and breakfast, at a place about three miles distant, known as the Tapah-i-Rig, on the banks of the Husainab&d canal. We arrived at the rendezvous before the Amir, who came attended by
BREAKFAST AND CONVERSATION. 269
a large mounted retinue, and with the sons of two Baltieh chiefs, holding forts on the Helmand (which we afterwards visited), who had acknowledged allegiance to Persia, and who were this day evidently paraded with the purpose of declaring their love for Persian rule before the British arbitrator. A number of falcons were brought out to hawk the game, but on this occasion no game of any sort was to be seen ; and, after wandering about in a desultory manner for an hour or so, we all returned to spacious silk tents pitched on the banks of the canal. The breakfast was not served till three hours after our return to the tents, but, when it did appear, came in extraordinary profusion. There were fifty-seven difierent sorts of eatables, to be washed down by twenty-seven various sharbata and sauces, and there were several lambs roasted whole, which were torn to pieces by the Persians with their fingers, though we were allowed to use knives and forks. Hungry as we were, our united efibrt made but little impression on the vast mass of victual, but, on our retiring into another tent for pipes and coffee, the servants came in and in a short time demolished it all, to the last crumb. It is almost incredible the amount a hale-bodied Persian servant will eat under these circum- stances. After breakfast we sat on the banks of the canal, drinking coffee and inspecting each other's guns and pistols, while our india- rubber boat was also inflated and experimented upon. On this occasion the Amir, in a very pointed way, showed us a double- barrelled gun with the name of * Sturman, London ' engraved in gold letters on the barrel, which he assured us he valued very much, having obtained it from Kabul, at great trouble and expense, and that it was the property of the English Lord (Sir W. Macnaghten) who had been murdered by Akbar Kh&n. This was probably not the case, but there can be no doubt that many relics of our unfortunate countrymen still find a ready sale in these regions. The Amir gave us some interesting particulars concerning Sher Ali's son, Muhanmiad Ya'kub Kh&n, who had passed through the province the previous year, on his way to Her^t. He was his gpiest at Nasirab&d^for two months, living inside the fort, while his 2CX}0 followers were encamped outside the walls. He was described as excessively intelligent and sharp, but without much personal daring \ All the Persians present joined in saying that
' AlluBion has been made to the breakfast with the Amir of K&Xn in the Introductory Chapter. Vide also Frontispiece to volume.
27t» PEKSO'AFGIIAX MISSION,
Hor&t had been delivered to him through the unpopularity of tlie then governor, whose Pish-Khidmat killed him and his son on the same day; and that the town, which they all said they infinitely preferred to Kabul or K&ndah&r^ could never be taken by force, but only fall through famine or treachery : and we found that this high opinion of Her^t was universal. The Amir was on this occasion very curious on the subject of our opium traffic with China, which he said ought to be put down by the Chinese Government.
We left Nasirabad on the 15th February, heartily glad to get away from what so closely resembled an imprisonment within the confined limits of our wretched quarters. The only man of our party never allowed to rest was Mr. Rosario, who was eternally engaged in doc- toring and patching up the too willing patients that flocked to him in great numbers. His knowledge was supposed to be as limitless as his good-nature, and questions on the most delicates ubjects were confidently submitted for his decision. He was not even at a loss when asked in the most earnest manner whether riding with short or long stirrups was the more conducive to long life and happiness : but when, afber some consideration, the verdict was given in favour of long stirrups, our excellent oracle, probably remembering the legal maxim, did not state any reasons for this important and thoughtful decision. Up to this time the question of our colours still re- mained unsettled, though a large document purporting to bear the seal of fourteen Mullas had been sent in to the Amir, protesting against the flag being hoisted. No news had been heard of Colonel Pollock and the Afghan Commissioner ; and the season was getting so advanced that it was absolutely necessary to gain some idea of the geography of the province before the rapidly-increasing heat should render travelling impossible.
We started for our tour of inspection in the very lightest marching order — ^tents, baggage, and followers being reduced to a minimum — and so afibrding no ground for even simulated apprehension on the part of the Persian authorities or timid Sist&n inhabitants. The entire party was in charge of the Y&war Az&d Kh&n, the confidant and &ctotum of the Amir, who was armed with the despotic powers of his master, and who certainly did not show any great desire to aid the British Commis- sioner in a thorough investigation of geographical or other evidence nmterial to the success of the Mission. He travelled, as was natural, the Persian Commissioner, whom he toadied to the top of his
FERTILITY OF SISTAN, 271
bent, and of course arranged in concert with him the pkn of procedure. Under such auspices it was not strange that very much that should have been seen was left unseen : and the direction of our dailj marches was practically dependent upon this gentleman's pleasure. At any time the whole of the cultivated part of the province of Sistdn could have been submerged by cutting the network of the innumerable larg^ and small canals, and progress of any sort thus rendered impossible ; and it was easy to plead that * the floods were out ' whenever Sir F. Goldsmid wished to go to any village or spot not deemed open to his inspection by the Persian authorities. Nevertheless, though our various camping-places and the line of our march were thus en- tirely under Persian superintendence; though our every action was jealously watched and scrutinised ; and though it was quite impossible to obtain any trustworthy, oral, or documentary evidence bearing on the objects of the enquiry, and every peasant in the province was terrified to be seen talking to us; this march up the Helmand could not fail to be productive of much valuable information. By it we learnt how completely successful had been the able measures taken by the Amir of K&in to thoroughly Persianise the whole of the province on the west bank of the river; how thoroughly the old Baluch chiefs in the vicinity, with the exception of Chakhanstir and L&sh Juwain, were inclined to play into his hands, and how con- tented with the present state of affairs, or at least insouciant of change, were the general inhabitants. We were enabled too to gain some idea of the wonderful fertility of Sist&n ; and to appreciate the ease with which a very large body of Eastern troops could be kept here where supplies of all sorts are obtainable in profusion *, and where water never fails. There was little doubt on our minds that under Persian rule the resources of Sistfin had been wonderfully augmented, and that they were still capable, owing to the system of irrigation, of immense development ; and the quantity of grain that could be grown in the province must be simply enormous. The climate during the summer would appear to be trying ; and the Y&war, a very thin spare man, endeavoured to give us
' Prices are as follows in SisUn : —
Wheat 4 Tabriz! manns i kiin.
Barley . . i ditto ditto . . 4 shahis.
Chaff 100 ditto ditto .. 5 kr&ns.
Roghan or Ghl . . i ditto ditto . . 3 kr&ns.
N.B. — One Tabriz! mann equals about six and a half pounds.
•-^72 PERSO-AFGIIAX MISSIOX.
«)me idea of the fact, by saying that whenever he sat down in that season, the parchedup earth around him became at once a small swamp of mud, owing to the excess of perspiration — a statement corroborated hj his wanted apiiearance : but for the winter months of the year the climate iH very pleasant, and the wind which, commencing two months after the Nau-Iloz, blows for 120 days, renders that further period suflSciently IxMinibh^ It is only when this has ceased, and the heat and insects absoluti^ly dominate the situation, that existence becomes a burden ; and ««v<'n the SistAnlH themselves acknowledge that at such time there nntay poHHibly be pleasanter places in the world than their beloved province. A dillieulty which some years ago might have been found, in the scarcity of firewood, to the retention of a large body of men, is now much les- M(»n(Kl by the rapid spread of the tamarisk over the ground occupied by the old lake, so that we never experienced a deficiency in this respect ; and, as we stated elsewhere, the &tality of the climate as regards horses and cattle is much less severe than described. The number of horses found all over the province, where in Conolly's time this animal was a rare creature indeed, sufficiently proves this assertion. Another extra- ordinary change in Sist&n is the drying up of the lake, which can be no longer held to exist. It does not appear difficult to account for the circumstance. For some three years before our arrival the drought had been terrific : the smaller feeders of the lake, the Farah- riid, the Adraskand, the Kh&sh-rud, and their still smaller tributaries, had either not filled at all after the winter season, or in such a very moderate degree that their outflow into the lake was not sufficient to provide for the amount of water lost in the immense amraal evaporation; while the Helmand, the principal feeder, instead of as in former years bursting after the winter through its hand^ and rushing northward into the lake by its proper bed above Chakhansur, had been completely diverted into the great canal by the permanent band constructed by the Amir at Kuhak ; and whatever overflow might escape over or through the hand would not now probably arrive at the north-eastern bed of the old lake at all. The consequence is that, in time, the bed of the lake, which is to a great extent still covered with detached pools of stagnant water, will, if the present state of affitirs continue, become completely dried up and a large area of immensely fertile soil be thus redeemed for cultivation ; while the whole conditions of life in the province will undergo a very marked change — though it is difficult to imagine Sist&n without its
SERPENTS AND BIRDS. 273
plague of insects and its countless myriads of snakes and water- fowl \
During our whole stay in the province, we found ConoUy's journal
' The following ia a literatim description given by inhabitants of some of the more com- mon snakes and birds in Sistin. No pretension is made to scientific detail or airange- ment. The record is, of course, a rough, hearsay statement.
SERPENTS IN BI8TAN.
Shidar-mdr, One yard to two yards, Persian, in length. Ashy green colour. Not very venomous. Called the Camel Snake from its length : and about four inches in circumference.
Mdr-Kh(mi. Blood snake. Half-a-yard in length. Has a scarlet line from head to tail, on an ashy ground. White belly. If it sting any one, blood is said to issue from all the extremities. The poison is believed to be incurable, but not instantaneously fatal.
Mdr-Jayari. Flame colour with red. Spotted. Half-a-yard in length. Instantaneously fatal. Derives its name from its having been given an asylum in the sleeve of ImAm Jafar Sadik (sixth Im&m) when pursued by another snake. As soon as the pursuing snake was driven away the sheltered one bit the Prophet.
Pardah-mdr, Half-a-yard in length, very thick round the body. Dark green colour. Sits on its tail and springs ten or twelve yards at a time after its prey, men or animals. Its spring has force enough to knock a man down. Poison very &tal. {sie.)
Shikdri-mdr. White ground with black spots. Lives in herbs and shrubs, and catches small birds. Not fatal to man. Half-a-yard long.
Kkuk-mdr. Short and thick, thick tail, instantaneously frital, dark blue colour.
DoBdk-mdr. Has two heads, one at each end, one larger than the other. Grey colour. Half-yard long. Acts with the larger head. Very rare. Not very poisonous, {sic.)
Sag-mdr. Thick body, half-a-yard in length, pursues men, white belly, grey back.
N.B. — Owing to the extreme cold we were able to procure but very few specimens of the Serpent tribe.
BIBDS IN SISTAN.
Kaftar-i-Sail. The Pigeon of the Rapids. White breast and back, grey wings, beak fine and white. Lives on the banks of canals and rivers, catches fish. Lays its eggs after the Nau-Roz (March 2i8t). When twenty or thirty collect together, it is a sure sign that rapids or floods are coming in two or three days. Generally comes to the province the month before the Nau-Roz.
The Sakdf or Water Carrier. Sist4n name, Camao. White body, very large, long legs, long beak, long neck. Under its throat is a large bag, which contains much water. Comes from Astrakhdn. When flying it fills its bag with water and precedes all other birds, generally geese ; supplying water from its store from time to time.
Murghdhi Andak. BistAn, Sabz^ardan. The common wild duck.
Koh. Swan. Comes from Astrakhin, and remains in Sist&n. Lays its eggs near the water. Somewhat rare. Feathers sell in Sistin for fifteen hrdns the mann; at Tehrdn for five tumdns.
Taghalak. The Grebe. Continually diving.
Teal. Wild Geese.
ChdSr. Black. The common coot. To be seen in mjrriada.
Mdhi Marwdrid. The pearl or white fish.
VOL. I. T
274 PERSO'AFGIllS MISSIOX,
of such incalculable advantag;e to us, in furnishing the kind of detailed information most useful to travellers in a quite unknown country, that it has been deemed advisable, in describing our halts and wandering in Sist^n subsequent to February' 14 and up to March 1 2^ when we'finally quitted the province, to quote from the journal kept at the time by one of the members of the Mission. This will, it is believed, conyey a correct idea of our daily life and ex})erienee, and also serve to indi- cate the sort of petty annoyances and small subterfuges by which the Persian authorities strove to render nugatory all attempts at straight- forward enquiry: —
* Thursday, February 15, 1872. Marched to Deshtak, fourteen miles in a general south-south-east direction, imssing by Bahrfimabid. Morning bright, but the great heat of the sun^ as the day advanced, made the shelter of our tents on arrival very agreeable. We take only our mules^ horses, and small tents on with us, leaving our camels and heavy baggage under the charge of the Farish B&shi and ten Jardsies ; and at Ma'sum Kh&n's request both flags remain behind: for we are supposed to be travelling en chapari or " post->" without any state, and no ** led horses/' As soon as we cleared Nafflrab&d, some of our servants put up a hyena, and a number of them started oS in pursuit. Captain Lovett eventually succeeding in running it through with his regulation sword. Once dead, its stomach was cut out by one of the younger of the servants, as being an in&llible love-charm ; while the whole of its hair was speedily cut off by one of the jalwaddn or grooms, as being an equally infallible remedy against retention of urine in a horse : in the latter case the hair is burnt under the belly of the animal afflicted, and the result is said to be marvellous. The road dears the outlying cultivation of Nasarabfid at about a mile from the walls, and then crosses an absolutely unproductive desert with no water, and hard clayey soil \\4th withere<l dead tamarisk, till at five miles it comes on an undulating deep sandy tracts bounded by hig^h sand-hillocks on every side : this desolate desert continues for four miles, when the path crosses a high sandy ridge, and emerges on to green fields^ marking the commencement of Bahr&mab&d cultivation^ which continues up to the village itself a mile further, or about ten miles from Nasirab&l. The sandy tract mentioned above varies in its breadth and extent, the sand being blown hither and thither by the
' It was on the loth February that the weather commenced to be palpably hotter.
ADDRESS FROM A LOYAL MAYOR, 275
constant high winds. It is fatal to cultivation wherever it encroaches. Bahr&mab&d is a small unwalled village, surrounding a square mud tower^ with about lOO houses, of which the inhabitants seem very poor. It is situated on the banks of the great canal from the Hel- mand, here about thirty yards wide and six feet deep, but fordable in places. There is no bridge. Chelling is situated about six miles down the stream. There is considerable cultivation in the neighbourhood of the village. We halted here and breakfasted on the canal bank, but found the heat of the sun distressing. The water of the canal is most excellent. Leaving Bahr&mabdd we proceeded in a south-east direction, over dry sandy soil with kirt^ and tamarisk, and at three miles passed a considerable village called Rala'h-i-Khang (unwalled)^ and one mile further arrived at Deshtak^ situated on the right bank of the same canal, where we were met by the Katkhudi and several inhabitants, and found that the Persian Commissioner had already arrived, having come from Nasirab&d by a more direct road to the east, which is much shorter^ and avoids Bahr&mab&d, but which we were told was impassable from water. The Katkhud& on meeting us made a set speech, in which he said that all the inhabitants of Deshtak were the happy subjects of Nasru-din Shah, with much more to the same purpose, which had been evidently learnt off by heart. Deshtak is a large walled town of some 500 houses, with a square mud fort in the middle, having towers at each of its angles. The inside of the town is filthily dirty, and the houses are of the poorest description. Ferrier makes a mistake when he says the Helmand is here 300 yards wide. He must have mistaken the canal for the river itself^. The main channel of the canal flows round the south comer of the walls of the town, and hugs the left bank ; this channel is not more than twenty- five or thirty yards wide, and some six or seven feet deep, but it has overflowed its banks, and there is water now on three sides of the fort coming nearly up to the walls, but very shallow. The walls are in bad repair, but without any breaches, and it is evident that they are being gradually undermined by the canal. The canal is full of fish, some of which were caught twenty-one inches long, of the barbel species, but soft and not nice for the table ; they say this is the only sort of fish
' Or more probably, I think, an inadvertency may have been committed in writing 300 for 30, and the mistake perpetuated by patting the figures into words ; unless he is measuring the distance from bank to bank, which, even in the canal, may reach 100 if not 300 yards.— f. /. Q.
T a
' i
I
I
276 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
obtainable. There are no reeds or rushes growing on the banks of tiie canal^ which flows with a considerable current.
•February i6. Marched to Burj-i-Alam Kh&n, four miles off in a south-east by east direction. Weather still continues to get percep- tibly warmer. Before leaving Deshtak we rode through the filthy town, and were joined by the Commissioner outside, and by the Kat- khudfi, who kept galloping about on a mad Turkman horse in the most insane manner^ firing his gun and pistols into our very fiEU^es. Our road ran through continuous cultivation^ in a strip of about a mile in breadth, for three miles, over very rich soil reaching up to the walls of a large village named Pulgi, which we passed to our left. Turn- ing to our right we crossed a hard dry plain covered with Hrta for one mile, skirting the right bank of the canal, and arrived on its bank just opposite the town of Burj-i-Alam Khdn, commonly called the Kala'h-i- Kadim^ or Burj-i-Kuhna. The Burj, from which the place took its name, has long been in ruins, but the town is one of considerable import- ance, and has a populous and very prosperous appearance. The banks of the canal are at this point some loo yards apart, though the deep channel is only about thirty-five yards wide, hugging the right bank, the water flowing with rapid current. We halted and breakfasted, and were about three hours getting the whole of our baggage and horses and mules across. The scene was one of great excitement and intense amusement to the inhabitants of the town^ who lined the opposite bank in large crowds. Our small india-rubber boat proved most useful on this occasion, as we transported by its means all our tents and the greater part of the baggage, besides crossing in it ourselves. The mules swam across unaided, but our horses were conducted over two at a time, their heads being held by a man seat^ on a " tuti */* a species of reed raft accurately described by Conolly, and the con- struction of which has in no way altered since his time. There were but two of these ** tutis," one of which was allotted to us and one to Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n ; but our small india-rubber boat enabled us to
^ ' Four or five bundles of reeds are fastened together by rushes or by the flexible tops of reeds, the cut edges forming a square stem, the upper ends being tied in a point for a prow. The passenger seats himself in the middle, one man pushes from behind and another pulls at the front. During the wet season the tutis are made of larger size so as to admit of as many as four men sitting in them, and are propelled by paddles and long poles, but are rarely taken into the deeper water, where the waves would wet and sink them. These boats last only a few days, for the wet reeds soon become rotten and heavy . . .'— CbnoZZy, Journal Bengal Asiatic Society, vol. ix. page 717.
PASSAGE OF GREAT CANAL. 277
get over the passage sooner than he could. The distance for which we were obliged to use the boats was only some thirty-five yards over the deep channel. There was a mud bank in the middle of the whole channel on which the baggage was landed : thence it was transported through the shallower water on men's shoulders. Our camp was pitched in some sown fields at the back of the town. All our horses, mules, and baggage crossed without accident. The suspicion with which the presence of the Mission is regarded by the Persians in Sistfin may be inferred from the fact that Ma'siim Kh&n assured us that the Katkhud& of Deshtak had come to him in the morning with a rude request that we might not be allowed to enter their town ; alluding to an expressed intention of riding through it. This may not be true^ but in any case it exhibits a disposition on the part of the Persians to make us believe that our presence here is most unwelcome. Burj-i-Alam Kh&n is, as before remarked^ a most pros- perous village. It is situated on the left bank of the great canal, and on the borders of the " Sabz-i-Kum," described in a former place as being the bed of a dried-up " hdmun," formed here by the overflowing of the Helmand, and which gradually dried up on the Helmand changing its bed. This " Sabz-i-Kum" stretches for miles in a south-east and southerly direction, and the former limits of the lake are still distinctly marked by a ledge of some thirty or forty feet high, which stopped the encroachment of the water, and which must indeed be a continuation of the " Dasht-i-Sangbar," noticed in the vicinity of Sekuha. The present chief of Biarj-i- Alam Kh&n is Sard&r Shir Dil Kh&n, a brother of Sard&r Sharif Kh&n, and who also possesses the fort of. Kimak \ At the time of our visit he was sufiering &om chronic dyspepsia, and was consequently unable to come and visit the General ; but he lost no time in asking for a visit from Mr. Bosario, who was thus enabled to do him some good, and also to prescribe for his wife. The lady, however, he did not see, as she favoured him with a written account of her ailments. Sardar Shir Dil Khdn is a good-looking man of some fifty years of age, and of pleasing manners. He sent his son with some thirty sotodrs to receive us about two miles on this side of Deshtak, and insisted on the Mission being considered as his guests during our stay at his village.
* He married a daughter of Muhammad Riz& TSMn after the latter*8 death. He used formerly to inhabit the fort of Elimak, but has lately changed his residence at the request of his brother.
27? PER.^O'AFGHAy MISSIOX.
His son. Haidar Ali Kh£n. i$ a singularly int«-lligent and nice-looking lad of aK>ut twenty years of air?, ^bo had been at Tehr&n. preeumablj as a hosta£!e. for three vtais. and returned onlv last vear. Some of the bread with which we wvre pn-\-:ded here was excellent, but another sort wa« mixed with asaf^vtida in large qnaniities, which makes it very unpalatable and nause -us. though the natives delight in it.
' Febn:ar\" i ". ^[arvhed to Kala'h-Xau, two and a-half miles off, east by north. T:.is p'aee is als-? called Burj-i-Dost Muhammad Kh&n. Cloiuiy wea:her. Road runs nearly parallel with the canal at some sl^cht distance fr»m its left liank over elavev soil with kiria and occa- sional cultivation. There was no i^CikLdl or any attempt at one, cither to rweive the General or the Persian Commissioner, on our aprnviching the village; but we were informed that the chief and his $4>n weiv away, at the new settlement of Sharifabad^ which the former is making some miles to the north-east of this place^ and that Ik* was tiH> occupied and unwell to be able to receive the Commis- sioners. Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n found lodgings in the town, but we ononni]H'd on the further side in some walled fields. Eala'h-Nau is one of the princi^ial places in this quarter of Sist&n, being the residence of Sanl&r Sharif Khfin, the only one remaining of the old Baluch chiefs who still retains any power or influence before the rapidly-increasing authority of the Amir. The ark or citadel is built on a high clay oliir, with precipitous sides, and its walls are strong and well adapted for defence ; it has a square tower at one of the angles, and contains the residence of the chief, his family, and immediate attendants.- It is a very striking-looking object at a distance, but in the time of Dost Muhammad Kh&n, the original builder, it did not present the same ap]>earance as now; the present chief having greatly enlarged and strengthened it. It towers high above the village disposed around its ba80 and built on the undulating ground of which the highest |mrt forms the i'oundation of the ark, A roughly-constructed mud ivfill surrounds tlio whole villngo and follows the undulations of the gniiiiid, \m\\^ nowhere of uniform height. A few houses are how- iivnr built nutHidtt tho walls on the east face, and a strong species of iiiiiiitliMl t'4)wer erownH the rising ground w*hich lies beyond the town to llin iinrtJi. On it rou^li (Mtmputntion there may be about looo houses ill iJiii town, wIhVIi prt«Mmt4« no object whatever of interest or import- HlH<if| h-imI i« viM'y tlirty. We wen> not allowed to enter the fort or il, 'lliunt an* iiot> many HahU^his in this place, of which the
KIMAK. 279
inhabitants are mostly Shia'hs: Sard&r Sharif Kh&n being himself a Shia'h. Our presence naturally gave rise to much curiosity and conjecture; but we were objects of less interest here than at the Fort of Kimak, situated at three miles distance to the norths on the right bank of the great canal^ whither the General, with Captains Lovett and Smith, rode over in the ailernoon on a visit of inspection, meeting the Persian Commissioner at the water-side. The said Kimak is a place of much more ancient date than either Burj-i-Alam Kh&a or Kala'h-Nau, and has gradually increased from a small hamlet to a considerable town. It also is the property of Sard&r Sharif Kh&n, who allows his brother, Shir Dil Kh&n, to hold it under him. It possesses a large square mud citadel^ situated at the south comer of the town, which runs in straggling rows of houses for about 400 yards along the canal bank, surrounded by the usual mud walls, and with no outside habitations.
* In former times Kimak was a place of constant dispute between the Sharikis and Nharuis ; and was occupied before the time of Sharif Kh&n by Sard&r Muhbat Kh&n Nharui. Hiudar Ali Kh&n, son of Shir Dil Kh&n, is the present governor. The fort has a high octa- gonal-shaped mud tower; but we were not allowed to go inside it, and indeed the crowds of people were so curious and pushing that it was with some difficulty we entered the town at all. Copious thrashing, however, by our rear and advanced guards, cleared and kept a way for ns, until we gained the summit of the highest house in the place, whence Captain Lovett took the necessary survey observations. The in- habitants had never seen Europeans before, were not particularly civil, and certainly did not seem to pay much attention to the autho- rity of the Persian Commissioner. The canal here is about sixty yards wide, counting the whole space between the banks, but of this not more than twenty-five yards from the right bank is the real deep channel, the remainder being so shallow that we could not use our india-rubber boat, and had to ride out to the deep water and then get on to one of two solitary tutis. The overflow of the canal has caused a marsh near the town, on which were vast quantities of ducks and wild-fowl, who were too wary to allow one to get within shot. Kimak and Kala'h-Nau are both situated on the edge of the high desert plateau, which places a limit alike to cultivation and irrigation on the south of Sistdn, and which intervenes between the low rich country we have been traversing and the left bank of the Helmand. Large detached masses
280 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION,
of clay^ standing like outposts from the desert, dot the plain and testify to the action of long-past floods and rains^ their bases being sarrounded with shingle and water-worn pebbles. In the vicinity of KalaHi-Nan this continuous high ground is at some distance from the fort, but near Kimak it encroaches on the very banks of the canal, and our road from Kalali-Nau was one of several ascents and descents. On the other side of Kimak a large hill of this clay is crowned with an ancient place of Parsi burial, and is still known as the Atash-G&h. A farther detached mass to the south of Kala'h-Nau is the site of the grave of Dost Muhammad Kb&n, the original builder of the town. A kdiid came in to-day bringing the mail from Bandar-Abbas ; he had been more than a month en route^ but was very welcome. Our latest dates were December 15 from England, and January 8 from India. We were all glad to hear that the Prince of Wales was out of danger. By this mail the General heard of the serious trouble in Kal&t and of the consequent suspension of proceedings in Major St. John's survey. Supplies of all kinds are cheap and plentiful, but grain^ which sells at thirty-four hrdns the hundred Tabriz manns, is slightly dearer than at Nasirab&d.
* February 18. Marched at 8.30 a.m. to Ktihak or Sar-i-band, nine miles east by south. Morning bright with very cold north wind. For the first mile our road ran over cultivated land which was interspersed with the masses of detached clay above mentioned, and then mounted about sixty feet on to an undulating platean covered with shingle, and absolutely barren. At five miles we de- scended on to a wide valley, of which we were surprised to see the bed on our left hand covered with a lake of some miles in extent with water of a pale green colour : the strong wind that was blowing had raised miniature waves upon its surface, and gave it the appearance of a small inland sea. This lake owes its existence to the overflow of the great canal which escapes into this reservoir by a passage some miles above Kimak. In the summer the waters dry up and the poor Baluchis then come and cultivate the rich deposit which they leave behind. A short distance past this lake, another expanse of muddy- coloured water on the right hand is visible ; the two lakes are divided from one another by a small clay ridge, but it is probable that they both owe their original existence to the same cause. The valley in which the first lake is situated is known as the " God- i-Kurkurin." Crossing this valley for two miles, the road then rises
THE SISTAN 'BAND: 281
again on to the desert, and passing by some clay mounds descends gradually into the narrow tamarisk-covered valley which borders the left bank of the Helmand. In this valley we encamped just in a line with the Great " Band," having the fort of Kuhak on our left front, with the village of Khojah Ahmad some distance beyond. The Great "Band" across the Helmand, near Kuhak, has existed for more than fifty years, but it is only within the last six or seven years that it has been so constructed by the Amir of K&in as to completely turn the course of the river and transvert its waters into those districts of Sistdn which own Persian rule. Practically speaking, except when it« waters are at flood, the natural course of the river ends at this ** Band/' from which point it is made to follow the artificial channel of the canal. In former years the " Band " used regularly to be swept away by the river every year, and a new '* Band " constructed. The Amir, however, on his arrival in Sistdn, gave his attention to this point, and has expended so much care on its construction that the present " Band" has now held for six years, and will probably prove permanent. The banks of the river at this point are very low, the stream itself being about 17a yards broad with deep water. The dimensions of the "Band" are as follows : entire length, 720 feet; length across original bed of river, 520 feet; breadth at broadest part, no feet; depth, 18 feet on river side. It is formed of fascines of tamarisk branches closely inter- woven together with stakes driven into them at intervals : the branches used for this purpose are green and fresh, but of no great size ; while the interlacing of them is very close. The Amir initiated the practice of filling up the interstices between the branches with loose earth and stones brought from a distance, and the natives ascribe the stability of the present "Band" to this process; one which had never before been tried in Sist&n, the ancient "Bands" affording a free passage for a considerable quantity of water. The present "Band" was constructed by 2000 men in three months, all classes in Sist&n giving their aid to a work on which their own prosperity was so much dependent. The great part of the labour was in bringing from a distance the enormous quantity of tamarisk required ; but it is said that when once the branches were collected, the actual construction was performed in a short time by one man, a native of Banj&r, the sole possessor of this art, and who refuses to impart his knowledge to any one but his own son. The " Band " still requires a small yearly repair when the spring floods are over, and its face towards the river
282 PERSO' AFGHAN MISSION.
is annually increased by a yard or more, but these repairs are now easily accomplished by fifty or sixty men. When the river is at flood its waters escape over the summit of the ** Sand " and flow in the original channel north up to the H&mun, near Chakhansur^ where they are lost ; and a passage, some sixty feet wide, is also cut in the " Band " itself, by which much of the violence of the pressure is miti- gated. The canal is, at the point it receives the waters of the Helmand, 150 feet wide, flowing with considerable current; but half its contents are drawn ofi* by supplementary canals by the time it reaches Kimak. On the left bank of the river, at some 400 yards distant, there is a small canal cut above the " Band " which was com- menced by Tdj Muhammad, and intended to convey water to Sekuha. The work was however abandoned, and this canal now joins the great canal some quarter of a mile below the " Band." On the right bank and about a mile above the '* Band," a broad canal is cut which supplies N&d Ali with water. At the time of our visit, a con- siderable quantity of water was flowing through the upper part of the ** Band," and the original bed of the river on the northern side also contained a fair quantity. When the floods come down at the flowering of the tamarisk in the spring, the river overflows both its banks, and rushes with great velocity over the '^ Band '^ into its natural bed : and when the waters subside the natives say that great fish come to the foot of the '* Band," and attempt to leap over it into the deeper water beyond, but being of course unable to do so, are staked in the tamarisk branches, and great numbers are caught in this way. In the dry season the " Band " is found to harbour great quantities of snakes who breed inside it. They say that several men are always bitten when they commence to remove the branches for the annual repairs ^
* In every other direction there was nothing to be seen but what Ferrier calls the '* silent and sterile deserts of Sistin." In the
* They say that the original course of the Hehnand turned from a point higher than the present hand, and, flowing for some distance in the valley to the left of its present bed, close to the handf pursued its course in the channel which is now the great canal. This ancient bed was connected with the hand of Etihak (on the river changing its bed and flowing towards Chakhansiir and the north) by Sard&r Ali Khin, who collected the people of Sistdn and dug the canal required to join the old aad new beds.
The neij^ibourhood of the hand harbours a great number of waterfowl which, it is said, generally leave Si8t4n about the first of March.
NO ADMITTANCE, 283
afternoon we crossed the '* Band," inspected the small mud tower which was built for its protection on the opposite bank, and then, accom- panied by the Y&war Az&d Kh&n^ who wished much to do the honours of the place. Captains Lovett and Smith with Quartermaster- Sergeant Bower started off to take observations from the top of the Kuhak fort^ which is situated about one and a-half mile below the *' Band " on the left bank of the original bed of the Helmand, in a sort of delta enclosed by the Helmand on one side and the great canal on the other ^. Their expedition, however, was unsuccessful. Arrived at the fort, which is a square strong mud enclosure of 40 paces square built on a high clay mound^ from which it takes its name^ they found the garrison all assembled on the walls with the gate fast locked^ and a red-bearded N&ib looking down like a second Roderick Dhu from the ramparts and absolutely refusing admission. In vain did the honey-tongued Y&war try to persuade him that our coming in would do no harm, nay, that it was absolutely necessary to complete the map which was being prepared by order of the Shah. " By your head, by the head of the Shah, and by the beard of the Prophet," swore the N&ib, ** neither your noble self, nor any of the others, not even the Sartip or General himself can come in unless a written autho- rity is produced to me from the Amir to open the door." And from this position he would not depart. The Yfiwar feigned intense chagrin, but we had nothing for it than to take the requisite observations outside the fort and then to depart, leaving the triumphant N&ib to the enjoyment of his victory. This refusal, however, ftimishes a significant commentary on the way in which the Persian authorities here interpret the Shah's order that the Commissioners are to go any where and to inspect whatever places they please. Kuhak Fort has a garrison of some forty mrbdz, but is without other inhabitants and has no cultivated land. The soldiers find occupation in shooting and
' From the " Band " to Kimak the fbUowing larger canals drain the great canal on its light bank, commencing from Kohak downwards : —
I. HtisaiDki Canal supplies Banjar, Kot Iskil, Zihiddn, Nasirabid, &c. a. JaUlabad Canal supplies that town and vicinity.
3. Kadang and Kasimabid Canal.
4. Sharifabid-TIflak Canal.
5. Jah&nabad Canal.
6. Wasilin Canal.
7. Kimak.
8. Khamak-Ganri Canid.
d
284 PERSO' AFGHAN MISSION.
fishing. We got a view of Sharifabad and Shahristan, but the rest of the country was desert. In the morning a kdsid came in from Colonel Pollock with a letter, informing us that he was coming by the Kala'h-i-Bist and Garm-sail route, and that he hoped to be at Sekuha in about eleven days from this date. Captain Smith was directed
I to give the necessary information to the Persian Commissioner, and
also to impress upon him that in proceeding with him beyond this point it was to be clearly understood that Sir Frederic Goldsmid did so merely for the purposes of inspection and survey, and that the action could in no wise be held to have any bearing at all on the question of territorial possession. The Commissioner said he quite under- stood this. The Ydwar informed us to-day that there were no less than ten Persian regiments of infantry still in Sist&n. Bright moonlight night with cold air.
'February 19. Marched at 9 a.m. to Dak-i-Dehli, twenty-eight miles south by east. Hard frost last night. Weather this morning bright and cold, but it got very hot towards mid-day. Despatched
5 a return kdsid to Colonel Pollock with a note, saying we hoped to
meet him at Rudb&r. The Y&war said yesterday, in reply to a question from Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n, that the Afgh&n Commissioner would not be allowed to enter Rudb&r uQless the Amir issued orders for him to do so. Our march to-day was tedious and uninteresting in
\ the extreme. Quitting the narrow valley in which we had been en-
camped, the road almost at once rises to the shingly barren desert on the left bank of the river, and continues its dreary course over it for fifteen miles, when it descends to the former bed of the river, the light alluvial soil of which rose in clouds of dust under our horses' hoofs : this strip of land is covered with tamarisk jungle, very thick in places, and continues for thirteen miles more until it arrives at the halting-ground of Dak-i-Dehli. At four miles from our starting- point we passed an old kandt which formerly carried water from the bed of the river to irrigate some low land on the other side of the desert; and at five miles there is a bend in the river where it is fordable, and to which there is a well-beaten road from Burj-i- Alam Khdn, which we crossed. The river, from the '*Band'' to Dak-i-Dehli, pursues a somewhat winding and deviating course ; and the stream flows contiguous to the right or higher bank, except in places, where, having cut for itself an arbitrary channel, the deserted land becomes choked with thick tamarisk jungle. So far as we
1 .•
. : 'f
A NOBLE RIVER. 283
could judge, it flows over a sandy bed with many shoals and shallows, and would be very difficult of navigation. It has a considerable current^ and the breadth of the water varies from lOO to 200 yards. The opposite side appeared to us nothing but desert, thick tamarisk jungle near the bank, and innumerable ruins in every direction. On the left bank, however, we passed no signs of human habitation, and the only human beings we saw were some Toki Baluchis, engaged in cultivating small strips of ground on the river bank, who drew up at the side of the road to see us pass. The water is unusually low for this particular season of the year, and has been so for the last two years. The floods come down at the time of the tamarisk flowering, and the low land on the banks is then inundated to a considerable extent. We were much struck with the lifeless appearance of the stream — no villages or cultivation on its banks, no boats or rafts^ few birds^ no jumping fish, and even the vegetation in its vicinity dried up and parched*. There are great numbers of wild hog on both banks, and we saw traces of their burrowing in every direction. The road we followed often leaves the river for a considerable distance, and the traveller then loses sight of the only object capable of giving interest to the unspeakably dreary and fatiguing desert route. It is surprising that no efforts have been made to utilise this noble river all along its course, but until one actually catches sight of the stream itself there are no signs whatever by which one could suspect its existence. Our camp at Dak-i-Dehli was pleasantly situated on the very banks of the stream, which is here very low, and with half-shut eyes one could imagine that it was the Thames and not the Helmand that was stealing by so quietly ; though in the former case the surrounding atmosphere would hardly have been so still and undisturbed. Dak- i-Dehli derives its name from a Sist&ni word " Dak," which signifies mound or hill. There is a high clay hill on the left bank crowned by the ruins of an old fort, and this hill still marks the spot where, in years gone by, existed one of the many " Bands " across the river known by the name of Dehli, or the Band-i-Yak&b, supplying Kala'h-i-Fath. It was formed of tamarisk interlaced, but without earth ; so that the greater part of the water escaped through the
> Pottinger, in one of bis chapters, remarks that there are no magpies in Central Asia. Oo the banks of the Hehnand they abound, as also in Sistin, and are called KiI4gh-i- ablak, or the ' piebald crow.*
i
286 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
interstices of the branches, and the oongtruction served merely to chedc the stream sufficiently to force a good supply of water into the cedaIb which had been dug above it. The natives ascribe an almost antedi- luvian date to the erection of this ^' Band,'^ all traces of which, and of tiie canals, have now disappeared. On the opposite side are some high mounds crowned by the remains of ancient tombs and burial toweis. The principal ruins passed on the right bank in to-day's march from Kuhak here, are as follows, in order: Dam Dew&li, absolute ruins; at eighteen miles from Kuhak, Kala'h-i-Fath, principally in itdns; then a ruined Masjid without name ; and then the tombs opposite to Dak-i-Dehli. Bright moonlight, with temperature very cold.
^February 20th. Marched at 8 a.m. to Bandar-i-Kam&l Khin, twelve miles south-south-east. Cold wind blowing. Road leads over the desert close to the left bank of the river for six miles, and then descends on to the deserted bed near the bank, which it traveisea, for five miles among tamarisk jungle^ when it again ascends on to the desert plateau, and after a shoi't distance passes some domed tombs and graves, making a gradual descent on to the cultivation and fort of Kamil Kh&n. We were met at a short distance by the Sard&r's son, Sarfar&z Khdu, whose brother, Muhammad Rizi Kh£n, we had seen with the Amir at the breakfast at Nasirab^. The fort of Kam&l Bandar^ is situated about three-quarters of a mile from the left bank of the Helmand, in a valley which must be nearly eight miles across, which on this side the river and near the fort is very highly cultivated, and which when the river is full is almost entirely under water. The fort is an irregular- shaped walled enclosure, with the Sard&r's^ house standing in a square citadel in the centre and with a
^ In pre-historic ages, the Helmand is reported to have flowed hence in a Routh-wett direction to the lake of Zirah, and tradition has it that Kai Khusrii had sailed down it in a vessel. This Helmand merely contained the overflow of the water, and what escaped through the great band made by Gurshasp at Miilla Khan, which accurately partitioned off the water, and which was destroyed by Sh4hnikh, the son of Taimiir. There are still the distinct remains and banks of the canal to Traku, Kundar, and Hauz-i-Diir from this point, which dried up long ago on the bursting of the Balba Khun Band.
N.£. — The above information was afforded by Sard&r Kam&l Elhin and was tradi- tionary with the inhabitants.
' SardAr KamAl Kh&n is a Sanjar&ni Baliich, and is a cousin to Ibr&him Kh4n of Chakhansiir and Im&m Kh4n of Riidb&r. They had the same grandfather, J&n Beg.
Sardilr Kam&l Khan has eight sons, of whom the principal are, Umar Khin, Muhammad Rizd Kh&n, and Sarf&raz Kh4n. His authority is principally over the wandering Balt&chls between this and Rddbilr, on the left bank of the river. Rudb&r is divided between him
SARDARS OF THE LOWER HELM AND, 287
few mud huts scattered around it. There are but few houses at Kam&l Bandar, the greater part of this chief's subjects being Toki Baluchis, who dwell in tents^ and tend their flocks and cultivate the ground on the banks of the river. The Sard&r is in the pay of the Persian Government and receives a pension of 5cx> tumdns a year, in return for which he acknowledges the authority of the Shah^ obeys such orders as he may receive and as may chime in with his own ideas, and sends a few sheep and camels yearly as a present or tribute to the Amir. We were informed, on arrival, that he was ill, and began to suspect that he was suffering from the same illness that had attacked Shir Dil Kh&n and Sharif Kh&n on the approach of the Mission^ and which was probably simulated in pursuance of orders ; but in the morning he called on the General. He is an old man of very pleasant manners, but quite infirm and suflering much from asthma. He talked away on various subjects, and told us that the whole country up to Mulla Kh&n belonged to the Shah. He said there was a route across the country from Rudbfir to J^lk of twelve days, with water in wells at intervals, but no abddi or cultivation. He also informed us that the river had been very low indeed for the last two years ; that the flies here were most troublesome, but not so bad as in Sistiin, though the heat was worse; that the bad-i" biatrSz commenced to blow about two months after the Nau-Roz, and blew with great violence, being very hot for the first three or four days, but cooling down afterwards; and that horses suffered from the flies in the way so often described, but only after they commenced to eat grass towards the autumn. We were the first Europeans who had ever come here, and he knew nothing of Ferrier. The weather is getting perceptibly hotter, and the crops are much more advanced here than at Burj-i-Nau and Alam Khan. The houses here are not built of mud entirely, but have a light framework of tamarisk branches with mud cakes plastered upon them. We were visited by two Hindus who had been here twenty-five years.
and Sard4r Im&m Kh&n, and they each have a fort there, held by a son or dependent to
see that the proceeds of the land are fairly divided. Kam&l is somewhat more powerfal
than his neighbour Im4m Khin. Sardir J4n Beg's descendants are as follows :—
J&nBeg
I ' 1
Khan J&n Aslam Khin Nawib Kh4n
Ibr&hira Kh4n Im&m Kh&n Kamlll Kh&n
(Chakhansdr) (Hiisainabid) (Bandar).
d
'SH
PERSO'AFGHAN MISSION.
t1u^' luoii ^iu a livelihood by importing dates and sugar from K.4iuLihar uiul other places ; but they struck us as quite wanting in \\w ujiuuI iiitoUigence of their people. They had their wives and chkUUvu with them, but had left Shik&rpur when quite young. The Sauliir informed us that the date-tree would not grow here owing to thi' lii>;li winds that prevail ; he also mentioned the fact that though tlio rivor was full offish no Baliichis ever knew how to catch them.
♦ Fobruary aist. Marched at 8.15 a.m., ten miles east by south to (Miuhdr Burjak — also called Ja-i-Im&m Kh&n and Husainab£d. riiuuly morning with cold wind. The thermometer fell one degree U^Uiw Ireezing-point last night. Our road ran through cultivated II(*I(1h for two miles to the banks of the river, when we crossed it by a ford to the right bank^ the water being up to our horses' girths. We bnuikfaHted on the right bank^ and then resumed our course for six inih'H over a shingly dry desert, passing a small ruined fort on the right, (Milled the fort of the Mir. At six miles we made a slight descent on to some low land which had been deserted by the river, and which JH very highly cultivated, the fields continuing for two miles further to tlui walls of the fort of Imam Khdn. At a short distance from the town we were met by Sard&r Imdm Khdn's son^Shir Muhammad Khfin^ tt youth of some twenty years of age, greatly resembling his brother, Dost Muhammad Kh&n, whom we had seen at Nasii*ab&d; he was riding a very fine blood bay Turkman horse, blind of one eye. An old man who was with him took occasion to tell us that Sard£r Imfim Kh&n, and all he possessed, were the property of the Shah. This chief is also in the pay of the Persian Government on similar terms to Sardir Kam&l Khdn; he used to receive 500 tumdns a year, but the visit of his son Dost Muhammad Khdn to Tehran has been the means of getting his pay raised to 600 tumdns. From Kamil Bandar the Helmand river, which had flowed from nearly due east, takes a northerly course. The land on each side of it is low, but bounded beyond by the higher plateau of the desert, which in former ages probably formed its banks at this season. It runs over a sandy bed with very low banks opposite the fort of Im&m Khfin, which is known by the three names given above. The fort is the ordinary mud walled enclosure, and immediately overhangs the right bank^ here about thirty feet high. In the spring the overflow of the water covers the land on either side, but the stream is now very low. We encamped in the deserted bed of the river immediately under the
PERSIAN ENCROACHMENTS. 289
bank. Three Hindus^ who have been residents at this place for some years, did not present to us a very flourishing appearance. In the afternoon Sard&r Im&m Kh&n and his son called on Sir Frederic Goldsmid. The Sard&r is a younger man than his cousin Soun&l Khfin, of pleasing, gentlemanly manners, and possessed of much general information. He suffers much from chronic asthma. We are not the first English he has seen, as he says he perfectly remembers Pattinson who stayed with him some thirty years ago in Budb&r, and he seemed proud of having had him as his guest. Sard&: Im&m Khdn, in the course of conversation, took the opportunity of saying that all the country from here to Rudbar, with Rudb&r itself, was the property of the Shah. This complete acknowledgment of Persian sovereignty and influence on the right bank of the Helmand can- not be generally known, and proves the way the Persians have been working while the Afghins have been quarrelling. The Yawar said, however, to-day, that at present the Amir^s orders are not obeyed beyond Rudb&r. The Sardfir said that J&lk was twelve marches from this by Rudb&r, over a long and difficult road, and that few caravans traversed it except after the date season in Baluchist&n, when they bring up the supplies for Sistdn. The fort here resembles that at Kam&l Bandar : there are, inside it, a large mud citadel containing the Sard&r's house, and a few straggling houses in which his per- sonal retainers live ; but the greater part of his subjects are nomadic Baluchis living in tents, and there are some hundred mud houses outside the walls. This place has only been lately called Husaina- b&d, and is now termed Husainab&d-i-Nau in contradistinction to the ruins of the old village of the single name, which are some few miles further up the river \
* Halt, February 22. The whole of this day was taken up in cor- respondence with the Persian Commissioner, and in endeavouring to get him to come on to Rudbar ; or, if he would not come himself, to make arrangements that we might go. The Commissioner however is equally unwilling to go himself or to assist us to go. For the former his ostensible reasons are that he will not proceed further unless
* About twelve miles higher up the river, on the right bank, is a tract called Ashkinak, which was colonised and cultivated in the time of the English occupation of Kandah&r by a chief named Jabar, who obtained pecuniaiy assistance from the English for that purpose. This Jabar brought with him some Mamasani fialiichls, who still hold the tract, which is of small extent.
VOL. I. U
2[iii PKItSO ' A Fail AS MISHIOS,
till* HfiirmI iM'kiiowlnlp'H now that all the countn* is in possession nC I'l'iNiii : liin rnil oiu' l»ciii|? lliut he does not wish to meet the Afghin CNitiitiiiHMiiiniT ill UIm prowiit li^ht nuirching order, without establish- iiiiiiil iir wrvmilH whrn^with i»> make impression — for he says he intends III iiol •Ini'ii |H»miMMiMiMiu'nt * towards him; that he has now come as fill im hi« ^\ii«tiMl. and liaving w»en the Chief to whom Rudbir is said III lioloiifr. dm»» wA wish Hu* trouble of going to see Rudb&r itself; iMiil Ihiit af tho outNOt ho uover intended to come further. The way he hii« rniH*t\iall\ ywX a st^)p to our own progress is by issuing orders <hpi< ui» nv.in\ or supplies be sold to us; sending the Ydwar to make p, »«iM\ il «vpi»H that this place is quite destitute of supplies, that it is H\tiv%*N'(hoi luipoHHihlo to get sufficient grain to take us from here to Rud- t\>^i »\\\\\ liiioli, that no supplies of any kind are obtainable at Rudbir, *\\\x\ ihai (luH htntioii hau to Ih) itself fed from Nasirab&l. The latter «t.o,itU«in may jionsibly be true, but none of the former are. In the \\\^\ plaiM\ (Ml our arrival here, a man was sent into our camp from hiiiilai liiiiiiii Kb All I saying that supplies of all sorts were at our dis- IMimil I Mini (111 the (lay of our arrival we could purchase anything. nitoMiiilly, all l^i-ilay wi; had been able to purchase grain and ehafi, iMilil lain ill the ev(*niiig, when the General still announced his in- Imilliiii nC g'niiig \.u liudbdr; and although orders came to the poor IIhIiIkIiIh Hint iiiiMiing was to be sold to us, they said we might buy I'liiMi Mieiii |ileii1y to-iii(»rn>w morning very early, before the authorities Hitin inval&e: in addition to this, the place is surrounded by cul- llvalloii on every Hid(«. Hut. ho it is; and it shows the way in \s\\\\\\ iiiii- arbitmtion \h assist^Hl by the Persian Commissioner. He i.mmM not. Iinvit more elleetiially luirred our further progress in this i|lii:ii(ion with troops and artillery than he has by this stoppage of Mii|i|dlMM. Ordiif's ar(« issucul in every direction that no information |m lo be fj-ivmi to us, and tli(« ]>easants and Baluchis we question beg UN iiol. 1m adiJi'i'HH tliiMti, as (In^y know nothing, and will be punished ll lliiiy iiio neeii MpeaUng to us. And when we make protestations aHaiiml IIiIh li'i«a(nieiit, nothing is tendered in reply but honeyed iviiidn ami MiigariMl disavowals. It is impossible to believe that the haiilili liiiAiii Kliiin, who is a gentleman according to his lights, IVohIiI iii:I ho i bill \\\\ iin* helpless, and for the present the Com- iMlsMliihei bad the f|-anit« in his hands. He has got his wish this time — \\\\ Ibii Yawim' («ame tati^ at night to say that, unfortunately, want of »«M|i|(lliiH would (piite pivvent (he General going as far as Rudb&r, and
AN EVENING CALL. 291
proposed that we should leave to-morrow with Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n^ who resolutely declines to halt another day. Sir Frederic Ooldsmid, however, has determined to halt long enough to enable Captain Lovett to survey as far as he can towards Rudb&r, and also, if possible, to gain some news of Colonel Pollock of whom we hear nothing.
* Halt, February %^, Weather much warmer. The Persian Com- missioner left this morning for N&d Ali, after sending over his Mirza to ask the General what his plans were, and to report the issue of orders that we were to be supplied with whatever the place afforded — a message soon followed by the appearance of the Sard&r's own N&zir with two lean sheep, for which he wanted no less a sum than 50 krdnSy five times the proper price. The way in which they fleece us may be gathered from the fact that for fowls and eggs, which we are permitted to buy, we pay nearly as much as in London; and the absolute falsehood of the pretence that we could not go to Rudb&: for scarcity of provisions was proved by the Mirakhor purchasing from the Baluchis around^ before the sun was up, three days' fodder and barley for the horses. Captain Lovett went out surveying in the direction of Rudb&r with four Baluch sotodrs, and got out about fifteen miles. Li the evening Captain Smith returned the visit that Sard&r Im&m Kh&n had paid the General. The chief was seated in open " majlis" on a piece of ground inside the fort^ with some hundred Baluchis and servants around. Of these a few were permitted to be seated, and all took a part in the conversation when they had anjrthing to say. Im&m Kh&n was curious as to the extent of our rule in India^ was aware that Sind and the Panj&b were wholly in our hands^ and wanted to know when we were going to take Kashmir and Jamu. He remembered our occupation of Afghan- istan perfectly well, and said it was firom Eandah&r that Mr. Pat- tinson had come to see him in Rudb&r. He also asked many questions about China ; and the whole assembly were greatly amused at hearing that the Chinese Emperor only pays his physicians when he is well, the force of which arrangement they quickly appreciated. The Sard&r was anxious for information^ but did not seem to have much to impart : it may be, if he had any^ that he was prevented from expressing his feelings by the presence of the Y&war Az&d Kh&n, who assisted at the interview. He spoke of the gross ignorance of the Baluchis, and said they had never learnt to catch the fish of the Hel- mand, or to ma&e boats or rafts, and probably never would ; but that
u 2
292 PERSO' AFGHAN MISSION.
m
they lived from hand to mouth like wolves. The present fort of Hdsain- abkd had only been built by himself twenty years ago. In reply to a request preferred that he would send a messenger with letters to Colonel Pollock, he said he could do so as far as his authority ex- tended— a little way beyond Rudb&r, but that his tribe had a blood feud with the Baluchis beyond. The Helmand at this season of the year is easily fordable opposite Husainab&d. The Sard&r said that the heat in summer was so great here that, were it not for the violent wind which blows, human life could not support it. The people seem miserably poor^ but very idle, as they spend all day seated in crowds on the bank, looking at ourselves and our tents, objects which cause them great amusement. They bring numbers of small red stones like garnets for sale, with a few old illegible coins which they state are procurable in some neighbouring ruins. Sent off a messenger with letter to Rudbdr for Colonel Pollock.
* February 24. Marched at 6.30 a.m. on our return to Kuhak in a north-west direction to Kala'h-i-Fath, twenty-five miles distant. We were disturbed in the night by an alarm of thieves ; and it was found that they had carried off the old bony, white, unprepossessing^lookin^ Turkman horse belonging to the Hdjji^ which the old man said had been presented to him by the Shah, and which was his constant com- panion, confidant, and friend. These two have been such inseparables that it is difficult to imagine one without the other. The thieves had got clear away with it ; and though Sard&r Im&m Kh£n was informed of the theft as soon as day broke, and sent out aotodrs in pursuit^ there is small chance of seeing it again. The Hdjji is naturally very wroth, swears that the theft has been committed purposely by order of Mirza Ma'sum Khdn, which is very probable, and in the meantime consoles himself by putting upon his horse a fabulous price, which he is goin^ to charge as compensation. We had slight rain last night and this morning at starting ; and it did not get fairly light till 6.30 a. m . Our road ran over stony barren desert, keeping away from the river, and skirting the high ground which must formerly have been its right bank, for seven miles in a west-north-west direction. It then ascends on to the high ground (about seventy or eighty feet), and continues north-west by west for the remaining eighteen miles, twelve of which are over shingly, barren, and absolutely unproductive desert, without water ; then, at nineteen miles from our starting-point, descends on to the low ground on the right bank of the river, the high ground
RELICS OF THE PAST, 293
receding by degrees and gradually trending further eastward. Two miles before this descent we passed Dak-i-Dehli, our halting-place cm the opposite bank. At the end of the plateau, on the left hand, is a well-built brick tomb in capital repair, reputed to be the burial-place of one of the Kai&ni kings. The last six miles over the low ground is through very thick jungle composed of tamarisk and a plant called " shur," both now dry and withered owing to the river having not overflown its banks for two years, but which, were they supplied with water, would grow so rapidly as to be almost impassable. We reached the ruins of Kala'h-i-Fath at 1.15 p.m., and pitched our camp in one of the many ruined mud enclosures. The ruins of Kala'h-i-Fath are situated on the right bank of and close to the Helmand, about twenty miles above the "Band " of Ktihak. Ferrier describes them : and in a foot-note in his book they are said to be the most extensive in Sistdn. This, however, is either inaccurate or gives a very exaggerated idea of their extent, for the whole circumference of the city walls cannot be more than two or two-and-a-half miles. With the exception of a large caravanserai outside the walls, the ruins and citadel are composed entirely of mud sun-dried brick, with a foundation of baked brick. The citadel is probably the oldest building, and the town must have been an after-growth round its base. It is built on a very high clay mound, which was scarped to the foundation of the walls, the summit of which from the groimd is about seventy feet : the circumference of the ark is considerable, and from the outside we observed some ruins of fine arched buildingps within ; but the town, which lies at its base, has nothing remarkable. Spacious court-yards, remains of reservoirs, caravanserais, large houses, etc., etc. abound, but there are no vestiges of remarkable structures, nor of anything in the least approaching to magnificence, or even above mediocrity. The only object really worthy of notice is a spacious caravanserai outside the walls, to the south-west, built throughout of large baked bricks, eleven inches square, and dis- playing a nicety of construction and design foreign to Sist£n. The building consists of a large domed centre court-yard, with wings on each side containing several rooms, and from the right wing a con- tinuation at right-angles for stables. The dome is really fine, but the building has the appearance of never having been finished; the stables for the left wing are altogether wanting, while the top of the dome also is incomplete. Adjoining this is a huge " yakh-chdl " or ice-house, built of mud bricks ; and opposite, a grave-yard with
/
a^M PERSO'AFGUAN MISSION.
rmffinoiitu or alubasU'r and tiles scattered about. After an in- •IMvtitin or Knla*k-)-Faih it is impossible to believe it to have been i» vi»ry aiioioni rity. The conditions of the country predude the luttimi i\{ |iommnont stono buildings; but these mud-constmcted riMiuiiiiN Would unturally 8Ucoumb to the action of weather in a iuod«'riito ii|Miiv of time. The edges of the bricks in the caravanserai artt nlmrpi and tho lint's of the building well-defined, with the mortar «Htiu|t|ot«\ and yhowin^ no ^igns of great age ; and the walls around the \'\\\\ \li\i\UH) by towors, and built of mud six feet at the base and tii|wut^^ to ouo f(H>t at the top^arc nearly perfect, except where the river b(ia i^vriinl away a large portion at the north-west angle. It is the Miuo with the ruins of the houses, which are built in streets running (^^MU i^a«t to west : such parts as still remain have the appearance of \\\\\X^ riH^ent consimotion. Local tradition, and apparently with M'tiM^ni, represents tliiH place to have been the last capital of the KaiAni kings, deserted by them when, attacked by Nadir Shah, thoy took refuge in the Kuh-i-Khw&jah — ^and never inhabited since. Tlu^re is nothing to reward a search among the ruins but pieces of tile, which do not appear to be very old. The oven in which the bricks for the caravanserai were baked is still in perfect repair. The whole of the ruins with which, at this point, this side of the Ilelmand is covered are of a similar description. There are no traces of wood anywhere in the construction of the houses, which are nearly all arched, and the city walls are always supported by thick mud buttresses some six yards apart. The interior of the ruins of Kala'h-i-Fath is choked with tamarisk ; and abounds with jackals, as evidenced by a fearful howling all night. The Persians have a garrison here of sixty sarhdz^ some of whom came and talked to ns, assuring us they had been in the place for two years, and were engaged in keeping this part of the river quiet. Many things however caused us to doubt the accuracy of this statement, and to institute carefal enquiries among the Baluchis around — the result of which is to place it almost beyond a doubt that these men have not been here a month, and indeed were only sent over on the arrival of the Mission in Sist&n, to throw dust in the eyes of the British Commis- sioner, and induce a belief that this part of the right bank of the Helmand had been in the unquestioned possession of Persia for a long^ period. To prove the fact there is the testimony of the disinterested Baliieh shepherds : there is no sign of cultivation or of recent human
BOBADTL AND SCAPIN. 295
habitation anywhere round the station : we were strictly prevented not only from entering but from going near the fort, notwithstanding which Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower got near enough to see that the door in the old gate was quite new, and the plaster of the surrounding bricks still fresh and wet : in truth, there are all the signs of fresh occupancy, and none of long residence. Moreover, unless we had come here, what would have been the conceivable reason for the presence of a detachment of soldiers — for there are no villages, roads, or settle- ments in the vicinity to guard; and the garrison will probably be withdrawn as soon as we have left, and it has served its purpose? Some wandering Baluchis we met on the road to-day took the op- portunity of telling us that Ibr&him Khfin's son had arrived in Chakhanstir from Kandahfir, bringing with him the Afgh&n Com- missioner and Colonel Pollock. If this be true we shall soon meet. The Persian Commissioner encamped here last night, and told the sarbdz that he was a very great man ; and would do this year as he did last, when he took fifty countries from the hands of the infidel Faringis, and gave them to the Persian government; a statement clearly intended as his exposition of the Makr&n boundary settle- ment! We had a proof to-day, however, that the Persian rule on this bank is not so popular as they would wish us to believe. One of OMT fardihea had lost his way, and got off the road into the jungle, when he was suddenly surrounded by five armed Ba- luchis, who asked him with many threats and curses if he was a detested ^* Kajfir.^' The man, an Isfah&ni bred and bom, naturally asseverated that he was not, and, indeed, that if there was one thing he hated more than another in this world it was a '* Kajfir." The Baluchis, not satisfied with this, still kept threatening him, and it was not till he told them he was a servant of the English S&hib that they let him go, which they then did at once — one of them guiding him to our camp, and teUing him if it had been as they had suspected, they would have cut him into pieces. The man arrived in camp much terrified, but thankful for his lucky escape. Caught a peculiar snake in the ruins to-day : flies and gnats are also beginning to fill the air : all signs of the approach of warm weather. The Persian surveyor, Sarhang Zulfakar Kh&n, has just turned up on his way from Nfid Ali to Husainabfid, very unwell and as dilapidated as ever. Sard&r Imfim Kh&n sent in a wretched pony for the H&jji, as a remplayant pro tern, of his own horse, but the H^jji
296 PERSO'AFGHAN MISSION.
rejected the beast with scorD, and already talks of 300 lumdns com- pensation. Heavy rain in the aflernoon.
'February 25. Marched at 7.30 a.m. to Kuhak or Sar-i-Band, on the right bank of the Helmand, twenty miles north-north-west. Weather cloudy, with slight rain. Road ran the whole way over the level valley on the right bank of the river, densely covered with dry tamarisk and sMr jungle, except for the last few miles, when the jungle is less thick and is replaced by camel-thorn and kirta. For the first six miles our path was almost entirely through ruins (prin- cipally on our right hand, and some two or three miles from the river), of so extensive and wide-spread a nature as to impress us strongly with a belief in the stories so prevalent in Sistdn of the extraordinary former populousness of the province. There is nothing particularly interesting about these ruins, built as they are of sun-dried mud brick ; but the present desolation of cities that must have formerly been teeming with life and energy is very impressive, even to the passing traveller. Dry water-courses from the river, scoring the plain in every direction, show that for many years this part of the Helmand must have flowed in its present bed. We encamped on the right bank of the river^ close to it and the '* Band/' just under the Burj, and many of us had a pleasant swim. The water is here very deep, and abounding with fish. Heavy rain in the afternoon, and magnificent thunder and lightnings sheet and forked, unlike anything of the sort one ever sees in England, lighting up the heavens in a sheet of dazzling flame. We heard to-day that Colonel Pollock and the Afghdn Commissioner still intend coming vid Kudbdr, and that Ibrdhim Kh&u's son parted from them at Girishk ; it is impossible however to trust any news in the atmosphere of intentional deceit and mendacity in which we live. There are many Baluchis in the neighbourhood with flocks and herds ; and a number of people have been sent here to repair the Amir's '' Band."
'Halt, February 36. Beautiful clear day after the rain of last night, and our camping-ground on the banks of the river most en- joyable. All our servants are amusing themselves with taking pot shots at a water bird, which is a species of diver, with long legs, body as large as a duck, beautiful silvery breast, long neck and very small black wings : it sits very deep in the water, and is very diflScult to shoot, as it dives the moment it sees the flash of the gun, and the shot in general passes harmlessly over the
THE LOWER HELM AND. 297
place where it has been ; on an average it took about ten shots to kill one^ but a domestic managed to bag six, and the Y&war immortalised himself by shooting one through the head with a baU. The mrhdz^ too, caught some fish who were entangled in the branches of the '* Band," but they proved to be aU of the same barbel species we caught at Deshtak. We sent in one of our ghuMms to- day to Nasirabad for more supplies : he wiU get into the town this evening, and should meet us at Nid Ali to-morrow.
'February 27. Marched at 7 a.m. to village of Aghfi Jdn Sarbandi and the ruins of Bina-i-Kai or N&d Ali, 17 miles north-north-east. Morning cloudy with cold north wind. Crossing the actual bed of the Helmand, 200 yards north of the '* Band," where the water was up to our horses' bellies, and ascending on the opposite bank, we crossed the small canal which supplies Khw&jah Ahmad with water, and passing the fort of Kuhak immediately on our left, continued our way over a flat tamarisk-covered plain to the wretched village bearing the former name, situated on the summit of a clay mound some two miles from the ''Band." The village has no fort and is in a most tumble-down and dilapidated condition. Leaving this on our right, and having the new settlement of Sharifabfid on our left front, we continued for some six miles further over a very highly cultivated country, with the green crops well grown; and then entered a dense tamarisk jungle, which we traversed for two miles, again coming on cultivated land in the neighbourhood of a village called Gorjak. At thirteen miles, finding that the path returned to the river, we kept along the bank for four miles, finally pitching our camp on the left bank close to the water, in front of a small village called Agha J&n, the property of Muhammad Sharif Khfin. The first four or five miles we traversed from Kuhak must form the flat country separating the left bank of the Helmand river from the high desert plateau which lays immediately to the east of Burj-i-Nau ; this belt of cultivated land gradually widening out into the delta of Sistfin. The general characteristics of this plain are alternate strips of tamarisk jungle and cultivation, with numerous small deep canals cut from the river itself as well as from the great canal for the purposes of irriga- tion. The land swarms with game ; and partridges, sand-grouse, quail, teal, duck, geese, and pigeon were to be seen in every direction. All along the last four miles of the left bank of the river we observed a high artificial embankment, which seemed to have been raised there
■■•>
■iii.rt i r "je -nrrt'se r' kr-rio;^ "^-^ Tirer c the canals from escaping
:-• '.zk* •r':^C'':>.*L 'l:.ia c .rr.Hnirj' the water of the river itself.
I>t.' "'oak* r' "-je r/.^r '.tVv :'::e ■ Eonii ' are from loc to r20 vards
i: arr. iiiti :-ie rv^r-r^fC j? :rji;2^ :a *:«:ta *ide» with dense tamarisk
,:-?^.,.. Yv-.c IT "-"iia r.xe c ie vear :• cirntained a considerable
i:?'. .:::- i' yi'-.-r -x-uri ijd ^s;4r»fi "iir»:c:;h the •*Band.'' but it is
•'' .^ia.'.c i: I-*: ■ *• i^". i^ii J:k? z*' Ter^jrci'Tie omrent. In the spring,
>. »\ ' r %!,.!: -^L- ■:• •iLs- -■■ trit* :• tti. :t mas with considerable force
i.T: • /::•:! i-iii nii"rj'> r.^^-.z :i'-: ihe H.Lt sn some 15 or 20 miles
. - ,,. ^. ,-... « .<sc r" C!:ai^az^-ir. Pie Ted r-i the Himiin used to
*^ II :v'! ii^ir-*- MT '-'■ ^^•-•:^" -^ w-rather bas caused it to recede
• .!>;«:in \' i-t: A 5j "-:•.• Ii ir^' miei :i* that it woold take at least
,.. ...r. ». .;^ --liT-i "V -' ^ii« - i*s sh-r^s rri:m the spot where
,. » ^: T * .''•L-d:i'.";«id. T!ie ::iJiir.L:aii:* or this village were civil,
^. .-, ^ir. Wcv :':i:';rT:::.'i ::*. ni^ioh :o cur chagrin, that a Hindu
...... x-^'Ax: *>'.•''• ^i"*-* ?*-'"- '^—•r ':^f.re ocr arrival and purchased a
■I . ' .vr .i" .**i .V rL> :>.^'_v ba^I r" -.izi in :he ruins at Nid Ali, and taken ■ ^'.t! .4W3\ :o K.jLr..ijkbar. I:i :r.t' ir'^cm-xa, leaving the camp pitched, \%c •"■'jxivv. :lv "'vcr ;-.:*: ::•vv!^;:e. and. orrssing to the right bank, ?»\»v'o ^-Jir wav ihri'Lii:^ ^r.e-and-a-half miles of dense tamarisk » :m^\' !.' tUo tVrt ot" Nad A'.i. :h«? mi::* rt which we inspected. The iwivl «:i* ^vr\ bad. a:id wo hjki to 07t;ss one deep canal with rotten U«:ik'*. i^hon* ittativ of u< nearly oanie to irrief. the Mirakhor getting M lw<i^\ tail I'v hi* hors^* i'*»^-*i:^ ^-^ *^>-** ^^ ^ hole. The fort of Xid V!i i^ ti\ tbo luwids of tho Terjiiac*. who have a garrison there, under X\w s\'x\\\v.A\u\ K*( dk 5^*ti of Sarvlar Sharif Kban. We were not permitted tv» o» MtMdo Vbon* :s t\o o-.;'::va::on of any sort around the walls, rt%»iu \\w ^wxwwwx of \\l\:oh we i^^: a clear view of Chokhansur, Jah£- uil-rtd. Ka^(tiulvid. Shahnsran. and ether posts. The neighbouring^ ^\>\ii\(M ap|s\»t>\l uothiUiT but iinoulri vat til jungle. The ruins of N<d Vli :H\' ^aua(\\l als*u( ouo mt!c a:id a-half fn^m the right bank of the i^iVMOut aolual UnI of tho UoUv.and nver. nonh of the '* Band," and the it^iiuvon IV Mupi'IuM with water tanu a deep canal, opened at about 100 \Hi\l« n^ow tl\o '• Ivinul " of Kiihak. The present fort is situated on a \^«i\ ImvJ* lull v^vtwwu i;»o or ^cc tVvt high'» formed of clay, and \\\\\\A\ \* xt^td to Iv o\cu higher than the famous Kuh-i-Khwfijah. |l H ii •uuill Mpuiiv oi\oKv^ur\* built of the bricks of the former ruins. N*» om» uiviHvtm>r Na^I '^l» ^**** l*^^'^* * doubt as to its immense llliti\|uil^\, rtud lUo imtivt'd claim tor it a ilate long prior to the days
INTERESTING OLD RUINS. 299
of the fabulous Rustam, allegiug that the city formerly extended from here as far as Kala'h-i-Fath. The remains of the buildings of the old city are now completely submerged under the mountains of sand which the winds of centuries have raised over them; but from the summit of the mound the extent and shape of the walls can still be distinctly traced, forming an enormous rectangle, of which the mound, which must have contained the ark or citadel, would be the north-east comer. The surface of the earth comprised within this rectangle is quite covered with pieces of ancient brick, glazed tiles, glass bangles, &c., &c., and it is not to be doubted that a diligent search and excavation would disclose many &r more valuable antiquarian treasures ; for the ruins have certainly not been touched or submitted to intelligent inspection since their first decay. The remains of the kala'h show that there were an outer and an inner fort, built of baked brick, with walls and foundations of g^eat thickness, and there are still the traces of two very deep wells by which the garrison would be supplied with water. The mound itself, which is of considerable extent, is surrounded by a wet and deep ditch. The view from the summit is very extensive. The most interesting ruin still standing is that of a very massive brick-built, octagonal- shaped tower, with excellent mortar, situated at the south-west comer of the town walls, in the neighbourhood of which are the remains of a reservoir with enormous bricks, and a very spacious gateway. This tower has a spiral vaulted staircase of forty steps, about four feet broad with an average height of six feet, by which we ascended to the top. It was probably designed for the Muazzin, and has two rooms inside it. To the east of the walls are two lofby mounds, from which they say that the ark was at last, and in more recent times, enfiladed and commanded by artillery: these are universally known as the '* Dam-Damah." The ancient name of this place, the Ydwar informs us, was Bina-i-K^^, signifying that it was the work of the first of the Kaidni kings. The architecture of the tower is certainly more Hindfi than Muhammadan. The circumference of the city walls, so far as they can be traced, must be about four miles. The fort, now held by some sixty sarbdz of the Amir, was only in late years taken from the chief of Chakhansur.
* Returning to camp we found a messenger from Colonel Pollock, bringing letters of the 20th from his camp at Haz&rjiift, and an-
* Bina-i-Kdt, or ' conBiruction of KAi ' : damdamah, a * mound.'— F. /. 0.
300 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
nouncing his intention of coming to Rudbfir. He also informed us that he had been promoted to the rank of Major-General, a fiict which greatly aroused the suspicions of the Amir of KiDn. Later on in the evening a messenger brought in a mail from Bandar-Abbas, which place he had left on the 22nd instant, with Indian dates of the 22nd January, and English news of the 29th December. We are aD thankful to hear of the Prince of Wales' complete recovery. Late at night our gkuldm returned with supplies from Nasirabfid, and with the news that Ma'sum Kh&n had already returned there. Weather colder towards the evening.
* February 28. Marched at 7.30 a.m. to Tiflak, or Jah&nabad, seven miles— three miles north-west, four west-south-west. Weather cold, the thermometer having fallen to 36** last night. Sent off letters to the Persian Commissioner and to General Pollock before starting. Our road ran for three miles through cultivation and tamarisk jungle over quite level country to the fort of Jah&nab&d ^, the usual square mud-walled enclosure with unusually high walls. The gates were shut^ and the garrison crowding the walls resolutely declined to allow any of us to enter, threatening all who came near with their matchlocks ; a queer way of carrying out the commands of the Shah that perfect freedom should be accorded to the Arbitrator to inspect all places. But the worst is that this procedure damages the survey. Jah&nab&d is a solitary fort standing in the midst of jungle, with no cultivation or houses in its vicinity, and surrounded by a wet ditch : it is utterly uninteresting. Pour miles further, terminating amid well -irrigated cultivation, brought us to the ruined fort of Tiflak, around which are to be seen the remains of the city in embryo, which the Persian authorities
> JaUlab&d, Kadang, Tiflak, JahdnaUd, Deh-i-D4d Shah, Deh-i-Aghi J^, and Shari- fab&d were all in the hands of Ibrdhim Khan of Chakhansdr until one year before the arrival of the late Wakil-ul-Mdlk in Siat4n. On Taj Muhammad Kh&n haying a dispute with Ibrahim Kh&n somewhere about 1866, the Persian government sent the Muzaffimi- d-Daulah to the assistance of the former, but before he arrived Jal^lab4d had already fallen into T4j Muhammad's hands, and naturally fell into Persian possession on that chief submitting to Persia. The cause of this dispute was as follows. Wlien Ibr&him Kh&n succeeded his brother All Kh&n (Toki Baluch), Jah&nabid and its dependencies were the only possessions he had on the left bank of the Helmand. The places named' above, with the exception of Jal41ab4d, were taken by him on the expulsion of Jaliludin Kaiini ; and he took Jal&labad on the death of Sardar Ali Khan of Sekuha. It was this circumstance that led to the dispute between him and T&j Muhammad Kb&n, Ali Kh&n*s murderer and successor. The whole of the former property of the Sharikis and Sarbandis is now in possession of the Amir of Kain.
RETRIBUTION. 301
intended to be the capital of Sist&n before Nasirabdd was under con- templation. A great number of bouses were built, the ruins of which still remain, when it was found that the high wind here prevalent covered them with sand almost as fast as erected. This incident alone afTorded a sufficient reason for abandoning the site ; but questions of irrigation and cultivation had also their due weight. It was here that the forces which entered Sistin about 1866 under the late Wakil-ul-Mulk, the Amir, and the Muzafiaru-d-Daulah, were united, and the house of the latter official still remains. There are some one or two hundred inhabitants still living here. In the afternoon two Brahui Baluchis brought in a letter from General Pollock, written so far back as January 17th, from Kalfit. It is wonderful how they reached us in safety. One of the aarhdz caught one of the idUids outside our camp, and gave him a severe beating for "bringing letters to the Faringis," as he said. A complaint, instantly made to the Yfiwar and vigorously pressed, had the effect of bringing to the front the guilty soldier, to undergo a richly-merited thrashing in the evening. We had however to smuggle the Baluchis out of camp at night after they were paid ; or they would have inevitably been followed, plundered, and severely beaten. We closed a mail for England this night, and sent it off by the men who brought up the first despatches from Bandar-Abbas. Evening very cold, though in the middle of the day the weather is very hot.
'February 29. Marched at 7.15 a.m. to Zahidun, south-west, five miles : then five miles north-north-west to ruined Pillar of K&simab^: then one mile west-north-west to K^mabad viUage. Weather bright, but morning cold, the thermometer having fallen to 33** during the night. We sent our t^nts and mules straight into E&simab&d, only six miles off by the direct road; but made, ourselves, a slight detour to inspect the ruins of Zahidun ^ and its chief lion, which ConoUy calls
^ The ruins of Zahiddn, both from local tradition and external signs, may be set down as of a mucli more recent period than those of N4d Ali. They give no real evidence of a date macb before the time of Taimiir, to whose armies are ascribed the destruction of this city, and the ruin of the whole of Sist&n. The ruins at the present day are utterly uninteresting. They are principally of mud sun-dried brick, and cover a vast space of ground, of which the northernmost point from the old ruined fort is that marked by the standing tower ; but there is nothing whatever to repay inspectioni and the natives say few relics of any kind are found in them. Remains of glass bangles, tiles, and brick mark the extent of the city. The remains of the citadel are still inhabited. The citadel is built on a high clay mound, is square in form, and had no less than four towers on each face. Built of mud, it resembles any other mud fort or citadel in the interior of Persia.
302 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION,
the Pillar of K&simfib&d, but which is here known by the name of the '< Mil-i-Zahidun/' Out road ran over a level plain intersected hj ridges of sand, and amid hollows where the water, collected in small lakes from the overflowing of the Hasanki canal^ was quite black with ducks and geese ^. These lakes or pools contain from three to four feet of water, and the ground around them is very treacherouSi especially for horses. Mr. Thomas got a heavy faH with his horse in cantering over it. We arrived at Zahidun at about half-past eighty and breakfasted there ; first going up into the ruins of the old fort, the dilapidated houses of which contain the few families of tillers of the neighbouring land. From Zahidun to the Pillar are sandy ridges and clay desert, but for the whole way the earth is covered with dSbrU^ ruins and bits of tile^ brick, etc., etc. showing the remains of a city. The Pillar of Zahidun is hollowed into a spiral staircase, bat has no spiral column in its centre. Built of kiln-baked brick, no mortar whatever has been used in its construction, the plastering having been efiected with the common clay or kankar of the surrounding desert. It is very extraordinary how this mud or clay can have held together for so long. The staircase is also worthy of notice, being formed entirely of bricks which lap over one another, cemented by this kankar^ the first brick, as it were, being built out from the wall, and the other bricks overlapping. The sweep of the stair- case is very good, but the centre of it has given way, so that the upper part of the tower has been rendered inaccessible. Around the top is a floral scroll, exactly resembling that so much used for the orna- mentation of railings in England, and not unlike a fleur-de-lis. Two inscriptions in Kufic, probably texts from the Koran, are built in brick set on end into the tower, one about thirty feet from the ground, the other at the summit ; but they are both illegible. The dimensions of the tower are as follows : fifty-five feet in circumference at the base, which is built on a square foundation, and twenty-five feet at the summit ; it is now eighty feet high, but has lost some of its original height. The bricks are of the same description as those now used in Persia, and of the dimensions of ten inches square by two thick. The tower, which must formerly have been a station for the Muazzin, now stands quite by itself with no ruins near it, though the neighbouring ground is covered with brick and tile fragments. From this Pillar to
* At Zahidiin we saw some tamed wild ducks and geese which are used for deooy purposes, and which the inhabitants resolutely refused to sell.
CONTINUED DISCOURTESY. 303
K&simabad we reckoned the distance only a mile. K&simab&d is a small but prosperous-looking village of some 50 or 60 houses, sur- rounded by cultivation, and with a canal which supplies it with pure water. With Iskil and Banjfir it belonged of quite late years to the tribe of the Kal&ntars, who in bygone ages were the masters of the whole of Sist&n : and the Katkhudas of these three places, though chosen by the Amir, are still of this tribe.
•Friday, March i. Marched at 7.15 a.m. eight miles due north to Jal&labdd, and five miles Airther north to Burj-i-Afghdn. Bright weather but somewhat cold. The thermometer during night 33''. The road the whole way was over a flat plain, principally con- sisting of hard baked clay, with extensive ruins on the right hand, stretching as far as the eye could reach, and cultivated land on the left. We were obliged to make a considerable dStour from the direct road to Jal&lab&d^ as the country is much flooded. We arrived at 9 A. M. : and shortly after our arrival, on Captain Lovett wishing to go and inspect four very large tamarisk-trees outside the town, he was stopped by some men who were stationed about fifty yards from camp, and told he could not proceed unless he had express per- mission from the Ydwar Az&d Kh&n — moreover, that, under orders issued, none of our servants were to be admitted either into or near the town. The Y&war, who was at once summoned, made some false excuses, saying he would find out the reason; and a short time afterwards sent word that the place was in the hands of Abbas Malik Kh&n, who declared that he could not permit the General, his staff, or any of his servants to enter. On hearing this the General sent the Mira- khor to say that he could not stop here any longer, but would move off in the evening towards Burj-i-Afgh£n ^. Tents were accordingly
^ JallUabad was built by Bahr4m Kh&n, the last of the KaiAni kingB, for his eldest son JaUQadin. JaUludin quarrelled with his aged fitther and went off to Herit ; his father remaining in the village of Kachian. Shah K4mHtn assisted him, and after the death of Bahrim Kh^, invaded Sistiln with Jaliludin and a large force. Hie whole of Sistin resisted the aggression, but were defeated, and Kimrin departed leaving JaUludin on the throne. On his departure the Sistinis rose and expeUed Jal&ludin, and Kaiini rule ceased from that date. Muhammad Riz^ Khkn and H&shim Kh4n then divided the power; and Ibr&him Eh4n Baldch seized the opportunity of increasing his territory on this side of the Helmand, by taking the places in the vicinity of Jah&nab&d, which latter had been given him by Bahrim Khin, and of which, with the rest of his conquests, he was deprived by T4j Muhammad Khin later on.
> Biirj-i- Afghan was originally a settlement given by Bahrim Khin to Muhammad Khin, son of Azam Khin, Ghilz^ who came with a number of A^hins from Khabis,
'^^^^ P Eli so - A FGHAN MISSIOS.
xfriick, and w(» arrived at the latter place at about 4 a« m. The exciue tliul Malik Al>l>a8 Kh&n had refused us entrance is of conrBe a fiiree; wr owe this oppoHition, as indeed all our other dtiagremeuM^ to Mint MaVdui Khdn, who uends orders as to our treatment tbnyngli tiie Amir; and we know that the Y&war despatched two men bom. K/iHiniah/lil to Jnl/llab&d this morning with a message to the Kat- Kliuda. Some Af|[;hfm residents of the Burj-i-Afgh£n whom Ca]>tun Lovctt met, told him they were certain to be punished for speaking to him ; and indeed during the whole of our tour we have been ahHolufely unahio to gain any information whatever from the inha- bit antn. At this place our camp has been quite tabooed, and our HervanlH have been prevented from entering the town by a chain of NenirieH : we have in short been treated as prisoners within a ciicom- Herilied Hpaee. Jaliilab/ld is a town of about 400 houses^ with a low, use- leNH mud wall ; it has a mosque among the trees outside the walls. Hie march to the Burj-i-Afghiin was over a clay plain covered with rains. Then* in tiouHiderable cultivation around this village, which much re- Hembles that of Chelling, having the same octagonal-shaped tower in tlu; centre. The place contains no less than 200 Afgh&n families, but we were not allowed to have any intercourse whatever with them, and the inhabitants resolutely refused to let us have anything on purchase until permission to sell was received from the Y&war. Captain Lovett rode out in the afternoon, straight from Jalilabid about ten miles due norths and came to the ^^Nfiiz&r," or borders of the H&mun, now dry. A letter came in during the evening from the Persian Commissioner, objecting to the proposition firom the General that the Commissioners should meet at Burj-i-Alam Kh^n, for the discussion of evidence ; and shortly afterwards two Afghibis arrived from General Pollock's camp with letters stating that he would reach Riidbdr on February 28. In the morning, before leaving K&simabfid, we saw a Baluch who hod taken an active part in the disputes that used formerly to rage in Sist&n between Ibrihim Khfin and Sharif Kh&n Baluch on the one side^ and T&j Muhammad KhUn of Sekuha on the other. This man's neck was nearly cut through with a sword, and the scar is so wide now that you can put your iinger in it lengthways. To aggravate his case he is all over scars^
near Karmltn, on being turned out by Faih All Shah. These men were the de» Bcendanta of the old Afghan conquerors of Isfahan. Babrdm Kh&n nuuried the daughter of Muhammad Kh4n ; and iMr descendants still inhabit the place.
BANJAR, 305
and has lost some part of most of his fingers. The whole of the neighbouring country here is covered with ruins, among which are two or three large villages. They say that from Jalfilab&d north- ward till the territory of L&sh Juwain the country is a desert where neither food or water are obtainable.
^ March 2. Marched at 8 a.m. five miles south-south-west to Banjar. Bright clear morning. Road ran over clay desert, crossing three small canals. The village of Banj&r, lying about eight miles east of Nasira- b&d, the towers of which are visible from it^ is one of the largest and most populous in Sist&n, and is surrounded by a great extent of culti- vation. It is one of the group of villages which formerly were the especial property of the KalAntars, of whom the head man, Mir Wdris Kalantar, is now the Katkhuda of Banj&r. Here, as usual, all com- munication with the village was prevented. There is a small lake of water in the vicinity of Banj&r, formed in a hollow from the overflow of the numerous canals which abound in the neighbourhood. This lake is temporary only, and is quite covered with wild fowl, which are very difficult to get near. Ma'sum Khdn sent out a letter to say that, as he understood the Afgh&n Commissioner was coming into Sistfin with an army of 500 men, he thought it his duty to return to Tehran. This, coupled with the fact that the Yiwar wrote to the General asking for a testimonial and leave to quit the camp for the purpose of seeing the Amir, may be taken as a sign that some new move of annoyance and obstruction is about to be attempted. The Mirakhor and some of the servants who went into the town to-day saw both the Persian Commissioner and the Amir, and gave them a short account of the way in which we had been treated, which was of course met with protestations of regret and ignorance. Ma'sum Khdn will probably accept this as a fitting place for discussion, but he pretends to feel personal fear at meeting the Afgh&n Commissioner so far from the town of Nasfrab^. He told the Mirakhor that the H&jji's horse had been found at TurshiLb, but on its way here died at Sekuha from exhaustion. While teUing this precious story, our informant said, the Commissioner himself could not help laughing.
' The gnats, flies, hornets, and other insects peculiar to the place, are already beginning to make their appearance. On the morning of March 3 messages came in from General Pollock with letters saying that his camp had arrived opposite Chah&r Biirjak, on the left bank of the Helmand ; that Kam&l Khdn had refiised them supplies, but that
VOL. I. X
30G PERSO'AFGIIAy MISSION,
Im&m KhiLn had sent them a i>olite invitation ; and that he hoped to reach Burj-i-Akm Khfin about the 5th instant, havings with him 100 sowars and fifty beasts of burden. Betum messengeiv were despatched without delay, asking him to join our camp at Banjir. The Y&war, on the other hand, informed us that Mirsa Ma'sdm Kh&n had sent off the whole of his tents and baggage, and intended to leave himself the next day for Khuras&n. This rumour, though hardly credible concerning his personal movements^ was so fiur cor- roborated by our muleteers, that they had been in town and helped their brotlier muleteers to pack his tents and baggage. The evenings are becoming intensely close, the temperature at 9 p.m. being higher than ut 9 A.M.
* March 4. Halt. Weather cloudy. In the morning Captain Smith wuH sent into the town to visit Mirza Ma'sum Khin and the Amir. The object of his visit was to settle the question of the visits to he ])aid, to find out about the reception that had been ordered for the Afghan Mission, and, now that tents were to be pitched as heretofore, to brin^ the objections that had been raised concerning the flag to an issue. The Commissioner assured Captain Smith that all necessaiy arrangements had been made for the honourable and fitting reception of General Pollock and the Afgh&n Mission, and that Sard&r Sharif Kh&n's son had been ordered to receive them on their entrance into his father's territory : he also said that Kam&l Kh&n's conduct was quite contrary to orders. With regard to the visits be said that General Pollock and the Afgh&n Commissioner should, according^ to etiquette, first call on himself and the Amir, and that the visit would be at once returned. He added that if the General would write two lines to the Amir, the latter would see the Mullas on the subject of the flag, and endeavour to explain matters to them. The Amir has given a number of horses and camels to the Commissioner, who sent off the whole of his baggage to iL£in on Monday evenings but who did not say anything in this visit about his own departure, save that he had already been kept waiting for the Afghfin Commissioner for a month, and did not know whether he could wait much longer, certainly not more than a week or fortnight.
' Wednesday, March 6. Halt. Weather cloudy and much cooler. In the morning letters from General Pollock came in, saying that he was at Burj-i-Alam Khfin, had been well received by Sard&r Sharif Khfin, whose son had come out to meet them, and who had himself called on them ; and that the Afgh&n Mission hoped to cross to Deshtak this
SETTLEMENT OF THE FLAG QUESTION. 307
day. Captain Lovett returned from a surveying expedition to the Kuh- i-Khw&jah, and describes the hill itself as being very uninteresting, with a few ruins on its undulating crest, and those quite unworthy of notice. At 2 p.m. Captain Smith was sent into town, on his way to General PoUock^s camp, to visit the Persian Commissioner, and see that everything was settled for the reception and isiikbdl of the Afgh&n Mission. To go to Deshtak from Banj&r it is necessary to pass by Nasirab^, as the whole of the intervening country is under water. Matters having been arranged for the istikbdly Captain Smith rode out towards Deshtak, but on arriving at J^n&k learnt that the Afghfin Mission had gone to Wfisilin, to which place he accordingly followed, arriving in their camp about 6 p.m. He found the camp without a single person in it to represent either the Amir or any Persian authority, and the inhabitants of WfisiUn absolutely refusing to sell them provisions ; but through an official of the Amir, who was with him, of course the latter difficulty was soon put right. Accompanying S&iyid Niir Muhanmiad Sh&h was Ahmad Kh&n, chief of L&sh Juwain, and some 120 sowdrs, the number of followers all told being probably about 300. Ibr&him Kh&n of Chakhansur, with his son, had crossed the Helmand, and held an interview at Dak-i-Dehli with General Pollock and the Afghan Conmiissioner. Startling stories had been told to the new-comers concerning General Goldsmid's Mission, and they had even heard that the Amir had given orders for the people to rise and kill us all. Sard&r Im&m Kh&n had met the Afgh&n party at Chah&r Burjak, and informed them that all he had done with regard to ourselves was under Persian compulsion.
^ Our larger camp was pitched this day, and the Mission moved into it during the afternoon, with the flag flying as in the first instance. Letters had been received from the Persian Conmiissioner and Amir in the morning, stating that the General's letter to the Amir, explaining the real meaning of the flag, had enabled him with infinite trouble to silence all religious objections ! Yet, in the afternoon, the Y&war Az&d Khfin wrote a letter to Sir Frederic from the village, saying that the minds of the people were most uneasy at the sight of the flag, and requesting an explanation, for which the General referred him to the Amir. It was found that the Persian Commissioner had pitched his flagstaff that morning on the very sunmiit of his house, from which the flag could be seen for miles.
^ General Pollock and the Afgh&n Mission arrived at Nasirab&d on
x a
308 PER SO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
the 7th inst., and were received at about one mile from the town by an istikbdl of some seventy sowdrs, headed by H&jji Azfid Kh£n, an employe of the His&m-u-saltanah, who had been sent here from Mash-had to find out what was going on. It was noticeable that, in return for the usual polite enquiries, the S&iyid Nur Muhammad Shah omitted altogether asking after the Amir's health, and only asked after the His&m-u-saltanah. The camp for the Afgh&n Mission was pitched at the east comer of the town, right beneath the Amir's house. Shortly after arrival, Sard&r Kh&n Bfibi Kh&n and Miiza Mussa were sent by the Amir and Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n to make the usual health enquiries, which were duly returned. A phase in Persian diplomacy was exhibited to-day. No sooner had the S&iyid alighted at his tent, than he received a message secretly, saying that all the Sarbandis and Sharikis were ready to rise and kill the Amir and take his fort, if he the S&iyid would give the signal ; and Kh&n Bib& Khdn, on calling on him, told him he was discontented with the Amir's treatment, and intended to go to Her&t. It is needless to say to what source these messages owed their existence.
' On the morning of March 8, the whole of Sir F. Goldsmid's stafif, with servants and led horses, rode out at 8 a.m., accompanied by the Yfiwar and fifteen sotodrs, for the istikbdl of Major-Geneial Pollock and Siiyid Niir Muhammad Shah, who, with Dr. Bellew and an escort of some icx> or 150 sowdrs, arrived at head-quarters camp at Banj&r about 9.30 a.m. In the afternoon the Mirakhor was sent into Nasirabad, to say that General Pollock and Dr. Bellew would call on the Amir and the Persian Commissioner the next day, on the understanding that the caU should be returned in Banjir on the Monday following. To this message the Commissioner re- turned answer that he would write his reply, but none had arrived by 1 1 P.M. The Afghfin Commissioner resolutely declines to call first on the Persian Commissioner and the Amir on the following grounds : that it would be very displeasing to the Amir Shir Ali Khan ; that it would seriously damage his cause with the people around in Afgh&n interest, who would be told that he had gone to make his ^*arz" or petition to the Amir; that he had been treated with such gross incivility as to render his calling first impossible ; and that it was the duty of the Amir and Mirza Ma'sum Khdn to call first on him, as he was a greater official and higher dignitary than either of them.
' S&iyid Nur Muhammad Shah, the Afgh&n Commissioner, is a tall.
TEE AFGHAN COMMISSIONER, 309
well-built, fine-looking man, of some fifty years of age, with promi- nent nose, and a somewhat Jewish cast of countenance. He is frank and outspoken to a degree, very determined on what he considers to be the rights of his cause, and to press them to the utmost. He is represented as being the most powerfiil man in Afgh&nist&n next to Shir Ali Kh&n himself^ and to be the latter's principal and most trusted adviser. The absence of all pomp or afiectation of show which marks his procedure is very noticeable ; his own dress and the trappings of his horse being of the plainest and commonest description. He walks about the camp unattended by any following whatever, and is equally without affectation in his conversation. He gives one the idea of a shrewd clever man, sure of himself^ whose every action would be based on some good grounds. He professes, and it is to be believed^ feels a sincere friendship for the English, to whom he owes gratitude for many acts of kindness. He accompanied the Amir as his chief adviser on the occasion of the late visit to Amb&la^ and was sent by Sardfir Kohandil Khfin as ambassador to Tehr&n in 1857, when he remained at the Persian capital for thirteen months.
* March 9. In the early morning a letter came in from Mirza Ma^sum Khfin demanding the reason of the number of followers wha accompanied the Afghfin Commissioner ; stating that with regard to General Pollock's visit to the Amir, the latter did not consider it advisable to return it ; and that, for his own part, he could not say how he should act until he had received an answer to his present letter. The Persians here display a great deal of ill-feeling towards the Afghans, punishing in some sort every one who has anything to do with them, and the Afgh&ns are naturally eager to resent this discourteous and unseemly treatment.
' March 10. The high winds with violent dust storms, which prevail at this season of the year, have set in with unusual severity, and make camp life miserable. In the early morning two letters came in from Ma^sum Kh£n, declining to return General Pollock's visit at Banj&r and requesting that the Afgh&n Commissioner should send him in a statement of his claims in writing, when he would receive a *' silencing" answer. He also in another letter threatened ''most undesirable consequences" if Ahmad Shah, the L&sh Juwain chief, did not leave the camp. Sir Frederic Goldsmid, after consulta-* tion with General Pollock, therefore wrote to the Persian Com- missioner, and informed him that as his actions and correspondence
310 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
both pointed to the fact that he was bent on not meetings the British arbitrator's wishes in any way, he had no course left but to withdraw from Sist&n. He should accordingly leave the next day for JAA Juwain, sending Captain Lovctt to complete the survey of Chakhansur and that district. No answer to this letter came till late at night, when Ma'sum Kh&n wrote to say he had done everything to meet the General's wishes, but that the fault of non-success did not lay with him : he enclosed letters of safe-conduct for Captain Lovett as well as for the Mission, and was evidently very pleased to hear we were going. He said that as the next day was the first of Mu- haram, and it was considered very unlucky to move out of a town on that day, he had already made a garden just outside the walls, his nakal makdn^ or " stage of first setting out." There is a report that a Far&hi who had accompanied Sard&r Ahmad Shah, and had gone on to Banj&r to see his relations, has been severely beaten, has had all his arms taken from him, and has been missing for two days. The portmanteau which Sir F. Goldsmid lost in Italy on the way here, arrived in camp to-day from Bandar-Abbas, having all its contents untouched and safe. It had been brought by a Baluch on a camel, sent by the Governor of Karm&n.
' March ii. Winds higher than ever, and weather most unpleasant. Captain Smith rode into Nasirab&d this morning and had an interview with the Persian Commissioner, who was encamped in a garden just outside the walls of the town. The Commissioner endeavoured to explain his past conduct, but was informed that all that had taken place would now have to be discussed at Tehran. He was very anxious to find out the reasons why S&iyid Nur Muhammad Shah had not called u|)on him, and was apparently much enraged that the Amir and himself should have been guilty of any civility whatever towards the Afgh&n Commissioner ; as he kept sa}nng that the utiibdl and "dhwfil pursi" had been intended entirely for the honour of General Pollock ; and that for * Amir Shir Ali Khfin without " vous autres" the English,' the Persian Government did not care at all. He kept repeating that all would be well at Tehrfin ; and towards the end of the visit begged Captain Smith to give his especial compliments to Sir Frederic Goldsmid, General Pollock, and the Afgh&n Commissioner, and to tell the two latter that he hoped to meet them in General Goldsmid's tent at Biijand or Mash-had. Rei)ort has it that he has been very highly bribed by the Amir to break off matters without a
SIX WEEKS IN SISTAN ENDED. 311
eonference^ and to act in the way the Amir told him ; certainly the treatment that the British and Afghfin Missions have received at the hands of the Persian authorities is without parallel. Illustrations of discourtesy might be added in respect to the supply of baggage animals^ cash payments, and other pressing matters for the treatment and disposal of which we were, at the last moment, necessarily de- pendent on the local officials. Suffice it to say, we were detained by these harassing negotiations imtil late in the day; though General Pollock and the Afghfin Commissioner started at noon. Captain Lovett lefb in good time with a Persian escort for Chakhansur for survey purposes, but it was not until evening that the head-quarters camp marched for Bolah, a small village only seven miles distant. Its position was due north, over a dry clay plain^ scored into furrows by the wind, which is so strong in this part of the neighbour- hood that all the plants grow horizontally along the ground like creepers. The Yawar lefb us at Banjfir, and we have now no escort with our camp ; but orders have been sent to Jalfilab&d for forty sowars to join us. A report has reached camp that the missing Fardhi was killed in Nasirabfid this morning, but it is not supported. They say also that on the approach of the Afgh&n Commissioner two regiments had been ordered here from KhafiT.
* March 1 2. We were obliged to halt at this place (Bolah) to-day, as our camels stuck at the ditch in the night, and could not get in here till the morning, and now the men are making great difficulties about going further. The animus displayed by the Amir of K&in towards the Mission naturally affects the general behaviour of his subordi- nates. We notice here a great anxiety on the part of all the Persians with us to leave our camp at this point, much in the same way as they were anxious last year to get away when we had reached PIshin. The probabilities are that they do not care to go farther north, and that the Amir's authority does not extend much beyond this village. We dismissed all our late Persian sowdrs in the evening and received six sowars from JaUlabM to escort the Amir's camels, but the forty that we were informed had been ordered for our escort from the same village did not make their appearance.
' On the 1 3th March we finally quitted Sistan, after a stay of six weeks' duration. As has been recounted, all the British Commis- sioner's efforts to bring about a meeting between the delegates of Persia and Afghanistan had been frustrated by the Persian authorities.
i
312 PERSO-AFGHAN MISSION.
It had been found imposeible to procure any species of evidence affect' ing the enquiry at issue, and the results of our Bojoum in the proviaoe might be summed up in the excellent survey that had been prepared by Captain Beresford Ijovett, and in the primd Jacie evidence as to the present condition of Sist&n that we had been able to colleet by the evidence of our senses. The Amir had certainly been successful in stifling on the spot an enquiry which might, if once commenced, have caused considerable agitation in the minds of the various members of the ancient deposed families who were so carefully kept ont of the way of the British Commissioner. As far as he dared, he had en- deavoured to lower the dignity of the representative of the British Government, and to slight in a marked manner the Commissioner of Shir Ali EhJin and General Pollock who accompanied him. But after all, the decision on the whole matter would have to be pronounced in Tehran, One inevitable conclusion forced upon the mind after our Sist&n experiMices was, that the Persian Government had most signally and culpably failed in the commonest eonrtesy, not taking even the most ordinary precautions to ensure that the dignity and safety of a Mission it had itself solicited should be suitably upheld and regarded. With the exception of the superficial and empty cour- tesies shown to the British Commissioner on his first arrival, no single opportunity was neglected of placing slights upon the Mission, and of rendering independence of action practically impossible. In- stead of being furnished at the outset with a suitable escort, and accompanied by a responsible Persian ofiicial of high rank who would have eventually had to answer for his conduct to the Shah on every detail, we were dependent upon a hostile Governor (who in these far-off regions is absolutely despotic) not only for the means of loco- motion, for guards and sentries over our camp, but for the supply of the very necessaries of life, Anj-thing like free action was therefore hopelessly crippled; and instead of the British Commissioner being able to move about the province wherever he thought proper, and in a style and manner commensurate to his dignity, his sphere of action was practically limited by and dependent on the wishes of the Amir. Had the Persian Commissioner been a man of another stamp, matters might of course have worn a very different com- plexion. But poor and needy and n4th nothing to lose, he waa only too ready to play into the Amir's hands, and he probably took away with him recognition of his tractability suflliciently solid to make
EN ROUTE TO MASH-HAD.
313
him regardless of the suspension of one year from public employ— which was the punishment eventually awarded him at Tehr&n, in deference to the representations of the British Legation^.'
IV. SUtdn to Mash-had,
'Leaving Bolah at 7.30 on the morning of the 13th March, we marched north-north-west twenty-eight miles to the ruins of Peshfi- wardn, camping in their vicinity at a spot called Salifin. At four miles from Bolah we passed the villages of Rind&n on the right and Kala'h-i-Nau ^ on the left, which are the last inhabited places in this direction towards the bed of the H&mun ; and for the iirst ten miles our road ran over a desert plain of alluvial soil baked hard and covered with heaps of sand, but furrowed in every direction from the action of wind and water. At ten miles we reached a belt of thick tamarisk jungle, and at twelve miles halted and breakfasted in the bed of a dry canal, some thirty feet wide, which runs through the jungle,
^ The following itinemy in Sistdn may be useful : —
Date, 1872.
•January 31. . February i . .
n »f tf
M
•» f* »f tf n If ff ff ff ff If ft
If
March I
ft I - a
4-
5-
15.-
16..
17.. 17.. 18.. 19.. 10.. 21.. 24..
25*«
17.. 27.. 1%.. 28..
29..
Stage.
Ch&h-i-Khak-i-Muhammad Danrish
Sekuha
Chelling
Nasirabdd
Deshtak
Biirj-i-AIam Kh&n ..
Ka]a*h-i*Nau . .
Kimak
Kiihak
Dak-i-Dehli . .
Bandar-i-Ejun&l Kh&n
Hiisainabdd ..
Kala'h-iFath
Sar-i-Band ..
Nid-Ali
Village of Agh& J&n
Jah&nab&d • . . •
Tiflak
Z&hidun-Kdsimab&d
Jal41ab4d .. Biirj-i-Afghdn Banj4r ,^
Distance IN Miles.
30 10
13 14
4
3
9
28
12 10
as 20
17
II
8
5
Dibection.
N.
N.N.W,
N.
S.S. £•
S.E. by E.
E. by N.
N.
E. by S.
a by E.
S.S.E.
E. by S.
N.W.
N.N.W.
N.N.E.
13 N.W.
14 W.S.W. 5S.W.
6 N.N.W.
N.
W.
s.aw.
(:
' From this tract north the desert is liable to inundation from the Himiin, and is known as the Shilah-i-Kala*h-i-Nau.
! I » PKIiSU - .1 Fan AX MIS:<lOy.
iiikI wIhti- were Knine wrlls of brackish and uniuvitin^ vrater. This ciiiiiil JH Hiid <«» hjiv(» come Irom Jah&nab&d, but there were no .ij.;iit <.r niltivation in its vicinity. At a mile berond our break- lii.!tiii:»-|p|;Mi., \vi« readied the Nfii/&r^ which forms the neck con- rn«(iii;.r till' rjist and \vcs< jM»rtionH of the old lake. The Xaizir is II tnu-t fif :d»oiit five niih'H in width and var}nng in leii<>th, covered uilh hi;;li yi'lldw lecils and l»nlrushes, the former very thick and »:li«'iitr. 'I'Ih' wjiy thront^li it is by a path about six feet wide, "iii'iiiully I'tit for the |);issji{^a» of mfts or /tff/x. On first viewing the Niii/./ir il was rasy 1«» realise Conolly's description of the H£mun, a>i urru frntn tile hinninlf of Kuh-i-Kh\v^jah — minus the water. As far ii't llir r\r roiild reaeli, on every side were to l>e seen the tops of a utuiii;^ rni of yellow reeds, with nothings to break the view, save ulinr drill e blai k eoluiiins of smoke rising to the sky marked the spots wlii'ii^ llie \viind«'riii;»' Irilu's were burninj';' the reeds, in order that, liilii nil, llie \(>iih^'- ;;-reen shoots which replace them might afford pas- liiiii;'.r fur tlirir ll«N'ks and herds. It is only within the last four or five yeiiii^ tliiit litis tract (and much fuilher to the south) has at this time m1' till' yrar been passable by any other method than in /ufts. The wal4T, Imwever, woidd never be much deeiHT than three or four feet. Two or three mounds, one called Kuha, the other Ab Kand, similar to tlidse on the plains to the south of Sii^t&n, form landmarks to guide the tnivcller amid the dreary waste of reeds. Leaving the *'N4izfir," the; road then runs over a saline desi»rt plain, thickly covered with tamarisk, /y/zwA/, (raf, and camel-thorn — of a clayey substance, and with deep hoof-marks showing that it had lately been under water. We cncampiHl a short distance to the east of the ruins of Peshfi- warfin, but amid other large ruins, by the side of a small and new canal of water brought from the Farah-Rud last year by Sard£r Ahmad Khdn. AVc are now in Lfish territory, and several well-known jwints of view can be seen from our camp. The wind dropped in the afternoon, but be<«[^n to blow again at sunset. We hear that the Amir of Kfiin has given out that if we had not gone when we did, he had made up his mind to have us turned out by force^.
•On the afternoon of March 14 we all went to see the ruins of Pcshiwarfin '**, which we found as disaj)pointing as have been the
' Such re]>ortH may or may not have heeii triio : I do not creflit them ; and it is very certain that tht^c wlio lirouj^Iit them were rather inclined to Btimulate than to alUy our Irritation at tlio Amir*H hrhavioiir. — F. J. G,
' The ruiiin of Te^hdwaran are divided into several groups known by different nameii.
MYSTERIOUS WRITING. 315
ruins of Sistin in general. They are of great extent and are strongly built, many of them of alternate layers of sun-burnt and baked brick, but there is nothing that tells of their date or nature. The remains of a madrasah or mosque^ with a miArdb, were among the most extensive^ and had traces of ornamentation and a Kufic inscription. The walls of the ari, or citadel^ are still in good repair. This was of a circular form, somewhat irregular in shape, with a diameter of from two to three hundred yards. The walls are about fifty feet high, built strongly of baked brick, with a species of arched covered gallery, five feet wide and five feet high, running round the summit of the ramparts. Two massive round towers guard the gateway, which is approached up a narrow steep ascent. In the centre of the fort is a mound, on which are the ruins of a house of superior character, probably the residence of the governor. To the south dense drifts of sand run to the summit of the ramparts. The usual remains of tile, brick, vases, &c. strew the surface of the ground, but we could discover nothing novel. The great characteristic of these ruins is the number of accurately constructed arches which still remain, and which are seen in almost every house, and the remains of very strongly built windmills, with a vertical axis, as is usually the case in Sist&n.
* March 15th. Marched at 7.30 a.m., nineteen miles north to L&sh Juwain. We went out of our way some three or four miles to the west, on account of the ruins, in the endeavour to discover an ancient in- scription, which directs the traveller to turn to the left hand and dig, when he will be rewarded by discovering seven jars of gold. We, how- ever, were not successful in attaining the desired object, as our guide could not verify his clues : he showed us, instead, the ruins of what was most probably some place of worship, with a mihrdb^ and above the miirdb, in the wall, the masonic star of five points surrounded by a circle, and with a round cup between each of the points, and another in the centre : we also saw the tomb of Siiyid Ikbfil, mentioned by
such R8 Kol-M4rut, Saliin, Kbdshab&d, Eala*h-iMallahi!in, Nikiurn-Khanah, and more. Eight miles west-north-west from the ruins is a flat-topped irregularlynshaped hiU, called the Kdh-i-Kdchah ; somewhat smaller than, but resembUng, the Kdh-i-Khwdjah. To its east flows the Farah Rtid, to its west the Hinit Riid, and near it are four villages, named Ghonah, Kuhga, Damboli, and Gdrgdri, the latter deriving its name from the gurgling caused by the waters rushing through a narrow passage near the village. Slag is said to be found all over this hill. We could find no trace of the name Lukh men- tioned in Conolly's map.
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'/>..!: ^■>;. I.V. -.-.---: : : .y 'ir i*,.*: -.u.: iir *«is.:iL uii r<en qiiite ^ ■,•>'.•. v-v iJj'. ••-t* :;.> ri-Ll-rlli iii .iJt --lt: I'T^jt 5rr=. simi fur- h. *•'..'!. *:'<:. \ .*'. *Lr r^--.re*: •Pt:rT :':r -.Tr-^iTi-i- :*'i.Tfx^ tTa small /i.'.jt. f.'vr.'. r -.f: .-■.-:.•. li'^y-r V. --7 c£ziT iz. Li/- J-"»iin-*eii miles r,.'* •.?.• * • > r 4.1 v i.i '. vrr & ii*. : -i:-, iesErr: ::r :lr £rr. rve muesL bat ;*;*/• *^ i • l< •;..'.*.. ;. '^•. vr---^ : v . • :. r.. r : . EncCiSiTr cet-ii-i^d platerax. //* % '.Ai.i-v f'.rT.--i*;'r- v. ;::_ •1:::^'^ cr. •.Ir vr-. s^ni c'st in all 'i.M^"* •,.'.* ir.c .v.'>r t:'.'a\!v iLirk tl-r :'-. rmer I-evcl r:" the Taller, w;. /r. .? .\ '.:,.'* -«-:./. v-ri s^.-:r::j. m:^:*: ••=: xr.-:*?: ferrll-e acd pn>- /iv.-*.. W-, \V<; f'',';;^-: t;,«: caiT-p jr.chei in the vallev. imdemeath the f//»^ *A \A^:.. sutA 'a'/,\\ a f.-isit^jzx of a ELiIe fr:m it, widi the river ///'rrv'rfj./.;^, Orj arrival. Sar'I£r ALica*! Khan jaid Sir F. Goldsmid a v;*it in Li*! Urfit. Tuh Sardar is a pleasant but s^'mewhat foxy- \f0tVitk]£ UtSkfi of prol/ablv flftv-fire or gixtv vears of a^e. but his dved \ft'!'Ati\ ari'l v.\i'i>.]cf:rn and jjaint'rd eyes make him appear much Toonger. Hi: i>. ih<r itr'AiAhftn of the famous Shah Pasand Kh&n of this place, IB///I of AUJul Jlarij] Khiin, and nej^hew of Ibrahim Khan of Chakh- Hu^dr. H<: n'.tiit:iu]^:rh *juite well Conolly's visit to his grandfather, thirty y^^arK a^^o, and ^j^^aks of Conolly 'Kh&n Ali) as having* been ^$^u prr<'a1. fri'md, »>.ayin^ that he accompanied him as far as the Kuh-i- Kh\^ Elijah, and tlial lie had received from him a telescope, which was Mrni from Ki^hul^ and which he had given to his Chakhansiir uncle. ||<f uIm/; iftrrf*'t'\\y rccolh.'CtH Kh£nikoff and his mission, who, he says, w<?rir afraifi Ut ^o int/; SiKtiin, but went off to Xeh and Bandan, Thi! NnrdAr in at prcfhirnt greatly exasperated against the Amir of KAin, Iff! n'preH4:nfH that last year his subjects have been reduced by iiioH! than iwo-thirdH, through the tricks of the Amir, who used to euuuHurioH ui nigiit, and U*]\ his i>cople that if they would join
MURDER OF DR. FORBES. 317
him they would be well fed and taken care of. In this way more than 12000 families were enticed away, and the majority of the land is in consequence left uncultivated this year, while numerous villages are completely deserted : for he estimates the whole of his subjects now remaining as not more than icxx) fomilies at the outside. The runaways would be certain to return, he thinks, if only there was any chance of their being secured against the attacks of their ambitious and cruel neighbour. He also bears testimony to the lateness of the period at which the Farah-Rud is filled. The waters of this river apparently remain for about sixty days longer; when it gradually dries up. Poor as he must be, the Sard&r insists upon providing everything for our camp gratis, saying he is not like Mir Alam Kh£n. He is married to a daughter of Ibr&him Kh&n of Chakhansur, for whom the natives in these localities seem to have at once the greatest respect and awe. This latter chief is described as a great warrior and great hunter, but not a man who could take his place in a majlU or assembly. He has no powers of conversation, is thoroughly wild in speech, manner and appearance, and is addicted to the use of charas, lanQy opium, and other stimulants^ under the influence of which he becomes completely mad. From constant enquiries made since we have been in Sistdn, there can be no doubt whatever that he was the murderer of Dr. Forbes, and that Ferrier's account of Sard&r Ali Kb&n^s commission of the crime, and subsequent treatment of Dr. Forbes' body, is at variance with facts. The natives^ moreover, all assert that Ali Kh&n had been dead many years when Sard&r Ibr&him Khdn shot Dr. Forbes. Concerning the details of the murder, we have ascertained that KhinikofiTs relation of the incident is nearly correct : and there can be little doubt that Ibr&him Kh&n was under the influence of hari^ when he fired the fatal shot. From information collected at L&sh, it appears that Shih Fasand Kh&n implored Forbes not to trust himself in Chakhansur, telling him that Ibr&him Khdn was a drunkard and a madman^ and would cer- tainly kill him. As Forbes persisted in going, Sh&h Fasand Kh&u made him, before he left, write a paper saying that he did so against advice and on his own responsibility : and he then dismissed him, telling him his blood must be upon his own head. How Ferrier came to connect Sard&r Ali Kh&n's name with the deed it is impossible to conceive, for here no doubt or concealment of the fact of Sard&r Ibr&him Khdn's guilt is attempted. It is talked of
318 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
quite commonly and openly. For many years Sardir Ibrahim Khin almost entirely discontinued intercourse with his fellow men — either shutting himself up in his fort surrounded by numbers of large, powerful and savage dogps^ who permitted no one to approach him save a negro boy slave, who brought him his meals— or else living in the jungle, engaged in hunting the wild boar^ of which sport he is passionately fond. Captain Lovett however, who visited him, gives a better account of his ways: but he is quite incapable of managing business^ which is done for him by his wife and her favourite son Kh&n Jah&n. Ibrfihim Kh&n has six sons : — Malik Kh&n, a youth addicted to ban^ and opium, who has quarrelled with his father and is living under the protection of the Amir of K&in at Sharifab&d; 2. Kh&n Jah&n, heir to the chieftainship, clever and sharp, and fond of English dress ; 3. Muhammad Ali Kh&n ; 4. Sar- far^ Kh&n, who has been at Tehr&n for some years ; 5. Muhammad Khfin, and one other.
* Saturday, March 16. Halt. The weather is getting much warmer, and the maximum of this day's thermometer reaches 98°. While at breakfast in the morning we were astonished to hear a general firing in camp, and on going outside the tent found the sowdrs discharging^ their rifles at an enormous flock of pelicans flying over head, in several long lines, in a north-west direction. There must have been at the least 500 or 600 of these birds. They kept close together, flew very high, and were probably migrating on the approach of the hot weather. There is another report in camp that the Amir has killed the Farihi who was detained at Nasirabfid^ but it is impossible to ascertain its tmth. At 5 P.M. Sardfir Ahmad Khan, accompanied by Mard&n Khin, the Akhund-zfidah of the Sard&r, Mustafa Kh&n, and the chief of Pulilak called on Sir Frederic Goldsmid. It was most interesting to hear these men talk of Conolly and his Sergeant, Cameron, and Munshi Kar&mat Kh&n. In L&sh Juwain Conolly 's name is known as well as the Sard&r's, and all people talk of him with afiection. The Sardfir and the remainder of the chiefs were very anxious to know what was going to be the upshot of the Mission. They said that they bad suffered unheard-of things at the hands of the Amir of Kim, but that their own hands had been tied by the influence of the English Government with the Amir Shir Ali Khan, and that they could not retaliate. Sard^r Ahmad Kh&n repeated he had already lost more than two-thirds of his subjects, who had been enticed into Sist&n by the
FORTRESS OF JUWAIN. 319
Amir of Kfin ; adding that he himself had received two or three letters from the Hisfim-i-Saltanah, offering him 5000 tumdns a year if he would obey the Persians, which he had hitherto refused ; and that unless he was speedily enabled to maintain his position, he would have no resource but to join the Amir, the other chiefs up to Farrah fol- lowing his example, Ibrahim Kh&n of Chakhansur included. Mus- t&f& Khan told us that he had been sent to ask the meaning of the army that some years previously entered Sist&n under the orders of Muhammad Salah Khdn, Kurd-bacha ; and that he had received no less than two written letters, addressed by the father of the present Amir of Kfiin to Dost Muhammad Khfin^ who sent him from Her&t, saying that the Persians had nothing to do with Sist&n, but that Muhammad Salah Kh&n had merely come down with a small force as escort, in order to pay the annual subsidy to Sardfir Ibr&him Kh&n and other Baluch chiefs, for keeping open the roads to Persia by Afgh&nist&n, such as the Haft&d R&h and others. Mardan Kh&n^ who is a tremendous warrior, breathed nothing but fire, blood and devastation, and spoke with con- tempt of the Amir of K&in, who, he said^ had been with him formerly and under his thumb, and was at that time a Sunni. The Sard&rs did not leave till the last moment at which they could say their evening prayers, when they went just outside the tent and performed their de- votions, led by the Akhund Zadah. After dinner our Shia'h servants made a great noise^ — wailing, weepings and beating their bosoms for Husain and Ali.
' On the morning of the 17th we rode over and inspected the fortress of Juwain, a rectangular building, 400 yards by 300 yards, with towers at each face, and two large towers on either side of the gate^ situated about two miles east-north-east of L&sh. It is the largest place in Hok&t^ and is surrounded by a covered way and wet ditch with a breadth of fifteen feet. Its east and west fiices have six bastions each, its south face three, and the north two. The walls are about sixty feet in height, very thick and strongs and scored all over with the marks of the cannon-shot which Y&r Muhammad fired against them. The only gate to the place is in the north &ce, and about 600 yards from it are the remains of an artificial mound of earth which the Wazir erected as a good site for his artillery. The fortress has never been taken^ though it could not stand for a moment against heavy guns or shells. It is constructed on a high mound, and there- fore towers above the plain. The wet ditch^ which is of no depth, is
#
320 PEESO' AFGHAN MISSION.
dependent for its water supply on the Farali Bud, with which it is connected by a canal. We were received in the most friendly way by Sard&r Samad Kh&n, the governor of the place^ and a brother of Sardiir Ahmad Kh&n ; and here again we found that ConoUy was per- fectly well remembered, for we were taken to the room where he bad sat, when he called on Gulzfir Kh&n, who after ConoUy's departure went oflF to Herdt and died there. The description of Juwain given by Conolly, that it was one of the most populous places he had seen since leaving Kandah&r, does not apply now. The numerous houses around the walls are all deserted and ruined, and the Sard&r assured us that out of 400 families who used to live inside the walls^ no less than 250 had been enticed away into Sistan^ It appears that the year before last the Farah-Bud did not fill at all, and the inhabitants were in consequence unable to sow their crops : last year their crops had come above ground, when the Persians came and destroyed them all ; and it is owing to the scarcity which these two events have produced that the Amir has been enabled to entice over so many of the starving people. The Katkhuda of the place, a very old man, who as a boy remembers Y&r Muhammad's siege, assured us that three years ago grain was so plentiful that fifteen maniis sold for a krdn^ whereas only one is obtainable now for the same money. He represented the soil as being extraordinarily rich, a statement borne out by the fact that though the ground has only been sown seven days the crops are already appearing. They seemed especially proud of their melons, which they say are the finest in the world. From the summit of the walls an excellent view is obtained of the plain of Hok&t lying below ^, bounded on every side, except to the south-west, by the higher plateau of the desert. There are three or four windmills inside the ditch and one outside, all with vertical axles, and sails of a coarse tamarisk-made canvas. All the houses in the fort, even the smallest, have little hd<lgir8 or wind-towers of their own, and we were
' The names of the inhabited villages at present in the district of L^sh Juwain are mm follows : — Juwain, Deh-Nau, and Khairabad, on the left bank of the river ; Lish, Pkiij. Deb, Samiir, Dirg, on the right bank. The following villages have been recently dewrted all on the right bank : — Damboli, Kiichah, Kuhga, Jah-i-Dirg, Khdshabdd.
^ As is mentioned in Conolly, the name of this district is known as Hokit. The Sardar claims to the south all the Pesh^war&n country as his own up to the N&ix4r. Hie valley is also called the j&lgah of Laft&n, from a village near, which is now in ruins. Farah is distant about sixty miles, and between it and this place there is nid to be a pillar similar to those we had seen in the deserts between the Narmashfr and Sistin.
LASH JUWAIN. 321
assured that of late years the flies and mosquitoes had become as bad as in Sist&n^ though formerly there were hardly any : the heat here is very great. Many of the inhabitants came to Mr. Rosario for medical advice, and the Sardfir accompanied us back to camp to get some medicine for his eyes. He told us that only five villages remained inhabited now in the whole of his brother's territory, and the country was consequently quite uncultivated. The plain from the summit of the fort appears to be almost entirely covered with kirta. That portion below L&sh still bears the name of Laft&n Juwain, as it did in ConoUy's time, from a new canal dug by Shah Fasand Khdn ^. The village of Laft£n is in ruins, but the canal remains. On our return we visited an ancient zidraUgah, said to have been constructed by the Uzbeks. A well-built arch is still standing, covered with ornamentation and Kufic inscriptions. We were accompanied by Muhammad Hasan Khfin, son of Shah Pasand Khfin^ a fine-looking bearded man of about forty-five. This is the " pet child " of whom ConoUy speaks. Shah Pasand Kh&n survived his son Rasul Khfin three years ; and was himself succeeded, as chiefs by Sard&r Ahmad ILh&n, of whom he was very fond. Shah Pasand Kh&n's body was taken on his death to Her&t for burial. His uncle^ Gulz&r Kh&n, the chief of Juwain, who also died at Her&t^ is said to have reached the age of no years ; and when he died to have all his teeth perfect in his head.
* March 17th. Halt. More large flocks of birds were observed flying over head to-day. This plain seems to swarm with venomous rep- tiles; for while we were at breakfast, our servants brought in a large snake, two black scorpions, a yellow scorpion^ and a sand snake. Weather much hotter. In the afternoon Captain Lovett returned from his survey expedition to Chakhansur, and at the same time the eldest son of Ibr&him Khdn of Chakhansur, Khfin Jah&n Khdn, came in — ac- companied by the eldest son of Sard&r Sharif Kh&n, who said he had quarrelled with his father and wished to join the Afgh&ns. Captain Lovett has succeeded in getting a gfood survey of the country. He reports Chakhansur as being about sixty miles from this place, and says the country between is very desert. He found IbrtUiim Kh&n encamped with 300 men close to the fort of N&d Ali, intent on hostile measures, but Captain Lovett persuaded him to return to the fort of
* The word Juwain seems to me a likely contraction from JUi^naUf the new stream.^* F. /. O.
VOL. I. Y
322 PER60'Af(JHAS MI6SI0S,
Chakhansur. where he himself staved lor two dav8. He describes the SanMr, the murderer of Dr. Forbes^ as a pleasant enough old man ; believing, from all he heard and saw, that the famous dog« which used to form his only guard have been dispersed, and that he lives more among* his fellow-men. At 5 p.m. Sir Frederic Goldsmid, accompanied by General Pollock, Dr. Bellew, and Captain Smith, re- turned the visit of Sard^r Ahmad Kh&n in the fortress of L&sh. Sar- dars ^larddn Kh^n, Samad Kh&n. and the eldest son of Ahmad Kh&n, a fine-looking youth of some twenty-five years old, named Shamsudin, accompanied us to the fort. We forded the Farah-Rud about a quarter of a mile Wow the fort, with the water above our saddle-girths, and the river running with a very strong current over a pebbly bottom. It had increased since the morning, and when we returned an hour later, the water in that short space of time had again risen l»ercei»tibly. ConoUy's description of the fort of Lfish is so true, that it would be imi)Ossible to improve on it. It is a very striking- looking ])lace, and is divided into three arh or citadels, each one higher than the other, and each provided with its own supply of water from deep wells sunk below the bed of the river. The east face of the cliff is at least 400 feet high, and Conolly's prediction that some portion of the fort would come down, from the undermining of the water, has not been fulfilled ; but the crack he observed in the cliff became so large as to render necessary the evacuation of a hammdni above, whose walk were split by it. The river has however of late years hugged its lefl bank, and now makes a nearly circular swoop to the east of the fort, at about 300 yards from it. It is very rare, only once in five or six years, that the waters actually touch the clift* on which it is built, but about five years ago they were so high as to render impossible all communication with the fort for five or six days. We were informed that the year before last a man had fallen from the top of the cliff on to the ground below without further injury than breaking two of his ribs. Winding our way up the nearly perpendicular ascent to the highest room of all, we were met at the second gate by the youngest son of the Sardar, a remarkably hand- some, clever-looking child of twelve or thirteen years, dressed in clean and becoming garments, and who came and welcomed us all with a very pleasant politeness. At the entrance to his house the Sard&r himself met us, and conducting us through several dark and narrow pasbages, led us into the highest room in the castle, long, lofty, and
EDWARD CONOLLY. 323
well-proportioned, and with two windows to the eaat and south that commanded the view of which we can well imagine that Conolly never got tired. The broad expanse of plain and river, the numerous villages (the greater part now deserted) dotting the plain, the bright green of the fresh crops, the distant mountains^ all seen in the gorgeous hues of sunset, made up a picture that was very pleasant to look upon. In the more prosperous days of the province, the whole of this plain was one mass of cultivation, but now the greater part of it is covered with kirta^ the cultivation merely lying in patches round such villages as are still inhabited. The Sardfir received us very pleasantly and politely, and we had the usual skarbat^ tea, and sweet- meats. The room we were in was that in which Shah Pasand Kh£n used to receive Conolly, and lower down was the chamber Conolly himself occupied. The Sard&r said that unless affairs in Sist&n changed for the better, he would leave his province altogether, come over to India, and take service with the Indian Government; but this was of course mere talk. They were all very anxious to find out how the Arbitration was likely to go, and persisted that the Far&hi left behind at Nasirabad had been killed by the Amir of K&i'n. We stayed for about three-quarters of an hour, chatting on various subjects, the room being quite filled with the Sard&r's retainers. When we took our leave^ the Sardar accompanied us to the lowest part of the castle, where we mounted our horses, much pleased with the visit. It is impossible to imagine a place more suited by nature to be the residence of a chieftain of rank, for from its summit the Sard&r has an uninterrupted view to the furthest comer of his territories. Sard&r Ahmad Kh&n has three sons, each by a different mother. The eldest, Shamsudin Kh&n, the future chief, is quite a European-looking youth ; he wears trousers and straps with a waistcoat and species of overcoat, all profusely ornamented with English gilt military buttons. He accompanied the Amir Shir Ali Kh&n to Amb&la^ sat in the same carriage with him, and is one of the figures represented in the historical picture painted on that occasion. He is naturally impressed with a sense of the power and greatness of England. The other two sons are still boys^ both remarkably handsome, named Sultan J^n and Muhammad H&idar respectively. The three forts are provisioned and watered, each independently of the other.
'March i8th, 18712. Marched two and a-half miles north-north- west to Panj-Deh. The wind, which has been so unpleasant for the
321 PKRSO-AFOIIAS SlISSION.
lust wiH'k, soeiuH to have ceased. In the aflemoon Gettenl Pollock ihik riimo in Troni Kaiidah&r, brining the terrible news of th RRMUwiimtion of Lord Muyo by a life convict at the Andam&Q Island on \\w 8th Fchrunr}-. It would be nseless to attempt a description c thi' HluH-k uiul ^nvt caiiseil by this intelligence throughout the camp it ia but II ro{>ctitiou of the profound sorrow and sensation with whici the newH was nvcived throughout tlie length and breadth of thi Indian l-jnipire. The Afghan CommisBioncr, S&iyid Nur Aluhammac Sliuh, is much moved by it, and sees in it a cause of serious distresi OS well iiH j)cnionnI Iohs to his master, the Amir Shir Ali Kbfin. Hi admil~H that the Huglish Kmpire has many men at command capable of filling the pinee thus cruelly mode vacant by an assassin's hand, hut thiukx it improbable that any one of them will take sucfa iuiiueilintt! inl>«'re!tt in the afiairs of the Amir, and feel snch friend- Mliip Tor him us were eugoudercd by the famous conference at Am- lilila. (lenoml Pollock knows the assassin well. For three years Ik' whm \\w pi'rsomU orderly at Peshiwar, and used to ride be- hind hiK carriage ; and white he was in hb service he committed a nnirdcr close to llio gate of liia comi>ound. General Pollock tried, convictul, and scntcnit-d the man to death, but in consequence of bis ]ireviouB good characl-er, and eajwcially owing to excellent service he had rendered during the Ambaila campaign, his sentence was com- muted to one of transportation fur life to the Andaman Islands. Baniahod thus, as it were, to a remote comer of the world, he was enablc>d, in after years, to take the life of the Indian Viceroy. Ill the morning we sent all our baggage on to Panj-Deh. lie riviT was so high that it had to he transported across on camels, the mules being useless for that puriK>se. At 4 p.u. we mounted, and fording the river about half a mile below the fort of li&sb, with the water considerably higher than the horses' girths and a very strong current, we passed over some high desert ground tc the west of the fort for one mile, and then descended on to the plain, encamping close to the village of Panj-Deh, surrounded bj cultivation and situated about one mile from the right bank ol the Farah-Rud. Panj-Deh is a walled village, containing thirt^y families ; and was formerly the chief of a group of five other villages, whose ruins still dot the plain. The village lands are irrigated hy a canal from the Farah-Kud. On this side of the river the desert recedes more to the west, and leaves a broad strip of land level and
THE LITTLE WATERLESS RIVER. 326
fertile, varying from one to two miles in width and about five miles in length. The course of the stream through this tract is winding and irregular. More to the south, however, the desert runs right up to the river bank, and it is on a cliff at this extremity that the fortress of Ldsh is built. As mentioned by Conolly, the east face of the fort is impregnable: the north and west, being separated from the adjacent desert by a deep ravine, are difficult of approach ; but the south side, when once the river is crossed, offers little obstruction to an attacking force. The caves which Conolly noticed still abound in the adjoining cliffs. The climate is getting very much warmer, and this evening the atmosphere was very close and oppressive.
'March 19. Marched at 6.15 a.m. to the Khush-Budak, or rather Khushk-Rud^, eighteen miles north-north-west. Bright clear morning, with slight breeze. Our road for the first five miles crossed the level plain lying between the desert plateau and the Farah-Bud, and then ascending on to an arm of the desert, crossed it for half a mile, and descended into another valley, covered with tamarisk, willow, and kirta^ which is known as the Karaw&n Big, and is marked on ConoUy's map. The Farah-Bud runs through it quite close to the road, over a gravelly bed. This valley is about half a mile broad : after leaving it the road again ascends on to a stony desert, similar to that on the banks of the Helmand, and at seventeen miles from Panj-Deh descends some forty or fifty feet into a broad and deep ravine, running north and south, the bed of which is covered with abundant kirtay and through the centre of which runs the ** Khush-Budak,'^ a small stream with brackish water. This is the river marked on Conolly's map as the " Khashek Bood." Its actual stream now is not more than ten or twelve feet broad, but the breadth of the ravine, some 200 yards, probably marks the extent of the river's surface when at its greatest flood. The earth around is thickly covered with salt. There is capital grazing for cattle here, but water for drinking purposes should be brought from the Farah-Bud. This stream joins the Hdrut river further to the south. From our
* The left bank of the Khiishk-Riid marks the end of L4sh Juwain territory to the north ; from the right bank the Afgh&n territory commenoes with the district of Farah. Though such of the uneducated Afgh&ns as we hare met call this river the Khtish-Riid, there is little doubt that its real name is Khiishk-Riid, or dry river, in oon- s^uence of the little water it possesses in the winter and spring drying up directly the summer heats commence.
Rddak is the diminutive form of r&d, a river. — F. J, G.
328 PERSO-AFGHAN MISSION.
campiu^-grouod the Farah Hill bore N.N.E., and the range of hills called the " Kuh-i-Kala'h-i-Kah " N.N.W. The evening of this day marks the commencemeDt of the Persian new year, which falls on onr 20th instead of the aist of March, owing to leap-year','
Starting at 6 A.u., on account of the increasing heat of the weather, which necessitated an early move, we ascended a desert plateaa con- tinuing right up to the cultivated district of Kala'h-i-Kab and, though covered with shingle, affording good grazing for cameU. We passed several flocks of grouse, with a few young bustard ; and some of onr party caught a young fox alive. The Chief of the district complained much of the extortions the villagers of Do Kalali had suBered, first at the hands of Sardir Muhammad Ya'kfib Kh&n, who passed through here last year en route to take Her^t ; and secondly from Sard&rs Muhammad Aslam Kh&n and Far&murz Kh&n, who were eent in his pursuit by Amir Shir Ali Kh&n. They had so eaten up the whole place that we could not even obtain chaff for our horses. In the afternoon Sard^r Ahmad Kh&n of Ldsh Jowuin called on General Pollock to enquire again whether the English Government would be prepared to make him an absolute chief, independent alike of Afgh&ni&t&n and Persia. And as he and his companions were to take leave on the following day. General Goldsmid sent over for themselves and their relatives a variety of ^fts, among which were pistols and tele- scopes, March aist being New Year's Day and a great feast of the Persians, all the servants came in a body to congratulate the General ; and in return were promised a handsome tloiiceur on arrival at Mash- had, to enable them to celebrate their fcaat at that place.
Kala'h-i-Kah is the name given to a tract of land about twelve miles in length and eight to nine miles broad, lying at the foot of a range of hills bearing the same name, and running due west and east. They are from 800 to 1000 feet high, quite barren, and of a sandstone formation. In the district there are eight villages, of which the principal is Do Kala'b, where we i>itched our camp. This place is divided into two parts, Shib-Deh and Deh-i-Pain, or the 'sloping' and ' lower village.' The land is irrigated partly by canals brought from the Farah-Rud, 36 miles distant, and, when they fail, by kandtt dug from the neighbouring hills. The population is principally pure T&jik, with an intermixture of Afgb&ns. The revenue is paid to the
' Hie Belectioiu &om the jonrnnl aeem to termiiute bere, tsther thkn od the lath March, as implied by the writer on commsncmg to extract, >t page 974 ank. — F. J. G.
THE SHRINE OF THE SAND-DRIFT, 327
Governor of Herii, and the district has nothing to do with Farah, which belongs to Muhammad Afzal Khdn. To the west, the juris- diction of Kala'h-i-Kah terminates at Ch&h Sagak, which is six/arsaMs beyond the Hdrut-Rud ; the Afghans have the right of pasturage up to that point, but there is no cultivation. The heat in summer is very great. A considerable quantity of cotton is grown here, which is sold in Sistdn.
From Kala'h-i-Eah to the H&rut-Rud there is a distance of sixteen miles in a due westerly direction, and at the fifth mile the famous Zidrat of Imdm Z&i'd is passed on the right of the road. This Zi&rat^ which is called the Rig-i-rawdn, or moving sand, is most remarkable and singular. At the extreme west of the range of hills which has been described as lying in a straight line due north of the KalaTi-i- Eah district, is a hill some 600 feet high and half a mile long. The southern face of this hill, to the very summit, is covered with a drift of fine and very deep sand — which has evidently been there for ages, as testified by the number of large plants growing on its surface. None of the adjacent hills have any traces whatever of sand-drift, 4«nd the surface of the surrounding desert is hard and pebbly. The westernmost portion of this elevated ground contains the Zidrat, and the natives say, and with reason and truth, that at times the hill gives out a strange startling noise, which they compare to the rolling of drums. Captain Lovett, who was fortunate enough to hear it, de- scribes its efi*ect upon him as like the wailing of an iEolian harp, or the sound occasioned by the vibration of several telegraph wires — very fine at first, but increasing every moment in volume and in- tensity ; and the secret strain is said sometimes to last as long as an hour at a time. The face of the hill is concave, its cavity is filled with the sand, and underneath there appears to be a hard limestone surface. It would be useless, after a summary inspection, to hazard an opinion as to the cause of the remarkable sounds that proceed from the hill ; but it is noticeable that they may be produced by any large number of men, at the top, putting the sand in motion. It should be remarked at the same time that the noise is often heard in perfectly still weather, and when nobody is near the hill ; and it is singular also that the limit of the sand at the bottom seems never to be encroached upon by falling sand from the summit, though the face of the hill and sand-drift is very steep. On watching the sand this morning at the time he heard the sound, Captain Lovett
328 PERSO'AFGUAy MISSION.
ohscrvcd that its vibrations and tlie movements of the pilg^rims who had gone to the summit of the drift, occurred at the same moment. The natives^ of course, ascribe miraculous properties to the hill. It is believed to be the grave of the Im&m Z&id, the grandson of Ilusain, the son of Ali. Tradition says that, being pursued by his enemies, he came to this hill for refuge, was covered one night by the miraculous sand-drift, and has never 1>een seen again. They say that the sand^ thus miraculously brought by Heavenly aid, could be removed by no earthly power, and that were any one impious enough to try it, the sand would return of its own accord. They believe the hill, like the ancient oracles, to give out warning when anything important is going to happen in the district. Thus, in the time when the Turkmans used to make their forays as far south as this, the hill always gave warning the night before their arrival ; and we are assured that the arrival of our Mission was heralded by the same sounds. The head of the district told us that the noise could be heard in still weather at a distance of ten miles ; and S&iyid Niir ATuhammad Shah declares he heard it distinctly last night at our camp five miles off. Shia'hs and Sunnis alike, unable to contend sigainst the evidence of their ears, come to worship at this miraculous spot, and here fmd a common ground on which they can meet in amity. Obese Muhammadans do not generally subject themselves to so severe a trial of faith as that of visiting this particular Zidrai~gdk. It is a very steep climb for them to the commencement of the band of sand, about 200 feet broad and nearly perpendicular ; and as they sink up to the thighs in this at every step, often must they regret that the Imdm could not have hid himself in a more accessible spot. The tomb is situated at the top of the sand ridge, and it is in their descent that the faithful are generally rewarded for the trouble they have voluntarily undergone by hearing the miraculous noise. Sard&r Ahmad Kh&n, all his attendants, and a great number of stalwart Afgh&ns, went up the hill, and we observed that they were more than half-an-hour getting across the sand : our more effeminate Tehrdn servants did not seem to care to make the attempt. The base of the hill is surrounded by graves of the faithful, who, it is to be hoped, are not disturbed in their last sleep by the unearthly warnings of the object of their devotion. It is probable, after all, that science could give a very simple explanation of the phenomena ; but he would be a bold man who tried to explain the same by natural causes within 100 miles of its influence.
' WASTE OF THE FIRE-TEMPLE: 329
After this Zi&rat is passed the range of the Kala'h-i-Kah hills falls back to the northward, but the view is bounded in every direction, on the north and west, by other ranges of mountains. Twelve miles from the Do Kalali we passed a small conical hill to the left, and plunged into the ravine known as the Shilah-i-Zah&k, which collects the water- shed of the hilly ranges to the north, but never contains any great amount of water. Its bed was^ as usual, covered with kirta and brushwood. Pour miles further over the desert brought us to the left bank of the H&rut-Rud. To our disappointment we found the river-bed, which at this point is lOO yards wide with a gpravel bottom, quite dry; but we soon obtained a plentiful supply of good water by digging three or four feet below the sur&ce. The river is here known as the H&rut, and higher up it is called the Adraskand ; but we could not discover where the change of name occurred. From our halting-place to its fall into the Sist&n lake its waters are not utilised in any way whatever. At times it is so full as to be impassable. Sard&rs Ahmad Kh&n and Mard&n Kh&n accompanied us for about two miles on this day's march, and then departed, the former for L&sh, the latter for Farah.
Five o'clock the next morning (March a2nd) saw us in the saddle ; all our heavy tents and baggage having been sent on the night before under a strong guard, owing to reports that the road was unsafe. Our route for sixteen miles was a constant ascent and descent over stony desert and rocky slopes, till we reached the well of Damdam, situated at the foot of a small hill of the same name on the right of the road. The water, though uninviting in appearance, was drinkable, and we halted here for break&st, and then rounding a hill to the right found ourselves in a desert valley, nearly six miles wide, called the Dasht-i-Atashkh&nah, covered with asafoetida ^. Deserted as the whole country was, not a single human creature being visible, it yet lost much of its desolate appearance owing to the abundant verdure which clothed the ground and the numerous thorn-bushes now in full bloom. The most remarkable feature of the plain of the Ch&h-i-Damdam was found in the numerous fragments of variegated marble of all colours which strewed its surfiEU^e, some of which were really beautiful. The
' The Afghan Commissioner informed us that further to the north the Dasht-i-Atash- khdnah (or 'Waste of the Fire-house,' so called from the fiict that the natives find flints for their muskets on a hill situated therein) changes its name to the * Waste of Despair ;* and further north still stretches away until it joins the great desert of Mer?.
lork ot' I):iiiul;mi \\>r\\ is a iM-autiful niiik •jraiiilt', and its srmth face is cuMnd with a ^:JInl-lll■ift similar to that of the Ri<j-i-rawaii at the Ziarat t't* linjiin /aiM. Knim thr j)»'asants who ucooiii2>aiiie(l the camp \vr Irarnt tlial in « liKn tiiiios this mad was most unsafe, but since the advent of the Amir «»!' KjiVn highway rohheries had ceased. We .saw a Irw di'cr and sanil-;;r< um* (hirini*- our march, and were struck with the inrrrasinir en!dnr>< of the t« ni])erature caused l»v th«» asfvnt wc had made. Two mlli's h« v^nd the Dasht-i-Atashkhanah we found our eamji piteheil at the t-nt ranee to a ran«»'e of harren hills?. an<l V>y the side of a wi'll call d C^hah-i-Sai^^ak, 24 miles W. from the Iliirut river. The watt r in the wi-ll was -tinkinir and undrinkahle.
Trnm C'h;lh-i-Sai4Mk to Hnndi. twenty-ei^lit miles north-west, wc hnil a ratii^uini»' manh. Li-avinir tlie eamj> at the former place the road risrs thrnui4:h hills, with a nr.ulual asiM n1 lor four mih*s to the lino of thr watiivhcd ami t«»]» (»f the i>a^>. called here the * Ootlar-i-Lurd-i- Zard,' ow in^- to thr yrll<»wni'ss of the roeks in the vicinity. This juiss is ^>tc I'ret alM»vt' the levrl of tlie Da^ht-i-Alashkhanah, and from it a line vii'w can he ohtained of the mountainous and desolate country aronnil, which ajn)car> to he hounded, in every direction hut the south, hv harren and rocky ran^jfcs of serrated hills. The descent from the top of the pass is very tifradual. throuo;h hilly and utterly desolate M'cncrv. the severity ()f which was however somewhat mitiirJitCKl bv a number of beautilul oreliids. and other wild flowers, which manairc in some nnaeeounlable manner \o llourish in this sterile region. At a mile from the summit of the '(iotlar,' two spring's called * Garnish' are j>assed on tlu* rii^ht hand with fairly i^ood water. At ci«4^ht miles froni the ])ass the read a»^ain aseends and crosses another line of watershed, not of the same elevation, and then makes a more decided descent on I0 a vallev some three miles broad, alUmlinfr excellent camel pasturaj^e, and known as the Riid-i-Mil. This valley runs nearly north and south, and has a hitifh hill to the west called the Kala'h- i-Kuh. The road then follows this vallev whieh winds along the base of the hills, and, passing two good springs of fresh water at twenty- six mih»s, llnally emerges through the narrow l>cd of a mountain torrent into the spacious plain, called Tag-i-Duruh, on the east side of which is situated the village of Duruh. Apparently enclosed in everv direction bv hills, the area i>ossesses an outlet in the south-west which carries otf the drainage to Xeh-Bandan. The village is built immcdiatejy under the range of rocky hills which
DURUH, 331
forms the eastern boundary of the village, having to its south-west a high mountain, still streaked with snow at the time of our visit, called the Kuh-i-Shah. It contains 300 houses and almost aooo inhabitants, and has extensive cultivation and some gardens surround- ing it. The hill which more particularly overlooks it is crowned by a very old and ruined fort, which they say dates from the time of the first Kaidni kings. It is matter of tradition that this was one of two forts (the other being near the Kala'h-i-Kuh), which were occupied by two brothers, of whom the name of one, Sikandar Pashi Kh&n^ alone remains, and who used to plunder and rob all travellers on this road, they themselves owning obedience to no one. The fort of Duruh is said to have come into the possession of Ehw&jah Ali Kfei almost 150 years ago : this personage acknowledged the Shah of Persia, and from that time it has descended in his family — the present Katkhuda^ whose name is also Khwdjah Ali K&zi, being the great-grandson of the original possessor. It possesses six small springs of excellent water, and two kanats. Its climate is good all the year rounds but cold in winter.
Duruh was so destitute of supplies, that though we had intended halting there for two days, we were obliged to push on the next morning to obtain forage for the horses. Our march was but a con- tinuous ascent and descent over the same rocky mountain ranges. For the first fourteen miles the road runs straight over the plain of Duruh in a west-north-west direction, when it reaches the mountain range on the western side, and turning the corner of some low granite hills to the right, arrives at the * Chdh-i-Bermeh,' a good well with good water, which is situated in a narrow valley between the granite hills aforesaid and a lofty hill called the ' Kuh-i-Zilzila ^' On the plain were some few tents of shepherds and large flocks ; but the grazing here was much more scanty than that obtained in the neighbourhood of the Hdrut river. We d.ismounted and breakfasted at this well; and remounting at 10.15 a.m. pursued our way along the bed of a watercourse, which, ascending gradually for three miles, reached the summit of the range of the Zilzila hills and the line of the watershed, at an elevation of 500 feet above the level of the Duruh plain, or about 4800 feet above the level of the sea. This pass is known as the ' 6odar-i-Meshum,' and from its summit the road gradually descends for three miles through hills, which it clears at the twentieth mile
> Anglic^, * Hill of the eartliqaake.'— i^. /. O,
332 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION,
from Duruh, and emerges into the spacious hill-locked valley of Husainab&d, reaching the village at four miles distance from the hills. Basaltic and granite formations were noticeable in the hill ranges, and rhubarb and asafoetida were also observed growing on their sides. Hiisainab&d, which is only of eight years' standing, owes its existence to the energy of Mir Alam Khfin of Kfiin, who built it of neatly-constructed houses, surrounded it with a wall flanked at the comers by four towers, and induced immigrants from K&i'n and Sar Bishah to settle in it. The soil though gravelly is very productive, yielding excellent crops of wheat and barley ; and the water is good and plentiful, though somewhat brackish. About thirty-six families constitute the population, of whom half are Shfa'hs and half Sunnis. A broad line down the centre of the village divides the rival sects, and though the Sunnis are not allowed to call the ' Az&n,' there is no quarrelling, as the Amir has placed over all an Akhund, Mullah Haidar Muhammad, to see that peace is preserved. On entering the village we came upon an old crone burning incense to keep ofi* the evil eye ; and shortly after our arrival the Mihmand&r who had been sent from Birjand, by name S&iyid Mir Asad Ullah Beg, a fine old man with a long black beard, came in from Sar Bishah (of which place he was the Naib) to pay his respects to the Oeneral. Prom him we learnt that the Persian Commissioner was still at Birjand, having passed through this village ten days previously. The climate in the valley of Husain- abad was delightfully pure and invigorating ; and the rosy, healthy children we saw on all sides, testified to its excellence. A great deal of snow falls here during the winter, and the inhabitants told us that this year they had seen it on the ground fully three feet deep for twenty-four days. Our new Mihm&nddr we found was a man of great power and authority in these parts, and much dreaded, as he had the right to cut off the ears, noses, and hands of all who offended against law. There had once been many struggles for power between him and the reigning governor of Mash-had, but their differences had been amicably arranged for some years past.
We halted at this village for two days to give the men and animals a rest, and on the 26th March marched to the large village of Sar Bishah, twenty-nine miles west- north-west. Por seventeen miles the road runs in a general west-north-west direction, with gradual ascent over the valley in which Hilsainab&d is situated, and then enters the hilly range which forms its western boundary, popularly known as
I
SAR'BISUAH. 333
the range of the ' Gonda-kuh.' At the eighteenth mile from our starting-point is a spring of fresh water, where there had formerly been a small village and some cultivation now abandoned, and where we halted and breakfasted amid a shower of rain. We found that at this point we had already ascended nearly iioo feet from Husainabfid. A great number of Ilidts' black tents with flocks and herds were observed in the neighbourhood of the entrance to the Gonda-kdh, and a shepherd informed us that the valley afibrded excellent pasturage for the flocks, tended by 400 families. This winter, however, the snow was so severe, and remained so long upon the ground, that numbers of the sheep were lost. From here we found that the road continued to ascend for four miles further to the summit of the pass and line of the watershed, 1840 feet above the level of Husainabdd, and 740 above the spring at which we breakfasted. The ascent to this pass was somewhat steep. From the summit the road descends very gradually on to another spacious plain, similar to the three we have traversed in succession since leaving Kala'h-i-Kah, and bounded on all sides by mountains. It is noticeable that as we have advanced west^ each of these steppes has been higher than the last, and this is especi- ally the case with the valley of Sar Bishah, the level of which is not more than 600 feet below the level of the summit of the pass, and consequently about 1200 feet higher than the Hdsainab&d plateau. The village of Sar Bishah is situated seven miles west of the summit of the Godar-i-Gonda Kuh, on the western side of the valley, and at the foot of a range of barren hills. It consists of 500 domed- roofed mud houses with about aooo inhabitants, and has the remains of a strong ark or citadel, which was destroyed at the time of the quarrels between the father of the present Amir of KAin and our Mihmdndir's father. There are also the remains of an Uzbek watch-tower in the vicinity. Bread is very cheap here, the ordinary price being eight manna for the krdn ; and water is also good and abundant. We were detained two days at Sar Bishah by heavy rain, with frost, ice and snow, but marched on the 28th March for a village called Mud, twenty-one miles distant, north-west by west. The general character of the intervening country was gravelly level plain with scanty vegeta- tion : there were few inhabitants^ and cultivation was only seen at the base of the hills. At sixteen miles the line of watershed of another rang^ of hills is crossed by a pass called the Godar-i-Big, 6500 feet above the level of the sea, and 300 feet above Sar Bishah, from which there
334 P£RSO-AJ-GJJA.\' MISSlOy.
is a gradual descent through low hills on to the valley in which M£ IB situated, and which is about four miles brood.
From Mud a march of twenty-three miles west-north-west brou^ OS iuto the capital city of Biijand, from which there was a distance < about 400 miles further to Mash-had. The march from Mud to Bii jand exhibited quite a change in the scenery. The road ran over fertile valley some ten or twelve miles broad, bounded on either side by range of barren hills, and beyond thoae on the right hand again wi another valley of which we caught occasional glimpses through opening in the hills, the summits of which were streaked with snow. At ever two or three miles we passed ddambdri or water-tanks, some of thei dry and ruined, but the generality in good repair, with an excellen supply of fresh cold water — furnishing another proof of the ezcellenc of the Amir of Kdi'n'a rule in his own province : wherever we have beei we have noticed that he seems generally popular, and the floarishinj condition of the villages bears testimony to the security the inhabitant feel under his government. Our road made a gradual and veiy sligfa ascent for the first ten miles, and then commenced an equally sligh descent. Four miles from Mdd is situated the flourishing village o Yek-Darakht (or ' one tree '), and at sixteen miles we passed the largi village of Bojd on the right hand, situated at the extremity of thi range of hills which divided the valley we were traversing and the plaii we had noticed lying beyond. Bojd is a village of considerabh size, and is built on the surface of the hills, being surmounted by i ruined fort. It is surrounded by gardens and cultivation. Half i mile further on is the pretty little village of Hajjiabod, standing in 1 perfect grove of orchards, and also surrounded by cultivation ; while fivt and a-half miles further is Birjand, situated at the end of the valley with surrounding country and scenery much resembling the neighboar- hood of the Alburz at Tehran. At one mile and a-half from the towi we were met by an isllkbdt with two led horses, headed by th« youngest son of the Amir, a very little fellow of some eight or nini years old, who had already made a visit to Tehran : he was an exaci representation on a small scale of his father the Amir, riding a verj large horse that he could barely straddle in a very plucky manner and whenever he could bring the horse within speaking distance, wa: most anxious to engage in conversation.
We found that the Persian Commissioner had left for Mash-had fivi or six days previously, having from all aceounts bled the authoritie
THE MODERN CAPITAL OF KAIN. 335
- •
considerably^ not alone in respect of money, but of the carpets for which
this place is famous. He had also given out that he had received a ' sanad' or document from the British Commissioner, to the effect that Sistdn was the inalienable property of the Persians ; and had further informed the authorities here that we meant to proceed to Tehr&n vid Her&t. This latter invention caused us much trouble^ both in obtain- ing money and camels. On our march this day we met a Persian official on his way to Sist&n with a letter from the His&mu-s-Saltanah — probably on a mission of enquiry as to what was doing in the province, for it is said there is no great friendliness between the two governors ; but we hear that a sword of honour is on its way to Sist^n as a present to the Amir from the Shah.
We were detained three days in Birjand by the impossibility of getting beasts of burden, and eventually had to leave all our heavy tents and baggage behind to be forwarded on by the camels, which were hourly promised; while we marched with the bell-tents and such baggage as could be carried on our own mules. During this time the usual ceremonial visits were paid and received without the occur- rence of anything of note. The Amir's eldest son was a singularly- stupid wooden-headed youth, wanting manners and conversation, and was entirely in the hands of the Mustofi or manager of affairs^ who was remarkably intelligent. While the Amir himself is away in Sistdn, it is said that his mother, a very rigorous old lady, rules the province of K&in, and that it was principally to her obstinacy that we owed so much difficulty in obtaining camels. The ark or citadel of Birjand, in which the Amir's palace is situated, is a handsome mud- brick building with two very large square towers, and five or six mud ones connected by high walls. The reception-room — ceiling, walls, and all — is composed entirely of mirrors of various, sizes dove- tailed one into the other, with many tawdry pictures let into the glass. While we were at Birjand a great distribution of alms took place in the town on account of the close of the Muharam, during which time the Amir had at his own expense no less than seventy Tdzias, or representations of the death of Ali, &c., &c., continually exhibited in various parts of the province: thus keeping up his popularity both with priest and people. Mr. Rosario's tent was crowded the whole time of our stay here by applicants for advice and medicine ; sore eyes and cutaneous diseases being the principal maladies. He was also sent for on an emergent summons to the
336 PERSO-AFGHAN MISSION,
Amir's harem, but found he was merely expected to re-beautify a freckled face. Birjand, the capital city of the province of K£[n, is situated under a range of low hills on the northernmost side of a fertile valley running cast and west, and of which the southern boundary is the lofty range of barren hills known as the Kuh- Bdkrdn^: from which the j)rincipal supply of water is obtained for the city by four large iandf^. The city at the present time consists of about 3,000 dome-roofed mud-built houses, erected on the sloping ground of the hills above mentioned : it faces to the south and has a frontage of about three-quarters of a mile ; is not surrounded by a wall ; and has no ark or citadel or means of defence, except such as may be afforded by the walled enclosure in which is situated the residence of the Amir, built on the lowest ground. The old citadel, built on rising ground at the north-west corner of the town, is in ruins; and the town itself is completely commanded from any of the low hills to its rear : it has no buildings of any importance, but possesses six caravanserais and some 200 shops, and the Amir has already commenced the construction of a grand bazar. The city numbers at the present moment some 15,000 inhabitants, and has within its jurisdiction seventy to eighty villages: these villages, however, being principally situated near natural springs, are de- pendent for their existence on a very precarious supply of water : in seasons of drought these springs very often dry up, and the villagers then come into the town, deserting their villages until such times as water may be more plentiful. Villages in the district are called * Kilat.' The town is divided into two unequal portions by the broad and generally dry bed of a water-course which drains the hills to the north. The carpets for which the locality has long been famous are almost entirely fabricated in the village of Darakhsh, about fifty miles to the north-east of Birjand. The principal products of the province of Kdin are saffron, carpets, a cloth called bari, kirbds^ unmanu- factured silk, zirisAk, nuts of all sorts, dried fruits, almonds, and a small quantity of cotton. These are exported to Karmdn, Yazd,
^ Behind the hills of B4kr4n to the south-east, about ai miles distant, the natives told us that an enormous chindr tree was to be found near a place called 6iil-f<(nz. This tree measures about 68 Euglish yards in circumference, according to the native aooount, and has 5 or 6 species of stables built in its trunk, capable, so it is said, of containing 1000 sheep. Some of its branches still bear leaves. Query ? Can this be the ' Arbre Sec ' of Marco Polo !
PRACTICAL JOKING. 337
Mash-had, Tehrdn, Herdt, Bandar- Abbas, &c., &c. ; and the province receives in exchange from Karm&n the coarser species of shawl manu^ factures, turbans, abas or cloaks, and kurk: from Her&t, rice: from Yazd, manufactured silk, turbans called Im&mas, a substance known as kadak, and native sugar : from Khabis, oranges, lemons, dates, and other fruits : from Sist4n, grain of all sorts ; and from Bandar- Abbas, tea, spices, sugar, and European manufactures generally. From Bir- jand to Karm&n by Khabis is ten stages : to Yazd by Karmdn twenty- two stages: to Her&t by Sunnistan and Tabas (Shia'h Tabas), nine stages. The Amir ^ of Eain pays no fixed revenue to the Shah, but supports the whole expenditure of troops and government servants located in his province, as well as that incurred in the government of Sistin: he, moreover, transmits from time to time presents or * ta'arufs,' in money and kind, to Tehran.
We quitted Birjand on April 2nd, having previously sent off a courier with a heavy mail for Tehran, vid Mash-had. It was long since we had received any news from England ; and some members of the Mission may remember the cruel disappointment occasioned by the conduct of one of their unsympathetic brethren who, on April ist, called out loudly in the middle of the camp that the English courier had arrived at last ! The woe-begone faces of the deluded ones, when, rushing from their tents, they were informed that they were merely so many * poissons d'Avril,' gave to the joke, however, a somewhat melan-« choly character. Breaking up camp at i p.m. amid a crowd of spec-> tators, we left all our big tents and heavy baggage behind under charge of the Farash B&shi and Farash Khanah. Crossing low hills at thet back of the camp, and leaving the town on the left, the road turns abruptly to the right, and for five miles runs in an east-north-east direction, skirting the water-course that divides the town of Birjand, and passing at every two miles an dbamldr or water-tank of excellent pure cold .water. It then changes direction to the north-north-east, and crosses a stony plain which bends to the east and joins the Sar Bis hah valley, having on the right a remarkable conical hill known
^ The Amir haa three sons :
1. Sarhftng Ali Akbar Kh&n, now at Birjand. His mother wm the daughter of
a son of Saiyid Kh^n, governor of Darakhsh.
2. Sarhang Mir Ism&U Khin, at Karbala. Hia mother was the daughter of a son
of Lutf Ali Kh4n, governor of Neh Band&n.
3. H4idar Kuli Khin, came to the islikhdL VOL. I. Z
33S
PERSO' AFGHAN MISSION.
as the * M4r-Kuh/ or Hill of Serpents, at the foot of which is a large village* called Kala't-i-BujJi. Rising again over a rocky ridge and passing nine dbamhdrn and the village of Ishkambarab&d to the left, the road pursues its course over another wide stony plain, with small hamlets and patches of cultivation dotting its surface here and there, and then, changing direction to north-north-west, reaches at the tenth mile the little village and garden (with water-tank) of Mdhi-abad. From this j)oint the road runs nearly north, and a mile afterwards enters the range of the Samand-i-Shah hills, running, so far as we could judge, nt'arly east and west. At twelve miles we passed the pictures^jue-looking fort and village of Pisukh ; then, ascending gra- dually through wild and desolate scenery, we traversed the tang or defile of the same name, and in the face of a bitterly cold north wind reached, at the sixteenth mile, the summit of the pass and line of the watershed, at an elevation of i ,900 feet above the level of Birjand. From this point a good road, with a gradual descent of 450 feet in two miles, took us to the village of Ghiuk, charmingly situated among the hills. At Ghiuk ^ we were induced to halt for one day owing to the unusually heavy rain. The village was exceedingly picturesque, being built stage upon stage on the side of the hills, and embosomed in orchards and fruit trees. The wind here is however so high that all the gardens are surrounded by high stone walls for protection, especially for the grape-vine which is extensively grown. The whole scene strikingly recalled the charming village of Kohrud on the Isfahdn road, familiar to every Persian traveller. The place had suffered severely from the famine, losing more than half its population. Our start for Seh-Deh, the next halting-place, was made very early on the 4th, in bright, clear, bracing weather. The road, as usual, led us through range after range of hills, interspersed with narrow valleys,
' It may be noticed that there is another and a shorter route firom Biijand to Tarbftt>i- H^dari, whither we were proceeding, of which the stages are as follows : —
(Brought forward) 30 farsakhs.
*»
»
ft
|
Birjand to Rib4t |
4 fare |
|
Chihak |
4 » |
|
Muhammadab4d |
4 » |
|
Nok4b |
4 » |
|
NimBaliich .. |
4 ti |
|
Kahkh |
4 »i |
|
Kuzhd |
. 6 „ |
|
Rib&t-i-Imrani |
• 4 |
|
Mehneh |
.. 6 |
|
Sikandarabad |
• 4 |
|
Rib&t-i-Beli |
• 4 |
|
Turbat-i-Hiidari . |
. 8 |
30
Total 56 fimakha.
TURKMAN FORAYS. 339
most of them under cultivation, with good springs of water, while the mountain slopes offered unusually good pasturage for large herds of cattle. The hills were mostly of sandstone, limestone, slate, clay, or trap formation. Wild rhubarb and tulips grew in abundance on all sides, and we noticed that when the trap ceased, so did the wild rhubarb. In spite of the increasing fertility of the country, it was still desolate to a degree : not a single human being was met with on this day's march, and the villages in the valleys had been almost depopulated by famine and emigration. We reached Seh-Deh in a tremendous storm of wind, hail and rain, and our camp was soon invaded by a crowd of its inhabitants, who came to stare at the strangers and offer them carpets similar to those of Birjand, only much dearer, and made by two emigrants from Darakhsh, who are settled here. The Turkmans sometimes sweep down the valley in which Seh-Deh lies, and over the hills into the Kdm district *. The village itself is like the ordinary run of Persian villages, and the majority of its mud-built dome-roofed houses are in ruins, owing to the distress of the famine year. The chief of both the village and the valley is a man named Mirza Husain, possessed of great wealth and influence and a local reputation for hospitality. He keeps, it is said, a granary for charitable distribution, which he never allows to become empty. He, with thirty of the villagers, is a follower of Agha Kh&n, at Bombay.
As we were anxiously expecting news of our camels from Birjand, it was decided to make a short march of ten miles hence to Rum, a village lying to the west of a lofty hill called Angarin, in the hope of receiving news of them there, and instead of going in at once to K&in. The only incident of the march worth mentioning was the sudden ap- pearance, during our halt for breakfast, of a dumb man, who seemed most anxious to make us understand some story he tried to explain, by various signs, such as firing with a gun, striking with a sword, tying his hands behind his back, etc. He was not deaf, but he could give no quite intelligible answer to the questions put to him ; and we came to the conclusion that he was probably the victim of some cluipdo or raid. Rum is an uninteresting little village, with about thirty families now dwelling in it. It had the same tale to tell of the sufferings caused by
' Beyond the range of hills which bound the Seh-Deh valley to the east 'is the con- tinuation of the desert plain which we passed near Ch4h-Sagak and which stretches nigh up to Merv.
Z 2
< , / PKRSO ' A FGHAN MISSION.
ihc tkiumt\ havino^ l^^t seventy of its inhabitants through death and s'u\^irc:i!Km. Some mon» Khwojah disciples of Agha Khan are to be found hon\ who n»mit a ix>rtion of their scanty savings to him from tuuo to time, Tlie villagers have but a hard life of it, with their rwvut Jk^voro siutferings fn>m the famine and their constant dread of the IVirkuuinss against whom they have no defence or protection wlirtlovor* save, it may be* their extreme poverty. The march from Hum to Kauu a distan^v of alvut twenty miles, led ns through an o\teusivo elovaie\l ar\ti of oultivat<\l land, which surprised us, as we iVuUl 5!^v no means whatever of artificial irrigation. The hill sides wer\* {*lough^\U and ready for sowing : the upturned soil appeared to Iv of unusual riehnes* : and the mulberry-tree was extensively culti- \ati\l fv*r silk in the villages through which we passed, and of which then* werv a great many nestling in the sheltered nooks of the ^^n4^^s of hills that bounded the pkteau. These hills were still strwikeil with snow, and our ears were pleasantly greeted with the familiar note of the cuckoo on all sides. Ascending the pass, or y<»iAir, of Khanak^ 730 feet above, and at a distance of seven miles fn>m Rum, we made a sharp descent to the valley in which lay the villages of Khanak and Kharwaj — the latter now deserted by all but thirty families, chiefly Sdiyids. From the ^odar itself we ob- taiiKHl a very fine view of the town of K&in, lying at our feet in a valley commanded by the hill Abuzir, and surrounded by a deep belt of cultivation and gardens. The charm of the scene, however, was completely dispelled on nearer acquaintance ; for we found the gardens deserted and dried up, and the towTi itself a mass of ruin, desolation, and confusion. The inhabitants crowded out to see us, causing us a good deal of inconvenience by their uncivil curiosity; but, to our surprise, there was no Utlkldl sent to greet the General. This, however, was explained by the Mihmdnd&r, who attributed the omission to the fact that there were scarcely any horses to be had in tlu^ place ; and also to the absence of the Governor and his Deputy in Hirjand. He was confirmed in this statement by a deputation of twelve of the prinoi{)al inhabitants of the town, who waited on the General the day after our arrival, to apologise for the apparent neglect, and to i«X]>lain to him the state of ruin and depression from which Kfin was thou Butfering. Setting aside losses from death, so many families had (^migrated to SistAn (which they described as a 'hell full of bread'), that the place was bereft of almost all its inhabitants, excepting the
OLD CAPITAL OF KAIN DISTRICT, 341
Siiyids and MuUas. The town of E&in ^ is situated on the eastern side of a broad valley stretching north and south at the base of a lofty hill called Abuzir, and is said to be very ancient, dating back to the time of the Gabrs (Gu€bres) ; but it is now represented by ruins, which lie scattered over the valley to a very considerable extent : its walls are broken down, and it is without any citadel. It now contains only about 2500 inhabitants : and it was most melancholy to see the hundreds of empty houses and deserted gardens that met us at every turn. In happier days the district could show large yields of silk and saffron ; but the three terrible years of drought that have passed over it have so blighted the mulberry -trees, that last year's yield of silk was not more than one-fourth of the average, while the cultivation of wheat has everywhere superseded that of saffron. The whole province suffered ; the rich became poor, and the poor died, so that the misery was universal. The valley surrounding the town contains some twelve to fifteen villages, which are well supplied with water by ten kandts : and there are about 2CX) villages in the whole district. The town itself possesses from seventy to eighty wretched shops, three iammdms, and two ruined caravan- serais : it further boasts an ancient mosque^ which forms a conspicuous object in the landscape, and is interesting, not from any architec- tural beauty, but from its antiquity. By an inscription let into its wallsjt^ engraved on stone, the name and date of its original founder
> After the fidl of the Safavian dynasty, Nadir Shah took the province of KiSn and gave it to Mir Ismail Kh4n, whose descendants are as follows : —
Mir Ism&ll Khan.
I
Mir AUm Kh&n.
I Mir Ma*sum Khan.
I
Mir Ali KUn.
I
Mir Alam Kh&n.
I
Mir AsaduUah Kh&n.
I
The present Mir Alam Khan of K&in. It is from the days of Mir Ism&Il Khan that Birjand began to supplant K4in as the capital of the province. It had been ruined by 8iilt4n Husain Mirxa B&kirah, nnd Birjand was preferred to it on account of its greater proximity to Sist&n and the Afghan fronUer.
342 FERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION,
are given as * Karin-i-Ibn-i-Jamshid. a.h. 796,' and it was repaired by Yusuf, the son of D&ulatyfir ; who also erected the large wooden * minbar/ or pulpit, which it contains. The mosque was much injured some years ago by an earthquake, which cracked the rear wall to such an extent that it became necessary to prop it up with buttresses.
On the summit of the hill Abuzir^ which completely commands the town, are the ruins of strong and extensive fortifications said to have been built by the Gabrs as a protection against the Turkmans, who were a scourge even in those days; and behind the hill is a natural reservoir in the rock, filled with wat<?r to the depth of some twelve feet, in which bodies of deer and other wild animals are constantly found drowned, having slipped in while drinking. To add to all the other woes of the wretched city we heard that a band of Tekeh Turkmans, variously estimated at from 400 to 1000, bad swept down from Merv a day or two before our visit, and carried off no less than 180 human beings with sheep and oxen. For fifteen years the district had been free from such raids^ and this outburst had completely paralysed the inhabitants.
We found these latter unpleasantly inquisitive and importunate, thronging our camp to beg for alms and medicine ; and so depressing was the place in every way that we should have been glad to turn our backs on it at once, had not the Mihmdnddr urgently requested a halt for a couple of days, to give time for the arrival of our camels from Birjand, and also to allow of his mustering a guard of fifty matchlock men who were to escort us over the two stages beyond Kain which were deemed peculiarly exposed to the Turkman raids.
During our stay in the town the General received a visit from a Sdiyid, named Abu-l-Kdsim, who was well acquainted with Colonel Farrant and Sir Justin Sheil, and who had been saved from death many years ago by the former. He had been sent by the late
' These fortifications, as above stated, are said to have been oonBtnicted by the Gabn (whoso towers of silence still crown the neighbouring hills) before the era of Jangiz Khan. But behind the present town are the ruins of a still older city called the Shnhr-i-Gabri, which, in common with the Hill Fort, is said to have been destroyed by Sult&n Husain Mirza B&kirah, the grandson of Amir TaimCir, and to have remained for 200 years in the hands of the Uzbegs, who were eventually expelled by Shah Abbas. The latter monarch then appointed Mirza Araf Siiltdn as governor of the family of Saiyid Muhammad Ndr Bakoh, who had cume with 2000 people from Arabistdn and had settled in the Kim [>rovince during the reign of Shah Sulaiman. TIic descendants of this S4iyid stiU form the majority of the population.
STRANGE STORIES. 343
Asafu-d-D&uIah with letters from Karbala to Colonel Farrant, then in Tehran, begging the latter to advise Muhammad Shah to stop proceedings against the Sipah Sal&r who was in rebellion at Mash- had. The Shah was at once informed of this, and told also that the S&iyid had secret instructions to stir up discontent in Tehr&n : upon which the unfortunate man was first condemned to death, but afterwards to imprisonment in the state fortress of Ardabil. When the news of his fate reached Colonel Farrant, he remonstrated so strongly that the prisoner was released, but secret orders were given to kill him on his way back by Hamad&n. Colonel Farrant therefore sent him the whole way from Tehran to Baghdad under the charge of British employes, receiving a formal receipt for him from the then British Resident at Baghdad, Sir Henry Rawlinson. The Sdiyid now delights to tell the story of his escape and to call him- self a British subject.
Another Sunni Sdiyid of Kfi'n called on the Afghdn Commissioner and interested him much by the stories he related respecting our mission in Sistdn. He said that H&jji Az&d Kh&n, who had been-sent by the His&mu-s-Saltanat to watch proceedings in Sistfin, had been much annoyed by the conduct of the Amir of Kfi'n ; and that the latter had planned an attack on our camp at Dejshtak, which was only averted by the report that the Afghan Commissioner was coming down with a large force. If this be true, the flag question may possibly have been the intended forerunner of more hostile measures. The same Sfiiyid also warned the Afghdn Commissioner to place no trust whatever in the natives of this district, and specially to guard against poisoned food. Whether these warnings had real foundation, we had of course no means of discovering.
, We finally left Kdm ^ on the 9th of April : our stay had been a very unpleasant one ; the pushing inquisitiveness of the wretched in- habitants had allowed us no species of privacy, and the high winds had made tent life extremely uncomfortable, so that we were all glad when we turned our backs upon the deserted and famine-stricken city. On the previous night matchlock men had been sent out to see if the pass was clear from Turkmans; and at seven o'clock we mustered all onr band for the start, a motley crew indeed. Our servants were
* It should be specially noticed that Kiin is sitiiated forty-eight milea north of Birjand. All previoiiHly existing maps have hitherto placed it fifty milea to the south of the laat- mentioned city. Firewood here was very dear and scarce.
3J4 PERSO-AFGIIAN MISSION'.
armed with any weapon they could lay hands on, and the cook lot very valiant with a lar^ epit ; but when our much vaunted guard make its appearance from the town, it certainly was not calcul to inspire great confidence, though nothing could exceed the eOj ness with which each man breathed out threats of blood and vengea declaring that his one and sole object woe to win the reward of twi tumdnt offered by the Amir for every Turkman's head. Perhaps most really anxious individual of our party was, however, the Iliui Abdullah Kb&n, whose natural dread of falling into the hi of the Turkmans was heightened fay the knowledge that they giv» <juarter to aged prisoners, as they do not care to keep them for sli
For the first few miles we proceeded in a north-west«r1y direc across the valley, which, though st-ony, wore a brilliant carpet of tulips, wild geraniums, and numberless other flowers ; but we had gone more than six miles on our road when we were pursued by ai parties of men from Kiiin, from whom it appeared that our Mibmi] had in some high-handed way taken five or six donkeys for our They caught up the caravan at Shir Murg, a village some six i distant, vowing vengeance against the Mihm£ndir, and a row sued which baffles description, our own servants being only great difficulty prevented from taking part in the fray. < and pistols were grasped, the air resounded with the foulest a showered freely on the remotest ancestors of the combatants, a: n'as a toss up how it would end, when our Mirakhor suddenly m to the front as peace-maker, kissed the perspiring cheeks of leading malconteuts five or six times over, and by degrees ened them down sufficiently to hear reason. Hardly had he ac plished this, with infinite pains, when another furious party ar from K&in, and the whole quarrel burst out afresh as fierce' before. The end of it was that our Mihmind&r had to mo bolt of it over the hills for his life, and that two donkeys coded as a pcace-ofTering to the men of Kfiin, who then reti home, having gained but little by their twelve-miles walk, delicious silence that ensued, after the frantic cries and cursing- had rent the air, was most soothing.
Traversing an undulating country we reached tlie base o: Belifid mountains, at the foot of the Godar-i-Gudj Soo feet abovi la miles distant from the town of K&i'n. We ascended with little difficulty to the pass, as the weather was dry and the road
FORMING SQUARE AGAINST TURKMANS. 345
The hills are composed of sandstone, with great mounds of clay on their sides, and would be impassable for laden beasts in wet weather. At six miles from the summit of the pass we crossed the Rud- khdnah-i-Mi&nbifiz, which was now well filled from the melting snows, and entered the extensive valley of Nim-baluk, also called Mi&nbi&z. When we arrived at the prosperous little village of Giri- manj, we found its inhabitants in a state of great excitement and terror. The Turkmans had been seen on the hills that very morning, and had phmdered a village on the other side of the hills only the day before. We accordingly mustered our guard, spoke encouragingly to them, presented forty-two of their number with a krdn apiece, and started the next day at seven, expecting every moment to see something of the dreaded robbers — but in vain. This valley is dotted over with curious round mud towers, into which the peasants rush for protection if attacked. The Turkmans, who rarely dismount un- less in great force, swoop down on horseback^ seizing whatever they can as they dash by, so that th^se towers usually afford as good a shelter from them as from a storm of driving rain. The stage from Girimanj to Kisri and Dasht-i-Bi&z was considered the critical one of our march; but with the open plain on one hand and lofby hills on the other, it seemed difficult to imagine how any con* siderable body of men could be taken by surprise. We learnt that the Turkmans always came across the plain by one of four passes from the north, where are four watch-towers, named Bal&ghar, Rejang, Meh Kahnii, and Kam-Nasir, occupied by men stationed to give notice of their approach. Probably the noise of their frantic cries, and the dust caused by their furious ridings so terrify their victims that they lose their heads, separate, and thus &11 into their hands an easy prey. The best way to receive a Turkman attack, we were told by the Afgh&n Commissioner, is to form up in a square and fire a volley at them ; they never stop to return it, or to pick up any of their number who may be wounded unless they are in great force.
The important village of Dasht-i-Bi&z, or the White Plain, lies at the north of the Nim-baluk valley, thirty-four miles from Kfin, surrounded by extensive gardens, its chief products being opium, silk, wheats cotton, barley, and vegetables. It numbers now three hundred houses, and has four kandta (one of which, built by the Gabrs, never runs dry), the remains of an ancient mosque, with ruins of other large buildings, and a very old Aammdm with
346 PERSO' AFGHAN MISSION.
curious encaustic tiles. The mosque is said to have been built by the Wazir of Shah Abbas. With Kain this village fell under the yoke of the Uzbegs. Its ancient name was Shahr-i-Farsi. We were compelled to remain a day longer than we intended in the place, to satisfy the entreaties of the Zdbit Agha J&n Kh&n^ who was so terrified by the report that a band of four hundred Turkmans had been seen the previous evening close to the village, that he declared he would not allow us to start till he had obtained more correct infor- mation of their movements, as he felt himself responsible for our safety. Meanwhile we amused ourselves visiting a group of black-tented Ili&ts, who were about two miles from our own camp, and who received us very civilly, boasting loudly, and we fear without any grounds, of their scorn of the Turkmans, and declaring that they always took the initiative themselves and attacked them whenever they had a chance. These Ili&ts had two largo spring steel traps set for wolves and baited with a kid.
In compliance with the wishes of the Zibit, our start for the march to Kdkhk, via KalaVi-MuIla, was not made till the sun was well up, and we had light at Kast to see the Turkmans should we cross their jiath. Terrible rumours of their having attacked the town of K£fn itself during the night were rife, but we pursued our way, with a guard of fifty matchlock men, in peace and safety, never even catching a glimpse of our much dreaded foes. At nine miles from Dasht-i-Bi&z the road crosses the watershed of the Laki range by a pass called the Godar-i-Darakht-i-Benar, or the pass of the Benar-trees, so called from two large withered trees on its northern side, 1 200 feet above the village of Bi&z. This pass, till very lately, was famous as a haunt of robbers, but these have now disappeared. It forms the boundary between the provinces of K&Vn and Tun-wa-Tabas, and here too the ranges of the Laki ^ and Siah-Kuh hills meet. At the thirteenth mile from Bifiz the village of Kala't-i-Mulla situated on the northern skirt of these hills is reached, and one mile further the road finally clears the hills and emerges on the extensive plain of Gun&bad. All the villages were completely deserted through fear of the Turkmans.
The town of Kdkhk, also called the * Happy Village,' is situated immediately under the range of lofty hills bounding the valley of Gunab&d to the south and west, which, according to local report, are rich in minerals. Its population at the time of our visit consisted of some 500 families, but it had suffered greatly from the famine of the preceding year (of which the traces daily became more and
' These hilla are said to abound in copper.
INTERESTING APPAREL. 347
more strongly marked as we journeyed westwards), during which 20,000 people are said to have perished in the district of Tun-wa- Tabas alone. Its water-supply from four kandts and fifty natural springs is excellent ; and the quantity of opium grown is very con- siderable. Kdkhk is however specially &mous for an Im&mz&dah or tomb which contains the remains of Shahz&dah Sult&n Muham- mad Ali, brother of the holy Im&m Riza of Mash-had. This tomb^ built on a stone platform and embosomed in gardens, has a splendid dome covered with beautiful and many-coloured encaustic tiles, which was constructed by order of Shah Sufi. Formerly the whole of the produce of Kdkhk was devoted to the service, or * Maukufdt,' of this tomb, but the practice has been lately modified, and it now only receives sufficient to keep it in good repair. Mullas and S&iyids of course abound in the town, where there is also a Madrasah or college, and two Masjids, one built by the Uzbegs and one by Shah Tamasp, A. H. 921. At the prfcent day, the shrine is used only by the inhabitants of Tun-wa-Tabas. Two ancient citadels, constructed one within the other, form another remarkable feature in the town. They are built on an elevation, with high walls and flanking tower?, are connected by a drawbridge, and each has an independent supply of water. The outer of these forts is still kept in an efficient state, and has a small garrison.
Iron agricultural implements are largely manufactured in the town, and we counted as many as forty ironworkers' shops. We were also much struck with the silk embroidery for which the place used to be so famous, called kashedah. It is worked on common cloth in beautifully-variegated colours and designs, and in former days was almost exclusively used for ladies' trousers. In those halcyon times the women used to sit in assemblies with their legs before them, and a display of elegant nether garments was a sine qua non ; now, however, it is the fashion to sit on the legs, and this renders useless and un- necessary the once gorgeous pantaloons that were the chief glory of a Persian lady's costume in these parts. Struck with the beauty of the design and colouring of this work, we bought up all the pieces of new and unmade-up embroidery we could find, and no sooner was it noised abroad that we had a fancy for such articles, than, to our intense astonishment, the unmade stock being exhausted, native after native came rushing into camp with various pairs of ' inexpressibles ^ flaunting in the air like so many banners, which they had ruthlessly wrested from their wives, mothers, and daughters, to sell to the ' infi*
348 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION.
dels,' who manifested such a strong iancy for these garments ^. We could not help reflecting on the possihly uncomfortable consequences of this arbitrary and wholesale spoliation : but this reflection did not prevent the members of the Mission eagerly availing themselves of the opportunity of becoming possessors of so strange a memento of Eastern travel.
From Kdkhk our direct road to Turbat, whither we were bound, would have been by Gun&bad^ straight across the plain to the north ; but fear of the Turkmans compelled us to keep close within the shadow of the hills to the souths amidst which was descried many a picturesque village surrounded by extensive cultivation. The most charming of these was the village of Kala't, built on a high hill, nine miles from K&khk, and lying in a semicircle of lovely gardens, which were now in full leaf and flower, and alive with the music of countless birds and the rippling of numerous streams flowing down from the heights above. It was a picture which called forth our especial admiration from its great rarity in Persia, and from its contrast to the sterile scenery we had hitherto traversed. Most unwittingly, however, our approach to this paradise caused the greatest terror to the inhabitants, who^ mistaking us for Turkmans, fled to the neighbouring hills for refuge, carrying ofi* any valuables they could take with them. It was a long time before they could be convinced of our peaceful intentions and in- duced to venture back. The stampede over^ we halted to breakfast under the shade of some very fine English-looking walnut-trees^ while around us grew the mulberry, peach, apricot, pomegranate, vine, etc., in rich luxuriance. Opium for the market at Yazd is extensively cultivated in the neighbouring valley, as well as cotton.
At Zibad, the next village of importance, we found the people in a state of great excitement, owing to the discovery of the long-missing body of an officer named Mirza Jahdn, who had disappeared suddenly, and over whose suspected murder a veil of mystery had hitherto hung. This unfortunate man had been sent from Mash-had by the His&mu-s-Saltanah to settle some revenue question in the district, and was returning to Mash-had, having finished his task, when he was attacked at night, in a small village, by a gang of twenty-one robbers, murdered, and buried, in one grave with five of his servants, in the desert. Nothing having been heard of him at Mash-had, the His&mfi-s-
^ A pair of these embzx)i(lered squares wore sent by Major Euan Smith to the South Kensington Museum, and were considered such valuable specimens of 'raiment of ework/ that they were purchased by the Directors for £35 the pair.
A MURDER DETECTED. 349
Saltanah sent to the Governor of Tabas, to whose district he had been en routCy to demand him dead or alive, or a sum of 30,000 tumdns. It so happened that at that very time the Governor had seized a man who was accused of stealing some donkeys, and who, being put to the torture, denied any dealings with the donkeys, but confessed himself one of the gang ^ who had murdered the Mirza Jab&n. The discovery of the six bodies at the spot he indicated was corroboration sufficient of his statement, and he and the bodies of his victims were forwarded at once to Mash-had. We did not learn the sequel of this story.
Between Zibad and Begist&n^, the next important village on the road, a distance of about twenty-eight miles, we passed undisturbed by Turkmans ; though our opium-eating Mihmdnd&r raised many a false alarm, by declaring that he saw in the distance olouds of dust, the certain forerunners of their approach. The villages scattered over the country were all extremely prosperous in appearance, surrounded by extensive gardens, and well supplied with water. A low range of hills is passed at fifteen miles from Zibad, forming the western boun- dary of the Gun&bad plain : leaving these, the road gradually descends till it reaches, at thirteen miles further, the town of Begist&n, situated on the borders of the great salt desert, extending from Herit and Ghorian, to K&sh&n and Hauz-i-Sultdn. We were now 600 feet below the level of Zibad ; the difference in the temperature became very marked, and the weather was so oppressive that a severe thunderstorm the next morning gave a welcome relief in clearing the air. As we neared the desert, the springs and wells became more and more rare, till for twelve miles before reaching Begist&n there was no water to be seen anywhere. Wild flowers, however, carpeted the hills on all sides, the rhubarb ceasing with the trap formation, as before noticed.
To our surprise and pleasure we were greeted at Begist&n by our K&'n Mihm&nd&r, Mir AsaduUah Beg, who gave us the welcome news that our camels and heavy baggage from Birjand were close at hand. It had taken them eleven days to march from Biijand, as the camels were always bolting, and they had had the greatest difficulty in keeping the caravan together. Another piece of good news we learnt from the iatikbdl^ sent out to welcome the Mission, was, that our courier, Muhammad Ismail Beg, had passed through Begist&n in safety some days previously.
^ This was a g^ang of twenty-one robbers of the T4imiiri tribe of Her&t, who frequented some hills near Tunihiz.
> I prefer ' B&jist&n ;' as ' Dasht-i-pi&s/ instead of 'Dasht i-bi&z/ in page 345.—/^. /. Q.
350 PERSOAFGHAy MISSIOy.
This town has a population of some 4000 souls, with a ruined fort, two good caravanserais, four hammdnUy fifty mosques, and seventy shops: it is famous for the manufacture of a very costly species of cloth made of goat's wool, and called barai, and of a cheap silk material, called chdihr-i-fhahi. It is also celebrated for its excellent water-melons and abundant fruit. Three kandis supply it with water, and there are still to be seen the remains of an ancient iandf, of which the tradition is that it was built in the time of the Safa^-ian kings, and that whoever drank of its waters became mad. The story goes, that when Shah Abbas visited the place, he ordered his Wazir to test the truth of the tale by drinking of the water himself, and that no sooner had he tasted it, than he took off his trousers, wound them round his head, and returned to the presence of his master thus attired. The Shah, convinced beyond doubt, ordered the tandt to be closed at once, and its mouths sealed up with tar. Another ancient tradition common among the natives is that the whole of the country around Begist&n was once covered by the sea, and that the place derives its name from ^l>, which signifies a toll, and ^j^^i-# to take, alluding to the toll at the ferry paid by travellers for boat hire when the ^-aters had partly receded.
At Begistdn we parted with Mir Asadullah Beg, Mir Ali Beg, and the opium-eating N&ib Muhammad Ali B^, who left us well satisfied with the handsome presents they received as farewell gifts. Passing through a barren valley after lea>nng the town, we descended into a wide plain, in which lies the village of Yunsi, marked by local tra- ditions as the spot on which the prophet Jonah was cast by the whale, and where he lay for many days concealed under a pumpkin plant. His grave is, however, at Mosul, between Baghdad and Diarbekir. Yunsi itself is an insignificant \411age, ver}^ dilapidated and miserable-looking, with about 100 families ; it suffered grievously during the famine, and lost a great number of its inhabitants. Nevertheless, it sent out a numerous Utikldl to greet the Mission, headed by the Katkhuda, a stalwart individual in blue attire, who, after the usual salutations, stated that he was a ' Pahluwan,' or wrestler, and, craving leave to display his powers, immediately threw off his cerulean garments, and seizing two powerful clubs, performed wonderful feats, walking back- wards before the General the whole way. Nothing could exceed the wonder and delight with which this exhibition was watched by the admiring subjects of the performer. As we entered the village, rue
TRACES OF RECENT FAMINE. 351
was burned before our horses' feet, to avert the evil eye — the custom being as universal in this province as it was in that of Kfiin. The wind and dust storms rage here from sunrise to sunset.
On reaching camp the General received a letter from the Hisdmu-s- Saltanah, Governor of Mash-had, bidding him welcome to Khiiras&n, and another from the British agent at Mash-had, saying that every possible arrangement had been made for the courteous reception both of the British and Afgh&n Missions, not only at Mash-had, but at all the stages on the way.
We now found ourselves in a country where the regular track of the last great famine was even more marked than in any of our previous marches. At Begist&n we had relieved eighty persons with bread; and the crowd of beggars was becoming most importunate. At this village, 120 of the inhabitants perished from the famine, and the survivors complain bitterly of the cruelty of the Governor of Tabas ^, who refused to remit one jot or tittle of the usual taxes, notwithstanding their sufferings.
The morning after our halt at Yunsi was made very pleasant to us all by the arrival of a courier from Tehrdn, bringing English letters of thp 1 8th of January. The man declared he had been stopped on his way by rol)bers, who had stolen his shoes but left his mail-bags intact. J. immediately on leaving Yunsi the road passes over a brick bridge of nine arches, which is a boundary mark between the districts of Tabas and Turbat, and then crosses a desert stony plain ^ for thirteen miles, till it leads to Mi&ndeh, a village so named from its position midway (midnj between Mash-had and Tabas. Beyond this the interminable expanse of sandy stony desert again intervenes, till the large and prosperous village of Faizabad is reached at the 27th mile from Yunsi, and three miles further, Abduldbad, our halting- place. Here we found excellent quarters prepared for us in the house and garden of the Governor, and every possible arrangement made for our comfort ; iced sharbat and fruits, with other refreshments, standing ready for our acceptance. Seven miles from the town we were met by an isliibdl, consisting of H&jji Agha Beg (the Mihmand&r sent by
^ The Governor of the Tiin and Tabas district is H4jji Mirza B&kir Kh&n, wh jse family have been dominant firom ancient days. The present seat of government b at Tabas ; but before the visit of Shah Abbas, Tiin was the capital, once, undoubtedly, a very large and influential city, possessing twelve gates, a thousand mosques, two thousand water reservoirs, and a fortress of great size and strength.
* This plain skirts the great salt desert of Khdras&n.
^^2 PEJiSO AFGHAN MISSION.
the Prince of Mash-had), Governor of the district, and twenty or thirty well-mounted sowars. And later in the day a hundred sotodrs arrived in the town with a standard to escort Sir Frederic Goldsmid into Mash-had. At every village on the road the inhabitants turned out en masse to make their saldms ; and sheep, in accordance with the bar*- barous national custom, were killed at every halting-place, that their blood might sprinkle our path : in fact, we were treated with every honor, and the Afghan Mission met with the same courteous welcome as ourselves. The only contretemps was that sixteen of our camels dis- appeared in the night before leaving, and we had difficulty in meeting with donkeys at Yunsi to supply their place. Abdulab&d is one of a group of four villages, which go by the name of MahwiUt, the other three being Faizabad, Dughab&d, and Mehnah, with numerous small villages as dependencies. It contains about 400 families, and is re- nowned for its gardens and fruit, and, above all, for its silk — ^which in a good year yields 30,000 tu7ndns^ and is sent in its raw state to Mash-had, to be worked up there. The neighbourhood has many traditions connected with the renowned Rustam : several spots are pointed out as the scenes of his battles; at one he is said to have killed his son Zohr&b ; at another is shown the site of Zohr&b's grave ; at another the graves of the Shahz&dahs, sons of Afrasifib.
A band of 400 Turkmans attacked the plain about six months previous to our visit, and carried off 200 prisoners and 600 camels from a tribe of nomadic BalQchis who had brought their flocks into the ' MahwilAt.'
We remained a couple of days here to give the camels a rest, and started again at 4 a.m. on the i8th of April, passing through a dense belt of flourishing gardens which encircles the town. After a gradual ascent of ten miles, we entered a range of low marl and clay hills, and, passing the caravanserai of Rib&t-i-Bibi and the deserted villages of Zir&b^ and Aliab&d, cleared the hills at the fifteenth mile and emerged on the wide plain of Turbat — the villages scattered over which nestled amongst gardens, that were now gay with luxuriant blossoms and the fresh bright green of the early spring. Seven miles fiirther we were met by the Wazir of the Governor of Turbat, with four led horses, and a numerous body of sowdrs^ armed with huge blunderbusses known by the name of shamkal. At the twenty-sixth mile from Abdulab&d the Governor himself awaited us with a still larger escort of sowdrs. From this point we rode through
TURBA T-I-HAIDARL 353
miles of flourishing gardens and cultivated land, watered by clear running streams, till we reached the town of Turbat-i-Haidari, the houses of which were scarcely visible from the dense masses of foliage in which they lay hidden. Nothing could exceed' the courtesy of the welcome that awaited both Missions. A large body of sarbdz and fard^hea were drawn up at the entrance of the town, armed with long green wands^ and by them we were conducted through the town and bazdrSy all the people standing up and saluting while our cavalcade, headed by the Governor, went by : sheep^ as before, being killed at our entrance into and exit from each bazdr — where also incense was burnt, and sweetmeats were offered at constant intervals. It was, in fact, a very different reception to any experienced in Sist&n ; and on arrival at the quarters set apart for us, we found them situated in a beautiful garden, the house in which, belonging to the Oovemor himself, and thoroughly cleaned and newly carpeted for oiir reception, was suffi- ciently large to afford ample room, not only for Sir Frederic Goldsmid and his stafi, but also for General Pollock and Dr. Bellew. Tea and iced sharbat had been prepared^ and trays of sweetmeats of every kind spread out on the floor^ the Gt>vemor himself doing the honours, and welcoming us in true Persian style ^
Turbat-i-Haidari takes its name from a member of the kings of Balkh, named Ktitbu'-d-din-Haidar^ who came here some seven cen- turies back, and who lies buried under the dome (turbat) outside the town. The latter is more appropriately called Turbat-i-Isa-Kh&n, from the ruler of that name (so fully described by ConoUy), who reigned here about lOO years ago — and whose grandson still lives in the place, and is sometimes Wazir^ sometimes N&'b. In favourable years the town pays 30CX) tumdns of revenue, with a large quantity of grain, but in 1872 this was remitted on account of the famine. Silk and cotton are largely grown in the principality, to the amount of lOO^OCX) tumdns annually. The bazdrs of the town are unusually finOj built of burnt brick, with good roofs, and contain over 200 shops. They were erected about ten years ago by Asadullah Mirza, now Governor of Bushahr. Before the disastrous famine, Turbat could boast 1500 families; there are now not over 200. It possesses a gar* rison of 200 sotodrs^ and 100 shamkalchis or mounted matchlock-men.
* News arrired, before our Btart from Abdiilab^d, of a great victory gained by the Per- sians over the Tiirkmans, near the upper hill tracts : they had taken 600 prisoners, 800 horses, and 300 heads. [Round numbers of oourse mean hyperbole. — P.J. (?.]
VOL. I. A a
354 PER SO 'AFG II Ay MISSION.
We remained here three days, detained partly by heavy rain, partly by our camels ; and then determined to make one long inarch of it to Asadabdd, a distance of twenty miles, so as to avoid stop- ping at Kamih, where provisions were scarcely procurable. Before leaving, Sir Frederic sent a watch and chain, a horse and other giits, to the Governor, and a handsome douceur in money to all the servants. For three miles after leaving the town our road traversed gardens and luxuriant cultivation, and then struck over a desert stony plain to the foot of a range of low rocky hills, w^hich it entered by the pass Godar-i-Khir-Sang, 300 feet alx)ve the level of Turbat. Three miles from the summit of this pass is the substantial caravanserai of Kiskat^ built near the village of the same name, where we were glad to break- fast and dr}' our wetted garments before commencing the steep ascent to the Godar-i-Baidar. In three miles, we rose 2250 feet above the level of Turbat to the summit of this pass, from which, in fine weather, there is a splendid view ; but the driving mist and raiu- clouds hid all from our sight. Here the ranges of the Kuh-i-Nasar to the west and the Kuh-i-Bars to the east join. The descent is as difficult and fatiguing as the ascent, and is impracticable for camels in bad weather, though the road is fairly broad and levelled. The descent from the Godar-i-Baidar to the plain of Dasht-i-Bukh on the northern side is about i2co feet. The ranges of hills which bounded the valley were covered with snow, presenting a very pic- turesque contrast to the fresh, green grass which clothed their lower slopes. We halted for the night at Asadab&d, a small village, thirty miles from Turbat, just struggling into existence, whose only object of interest was its curious door. This is used as a protection against the Turkmans, and is formed of one immense circular stone, sliding into a groove into the wall, and of enormous thickness. Once closed, it is proof against any native attacks ; but it requires so many men to move it, that it is never used except in cases of dire necessity. On the other side of Asadabfid, at about eleven miles' distance, we entered the Tang, or defile of Muhammad Mirza, a most picturesque valley, winding through rocks of green serpentine, down which trickled numberless clear streams of water. Tradition points to the ruins of an old citadel crowning the rocks to the left, which is known as the Kala'h-i-Dukhtar (virgin's fort), having been built by the daughter of an ancient Persian king, to whom a Dervish had dared to raise his eyes in ardent admiration. As the king would not sanction a
SALT-YIELDING HILLS. 365
marriage between the pair^ the damsel, followed by numerous ad- herents, fled to this spot, and built this castle, where she lived by the plunder of the travellers who passed by, while her Dervish lover built himself a small house, immediately under her windows, from whence he could watch his lady's movements. The ruins of the Ka'lah-i-Dukhtar, and the Kh&nah-i-Darwish, are still pointed out by the peasants as proofs of the truth of the legend.
This defile passed, we entered a fertile valley, in which lay the village of Kala'h-i-Bagalun and the caravanserai of Rib&t-i-Safid, a tract peculiarly exposed to the attacks of the Turkmans, on whose account watch-towers are built on the crests of the surrounding hills, and ghuldms and troops are always stationed in its villages. Vast flocks are pastured on the hills, and form no doubt the chief object of attraction to the Turkmans. The valley passed, we emerged, seven miles further, on to the small plateau on which stand Kaflr-Kala'h, a strong mud fort — and Sar Zar, a village surrounded by gardens and trees, presenting, in the distance, an appearance of great prosperity. The latter, however, was found on inspection to be utterly deserted, half the population having perished by famine during 1871, while the survivors were c^ried off for slaves by the Turkmans during the present year. Watch-towers, in which, every night, guards are stationed to watch the movements of the dreaded Turkmans, crown the hills that surround this plateau. If the foe be visible, a fire is lit in the early morning, the smoke of which at once warns the villagers on the plateau not to send out their flocks to pasture. The hills here are curiously honey-combed by the burrowing of a species of marmot or prairie-dog, two specimens of which were shot for preservation. Near the village of Kafir Kala'h is a range of hills affording excellent salt, sold in large quantities at Mash-had and the neighbouring towns. General Pollock saw in these an exact resem- blance to hills forming the salt ranges of the Trans-Indus country. The plateau of Kafir Kala'h was succeeded by another plain of far greater extent, with an undulating surfi^ce, over which lay scattered numerous forts and villages. To the west lies the far-famed city of Nishapur; and to the south-east a splendid view of the snowy mountains behind Her&t burst upon our sight. Crossing this plain at thirty miles from Asadab&d, we reached a ruined watch-tower and tank, which is the meeting-place of all the roads to Mash-had trom different parts of Persia ; and one mile beyond this carrefour lay the village of
A a 2
356
PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
SharifaMd, where we halted for the night — resuming our march next day through a hilly country affording excellent pasturage, but now des- titute of flocks or herds^ which had all perished in the general fiunine. The road over the hills hence to Mash-had has an unusually broad track, with very &ir gradients; and is the work of the late Sipah S&ldr, who constructed it on the occasion of the Shah's visit to Khdras&n in 1867. The most difficult part of it is carried over solid rock across the 6od&r-i-Sipah S&l^r, and stone pillars erected at each end of the pass commemorate the fact. Nine miles from Sharifabfid is the K^h-i- Sal&m, or hill of Salutation, from which pilgrims to Mash-had generally catch the first glimpse of the golden shrine of the Im&m Biza ; but unfortunately the day was so misty we could not appreciate the much- lauded prospect. Descending the hills, said to be rich in unworked mines of various minerals^ we traversed the plain which runs up to the walls of Mash-had^ and reached this far-famed city on the 25th of April, having traversed 328 miles between it and Birjand*.
' Itinerary from SlsUn to Maah-had : —
Date.
March 11 13
i* ft I* ft it tt n w *•
If
n
April
»» >* *• >t ft tt t» t»
H ft tt tt tl
n
15 18
19 20
21
23
26
28 29
2 4
5 6
9 10
13
14
15
17 18
20
23 24
as
Stage.
Bolah . . . . . .
Ruins of Peshiwardn
Liwh-Jawain (including circuit)
Panj-Deh
Khdah-Rudak
KaU'h-iKah
H^rUd .. ..
Ch&h Sagak . . Dunih Husainab&d . .
Sar-Biahah . .
Mud . .
Birjand
Ghiuk
Seh-Deh
Rdm . ■
K&in . .
Girimanj
Dasht^i-Biaz ..
Kakhk
Zibad..
Bajifltan
Yunsi. .
Abdiilab&d . .
Tiirbat-i-Haidari
Asadab&d ..
Sharifab&d
Mash-had
Distance
IN MILB8.
7 28
*9
18
ih 16
24 28
34 29
21
33
18 18
10 20
21
n 16
15 28
30
3a
30
31 21
DiBBOTION.
N. W.N.W.
N.
N.N.W.
N.W.
W.
W. by N.
N.W.
W.N.W.
J WJJ.W.
(HalfN.
N.W. byW.
W.N.W.
N.
N. by W.
N. by W.
N. ^
W.N.W.
W.N.W.
N.W.
N.W.
N.W.
N. byE.
N.E.
E.N.E.
N.
N.
N.
*ty
ENTRANCE INTO MASH-UAD, 367
When within seven or eight miles of the town we were met by an utikbdl of unusual size and magnificence. This consisted of a body of 200 mounted sowars commanded by a Sartip, eight led horses with trappings of gold and jewels ; and a carriage dra\7n by six horses, for the use of the British Commissioner should he prefer to drive — but which however was so dilapidated, and its outward ap- pearance so uninviting, that Sir F. Goldsmid did not care to venture inside it. Two Colonels, each with half a troop of cavalry, were sent to escort General Pollock and the Afghfin Commissioner ; and we were also preceded and followed by an immense body of officials in full dress, sent from the Prince's household and mounted on enormous Turkman horseSy pis AiAidmaiSj falconers, huntsmen, spearmen, standard- bearers, and orderlies, to the number of 2000 at least— and by them were conducted, according to the strict rules of Persian etiquette, at a foot's pace to the walls of the town. To a European nothing can exceed the weariness of such a progress, but to an Eastern the pageant would be shorn of all its dignity were it conducted at any pace quicker than this slow deliberate movement.
On entering the town, we found guards of honour, with drum and fife bands, stationed at intervals, who presented arms as the cortSge passed, while a multitude o{ fardshes and runners, armed with silver sticks, ran before to clear the way : all the proceedings being arranged and controlled by an official clad in the uniform of a French general, who was known as the * Adjutant Bashi.' We proceeded for a con- siderable distance up the chief street, which is a remarkably fine avenue known as the Khyab&n, and which traverses the city from one gate to the other, leading from either gat« up to the shrine and mosque of the Im&m Riza, the particular glory of Mash-had. The Khyab&n is bordered on each side by splendid chindr trees, and is lined with shops ; while down its centre runs a canal which, though it serves to keep it cool, does but little towards cleansing it. The quarters allotted to us were in a spacious garden looking out on to the Khyab&n, but as they were on the western side of the shrine we were compelled to turn ofi* from the direct road and make a great detour before reaching them, in order to avoid passing on horseback before the venerated spot, within a quarter of a mile of which no one, not even the Shah himself, is allowed to ride. The interdicted space is walled off by an arched barrier of brick, built right across the street ; and inside this no rider, it is believed, has ever dared to encroach.
358 PERSO -AFGHAN MISSION.
Turning therefore off the main road, we were led with much solemnity^ by many evil-smelling lanes and back slums, through an enorznouB graveyard, where slept thousands of the faithful, brought dead or alive from ,all parts of Persia, to rest under the shadow of the Im&m's shrine — for the saint is supposed to take special care of such during^ their last long sleep. At last, to our great relief, the wearisome procession was over, and we were permitted to rest awhile in the rooms prepared for us in the garden already mentioned, and found that every possible arrangement had been made for our comfort. The Afg^h&n Commissioner was also conducted with conventional ceremony to his quarters close to oui*s, while exactly opposite was the house allotted to the Persian Commissioner, from the summit of which the Persian flag floated in the air. We had not been many hours in the place when the General received a message from Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n, through his son, making the usual * Ahw&l Pursi\' and desiring to know when he might visit him. It was evident that the Persian Commissioner was now anxious to place matters between himself and the English Commissioner on a friendly footing, but the memory of his recent acts in Sist&n was too fresh to allow of the past being condoned in this manner : he was there- fore given to understand, that though no objection would be made to receive a visit from him, it would not be returned until the whole trans- actions in Sist&n had been laid before the British Minister at Tehran. The Persian Commissioner's son was succeeded by the head chamber- lain of the Prince, sent to make the usual polite enquiries, and to fix the time for the official visit of the Mission to the palace ; and next day a message was sent from the Prince Governor to ask whether General Goldsmid would object to the presence of Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n at the official visit to His Royal Highness, fixed for three o'clock that afternoon. To this a reply was sent to the effect that no exception would bo taken to the Prince's ceremonial arrangements ; so at the appointed hour. General Goldsmid, accompanied by his stafiT, with General Pollock and Dr. Bellew, started in full dress (goloshes being de riguetir) for the palace : the two Generals being mounted on really magnificent Turkman horses (each i6^ hands high, with jewelled trappings of gold and silver), sent for their use, by the hands of many attendants, from the Prince; beside which the travel- worn animals ridden by the rest of the staff made but a sorry appearance.
* Or enquiry after health ur cuoditiou. The expression has been already used in thin narrative.
THE PRINCE 'GOVERNOR OF KHURASAN. 359
A great body oi fardshes and orderlies preceded the corUge, which proceeded at a snail's pace through narrow and extremely filthy lanes shut in on each side by high walls, till after a monotonous ride we reached the ark or citadel in which dwelt Sult&n Murdd Mirza, Prince of Mash-had^ Sword of the Empire, and the highest dig- nitary in the land except the Shah, than whom he acknowledges no other superior. He is the brother of the late and uncle of the present Shah, and is possessed of vast wealth and influence : and the ceremonial observed at his Court is nearly the same as that of the Imperial Court at Tehran. On airival at the Palace, of which the exterior was by no means imposing, we were led through various arched passages and across courtyards swarming with the usual retainers and hangers-on of an Eastern prince's Court, until we reached a point at which all our personal followers and servants were commanded to halt. The Prince's chamberlain then met us and conducted us through an open court planted with roses and jessamine, to a building at the end, into the centre room of which we were ushered, after having divested ourselves of our goloshes at the entrance ; and the Prince him- self entered from an inner chamber at the same moment as ourselves, and motioned us all to be seated. The chamberlain, however, remained standing outside in the court-yard, with his head on a level with the Prince's chair, while we sat in chairs on either side of the room. The only persons present besides ourselves were the Persian Commissioner, in full uniform, who had received permission to be seated in the presence of the Prince for this occasion only, and a Prince of the blood royal, whose name we could not catch. The visit lasted two hours, and was far more interesting than Persian visits generally are.
The Prince is a man of about sixty years of age, aristocratic alike in appearance and manners : he has played so important a part in the history of his country that his remarks were well worth listening to; and he talked as one bom in the purple, who from his youth up had been a ruler of men. His dress was very simple, much resembling that of an English gentleman; nor was this re- semblance in one respect only: he discoursed on all subjects with an ease and fluency which denoted not only extensive reading, but the readiness of a complele man of the world : appearing fairly well versed in European politics (a rare thing in Persia), and displaying some knowledge of the details of the English Constitution. We had heard much of his powers as a conversationalist, and were not disappointed ;
360 PERSO-AFOHAN MISSION.
for he led the conversation with such ease that it never flagged for
moment during the whole of our long visit. He is a man with
great thirst for knowledge, ever eager to obtain information froi
every available source. His manners are peculiarly pleasant an
conciliatory, though he can be very stern on occasion; and tl
mingled affection and awe with which he is regarded by the who
Persian community, prove that his rule has been both salutary ai
beneficial. Having filled many arduous public offices daring h
career, he now looks somewhat fatigued and weather-worn, but tl
use of the dyes and other artifices which all Persians employ tak
off at least ten years from his age: he is decidedly plain, thou|
his singularly-shaped nose forms the redeeming feature in his £ic
During our visit, in addition to the usual tea, coffee, and pipes, tl
most delicious ices and sharlat were handed round, the work of
Persian cook who has studied in Paris. Every article of the equipaj
in which the refreshments were served was of pure gold : and son
of the pipes and cups must have been worth a fortune, so encrust
were they with pearls, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other jewe
The room too was covered with carpetjs of great price. The Prince :
however, said to be extremely avaricious ; and report has it that 1
knows where every fraction of his immense wealth is placed, and cj
tell to a farthing the value of eveiy tea-spoon in his cstablishmet
Tlie very cooking-pots in his kitchen are said to be of gold, ai
he wisely enjoys his treasures himself, using them every day and n
keeping them merely for State occasions. The visit over, we we
conducted back to our quarters by the same attendants, and with t
same rather tedious ceremony.
During our stay in Mash-had, which lasted exactly a week, we jm three visits to the Court, the first of which, just described, w strictly official, but the second was more friendly and less cerem nious. It took place in the Prince's garden near the citadel, whc he received us in an open t<?nt, and talked freely on all matters co nected with our mission to Sistdn, and also discussed the progr« the Russians were making in Central Asia, which he considered mc detrimental to English interests in India. In the gardens we wc particularly struck by a Turkman tent, which for space, warmth, ligl ness, and portability was a perfect marvel. The third visit took pk the day before our d(»parture from Mash-had : the Prince was anxic that all the members of the Mission should be photographed in a gto
TURKMAN HORSES, 361
with himself, by a member of his Court who was himself a prince, and rejoiced in the imposing title of A'k&sh B&shi. We accoi*dingly pre- sented ourselves at eight o'clock on the 2nd of May, and were received by the Uis&mii-s-Saltanah, in one of the inner court-yards of the palace, where the photographer of the blood royal also awaited us. Several groups were taken with greater or less success ; the photographer inform- ing us that the air of Mash-had was peculiarly unfavourable to his art. A conversation took place on this occasion which lasted fully two hours : among other subjects the late French revolution coming on the tapis, the Prince declared, speaking of the Communists, that in many points the French people greatly resembled the Persians. Before leaving. His Highness sent two Turkman horses as presents to Generals Goldsmid and Pollock, which though fairly good were by no means first-rate animals ; and indeed, in spite of his great wealth, he is said to give few presents of any great value. Turkman horses are generally very tall, standing quite as high as English carriage horses, unmistakably handsome, with great bone and sinew : they all, however, fall off behind. They have one peculiarity which mars their beauty in English eyes, which is that they have no mane, this being cut off as soon as they are foaled and the place seared with hot iron, so that the hair never grows again. Such a custom renders the mounting of a Turkman horse of seventeen hands high a somewhat difficult undertaking for a European ; but the Persians place silver bands around the horses' necks, by which they help them- selves into the saddle. The various visits which Sir Frederic Goldsmid paid to the Prince were returned by the uncle of His Highness, a pleasant, well-informed man, who was well up in European politics, having travelled in Egypt and Italy, and had spent some time in France, especially Paris, during the reign of Louis Philippe. He is entitled the Nd'ibu-1-Ai41ah, or Personage next in rank and power to the His&mu-s-Saltanah. He spoke much of the extreme misery caused in the province of Khuras&n by the famine which still prevailed. Mash-had alone, he said, had lost 24,000 inhabitants, while in the province 100,000 had perished ; and he assured us that numerous cases of children being devoured by their own parents had come within his own personal knowledge. Every horse, mule, donkey, cat, or rat in the town had been devoured : the consequence was that the few Turkman horses brought to us for sale were so exceedingly dear that we declined to select any for purchase ; the general price asked.
3(>2 rER:SO- AFGHAN MISSION.
from ^80 to i^'ioo, representing a very high figure for Persia. Our own horses had carried us well and bravely hitherto; but the fatiguing and trying marches they had made since we left Bandar- Abbas were naturally telling on them, and to our great regret they began to show signs of breaking down. Our servants also gave us a great deal of trouble during our stay in Mash-had : they had not been able to spend any of their wages for months, while passing through the long^ and dreary deserts of our march ; and once arrived here, they found themselves in the possession of so much money that they became quite demoralised. Many of them^ for very good reasons of their own, preferred remaining at Mash- had to returning with us to Tehrfin ; and others^ hearing that the famine was still severe in the capital, feared to face it, and decided to stay in Khurasdn till the harvest was reai>ed. Insubordination to their superiors and quarrels amongst them- selves became so incessant that we began to long for the time when we could get them away from the evil influences that surrounded them in the holy city. Our quarters also grew very wearisome, as wo scarcely ever could stir out except escorted by a wholly super* fluous but ever-provided crowd oi fardshes and attendants; and the garden itself, though delightful during the first warm days of our stay, now became most unhealthily damp, owing to heavy and frequent rains ; while many of our party began to suffer in health. Innumerable nightingales filled the air with their song, and though we thought this very charming at first, yet, after a time, their clamour at night positively prevented our sleeping, and they were voted a nuisance. Cooped up in a secluded garden, we saw but too little of the city, as we were always engaged either in making or receiving^ ceremonial visits, and we chafed much at this forced inaction. The Persian Commissioner called on the General, as arranged, the second morning after our arrival ; but nothing of any consequence trans* pired during the interview, though he tried hard, if in vain, to explain away much of the unpleasantness that arose in Sist&n, throwing all the blame of course on the Amir of K&'in. Through him we heard much of the scarcity still existing in the country lying between Mash-had and Tehr&n, and learnt with regret that at least 250 miles of our march lay through districts desolated by want and misery. In the evening of the 28th Sir F. Goldsmid called on the Sartip Hiisain Ali Eh&n, who had headed the iatikbdi sent to ^eet us on our arrival. This officer is so like the Shah that
SHRINE OF THE MASH- HAD SAINT, 363
he 18 known far and wide as the ' Shabah-i-Shah ' (image or likeness of the king), and is a great favourite with his sovereign, whom he is constantly sent to personate in places where the royal presence is necessary and at the same time attended with danger. He received the General and his Staff in full dress, wearing his numerous orders. We found him singularly intelligent and amusing, possessing a more than ordinary acquaintance with the geography and manners of Europe: he told us he could formerly speak English well, having learnt it in Urumia from the American missionaries stationed there, especially from one lady, a Mrs. Perkins. His house was superior to any of the private dwellings we had seen in Mash-had, being remarkably clean^ handsome, and well arranged. This visit was returned the following evening, when the Sartip spent a long time in conversation on various subjects, displaying curiosity on matters connected with Europe, and especially with England.
Courteous and pleasant as were all the great personages in Mash- had, they yet had no power to obtain permission for us to visit the Mosque and gilded shrine, the only objects of real interest in the town, but which to us, as infidels, were strictly closed. We heard from the Afgh&n Commissioner and our servants that the shrine was of sur- passing magnificence and beauty, but we had to content ourselves with viewing it from a distance. Mash-had, after Makka and Karbala, is the holiest city in the world to Musalm&ns, for in its midst reposes, under a magnificent gilded dome, the body of their most cherished saint, the Imam Biza. The shrine is visited annually by more than 100,000 pilgrims, who flock to it from all parts of the world. We have already mentioned the &ct that no rider is allowed to pass before it, within certain limits marked off by an arched barrier and chains : neither is horse, cow, or quadruped of any kind allowed to enter these limits, all waifs or strays being at once forfeit to the shrine. We nearly lost our best horse in this way, for being led out for exercise one morning, he broke away from his g^oom, jumped the chain, and would have been confiscated had not the man been quick enough to catch him before he could be taken prisoner. This iron chain marks also the commencement of the 'bast,' or sanctuary, within which all criminals are safe from the arm of the law, and which is amply provided with shops^ baths, and everything a man can require ; so that, provided he has only money, a criminal can laugh all authority to scorn, and stay there as long as
864 I'/CRSO- AFGHAN MlHSIOJf.
he careij to do so. Within the 'bast,' however, there is a prt helongiiig to the Im&m Riza, where thievt's can be locked up i bastinadoed till they restore their booty. If a crinainal were gni of any very heinous crimej the anthoritios would probably Btarre h out by forbidding the shops to sell him anything, but such extre measurcB are seldom put in force. We ourselves had souse experiei of this refuge ; for on arri\'al at Mash-had, we found that a numi of articles stolvn from various members of the Mission were expoi for sale in one of the pawnbroker's shops of the town. The tb was traced to one of our own servants, but before he could be seii he stepped across the chain and was safe — refusing to give up any the stolen property, but offering on payment of a certain aum tell us where it could all be found. It was aggravating to be unal to punish this man according to his desert«. Through a 8ti«i repi-osentation mode to the Prince, he was confined in the sanctua prison : but we left Mash-had two days after, and he probably got < scot-free as soon as our backs were turned. The Im&m Riza, \vl for so many centuries has slept beneath his gorgeous tomb, is at to utl intents and purposes treated exactly as if he were liviuj His shrine is enormously rich, possessing land and property i alt parts of Persia, and attached to it is a large establishment • officials and se^^'ants complete in every respect, and exactly sue as would attend u powerful reigning prince. Questions are ask( at the shrine and oracular answers given by the officials appointe for that purpose. Five hundred dinners are cooked daily for dii tribution to the pilgrims who Hock to the place, each one of whoi dines as it were with the Imfim Riza for one night ; and any pi! grim who is sick or disabled has his dinner sent to him. The Saii has also a Prime Minister, who is himself a Prince, and reigns ovt a conBiderable portion of the city lying within the sacred limii administering justice and punishing all offences that come withi his jurisdiction. Holy as Mash-had is said to be, we were struc with the great amount of driinkenuGSB prevalent there amongst th followers of the Prophet. They were continually to be seen reeliuj and shouting up the Khyaban, while rows and brawls were occurrini every hour. On the luet day of our stay one of our far&thes, who wa in the Rhyab&n, had bought some bread and was drj'ing it in the Bur whenadrunken*flrifl'.*,whopasscdby,attemptcd to snatch it from hiu A fight ensued, in which other sarhdz joined ; knives were drawn, no
¥4¥
MUDAKUIL. 365
oxxrfardsh was brought in with his arm half cut through at the elbow. Reference being made to the Prince, he sent down his ' Adjutant B&shi ' to settle the affair. This judge's decision was unique. The woundedyara^^ was to be kept at the expense of the sarbdz till his wound was healed, and his assailant was to be beaten in his presence until he {^hefardsh) gave the signal to stop.
Mash-had was so famous in past days for its beautiful carpets, shawls, and turquoises, that we were anxious to procure specimens of each : but we soon ascertained that no articles of value or beauty could be obtained in the city, as all such had been sold during the terrible dearth. The workmen remained^ it is true, but they had sold stock, tools, and all they possessed, and now would not even take orders for execution unless paid in advance. After remaining a week, as before mentioned^ we became most anxious to get off, but the difficulty we experienced in getting camels and baggage animals for the march was untold; and it must be confessed we were rather badly used in the matter. Not only were we delayed two days unnecessarily, but we had to pay double the usual price, viz. three krdns a day, for each camel, and to advance, besides, the whole hire of the animals from Mash-had to Tehr&n, an unheard-of thing. In vain we appealed to the Prince and the Ndibu-l-Ai&lah : we could get no redress whatever : very probably their own servants had arranged the exorbitant price, and the superiors winked at it, while throwing the blame of the transaction on the British agent. The Prince is said, indeed, to have no objection to his people being paid by any muddkhil ^ or perquisites they can pick up, and strangelrs like ourselves are therefore doubly exposed to exactions of this nature. It may be mentioned that the Hisdmu-s-Saltanah had three interviews with the Afghlin Conmiissioner during our stay, in which Sist&n matters were fully discussed. The former was most anxious to find out the full extent of the Afgh&n claims, but it was a case of * diamond cut diamond,' and he could extract nothing out of the astute Afgh&n which the latter did not choose him to know.
At last, after infinite trouble and annoyance with the servants and the camels, matters were sufficiently arranged to allow of settling our departure for the 2nd of May, and, on the ist, our camels were despatched in advance by the Sharifabid and Kadamg&h road, with
* For the meaning of this expression see note in page 150, where an expUnation has been attempted. Perhaps the word should be maddkhUf the plural of modkhal, which Freytag translates raJtio vivendi,^F. /. 0,
»\ 1>
y 7; AVSO 'AFGIIA y MISSION,
vMvUik w \\^\\\ u« »t Ninbipur, as we had decided to go by the more hillj iv'iiU\ i..u JA-i-(Hiiirak. Before leaving, Sir Frederic Goldsmid gave a )>\v'a\'ul \\\ luoiioy, tor diBtribution amongst those of the prince's house- Kx»UI 4Uil HtU^ndants who had rendered us any service; while to the l»uiuA^ ho Mont. a pair of gold revolvers, a very handsome photogpraphic i4ll>uu( aud a nilver-gilt centre-piece for the table, with other things, with ull \it' whirh his Royal Highness expressed himself highly deligphted. 'rU\« IVi'Hian (Commissioner was to leave the day after ourselves for i\t|iian : he had sold off all his horses and broken up his establishment, huMiig decided to travel ^chapar' or post. From all sides we heard llui tiiinine was still very severe at Tehr&n, the roads having been so |i|(iok(*d up with ice and snow that it had been impossible to get sup- |ili«iu int/O the city: but providentially the har\'est throughout the inuiilry was unusually abundant and just ready for reaping, so that we hnpiul that by the time we had journeyed over the 500 miles that lay 1 1(1 (wren us and Tehran, the scarcity in the capital would have passed uwuy.
We left Mash-had on the morning of the 3rd of May by the Kiieh&u^ ^ute and pursued our way across a flat plain for 10 miles ; the ground b«tiiig HO Hcored with kandU as to make it very unsafe riding. The plain wtiN dotted with villages here and there, and covered with innumerable (4>werH for safety, which told their own tale of the terror caused by the Tiirkmans^ who, to the disgrace of a powerful government like that of Persia^ are allowed to carry their raids unchecked right up to the gates of Mash-had itself. Clearing the plain, we reached the lofty range of hills by which it is bounded on the south, south-west, and north-west, and after a short and steep ascent, entered the plateau beyond, by the pass called the Kothal-i-P&chin&r. From this pass the first glimpse of Mash-had and its shrine is caught by the pilgrims travelling thither by the Dehrdd road, and its summit is crowned with tall cairns formed of the stones piled up by them to commemorate the event. We now crossed the river Chashmah-i-Gil&sh, which flows on through Mash-had and, at about two miles above the summit of the pass, is confined at a narrow point in its bed by a strongly-built dam of brick, causing it to form tt lake of some dimensions at the entrance of the lovely valley of J&-i- Gharak. A little beyond the band lies the populous village of Ou-
^ DArw4za-i-B41a-i-Khy4b&n. Anglic^, ' the upper gate of the avexrae.* The name of the town, the road to which is reached by the gate, is often added to the strictly local clasignation. —F. J. O.
CHARMING SCENERY, 367
list&n, with two-storied houses, sarrounded by beautiful trees, gardens, and cultivated fields, whence a pleasant avenue of mulberries led us into a valley of such beauty that we congratulated ourselves on having chosen this the Dehrud route in preference to that by Sharifa- bfid. It would be difficult to do justice to the beauty of the pic- ture here presented : we compared it by turns to one of the far- famed Swiss valleys, without its background of snowy peaks ; to a Kashmir glen ; an Italian scene near the lake of Como ; or a Devon- shire glade. It was so entirely unexpected that it came upon us like a glimpse into paradise ; and after months of marching over waste and howling deserts, to find ourselves riding for miles through scenes of a beauty so rare in Persia, made us feel at times inclined to rub our eyes and wonder whether we were not the victims of some il- lusion. For eighteen miles we rode through this valley, between hills whose slopes were a carpet of green turf, and flowers whose per- fume filled the air, under glorious trees and past shady orchards, while bubbling brooks and tiny waterfalls threaded the mountain sides with silver, and filled the air with their music, telling of a plenti- ful harvest near, and a merciful close to the reign of famine and of death. The delight of riding for nearly two days over green turf, by the side of a brawling watercourse, catching nothing but glimpses of the blue sky through the lofty trees above us, was a luxury that could indeed only be thoroughly appreciated by those whose eyes, like ours, had been starved so long for the sight of green leaves and running streams. We reached the village of Jd-i-Gharak, at twenty miles from Mash-had, and halted for the night in rooms prepared for us in the village, as there was no ground suitable for pitching the tents. The name of this village is derived from an old tradition that the country here was once covered by the sea, and that a ship foundered here — * Jd-i-6harak' meaning literally Hhe place of drowning.' In its sur- roundings and construction it much resembles a hamlet in Switzer- land : in height it is 1200 feet above Mash-had. In its prosperous days it yielded a revenue of 1200 lumdns, fruit and wood being its chief products, and felled poplar-trees sell here usually for a krdn apiece. The Katkhuda of the place informed us that although he had kept numerous families alive by borrowing money from Mash-had and doling it out in small sums, just enough to keep body and soul together till the crisis had passed by, 400 out of 700 families had perished during the recent famine.
y»
PKRSO AFGHAN MISSION.
\\^.\x \\\\\k^ ttitor leaving Jd-i-Gharak the lovely landscape has .^.>•*J'^^^u^^^ : i*lHtt» hills take the place of the turf-covered slopes, and I So v\sul ttsiTuds gradually to the caravanserai Pa-Godar, eleven uittvN* slisitant^ u strong well-built place, standing amid scenery of the uiv^Mt dc«H»lutf descrii)tion imaginable. From this spot we rode three i4U\l u-lmir miles to the pass Godar-i-Dehrud, over snow and stones, Ull tho path became so difficult that we had to dismount and lead our hoim'H. The summit ^ of the pass and line of the watershed is reached ut tht' fifteenth mile from Jd-i-Gharak, and here in fine weather a iiiu^hifu'cnt view may be obtained of the plain of Mash-had and ||»o lioly city on the one hand, and the plain of Nishdpur on the othrr to the south. Unfortunately the atmosphere on the occasion nf our ascent was so misty, that all was indistinct and shadowy, tht»ugli the golden dome was just dimly visible in the distance. Nu- inrrouH pyramids of stone, the work of the pilgrims, again testified that they who had passed by this way had from this spot caug^ht tlif first glimpse of the goal of their pilgrimage. The descent of the piiHH is even more trying than the ascent ; at all seasons of the year it JH u difficult undertaking, and should never be attempted with heavily- liidrn mules ; it is quite impracticable for camels, and in severe winters entirely impassable. As it was, our mules stuck in the snow and did not arrive in camp till very late in the evening. The summit of the pass forms the boundary between the districts of Nish&pur and Mash* liad, and the great quantity of snow, still found here and on the neigh- bouring mountains, gave promise of an abundant supply of water, for that year at least, to the scorched and thirsty provinces that lay below. In our descent on the southern side we passed a stone caravanserai about eleven and a-half miles from the summit, and then entered upon wild and magnificent scenery, with enormous limestone bluffs and precipices, down which roared innumerable waterfalls ; and at seven miles from the summit vegetation again recommenced and continued till the ravine opened out into a fertile valley, in which lay the village of Dehrud reposing in a perfect forest of gardens and fruit-trees. The southern slopes of these mountains were almost free from snow, and the increased warmth of the temperature became very perceptible. Dehrud from a distance looked a perfect picture of prosperity and fertility, but we soon found it to be in reality a very charnel-house,
' All the aneroid barometers fell beyond scale on the summit of the pass. The height was Mtimated by Captain Lovett at about 10,000 feet above the sea-level.
SURVIVORS OF FAMINE. 3G9
in ruins, and for the most part deserted, while the pinched, diseased, and listless countenances of the inhabitants we met in the streets^ were sufficient to tell us of their past sufferings and to point them out as the survivors of the fearful &mine, which seemed to have visited this charming spot with unusual severity, and had swept off 1500 inhabitants out of 3000. An odour of disease and death pervaded the place, and the streets were literally strewn with dead men's bones. On taking possession of the rooms that had been prepared for us we found children's skulls lying scattered on the roof, while at our door lay the living skeleton of another child, so sunk in stupor that not even the money put into its hand could rouse it to any signs of life. Provi- dentially, however, there were tokens of an abundant harvest on all sides, gfiving hope that plenty would soon again revisit the stricken village. We did what we could to relieve the present misery, by feeding the crowds of beggars who flocked to ask for charity, and who received the instalment given with gratitude ; but we were struck with the great contrast they presented to the inhabitants of the Jfi-i-Gharak valley over whom the same famine had passed, but without leaving the same terrible traces. The revenue of the village had been reduced for one year to 900 tumdns^ but even this the unhappy villagers were utterly unable to pay, having sold all they possessed to meet the taxes of the previous year. We were not sorry to leave the miserable village early next morning, though we could not forget the sad and pitiful sights we had witnessed in it. From Dehrud we descended the southern slope of the mountains and entered the plain of Nishapur, reaching the town of the same name after a march of twenty-three miles. The appearance of this plain with its innumerable gardens and villages, and its streams of water running down from the hills from every nook and cranny, fully bore out the character of extraordinary richness and fertility ascribed to it by Ferrier and other writers, but the famine had depopulated half the villages, which on closer inspection presented a most miserable and deserted aspect. At this time, however, the whole country appeared to be teeming with an abundant harvest, and bread was already much cheaper than it had been, though still at one krdn the mann. The account given by the villagers of the number of deaths that had taken place amongst them was appalling, but it was impossible to obtain any very accurate statistics from them on the sub- ject. Several miles from Nish&pur itself we were met by an i^fiibdl sent out by the Prince Governor, who is the nephew of the His&mfi-s^ VOL. I. B b
370 PERSO 'AFGHAN MISSION.
Saltanah ; and as we neared the town, crowds of beg^gars, men, woi and children^ flocked out to meet us^ and surrounded us with erie help. Sulaiman Mirza declined the Oeneral's offer to distribute to the poor of the city, on the ground that such relief was no lo necessary ; but there could be no doubt that the local destitution still very serious and widespread. So much has already been writtc the subject of Nish&pur and its ancient history, by Khanikoff, Fei and other travellers, that we will not touch upon it here. We fc the town in a most distressing state ; and out of 600 shops that \ occupied three years before, only 150 managed to eke out a bare sistcnce by a peddling trade in the commonest necessaries of life. usually pays an annual revenue of 40,000 tumdns to the Shah^ 20,000 tumdns for the expenses of government; but 12,000 had 1 remitted on account of the famine. The famous turquoise m are situated at the base of the hill of Sulaim&niah lying to the nort Zamfinab^, a village about 16 miles from the city, and are farmec Government for 8000 tumdns per annum. To our great reg^ret were not able to visit them, and we were still more disappointec find that it was impossible to buy any turquoises in the place, as are sent to Mash-had and Tehrfin as soon as found. The mom after we reached Nishfipur our camels came in, having made stages from Mash-had, and were soon followed by the Af|gli&n C< missioner and his train. The Governor called on the General the evening of our arrival, and spent more than two hours convers on every subject that was started, with an ease and intelligence t reminded us strongly of his shrewd uncle : he was a man of ab( five and twenty, with peculiarly aristocratic manners and appearand and we were much amused by the pride he took in his boots, wh we judged to be of Paris manufacture, but which he told us w national pride had been made for him by a Persian in Shahrud.
From Nishfipur the road ran across a well-cultivated plain, w: the lofty range of the Alburz hills to the north, the couni studded with villages and gardens, and green with the fresh ok of the year, though the mortality of 1871 had stopped three-fourl of the usual cultivation. For ten miles this road was excellent, I the soil then changed, and the remaining six miles to Zam&nal proved to be most unpleasant travelling, our horses sinking o^ their fetlocks in the soft salt-covered earth, called ' Zamin-i-ELavi We entered Zamfinab&d over a strongly-built brick bridge thro^
DISADVANTAGES OF WEALTH. 37X
over the salt river Shur&b. The weather had hitherto been delicious^ but here a tremendous wind blew all day, making tent-life a simple misery. The plain below was covered with the usual round towers for safety from the Turkmans ; and it may be mentioned that we were accompanied in our journey by two Persians, travelling with their wives to Shahrud, who took advantage of our escort. They said that they had been prisoners at Bukhlira for thirteen years^ and had been released, with thousands of other captives, by the ' Buss^' who gave them money to return to their own country. They got as £Eur as Kabul, but here their funds failed, and the Amir, Shir Ali Kh&n, then gave them sixty kriiMy which brought them on to Mash-had, where they besought aid from the Prince^ but obtained in return nothing but advice. They were quite penniless, so we fed them daily till they reached their journey's end. At Shiirdb, a small village, nine miles beyond Zamfinab&d, half ruined by the famine (thirty houses only standing out of seventy), we noticed the foundations of a magnificent caravan* serai commenced by the Mustasharu-l-Mulk, Wazlr of Khuras&n. Though stopped suddenly by the ordinary occurrence of deposition from office, it was hoped he would finish it eventually. Being extremely wealthy, this man was at one time condemned by the His&mu-s* Saltanah to a fine of 150^000 tumdnSy which he actually paid ; and this fact will give some idea of his riches. On the road to Shur&b we noticed many human skulls lying by the path, relics of the past famine. Eight miles beyond the village we arrived at the excellent new caravanserai of Sang Ealali-dir, situated near the village of the same name, with about sixty inhabitants. We had now entered on the district of Sabzaw&r, and, passing the dbambdr of 2^aruni, reached, five miles further on, the magnificent Zafaruni caravanserai, which, however, we carefully avoided, as it had the reputation of being infested by a peculiarly poisonous species of bug. This caravanserai was built partly on the ruins of the old one by Sadr Azim Mirza Agha Kh&n during the present Shah's reign, with money left by a wealthy man named Khusru Khfin Kaj&r, the bulk of whose fortune was employed in public works of charity. Only thirty families were left in this village out of seventy before the famine. The severe illness of one of our party (Mr. Thomas) compelled us to halt here for a day, in order to give him rest, while an express was sent on to Sabzawfir to obtain a proper litter for him. This was, however, not UT be found, so we had to make shift with kajdwas or travelling panniers.
B b 2
372 PERSO' AFGHAN JflSSIOiV.
We left Zafaruni at 4 p.m. the next momiDg^, in cool plea weather, but the sun became very powerful before nine o'cloc the morning. A good road over a desert plain, bounded on ei aide by hilly ranges, brought us, after a march of ten miles^ to caravanserai of Sar Poshida, and from this point we passed thn a succession of flourishing villages, well supplied with water surrounded by cultivation, till fifteen miles further we reached city of Sabzaw&r — apparently much sooner than the good people expected us, for the istikbdl was barely ready in all its details. W however, its members were all properly mustered, the welcoi cortege proved a handsome one, and we were escorted by it with usual ceremony to our quarters, through extensive bazdr9 teei with life and occupation, the towns-people presenting a remarl and very pleasing contrast to the miserable creatures we had hiti seen in our marches from Mash-had. We were located in Governor's own house, which he had courteously vacated for nsj were most comfortably lodged, our rooms opening on to a court planted with roses and jessamine, in full blossom. Findin^^ to astonishment, on entering this courtyard, the Governor of the 1 seated there with Mirza Ma'sum Khfin, we at first imagined t had been some mistake as to our quarters ; but it became clear the Governor had merely come to certify that his orders for reception had been properly carried out, and had been joined by Persian Commissioner — ^both being taken by surprise at our arr which was much sooner than had been expected. We sat tall together for some time, while coffee was served with a most delic sh<irbat made from the wild rhubarb. In the evening the Gove; paid a long visit to the General, accompanied by the K&zi of the pi He is a relative of the His&mu-s-Saltanah, and his wife is the si of Sulaim&n Mirza of Nishdpur. We noted him to be a stout li man, quite as broad as long, very chatty, and ver}' proud of a smat ing of French picked up at the Court at Tehrdn. He gave us b distressing accounts of the ravages of the famine in his disti and said that much misery and suffering still existed in the \a and neighbourhood, though in prosperous years Sabzawfir is consid< the cheapest town in Northern Persia. Being asked what gift w< be most acceptable to him, he replied with many protestations he expected nothing, but that a breech-loading rifle was what specially coveted. Sabzawfir was at one time a very extensive c
SABZAWAR, 373
and a miudr or column, situated five miles to the west on the Tehr&n road, is said to have been included within its walls, which in the days of the sainted Ali, the nephew of the Prophet, extended to the village of Mazin&n. At present it only contains 3000 houses with about io,cx)0 inhabitants, out of 9000 houses and 30,000 inhabitants before the famine ; many of the people having died from excessive eating of grass^ and from cold. The bazdra had ample space for 2000 shops, but only 200 were occupied when we visited the town. There are six caravanserais for merchants, and four for travellers. Its mosque is 800 years old^ dating from the time of Taimur Shah^ Ghurikfini. Silk, cotton, and a small supply of opium are the products of the province— containing nine haluks or districts, many of the villages in which have lost three-fourths of their population. Sabzaw&r exports wheat to Astrab^, with dried fruits, cotton, and. sheep-skins, re- ceiving cooking utensils, etc. in return ; and there is a rich copper mine in the neighbouring hills of which, during the famine^ the ore was sold for its weight in bread.
We remained here for a whole day, to give rest to Mr. Thomas, and to arrange a proper litter or takhti rawan for his use. During this halt we discovered an Armenian merchant, who sold bad wine in small quantities as a great favour, and who informed us that wine and spirits were to be obtained from a Russian at Shahrud — a piece of information hailed by us all with much satisfaction. We had been unwilling tea- totalers for some time past, our supplies of wine and spirits having been exhausted just after leaving Sistfin. We marched from Sabzaw&r on the 13th of May, at half-past four in the morning, for we had a very long stage before us — of seven farsakhs^ according to the Per- sians, but according to Ferrier, nine at the least, or over thirty-two miles. The camp was astir at three, but the usual difficulties in getting the servants together, and loading the baggage animals in the narrow streets, did not allow of our starting as soon as we wished, so that we rode through the bazdrs and cleared the gates of the town at half-past four, just as the latter were opened. Five miles from Sabzaw&r stands the Min&r of ELhusru Gird, already alluded to, a very remarkable solitary round tower, about 120 feet high, built of baked brick, with a flight of interior steps leading to the summit, only wide enough to admit one man. Round its exterior the bricks are arranged at intervals so as to form a Kufic inscription. It is in excellent repair, though of considerable antiquity, and stands on a
371 P£Ii:<U AFOJIAX JZ/^^SVO.V.
square foundation, still i>erfectly sound, and which is now exposed to the depth of about six feet. The bricks of which it is constructed are joined together with ffiic^ (mortar), and in appearance it reminded us much of the tower we had seen at K^imabdd, in Sist&n. A belt of cultivated land and occasional villages extends beyond Sabzaw&r for eleven miles, but at that distance vegetation ceases, and oar road ran over a hard gravelly desert till we reached Ri\'ad, twenty miles from Sabzaw&r, and about twelve from ilehr, our halting-place for the night. The sun was so powerful that it became necessary to halt for several hours during the extreme heat, and we did not therefore reach Mehr till the evening, when, eschewing the ver>' stuffy and inodorous quarters our Mihmdndar had secured for us in the village^ we pitched our tents in a field outside. Like all villages on this route^ Mehr had suffered terribly from the famine, only sixty families remaining oat of lOO of the former population. The first crop of barley had been already reaiKxl ; but the sight of a large crowd of starving women and children, craving alms, induced the General to attempt the grant of at least temporary relief, by forwarding to the Kfizi of the place a sam of money for distribution. We noticed that fifteen miles from Sabza- wfir the ranges of hills and detached hillocks to the south, whidi for many miles had been gradually diminishing, entirely ceased, and the salt waste of the great desert of Khuras&n was visible in the dis- tance, gleaming white through a misty haze. The temperature was greatly affected by the proximity of the desert, and became extremely hot and close : and the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages suffer much from the wind that, constantly blowing from that quarter, injures their crops by desiccation and diminishing the yield. The hills on the north, on the contrary, are well watered, with prosperous villages nestling in the fertile valleys between them. Numerous round mud towers testified as usual to the constant dread of the Turkmans. From Mehr a march of twenty miles brought us to Mazin&n, a village standing in the midst of scanty cultivation and extensive ruins, amongst which is to be found the tomb of the &ther of the saint Im&m Riza. It possesses a very fine caravanserai, but we preferred passing the night in our tents. During the day we suffered great inconvenience from the wind, which enveloped us in clouds of dust, strongly impregnated with saline matter and affecting the eyes most painfully. Mazin&n is so peculiarly exposed to Turkman attacks, that in lieu of taxes to the Shah it is bound to support 150 iufangchis
Af. DE BLOCQUEVILLE. 375
(matchlock-men) and twelve artillery-men, with their horses; and from this point the road for the next four stages is considered so unsafe that we were compelled to travel with an escort of eighty iufangchis and between 150 and 200 mounted sowars and a piece of artillery, drawn by six horses : it was a four-and-a-half pounder, of Turkish construction, and bearing the Sultan's monogram. The artillery and sowars struck us as being soldierlike and well up to their work. Though this escort was probably increased on account of the Mission, yet the presence of an armed party of considerable strength is held so necessary in cross- ing the perilous district, that a body of sowars with one gun leaves Mazinan and Shahrud regularly twice a month, on the 3rd and the 17 th, for the protection of all travellers journeying that way. The respective parties meet at Mian-Dasht, half-way between the two places, relieve one another, and return each to its starting-point. We made a very large cortSge with our own camp and that of the Afgh&n and Persian Commissioners, but though there is always a great con- course of people waiting for the guns, we were accompanied by few actual pilgrims. One great trial of our patience was the inconvenient but necessary order of the day to travel at the same pace as the camels and baggage-mules ; but we felt that stragglers might have shared the fate of the French photographer who, some time before, had lingered behind the escort to complete a picture, and was swept off by the Turkmans, and kept a prisoner till ransomed by the Persian Government for ^y>oo. Our Mihm&nd&r from Mash-had left us at Mazinfin, taking back handome presents for himself, and the coveted breech-loading rifle for the Governor of Sabzaw&r.
We started from Mazin&n at half-past four the next morning, and as no particular danger was anticipated for the first fourteen miles of the stage, which ran over the desert skirting the hills, were only too glad to shake ourselves clear of the crowd of travellers, and ride on ahead to the fort and fine caravanserai of Sadrabfid, where we break- fiEisted. This fort is inhabited by three &milies in the pay of Govern- ment, whose lot appeared to us most unenviable, as, not to speak of the loneliness of their abode, they live in constant dread of fiEilling into the clutches of the Tiirkmans. Beyond this fort the dangers of the road were considered so imminent that we were compelled to wait till the main body came up ; when with horse, foot, artillery, pilgrims, and outsiders, we formed a long line stretching across the desert, which here became sandy, treacherous, and covered with salt. Two miles
.S7i; PER SO - A Fail AS MISSIOS.
boyond the caravanserai is the PuI-i-Abrisham, a bridge, now nearly ruined, which crosses a narrow rivulet of salt water. This is the dreaded spot of the sta^, for four miles beyond the bridge is an oasis of green turf watered by a fresh-water spring called the * Chash- mah-i-Gez,' concealed by a dip in the road, which affords a convenient halting-place for the Turkmans, who here await at their ease the approach of the caravan they intend to rob. Rather to the disap- pointment of some of our party, however, nothing was to be seen this day of the robbers; and the spring once passed the danger for that stage was considered over, and we pushed on without the wonted escort to Abb&sabdd, the station reached at noon. This village is peopled by the descendants of Georgians brought by Shah AbbAfl from the neighbourhood of Tiflis, who are now all Masalm£ns. Originally there were sixteen families placed here to look after the very fine caravanserai, and the kandt^ constructed at the same time, iiH uIho to help the pilgrims to Mash-had : for this service an an- nuity of IOC iumdnn and loo kharwars of wheat was settled on the villagers, which is continued to this day. The women are said to be KuriMiusingly beautiful ; but of this we were of course not permitted to judge : as the Shah took one to wife some three years ago, we may reasonably conclude that such reputation has been well founded. There was but little cultivation round the village, the inhabitants living principally by what they can make in attending to the wants of the numerous pilgrims who pass through en route to Mash^had. Some excitement was caused by a report that fourteen of our camels and one man had been carried off by the Turkmans in the middle of the night; and though we had intended ta march at three in the morning, we were compelled to await the daybreak and result of a mission in quest of the missing driver and animals. It turned out, however, that the former having fallen asleep his camels had strayed ; and after much delay, and of course many conflicting reports^ they were all brought in safely, and we started with our number com- plete. Half-way over a range of low hills that crossed the desert plain, we met the caravan coming from Shahrud, with one gun and a few iu/un^chis, whose small numbers showed that the people, from Shahrud at least, anticipated but little danger from the Turkmans at this season of the year. There was a considerable number of pil- grims with this caravan. At Alhak, a ruined fort and deserted village about eight miles from Abb&sabfid^ we changed escorts, the gun from
FORTY DREARY MILES, 377
Mazinfin being relieved by the one from Shahrud. Our courier from Tehran, Mahomed Ism&il Beg, was with this caravan, and to our great delight brought us English letters up to the 17th March, and the good news that the &mine was gradually passing away at the capital. Our pleasure, however, was marred by receiving tidings of the death of Mr. Alison, H. B, M. Minister in Persia.
From Alhak we made a gradual descent of twelve miles to Mian Dasht, through a tremendous storm of dust, wind, thunder and rain. Mian Dasht is nothing but a cluster of ruined mud huts, a partially ruined burnt brick fort, and a new caravanserai in course of construc- tion. This last promised to be very large and handsome, and its half- finished rooms were at once occupied by the members of the caravan ; but we preferred the quiet of our own tents, pitched outside on the open plain, on which rhubarb and wormwood were growing. Mian Dasht stands 1000 feet above Abb&sab&d. The fort was garrisoned by about forty or fifty matchlock-men, who received the unusually good pay of 100 tumdns per annum. The old caravanserai dates from the reign of Shah Abb&s : the new one was commenced three years ago by the Amir-i-Tum&n, H^i Husain Kh&n. Beyond Mian Dasht lay the noted valley of Ja-i-Jirm, studded with villages and forts, the in- habitants of which lead the most insecure life imaginable, being con- stantly exposed to the attacks of the Turkm&ns, who enter the valley from the north by a pass in the low hills called the ' Dahnah-i-Zaidar,' and scour the roads right and left. Six miles further we passed the village of Zaidar, a small hamlet with good trees and running water, situated on the eastern slope of the lofty hill of Mi&m&i ; and skirting this hill on the left^ and the snow-capped Siah Kuh on the right, we reached the pleasant tree-sheltered village of Ibrahimabad^ whence we pushed on to Mi&m&i, the last recognised halting-place on this road to Shahrud. The village was surrounded by fields of wheat and barley ready for the sickle, and our camp was pitched in two fields that had been already reaped. Grain was, however, still almost at famine prices. A truly fieitiguing march of forty-one miles lay between us and Shahrud, and the heat of the noonday sun being now very great, we started at 3 a.m., in order to get over as much ground as we could during the cool of the early morning. The utterly desert road was most uninteresting^ presenting no features worthy of notice, nor did anything occur to relieve the monotony of the march. We arrived at Shahrud at six o'clock in the. evening
378 PEHSO AFGHAN MISSION.
dead beat, both animals and men. To our surprise no Ulikb sent out to receive us, and we at once attribut-ed this fact to the of Mirza Ma'sum Kh&n, who had arrived at Shahrud three before ourselves. When the Nfiib of the place was spoken to subject, he tacitly admitted that in neglecting to give the uso; come to the English Mission he had acted under the instracti the Persian Commissioner. The Prince Governor here^ J&nsoz by name^ an impoverished roue^ seemed a mere non-entity, tl Governor being the Niib, who resides at Shahrdd while the lives at Bost&n — a place about three miles and a-half from Sh seated at the foot of a lofty range of hills, and embosomed ii and gardens. We were glad that the circumstances of the F residence at Bost&n made it unnecessary for the Genersd to pa any \'isit of ceremony, for he was a man of an evil reputatii unusually bad specimen even of a Persian Governor, and so de detlesy that he could scarcely leave Tehr&n to take up his ap ment as Governor of Shahrud. There is good reason to believ he made the wretched artillery-men, ghuldma, and sowars^ wh escorted us from Mian Dasht, disgorge all the money the receive<l in fair recompense for their services.
Shahrud is situated at the foot of a spur of hills branchings ofl the lofty Shah Kuh. It was formerly the capital of the provino Boston is gradually usurping that position, and Shahrud sinking the character of suburb to the younger city. The Prince Goven before mentioned resides at Boston, and here the troops and art arc quartered. It also contains the grave of a finmous Shaikh o Bfiyazid, who it is said refused to have any dome raised over his ^ and whose only monument is a heap of stones. Near the grave, ever, is a mindr^ to which is attached a stick : those of the fa who wish to consult the deceased prophet grasp the stick, an^ saint is said to answer them by causing the mindr to vibrate such violence, that were any one to stand at its summit he won precipitated to the ground. Shahrud contains about looo housec entirely escaped the horrors of the famine, as supplies were easily had from Astrab^. It has 200 shops, of which twenty are excluc devoted to the sale of boots and shoes, for which the place is fan the Shah and all the nobles of Persia being supplied by the shoem of this town. Four caravanserais for merchants and sixteen fo grims are to be found here. The chief products of the distric
BUSSIAN VISITORS, 379
wheat, cotton, fruits, and tobacco. The town is infested with the poi- sonous bug abeady mentioned^ called the sAabgaZy and we therefore kept to our own tents outside the walls, pitched in the midst of gardens surrounded by fine trees. We halted here for six days, viz. from May 1 8 to May 23, and experienced the most remarkable changes in the weather during that time. The mornings were delicious^ the air quite soft and pleasant, reminding those of our party who knew Kashmir of the climate there ; but towards three o'clock in the afternoon a storm invariably came on, sometimes of wind only, but oftener of thunder^ lightning, and heavy rain, which quickly swelled the nu- merous mountain torrents in the vicinity. Our servants were com- pletely knocked up by the trying march from Mi&mfii, as were also the horses, so that the camp for the first day was imusually quiet ; but a good deal of excitement was infused into it the third day of our stay by the report that 400 Turkmans had made their appearance at a spot between Mi&m&i and Shahrud, having come down with the inten- tion of intercepting the Mission. This news was brought down by our Mir&khor, who had gone up to the Prince at Bostdn with the usual polite messages from Sir Frederic Gk)ldsmid, in return for en- quiries sent by him through the Nfib ; and who reported that a larg^ body of sowdrs had been sent in pursuit of the robbers. One of the servants of Mr. Hoeltzer of the Telegraph Office met us and told us he had obtained leave to visit his family living in one of the villages of the Ja-i-Jirm valley, but on arrival there found that all the members bad been swept off by the Turkmans.
Two Russian residents in the town called on the General, natives of Moscow, apparently upper class ' mujiks ;' they seemed perfectly con- tented with their life here, and spoke good Persian. We tasted some of the wine made from grapes grown in the neighbourhood, and found it very like Shir&z wine ; and we also obtained a good supply of excellent oranges, brought from Mazandar&n. The Telegraph Station here, supposed to keep up communication both with Tehrfin and Astra- b&d, appears to be of little use, as the line is almost always broken down : during the time we were at Shahrud no message had been interchanged with either place, and the clerk in charge declared he had no idea where the break was to be found.
On May %% the Persian Commissioner left for Tehr&n. On the 23rd we were all busily employed preparing budgets for home, which were to be entrusted to Quartermaster-Sergeant Bower, who was to
Mr\* zhe Mrj^k-n a: Shahrud for Earope, carnring despatches from S-r Fr»>i*rv Goldsmid to the Foreign Office. The mail was closed at *ti2.>*rc. JLTid ear.y the next morning Bower left the camp, to the great rv^rv: o:' all our party. He was to go down to Astrab&d in four days, K v\'r a very bad hilly rv>ad of fifty miles, and from thence might expect to rva.h London in twenty days, taking the train at Tsaritsin, on the VoLta. The TVttd tn>m Shahhid to Deh Mulla is for the most part desert and stony, a; times skirting the hills to the right, at others the eternal ^I: wastes of the Khurasan desert to the left. Up to Deh Mulla the telegraph wirv*. which are supported on poplar poles, were in good repair, and it was curious to find with what feelings of pleasure we ne^Tirvled them, as an earnest of the civilisation to which we were retuminc &ft<^r ^"^^u- six months' travel in the deserts of Persia and Si Stan. We passed five or six villages on the road, none of which presented any features of interest, and halted for the night at Deh Mulla. a small \'illage 700 feet helow Shahrud, with about seventy families left of the one hundred of its population previous to the famine. It possesses a ruined fort, originally built for protection from the Turk- mans, and a large caravanserai. The latter, however, had such a repu- tation for the sAa^j^aZy or bug, that we avoided it carefully, and were glad to find quarters had been prepared for us in an excellent two- storied house, quite new, standing in a large garden, in which was a particularly beautiful species of Iris. Here the Mihm&nd&r appointed by the Prince of Shahrud to attend us, left, as the jurisdiction of his master ceased at this place, and that of the Governor of Damgh&n commenced. For the next few stages we started at half-past three in the morning, in order to get over the mareh before the great heat of the day: the moonlight was brilliant in the extreme, and these rides in the quiet and cool of the hours preceding dawn were most enjoyable. Between Deh Mulla and Damgh&n we passed two villages, Momina- bfid and K&dirabfid, both built by Mirza Mahdi Khfin, the Wazir of the great N&dir Shah, who left them in perpetuity to his heirs male. Then came Mihmandost, the special property of the Shah, and behind it Im&mab&d, formerly belonging to the late Sipah Salar. Finally we passed through the ruins of Bostajan and reached, somewhat further, ancient Damgh&n, twenty-seven miles from Deh Mulla. These remains mark the site of the once populous town, said to have been destroyed two centuries since by the Afgh&ns, who in one day slew 70,000 of its inhabitants ; but so vast was its population then, that this wholesale
THE SHAH AND THE SPRING, 381
slaughter, so the legend goes, made no perceptible diflferenee in its numbers. Before that time also 40,cx)0 had perished in an earthquake. Since these two calamities the town has been steadily on the decline, and is now a heap of melancholy ruins^ among which are the remains of fine mosques and shrines, an ancient citadel, claiming to be 30CO years old^ and a mindr with a surface of ornamental brick-work, and Kufic inscriptions dating from the commencement of the Muhammadan era. Another ancient monument is called the mindr of Harunu-r- Raschid. We rode straight through the town, or its ruins, and out at the western gate to our camp, which was pitched beside an excellent caravanserai ; but the inimical ahabgaz had fairly closed its doors to European travellers. We had ridden so fast that we reached the place before the Utikhdl was ready for us, and came upon the members one by one, each and all profuse in their apologies and regrets. Terrier has written of the high wind so prevalent here. The Persians say that it is occasioned by a mystic spring in the moun- tains about two faraakhs off, which, the moment anything dirty is thrown into it, causes a tremendous gale to blow, which lasts several days^ till the spring is purified ; and a sentry is always kept at the well to prevent tampering with its waters. It is said that when the Shah passed through Damgh&n en route for Mash-had, being incredulous of the story, he ordered some of his suite to throw dirt into the spring, when immediately such a wind arose that the royal camp was rolled up like so much paper, and the Shah was compelled to have the cistern completely cleaned out and purified before the wind would cease I There are three im&mz^ahs in Damghdn, one of which is that of the Forty Virgins. We found the telegraph lines in working order from here to Tehr&n, but messages could only be sent in Persian and through a native clerk.
Guchah, lying about twenty-three miles beyond Damghim, was our next halting-place ; and we reached it by a good road through unin- teresting country, with three or four large villages en roule^ standing amongst luxuriant fields of wheat and barley. Ferrier describes one of these, D&ulatabad, as one of the most flourishing villages of Persia, but this did not seem to us to be borne out by facts ; its walls were very dilapidated, and could never have covered any great extent of gpround, two of the triple lines scarcely deserving the name of walls : the chief beauty of the place consisted in its trees, which wore remarkably fine. It is watered by numerous streams of water, which
382 PERSO'AFGUAy MISSION.
aeiH>uuUHl for tho extreme fertility of the soil ; nowhere had we seen Kner ort)i>8 timn tho£te of Diulatubod. It had however suffered severely durini; the famine, many of the villages and forts near being entirely decH'rtt'il, while the many 'Turkman protection' towers told of the evt*r-drt'«dt\l visits of those detested men-st-ealers. A cluster of vil- ln^'s of sinno importamH> lay beyond, the chief of which, Amirab&d, wa«i built by tho lato Sijvih Salar, who spared no pains or expense to iiuike it «Ui\v««fuK He bnnight architects and builders from Tehr&n, aud etw'tiHl uviny hand^^^me houses; baths^ etc, besides ensuring for it at a ^roat outlay an abundant supply of water, the beneficial effects \^' whivh are visible in the irv^^t extent of cultivation which surrounds Ihi* vtltd^. Between AmiralvKd and Guchah lay a desert road, traced \>ut by the tele^rraph (vW and wires. Guchah itself consists merely of a wry dirty c«ravan$erai« a water-tank, and a ckapar kkdnah or post- h\'us^s Bn'«d and water wvre obtainable here^ but nothing else^ and tra\elWr« should take oaiv to bring sufficient supplies from Damghdn. The in*%vurity t>f the n>ad, owing to the Turkman attacks, and the rava^'^ of the famine, had of late caused a great diminution in the numlvm of travellers and pilgrims passing through Guchah, a fact bewaile^I bitterly by the keeper of the caravanserai, who lived by 91'lling bread at exorbitant prices to all passers-by.
At Guchah we received a complimentary message from the Persian head of the telegraph at Tehr&n, which cost us £\ ; but our Mirza^ more fortunate than ourselves, knew a clerk in the Tehr&n office, who sent him a beautiful message of welcome in poetry, and charged nothing for it I The air in these early morning marches was most deliciously cool, and we felt no inconvenience from the sun till about nine o'clock, when it became so powerful that we generally arranged to halt then, and remain in camp for the rest of the day.
Ahiian, the stage beyond Guchah, is a village of no interest, possessing two caravanserais, one very ancient, built by N&ushirw&n, and in ruins, the other erected by Shah Sulaimfin Safavi, somewhere about the time of our Queen Elizabeth. We were surprised to find the country between this place and Guchah swarming with an insect unknown to us previously, with the body of a large beetle and the legs of a grasshopper. The natives call it * locust,' but it certainly was not the locust of Egypt and Syria. We were told by the keeper of the Guchah caravanserai that the great ELhiiras&n desert to the south of Guchah was covered for many miles by an inland salt sea, so deep as
THE IMAM AND THE DEER. 383
•
to be impassable except in one place, where a passage can be effected with infinite difficulty and labour, bat where many have been drowned in making the attempt. We could observe something in the far dis- tance much resembling a sheet of water, but whether this was really water, or merely a mirage, it was impossible for us to decide. It is quite possible, however, that the drainage from the southern slopes of the Alburz may collect on the lowest level of the great desert, but it is strange that the sea, if existent, should never have been men- tioned by any previous travellers. Former writers relate that at one time a herd of tame deer was to be found at Ahuan, whose presence was accounted for by the following legend. The sainted Muhammad Riza, passing through the village one day^ met a huntsman who had just caught a deer. At sight of the saint the animal became gifted with speech, and besought him to allow her to return to her young ones at home, who would perish for want of nourishment if she were kept a prisoner. Thereupon the saint ordered the huntsman to let her go, promising to go bail for its fe-appearance. The huntsman obeyed, but as the deer never returned, he complained to the saint, who then, by force of prayer, summoned back the animal to its captor, and it was kept saored by him ever after.
After a march of about twenty miles from Ahuan we reached the plain of Samn&n, which lay stretched out like a map before us, with a few scattered villages and scanty cultivation. The town itself stands in a belt of gardens, at about 2100 feet below Ahiian, a difference which was at once perceptible in the increased warmth of the temperature. We got into our camp, which was pitched imder fine mulberry trees, close to a watermill, so early (at 8.45) that the preparations for our reception were not completed. Two hundred yards from the town, however, we were met by a cavalcade headed by the cousin of the Governor, who was the N&ib of the place, sent out to meet the General, accompanied by a very rickety tumble-down carriage, ap- parently of Russian origin, and drawn by two horses without blinkers. The NfiHb informed us that Mirza Ma'sum Khin was now at Samn&n detained by illness, and that it was very doubtful when he would be able to resume his journey. We found a good supply of apricots in this place, of excellent flavour, though not large, and this at once showed the gpreat difference between the climate here and that of the spur of hills we had lately traversed to the north-east. A violent wind blew all day, which caused us great discomfort £rom the clouds of dust
.^<4 FKKMi AFtuiAX yiss/oy.
\l nm^AxI frvitt tW no^rkbourtnir pladn. It wms probably owing to this >KtiKi tbji: $k^ vtuftttv of the telt^^rnph posts along this stage were oa thv i::tv*uaA >fcuh the wires neiuiy touching the earth. We were, hv^vwc. utuvb ^rt'rt^ to leiim that notwithstanding this, the hiK* %*> T\'jvrt*\i to K* in jwd working order. Xo visit was re- vVi>\\i b> Sir t\ Oolcswaxi trom the GoTemor of Samn&n himself, tho usii*! oi>*>.5:*^ VeiosT odfered by his Wazir as his proxy, and we Vat^: ji:>cr^*r^ tb*: he h*d been specially excused by the Shah t\vjti iNA^**^ ?rs5 \'^t*. We halted a day here to give the men 4»U A3.jt;,i** A y^."^, a»i curing this time received from the Governor v:v«<st^. ,-:* A itad ot bread or nisk for which the place is celebrated^ *»ii; ^\vSu A* *.: had I'^n baked the year before, we did not ap- y«\v*a:.\ $«»nan is a tolerably thriving place, trading chiefly in ?>\' TVj*k* aV\v*mentii>neJ and horse-shoes, of both of which it sends W^v"^ ^ux^iH"* U* Tehrin. It suffered but slightly during the famine, o* .^^ to il» i^viximity to Mazandaran, from which it obtained sup- ^»^^e* . It* iviuilation consisted of 2500 families.
At the time of our visit it was governed by one Muhammad Husain KSaku a |vr9onage of high descent and titles. Its walls and citadel we livHiud in a very dilapidated condition, but it possesses twelve eanvanserais, excellent bazars, with 700 shops, four hammdms^ and three UKHsques, one of which last is of great antiquity, and reputed to be of the epoch of N£ushirw4n. Unfortimately time has obliterated the date from the inscription on the ancient stones over its portal. The other two mosques were erected, one by Shah Abbas, the other by the late Fath Ali Shah, forty-six years ago. The more modem structure is very handsome. Four collies have also been built by the inhabitants themselves in the town, which possesses besides a mindr similar to the one at Damgh&n, standing in front of the ancient mosque. The town itself is surrounded on the west by a belt of gardens quite two miles wide, and these past, the stony desert again commences, and con- tinues up to the lejnarkable village of Lash-gird, twenty-two miles distant, of which the fort and houses are built in tiers, like a gigantic pigeon-roost. The ancient name of this hamlet was Boklu-Kala'h, or ' the filthy fort,' and it fully deserves that title still. A more evil- smelling, uncleanly spot it would be difficult to find, and it was so infested with mosquitoes, that we found it quite impossible to sleep in our tents : had we ventured into the village we should have en- countered still worse enemies of the insect tribe. The old village
THE SALT VILLAGE. 385
consists of two ranges of houses^ built one above the otber, in an irregular circular shape, to construct balconies to which poles have been driven into the walls, and a species of basket-work has been superposed for flooring. This primitive projection is without protection of any kind, and it may be imagined how many children are killed by rolling over it on to the ground beneath, either in play or sleep. The inhabitants, however^ are quite accustomed to such accidents, and spend the greater part of their day on these balconies, which, filthily dirty themselves, look down upon a village yet dirtier, the receptacle of all the refuse thrown from the houses above. The new village surrounds the old, and is embedded in gardens and cultivation. The place is ^ Wakf,' or sacred to the shrine of the Im&m Biza at Mash* had, to which it pays an annual tribute of 400 tom&ns. The old fort is said to have been built 1600 years ago. L&sh-gird sufiered much during the famine, losing a third of its population. It is famed all over Persia for melons and pomegranates. For ourselves, only too glad to get clear of its untempting vicinity, we started at half.past one the morning after arrival, in a storm of violent wind and clouds of dust, the N&ib of the place being courteous enough to see us o£f notwithstanding the hour, and to accompany us on our way for some distance. This proved to be one of the most trying marches of our journey : the road skirts the desert of Kuhras&n to the south, and being utterly without water, is so hot and fatiguing, that few Persians ever attempt to traverse it except at night. Twelve miles from our starting-point we passed the large deserted village and post station of Abdulab&d, standing in the midst of the wild waste, a melancholy picture of ruin and decay, want of water having driven away all its in- habitants more than thirty years back. Further on^ the road ascends gradually to Deh Namak, or ' the salt village,' through a plain covered with camelthom and scanty pasturage, which increased as we neared the station. This stands in the midst of a wind-swept clay plain, and is a collection of miserable mud huts with a post-house and caravanserai. We reached it in the very teeth of a gale of wind, steadily gaining strength till it became a perfect hurricane. On arrival the caravanserai was found to be so full of dirty pilgrims, that we ordered our tents to be pitched on the open plain, where with great difficulty three were raised by 8 a.m. As the day advanced, however^ the ripening gale whirled against us such clouds of dust and small stones that the canvas housing, fairly succumbing to the VOL. I. 00
386 PERSO AFGHAN MISSION.
influence, was beaten down and finally torn to ribbons. At our party, after an endurance rather stoical than heroic, wear with the struggle and discomfort, was driven to take refuge the walls of the dirty and already overcrowded caravanserai the ills of this, perhaps the most unpleasant day we had passe leaving Bandar-Abbas, did not end here. The wind continued ivith a fury that searched out ever}*^ crack and cranny in th( of our new refogc, causing eddies of dust to sweep throug-h the ; our ears and noses were assailed with sounds and smells thi description ; and we were devoured by ileas, mosquitoes, and sa Our practical consolation was in the abundant supply of ice W4 obtain in the village. With feelings of intense relief we left tl morning at 1.30 a.m. ; attended, however, by the same trem gale, which continued for hours. Passing the half-ruined 1 of P&-deh and Ala Kharfiba, we reached the large walled hai Araddn at the thirteenth mile from Deh Namak ; and froi point the desert gave place to cultivated lands, rich pasturag numerous villages, the country being abundantly w^atered be kandU and streams of water flowing from the hills to the Eighteen villages lay in the plain between Pd-deh and Kishli miles further, our next halting-place, all apparently enjoy plentiful supply of water. Warned by the unpleasant experiei the previous day we did not attempt to pilch tents at KishU took up our quarters in a well-built Mihmdn-Khanah, or carava: which had two excellent upper rooms capable of holding us all servants and horses occupying the rooms below. At night the ] of sandflies recommenced, and made sleep an impossibility : are even more tormenting than the mosquitoes. This \'illi called khdha, or the ^ special property of the Shah,' and suppli royal stables with grain and fodder. It is well watered by sp coming down from the Piruz-Kuh, which the natives call ' the of the Jdjrud river.*
For the last few nights we had heard large flocks of g^se p overhead, though it was too dark to distinguish them. The^ probably taking their flight from Sist&n for Russia and the regions of the north ; their departure having been delayed mucl than usual, owing to the exceptional severity of the winter. ^ same cause might be traced also the well-stocked condition of i ice-pits to be found in every village on our route through this di
TEHRAN AGAIN. 387
Between Kishl&k and Aiw&ni Kfiif, the next stage, twenty-two miles distant^ is a defile known as the Tang-i-Sarddri, passing through some low hills at about eight miles distance from Kishl&k, for which it is usual to take an escort of matchlock-men as a protection against Turkmans and robbers. We however dispensed with this precaution, and neither here nor at any other time saw anything of these betet noires of Persian travellers. Two ruined caravanserais guard the entrance and outlet of the pass, but are in too dilapidated a state to be of any use. The country on which we emerged after clearing the defile was an extensive plain, well watered^ partially cultivated, and surrounded by hills. In its midst stood the large and prosperous village of Aiw&ni K&if, or, literally translated, the ' abode of plea- sure.' It also is khdlsa^ like Kishlfik, and furnishes annually a certain proportion of the grain and cha£f used in the royal stables. It is celebrated for its figs and pomegranates^ and a particular species of pottery made from very fine clay. Our camp was pitched beyond the village on some high ground^ where, again, the wind blew with such violence that^ as in many parts of Persia, tent life was the reverse of pleasant ; and when the g^le abated towards sunset, the sandflies and mosquitoes recommenced their attacks, and made the night long and weary. From this spot we first saw the snowy peak of the Kuh-i- Shamr&n, with the still loftier summit of the Damdvand, towering above a low range of hills to the right. We were surprised to find the fruit and grain crops here far behind those of Samn&n. Neither had yet ripened, and on this account provisions were still at famine prices ; and the villagers complained much of the losses they had sus- tained in their fruit crops from the high wind. At Aiw&ni K&if we halted for a day, and sent in a ghuHm^ who had brought us letters to L&sh-gird, to Tehrdn^ to enquire respecting the fate of a courier by whom Sir F. Goldsmid had sent important despatches from Shahrud: we had as yet heard nothing of him and were beginning to fear the man had been tempted from his fidelity. The morning however after the ghnldnCs departure, a courier arrived from Tehran with the news that the messenger from Shahrud had lingered sixteen days on the road and had only just delivered his letters. We further learnt that the famine was still very severe in the capital^ though a magnificent harvest was ready for reaping. On the morning of the 3rd of June^ Sir Frederic Goldsmid rode straight into Tehran, relays of horses having been sent out for him from the city, on the
0 c 2
5S.< PERSO'AFGHAy MISSIOX.
day Wfore. to Niuj^iinibaz, the regular post-stage. The remainder of th« Mi^oD followed more slowly by an exeellent road over the fertile plain of ^*erA^lin, at this time literally eovered with flourishing^ vilU^H» and tieUU of waiving eom. It owes its fertility to the nu- werv^u» rills of water which flow through its length and breadth^ coming do^'n with great force from the Jlynid river. It belongfs chiefly to the nobles of Persia, and is considered the most valuable laiuleil property in the country. We halted for our last night at the splendid oanvanserai of KhitunihiUl, about thirty-two miles from Tehran^ and at i a.m. on the 5th June started for the capital, much tormented by our old enemies the sandflies and mosquitoes. Our tforvants all turned out in their best attire ; but the news we had re- c^iv^ of the mortality, sickness, and famine still reigning in the city nude our return a much le;^ joyous afiair to us all than it would have Uvn i« happier time^i^ Pureuing our way in the dark we skirted a rau>^• of hill*, and traversing a highly cultivated plain reached the mIUi^' of Shah Abdul- Aiim at 3 a.m., where we made a short halt. A few hour* later we were met by a courier from Sir Frederic Gold- »iuid. with the intelligeQce that an UtlHdl would be sent out to uitvt the Afghiin Commissioner, and ever\* arrangement made for his i\nirteous reception at the capital. The road from the village of Shah Abdul- Azim to Tehr&D is too well-known to need description here. We reached the gates of the city at 7 a.m., and traversed the whole length of its bazan. Even at this early hour, when but a fourth of the shops were opened, we were struck with the deserted aspect of the streets and listless appearance of the passers-by, pre- senting such a contrast to the busy scene usual in the bazars of an Eastern capital when it has just thoroughly awaked into daily life. We passed numbers of dead bodies and many living skeletons, all telling of the miser}' still existent, and found also that a very bad kind of typhus fever was prevalent, owing to the system of intramural inter- ment by which thousands of bodies had been buried during the winter under a few inches of earth : it was feared that, as the summer ad- vanced, the air would by this means become so poisoned that fever and contagious diseases would be rife in Tehran.
Clearing the city we reached the summer quarters of the British Legation at the village of Gulahak, 7 miles from Tehr&n, at 9.30 a.m.^
' At the time of our urival the Shah wm abseDt on a shootiiig excnrdon id the hills, but WM expected beck Tery shortly ; and it was evident that but little would be done ia
THE MISSION ENDED. 389
The members of the Mission were not sorry to reach the end of their wanderings, and were all very thankful that so long and trying a journey, with constant vicissitudes of climate^ had been free from disease, accident, or any casualty. With the exception of the some- what severe illness of Mr. Thomas, the camp had throughout our long journey enjoyed singular immunity from sickness ^, a privilege which had extended to the horses and beasts of burden in the camp. The former reached Tehr&n in excellent condition, and with but few ex- ceptions were sold for more than their original price.
Sir Frederic Goldsmid, Majors Euan Smith and Lovett^ together with General Pollock and the Afgh&n Commissioner, remained at Gulahak for more than two months endeavouring to come to a settlement of the points at issue ^. During this time a great mass of irrelevant documentary evidence was produced by the Persian Foreign Office in support of their claim to the whole of Sist&n, further pressed upon General Goldsmid by Mirza Melkam Kh&n, who now fills the office of Persian Ambassador in London. This very capable and accomplished official had been at once appointed to supersede Mirza Ma'sum Khfin on our arrival in Tehr&n; and from that period our friend the Persian Commissioner may be said to have com- pletely disappeared from our ken. He took no subsequent part in the proceedings, and the last we heard of him was in the announce- ment that he had been suspended from all official emplojrment for one year in consequence of his conduct in Sist&n. It is probable^
the matter of the Siat^n Arbitration until His Majesty had returned : though on hit arrival after a fortnight, Sir F. Goldsmid and the members of the Mission were reoeiyed by His Majesty at onoe.
* It is with the greatest regret that we have to record here that Quartermaster- Sergeant Bower, of the Royal Engineers, who had been for many years resident in Persia^ and who had accompanied this Mission to Baldchistin and Sistibi, fell a victim to typhoid fever very shortly after his return to Persia from the special duty on which he had been detached to England by Sir Frederic Goldsmid. Quartermastar>Sergeant Bower had been several times recommended for his commission, which doubtless would have been soon bestowed on him, and his immediate superiors had on repeated occasions testified their appreciation of his many excellent qualities. It would be therefore out of place here to enlarge on this subject ; but we would nevertheless here express our deep regret for the loss of a most active, willing, cheerful, and thoroughly competent and trustworthy friend and travelling companion.
' Dr. Bellew and Mr. Bosario left for India via Baghdad almost immediately after arrival at TehriKn, and Mr. Thomas returned to England under medical advice a few weeks later.
9M
PKRSOAFGHAX MISSIOy.
k\'wvwr, iKit lK< »ihmU which he had brought away from that pro- \iiftsv Wv>n^ lKa» iNuu)HMi$»ttHl him for any loss snstaiDed by temporaij
IV' Aty:Kau i\H&\iui«^onor also submitted his case in writiii^ : tttvkxxl W Kawt iu thteit n!«)HVt. U>en earlier than his colleague in the fiv^vl ; auvl Str KvvUvrW iiv4d:uuid tinally delivered his Arbitral decision s»u vbc is'(^ \u^c^x;sf^t^ i^^:. Thi» decision was at once rejected by the vX'ujLmtwmvttcn^ cl'' K.'(K tK^ IVrsian and Afghfin Govenunents, who ^«*\v* uv^ttvv ot' Ai^tx'iil to th^ Secretary of State for Foreign Affiun in lottdoti, ttt jKxvrdau\v with the terms under which the Mission of V^^tlm^K'U hi*i Kvtt iuitiated. The Afghan Commissioner left almost 'iuu^>il>«^u> (vr KabuU wKilhcr he was directed to proceed by Tafifcli^n,
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PRESENT BOUNDARY. 391
BushahTj Bombaj, and India. Major Lovett remained in the Persian capital to await ordere from the Indian Govemment as to his move- menta; and on the 25th August, Sir Frederic Goldsmid, accompanied by General Pollock and Major Enan Smith, taking final leave oC Tehr&n, proceeded, by Resht, the Caspian and Astrakbfin, to the rail- way terminus at Tsaritsin on the right bank of the Volga. Hence, with the exception of a few hoars' incidental respite, and a brief rest at Berlin, they travelled incessantly without stopping day or night to Charing Cross, by Smolensk, Orel, Eydt Kuhnen, Konigeberg, Cologne, and Bmssels, London was reached on September 13, 1871, or in less than a fortnight from embarkation at Enzali, the port of Resht ; the shortest time, it is believed, 00 record for such a jonmey. Ko cause for reversal of proceedings in the Sist&n Arbitration was shown OD Appeal. In the summer of 1873, the Shah's visit to England enabled Her Majesty's Government to obtain the Imperial assent to Sir Frederic Goldsmid's award, though not without diffi- culty; and the Amir of Afghanistan had also signified unwillingly, as it is believed, his acceptance. The boundary between the two countries is therefore now that which is delineated in the accompany- ing map.
C. B. EUAN SMITH.
LAOS or Pbatkb, niTB WILL " TidoTUfla" (htcbis); oh on a iiooii ATKoM<IiiiiTH0BTHor3tiTiN.— (5mpv<3ij.)
APPENDICES.
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APPENDIX A.
The SistAn AbSitbation.
Sfammary of evidence formally produced on eitAer nde; of concltmom drawn from personal observation or enquiry on the spot of litigation ; and of oral or other information gathered by the Arbitrator in the general exercise of his functions. Dated Tehrdn, ijth August, 187a.
Discugsion on this question haying been fonnally opened at Tehr&n, the following statement of proceedings is placed on record. I sum- marise the original papers received.
Persian original statement,
Persia sets forward her claim to Sist&n under 15 heads : Of these^ the ist is an assertion of principle, as the last is of general right, the and, 3rd, 5th, 6th, loth, 12th are inferences drawn from diplomatic treaties and writings; the nth and 4th are argu- ments on the general character and condition of the country under dispute and its inhabitants; the 7th, 8th^ and 9th point to the Arbi- trator's own opinions on the question at issue, the 13th recites an individual instance of procedure tantamount to written admission of sovereignty ; the 14th is a positive assertion that, while Persia has of old been the recognised sovereign power in Sist&n, the name of an Afgh&n Governor there is unknown to history.
A/ghdn original statement.
•
Afgh&nist&n, on the other hand^ commencing from a distinct period, claims Sist&n as an integral portion of the monarchy founded by Ahmad Shah. Names of particular Governors of the day, as well as specific acts of allegiance, are adduced in illustration.
396 APPENDIX A,
The Commissioner carries on the history to the present day, wi the view of showing that, up to recent years, the chiefs of t country have acknowledged the same ruling power by supplyii troops when required on particular occasions, sometimes even agaiz Persia herself. He adds that, in the collection of grain as revenue Afghfinistdn, his own agent had been employed ; while in the recove of stolen property from the people of Sist&n he himself had been t medium of communication with the Persian Government. He sui up his case under 1 1 heads.
Of these, the ist is a general assertion of accuracy; the 3rd, 4! 5th, 7th, 10th, and nth indicate particular witnesses in support his allegations ; the 6th, 8th, and 9th are inferences in favour of li claims deducible from facts, and the 2nd quotes a particular documei which can be produced in evidence.
Although consideration of these statements in detail is essential the due formation of an arbitral opinion on the issue to which th( relate, few of the component parts have sufficient importance fi separate discussion.
The 13th and 14th on the Persian, and the 2nd on the Afgh&a sid are recorded last for readier reference, as their practical cfaaracti has seemed provocative of oral enquiry. Their i>urport has, men over, been put before a special meeting of Commissioners, when a original letter of Sardfir Kohandil Kbfin was produced in support < the written statement, and the question of particular Afghan Govei nors of Sistfin freely argued. The agreement of Muhammad Ri2 Khfin (anno Hijrah 1 260), quoted by the Afghfin Commissioner, wj also exhibited.
But the cases themselves were exchanged, and a copy of the origin] Persian statement was furnished to the Afghfin Commissioner an vice versd. I analyse the replies which have been received in bot instances.
Persian rep/y, or second siafemenf,
Persia has four grounds on which to base the Sist&n claim^-
ist, — Because the country is an integral part of Persia, and n
revolutions or changes can make it otherwise. 2ntL — Because temporary dispossession does not invalidate a natun
and universally-acknowledged right : otherwise she woul
THE SISTAN ARBITRATION. 397
herself urge claims to countries of which she had for a
time held possession. yd. — Because she has taken possession of the country in pursuance
ofher rightful claim. 4th. — Because the BritUh Government letter of the 5th November
1863 authorised her to resort to arms, and she is now in
possession of Sist&n under that authorisation.
Afghan reply ^ or second Biatement.
Afgh&nist&n makes a more direct answer to her opponent, taking certain of the heads just as they occur in the Persian original, and others more generally, thus :
To the first or general assertions of Persian sovereignty in Sist&n, an appeal is made to history in favour of an opposite view, and a Persian historian is cited to prove Afgh&n possession in the reign of Path Ali Shah.
To the assertions under the second head, that during the war between Persia and Afgh&nist&n there were Sistfinis in the Persian ranks, it is replied that^ if such were the case, they must have been following Afghan leaders hostile to their own Government.
To the argument that Mr. Ellis's disapproval of the Wazir Yar Muhammad's invasion of Sist&n recognised the rights of Persia to that province, it is contended that the attack was not upon a Persian Governor, but by Herat on Kandah&r. Divisions among the Afgh&ns are admitted, and intrigues on the part of Governors, such as Ali Kh&n Sarbandi; but they are not held to afiect the question of sovereign rights to the country. And as to the difference of lan- guage and habits, it is urged that the same exists with many subjects of Afghanistan besides the Sist&nis, such as Bad^khshfinis, Uzbegs, Turkist&nis, Hazfirahs, Sifihposh K^rs, and others.
Documentary evidence.
In addition to the writings heretofore alluded to, produced at a meeting of Commissioners, copies of sanads (deeds) and other docu- ments, compared with the originals in Her Britannic Majesty's Lega- tion, have been forwarded by the Persian Government. Those bearing upon the tenure in Sist&n of the Kfiiyfini Maliks, governing under the Safavi Kings, are interesting and valuable records ante-dating for periods from some 150 to 300 years ago.
KV;i:i. thoHjrli without date ::;-.C 'y a iliiaileO account of t
'iTs received on
lat
j". Ti^isi- AW iV.>ni SanLirs Kohand ■ :' Klli-. '.ji-.ar, iinil iVom the AVazir Y .■■• M ■,::'..iir.m;ul it" llfrat ; one is fro li;-.!.. Vu: iho i'.ri.>il may Ix? traced \—.':iT - iv-irremvi to wliich tlicy rela) I'-i". >■:? is tsprcj^ive of dependence i
I
•i^;a'.l w.iii uot siieb as had l)e< it' KiUii nor the Peivian Con ;i:t>' '^vit t!ie jTofo.-sed olijects
■.V..' t;.'\.viimi!i;-i .'t' K; i:'..i!'..i ami lVr#::i in the manner which I ! ■■.■,•. -ih '-.'.J.!:!-!! I'Vijvr; ir.'.ii iuiHussi^m w;is JeniiHl to the BriliE .••U.vrs 11'. .iLi!i;iiia'':ul. N;i ) A'.i. Ktiiiak. aii.l (with escption, undi iT\'>-iire. Ill I'av.ur ot'the Knijitiivr M;i;.t. at .ht^a'aliad.
Ai s.'iiie \'Iait's, sin'h as Hur-i-AtWlian and Bulah, supplies con' II. •( Iv puriliajftl without an oniiT, and free e-'mmunieation witli tl lititt's or i»ha1>itants was, as a rale, nstriel.d and ditBeuIt. Tl Art'itrator. nevertheless, nsimr his lust endeavours to meet the nislii oi the t»v.' (ievemiuents. and ret'erriui^ the suhjeet of these imped meuts to oniinarv dii'loiualie disinssinn, has aj'plied himself to h task with su.h means as have heen at his disposal, and now proccet t.> set forward the result of his enipiiries.
It is not his fault if the aeti.'n "i the Persian officers conceme invoked at any time in his mind natural douhts and misgivings i the cause whieh thev ha<l to sustain.
.-/.«■
■.ji"
llavinfr I'cen instnieted to pay siveial reirard to the two ht'ads r. ani'ient rifjlit and of prvsent pi^ssession, I shall consider the questio in <'aoh of tlii-se r<.'siH\'ts sei-arately. As rejjards the former, ther will he no ixrasioQ to ^? into any minute investiii^ation of soverei^nt over the province hefon." the days of Nadir Shah. But I will glanc _ ' From thi« [xiint the fii»i [>«non i* mumcl a:^ ni.ire a|ijir'>>-riatf.
THE SISTAN ARBITRATION. 899
at the familiar local traditions as well as more popular histories treating of the subject^ premising that saeh statements as are not susceptible of proof need not affect the gist of arbitration.
We are told that Jamshid married the daughter of the Prince of Sist&n, and had a son named Ahut, whose son was Ourshasp, whose son was Nariman^ whose son was S&m, the &ther of Z&l, and grand- father of Bustam. S&m is called ' hereditary prince ' of Sist&n, and had been nominated Governor thereof^ as also of E&bnl and countries north of the Indus, by Manuchahr. Sistfin claims to be the scene of battle between Kai Ehusru and Afrasiab ; to have been invaded by Bahman ; to have been recovered by the family of Bustam by Azarbazin.
We need not advert to the * Maluk-i-Tu4if,' or Princes of the Ashk&ri dynasty. The stories of these remote and uncertain periods rather point out old associations than supply missing links to history; and if such associations be conceded in a national sense, as I think they should be to Persia, they can only afford a vague and very general testimony in a practical question of present boundary.
During the 425 years of the Sas&ni Kings^ from Ardashir B&bak&n to Yazdijird^ I find that Sist&n was included with Ehurasin and Karmdn in one of the four great Gk>vemments of N&ushirwan, and that Yazdijird fled there after the battle of Nah&wand (a.h. 21). Subsequently to the days of the Pishd&di, Efiiy&ni and S&s&ni monarchs, Sist&n fell under the rule of the Ehalifs^ and Yalcub bin L&is, passing his boyhood there, made it the seat of his power when conquering the greater part of Persia. Before his accession it had been seized by Salah-ibn Nasir, whose successor was Dirham bin Nasir. Amr bin L&is succeeded his brother Ya'kub^ at one time acknowledging the authority of the Ehalif, at another in arms against him (a. h. 264). Finally, he was conquered by Ism&il Sam&ii, brother of Nasr, Governor of Mfiwar&u-n-nah&r, a distinguished prince, who is said to have had his palace in Sist&n. During the interval of 100 years, from this epoch to that of Muhammad of Ghazni, the Sam&nis held power over Ehurasin, Sistin, Balkh and other neigh- bouring countries^ and among the names of governors of Sist&n are recorded Badi'u-z-Zam&n Mirza^ son of Sult&n Husain Mirza of Ehtirasi[n, Sult&n Ali^ brother of Zulnun, and some princes of the family of Bin L&is, one of whom^ Ehalif, a proteg^ of Mansur Sam£ni, was deposed and imprisoned by Sult&n Muhammad.
400 APPENDIX A.
After the Ghaznavi dynasty, which in the time of Madad Io£t lU
its Persian possessions, Alp Arslan, Malik Shah, and the Saljuku
became masters of Khuras&n, their first leader^ Tog'hrul, having w,
up sovereign ckims at Nish&pur in the Hijrah year 429 (a. d. 1037).
Sult&n Sanjar (a. u. 511-552) and others of the tribe were eec-
cessively paramount in Persia, and may be considered as sovereiffl
princes until the conquest of Jangiz Khfin, to whose son^ Tuli Klii
were assigned Persia, Khuras&n, and K&bul. It was, however, to hv
son (a. II. 651), Halaku, that history accords the conBolidaticn (U
power in Persia. He was succeeded by Ahaka (a. h. 66^^ and k
by others of the same dynasty, of whom Abu Siiyid is said to be tk
last who enjoyed any power. But there is special mention in histoiT
that Sist&n was subdued by an invasion of Jag'hat&i Mughab a
A. II. 700, at which time Ghizan Khan held sovereign sway ia
Persia. This was somewhat prior to the accession of Abu Siinc
(a. h. 716), within fifty years of w^hose decease Tiimur Lang (1.1
736-785) added Sist&n and Mazandardn to his numerous conquests.
In the former province the terror of the name and devastations d the renowned Tartar Amir has supplied an unfailing* topic of con- versation among all classes of people up to the present day. Bj some he is said to have destroyed Zuranj, the capital, sending its Prince, Kutbu-d-din, into captivity ; but it is impossible at this dis- tant period to determine whether the capture of Zaid£n many years later by his son Shah Rukh, and dispersion of the inhabitants, is a diflferent version of one and the same event, or a separate occurrence altogether.
On the death of Shah Rukh, Sist&n must have shared in the troubles (853), in which were involved Afirza Ulagh Beg, Abu Siiyid (873), and other of the descendants and successors of Taimur. But after a series of revolutions extending over sixty years. Shah Ismfiil Safavi conquered Khurasdn (914) and adjacent countries, and founded a dynasty of powerful kings which held dominion for more than 260 years, or up to the Hijrah year 1135 (a. n. 1722). During this period it may be admitted that Sist£n remained more or less a dependency of Persia ; nor do I find any proof that the province was actually seized by the Afghans when they had advanced from Kandahir through the Sistfin desert, and Karmdn to Isfahan, at the close of Shah Husain's reign. On the other hand, the conduct of its chief on this last noted occasion was certainly not that of a loyal vassal to Persia.
THE SI ST AN ARBITRATION, 401
But we have reached the days of N&dir Shah, and from this date the history of the province may be investigated apart from feble and tradition, and more in detail.
The government of Sist&n, at least under the Safavi dynasty of Persia, appears to have been vested in the E&iy&ni Maliks, who claim descent from the royal house of K&i. Malik Muhammad K&iy&ni Was the reigning prince at the time of the Afghin invasion of Mir Muhammad; and by league with the invader^ or other intrigfue^ he secured for himself not only his accustomed principality, but Mash-had also, and a great part of Khuras&n. There is good evidence to infer that when Prince Thamasp applied to him for armed assist- ance, he was sufficiently strong to afford it, but turned the successful result of his intervention to his own personal advantage^. Finally^ it is related that he was slain by Nadir Euli Kh&n, the general of Shah Thamasp, who, however, allowed his relative, Malik Husain E&iy|[ni, to succeed to the Sist&n Government. History states that the province of Sist&n was formally confirmed to Nadir Kuli Kh&n, afterwards Nadir Shah^ by Shah lliamasp, together with Kh6ras&n, Mazandarfin, and Karm&n. — (a.h. 1143.) It is certain that on Nadir's subsequent accession to the throne and conquests, Sist&n formed part of the conqueror's vast dominions.
But it is also stated that the K&iy&nis for some time resisted the authority both of Nadir and his nephew, Ali, afterwards Adil Shah* The names of Fath Ali and Lutf Ali, and their prowess in these early contests, are not forgotten in their native land; and the retreat of the E&iy&ni chiefs from the right bank of the Helmand to Euh-i-r Ehw&jah is a well-established local narrative. On the death of Nadir and Adil Shah, Sistin passed, together with other provinces, into the dominion of Ahmad Shah Abdali. This change occurred about 125 years ago, when Afgh&nist&n became first a defined and con<- solidated kingdom^. It is from this epoch that the Afghan Com- missioner takes his stand. He considers that Sist&n is essentially part of the one kingdom of Afgh&nist&n, created by Ahmad Shah, and that it has remained so till within a few years, when circum- stances transpired, which are reserved for later consideration.
His arguments are much as follows :
Under Ahmad Shah, Sulaiman E&iy&ni was governor of Sist&u
» KrusinBki, vol. J. page 181. • a.h. 1163-1165 (a.d. 1751).
VOL. I. D d
40 J APPISDIX A
\lt )r«Tv hi* dao^kuM' ill marmg^ to the King, fnmished taxwps,
I ixlor IV.iuur Shah. 2lAmin Rhin Popnizii was the GroTemor. He tvivV,^. bu: h*-* nrSfil-.oa was put down *.
I uxicr Shah Mahu'jx:. Bahruu Kaijini was Govemor, and gaTe Ku^ vUu^vr \3 marrtac^ :o Sbah Kamran, the King's aon. Shah MASvt^;;u wwt a::eccv>i bv :h^* S:s;an chiefs when he proceeded to take K^vK^Sar tU;-. yxr^u^-^n. aacther ion of Taimur Shah, eap- l«tn>; f^irabt b« :>^ axi o:' the S:$:axii5^ Shah Kamran, patting down a n'xv<**.x*i* r:!i >:>:aa. <vTi5naed h:s acthoritr by giring the danghter ^^* M x\4A:r.'jk: R:z£ :o the son of his Waiir Y4r Mohammad ^.
l>!s'' l^rnkziis have similar claims on th^ir side ; the Sist&n Chief A>9cis.:<\i Wazir Fath Khin at KiLfir Kalali : Kohandil Kh£n obtained JU1 aBT^vement in proof of allegiance from Muhammad Rizi^ was aided bv his troops and re\'enues, and at a later period Ali EJiAn Sarfaandi ^as his own prottg^ and nominee. It was only on the death ef Kohandil Kblin, and owing to the weakness cauaed by internal dis- sension among the Barakzai chiefs, that part of Sistin fell into the Jx^^a^?s8ion of another power.
Persia does not accept or deny the above statement. Bat, as already shown, she puts in a general claim to Sist£n on the score of ancient rights ; protests against former occupations of the country by Afghan chiefs as unwarrantable aggression, and points to possession as now obtained.
The Saduz^is are disavowed as a dynasty of kings : the are considered as Persian subjects — in revolt, or submissive, as the may be. In proof of the latter theory are produced letters fiom Kohandil Kh£n. addressed to Muhammad Shah as a liege lord : *n^ as regards Ali Khin Sarbandi, Taj Muhammad, and brother chiefly written evidence is given in of acknowledged allegiance to Persia.
I hai-e paid great attention to these points, for upon their true appreciation the question of ancient right must be determined.
The reign of Ahmad Shah began in the English year 1747, or \%k years ago, and the death of Sardar Kohandil Khin occurred in 1855. If, then, up to seventeen years from the present period (187a), a continuous Afgh&n sovereignty of more than one hundred years be established, an important aid is obtained^ because we very nearly reach
' A.B. 1160.1187. * A.B. iiS7-i]07. * A.H. iii6-iai8.
THE SISTAN ARBITRATION. 408
the time when the Sistte question was specially brought into dis- cussion by the representative of the British Government at Tehran.
Now I find the circumstances to have been these during the specified limit of io8 years :
Sist&n was certainly part of Afghfiuist&n when Afgh&nist&n was a consolidated kingdom. It was afterwards dependent on Herit or Kandahar^ according to circumstances^ or, it may be, independent of either if occasion offered.
I am unable to divide these i>eriods with confidence according to dates, but the nearest approach to truth must be sought in local history. From the accession of Ahmad Shah to that of Mahmfid Shah there is an interval of fifty-four English years, and firom the accession of Mahmfid Shah to the death of Kohandil Eh&n there is another of precisely the same duration.
I am of opinion that these two periods will meet the two phases of Sist&n history here described. The termination of the first portends a struggle for possession of the province between two members of one and the same sovereign house. The second doses on the appearance of a third claimant, who would set aside not only the two litigants^ but the household of which they are members. No good purpose would be served were I to examine the circumstances under which the Kiiyinis were contented to give their allegiance to Ahmad Shah and his successors until the one kingdom of Afgh&nistim was broken up into separate chiefdoms. I have good independent historical evidence to show that, while events were in progress leading to the last- named result, Malik Bahram E&iy&ni was ready to take an active part with Shah Mahmud against his brother Zam£n Shah ; and Bahram's son JaUlu-d*din had no supporter so strong and earnest as Prince Kamran^ son of Shah Mahmfid. Nor need I explain minutely how the Sarbandis, Shahrakis, and Baluchis established themselves in joint possession of the country and became shareni in its fortunes. Whatever the origin of the two first^-^whether th^ were settlers in, or aborig^al inhabitants of, Si8tin,-i^it is tolerably certain that they did, at one time in their history, migrate firom Western Persia (Hamadin, Oulp&igan^ or some say nearer Shir&z) to Sist&n, and that in comparatively recent times Mir Kh&n, Sarbandi, and Hashim Kh&n, Shahraki, were distinguished among SisUlnis, as
* A. H. iao7-i2i$. D d 2)
404 APPENDIX A.
Akm Kh&D^ Nharui, and Eh&n Jahin Kh£n, Sanjarini, were ^ most noted of the BaKichis who settled in the province.
I have said that the second period which has been selected in iilv- tration of the status of Sist&n was one of shifting^ and imceriiii dependence. In proof of this I may cite the published testimony of travellers and historians, as well as evidence more directly heaiiogc the present arbitration.
Allusion has already been made to the assistance given br tk Sist&nis to Shah Mahmud or his son. Nearly forty years ago tte latter overran the country and reinstated Jalfila-d-din, the KIMb Chiefj whose cousin he had married.
Muhammad Biza Sarbandi had then succeeded his fiither, Kir Kh&n^ and Ali Kh&n Sanjar&ni had succeeded his father, Khin Jib Kh£n, in authority over their respective tribes. The first, in concert with Hashim Khdn and the Baluchis, had been mainly instrument in expelling Jal&lu-d-din ; and, notwithstanding the favour shown t) him by Kamran, the conspiracy was renewed on return to pova i the rejected K&iy&ni, and a second expulsion effected. On this oo» sion the investment of Her&t by Persian troops (a. h. 1254) in- vented further armed intervention from that quarter, and Muhamnal Bizi, Hashim Kh&n and the Baldchis divided the possessions of tk E&iy&ni chiefs. Dost Muhammad Baluch became head of the Xhai& in Sist&n on the death of his father Alam Kh&n.
In the spring of 1839 (a. h. 1255) Sa]*d&r Eohandil Khiln passed through Sist&n on his way to Persia. Returning there from Shahr Babak two or three years later^ he was accompanied by some of tbe chiefs to Elandahfir. On the death of Muhammad Biz^ Kh&i, Shah ELamran supported the claims of Lutf Ali, son of the deceased ; bat the brother's succession found favour at Kandahfir. Lutf Ali was deposed and blinded, and Ali Khfin, his uncle, installed at Seknha by Sard&r Mehrdil Eh&n, acting under orders from his brother Kohandil Kh&n. The Wazir Yar Muhammad died before he could carry out a new invasion, and four years afterwards Sard&r Kohandil Khfin died also.
There is no evidence before me to prove acknowledgment of Persian sovereignty by the local chiefs of Sistim during the whole period sketched ; certainly not for more than one hundred years. Bat there is evidence that certain Afgh&n chiefs, who nominally or really held the country, were driven or tempted by circumstances to seek aid
THE SISTAN ARBITRATION. 40$v
from Persia, and make admissions of. ^t^^in-allegiance. The question is, in what light are such admissions to be regarded with reference to the present enquiry ? I confess that I do not attach to them weight or importance even though in the form of sealed writings.
Whatever force such documents may have, they can only apply to particular short-lived conditions and circumstances; and I do not consider they can affect the validity of Afgh&n sovereignty over the province in respect of the period under review. The allegiance of Sistiin was of a feudal nature which could not be transferred to suit the personal convenience of a temporary ruler. I have no hesitation in affirming that had I been honoured with a call to arbitrate in an appeal from Persia against Yar Muhammad Kh&n for supporting Lutf Ali, Sarbandi, or against Eohandil Kh&n for blinding Lutf Ali and installing Ali Eh£n, I must have decided that^ whatever the merits of the case, no other country but Afgh&nist&n had the right of exercising interference : and both occurrences are of comparatively recent date.
But the enquiry does not end here, far from it ; at this epoch dates the commencement of a new state of things.
More than twenty years have elapsed since the occurrences last named, and it is seventeen years since the death of Sard&r Eohandil Eh fin. At that time Ali Eli&n remained in undisturbed possession of Muhammad Rizfi's share of Sistfin, and his brother chiefs were Hashim Eh&n^ Shahraki, Dost Muhammad, and Ibrahim Ehfin, Baluchis. The last had become sole representative of his family on the death of his brother Ali Eh&n, Sanjarfini.
It is not necessary to analyse motives or inducements ; the fact is patent that before long the Sarbandi Chief had entered into negotia- tions with responsible Persian authorities closely affecting the interests of the country under his charge. Two and a half years after the death of his Ban^zfii patron, he came to Tehrfin, was received with distinction, and returned in three or four months to his government, married to a princess of the Persian royal family. His acts would bear record of his intentions were there no written evidence to adduce ; and there is no doubt that personally he had transferred his old allegiance, or sacrificed his precarious independence by constituting himself a vassal of Persia. His reception in Sistfin was not, however, that of a chief acknowledged and approved by those whom he had come to govern ; and five months had not passed after his departure from Tehrfin, when the news of his assassination reached that capital*
406 APPENDIX A.
The particulars are well known : — Sard&r All KhUn had been murdered in his own castle at Sekuha ; and it was said that bis wife, the princess, was present and had been woanded on the occasion. Taj Muhammad, son of the old chief Muhammad Riz&^ and nepbew of Ali Khan, had either himself done the deed, or was one of the assaulting party.
A special envoy was despatched from Tehr&n to bring the widowed lady back, but no attempt to displace Taj Muhammad appears to have been made in any quarter ; and he continued to exercise the control he had usurped. There is evidence to prove that he also professed allegiance and submission to the Persian Government, accepting pay and honours in return ; that about seven years ago, Persian troops entered SisUin from Khuras&n with the avowed object of retaliating upon one Azid Khdn, who had plundered the district of E&Tn ; that the late Governor of KarmAn went there under special orders of his Government in 1866, when one or more regiments under the MuzafTaru-d-Daulah were brought in from the Neh side of the Ilamun ; that later still the Amir of KAin occupied the province with a considerable force ; in short that, for the last six or seven years, the more esteemed part of Sistdn may be said to have been in military occupation by Persia ^. Moreover, certain of the sons or other relatives of Sistfin chiefs were sent to Tehran ; and on the occasion of the visit of His Majesty the Shah to Mash-had^ Taj Muhammad himself, who had been specially summoned thither, was made a pri- soner, and deported with his brother Kohandil.to the capital.
The question of right remains to be applied to the events of which an outline has been here recorded.
Persia holding to the theory that original possession constitutes a continuous claim, and disavowing the authority of Afghfinistfin over Sist^n, has of late years entered into direct correspondence with the local chiefs of that province, and actually pushed forward troops to garrison its forts and towns. She further quotes Lord Russell's letter of the 5th November, 1863, in support of her action.
Afghanistan, admitting that a brief period of trouble and revolution called off the attention of its chiefs from Sist&n, and gave Persia the desired opportunity of active interference, adds that she has refrained from taking any steps at the close of that period to regain lost
' A.B. 1382.
THE SISTAN ARBITRATION. 407
territolry, because the British Government proposed to effect an amical adjustment of the difficulty.
I have given it as my opinion that the Persian claim to Sist&n on the score of ancient right is not such as to warrant revival after the lapse of a hundred years, during which it has virtually been in abeyance ; and I do not think that the English ministerial letter quoted alters the position in this respect. It left the litigants to settle their quarrel together, but gave no right to Persia which she did not possess irrespectively. Therefore, in an arbitration on right, an unjust conquest cannot be considered just by virtue of this letter.
If Sist&n were in no way subject to Afgh&nist&n, when brought under the vdgis of Persia and subsequently garrisoned by Persian troops, then has her independence been assailed ; and I cannot say that the acts of Ali Eh&n and Taj Muhammad^ Sarbandis, have satis- fied me that their allegiance to Persia was the general desire of the inhabitants.
I will now turn to the question of present possession.
It is not easy to define what, in the present day, is meant by the term * Sist&n.' The expression is very vague, for ancient limits have long since become obsolete, and modem signification practically com- prehends the Peninsula of the Helmand and Hfimun only.
I see no better way to illustrate the case than by supposing two territories, — one compact and concentrated, which I will call * Sistfin Proper;' the other, detached and irregular, which may be designated * Outer Sist£n.'
The first is bounded, on the north and west, by the H&miin, which divides it from the L&sh Juwain and Neh Band^n districts, respec- tively ; on the south generally by the H&mun, but immediately by the Dasht-i-Sangbar and barren tracts south of Sekuha and Burj-i- Alam Kh&n ; and on the east by the main branch of the Helmand below the band at the mouth of the great canal.
The second is composed of the country on the right bank of the Helmand, and extends to a distance of about 120 English miles in length, or from the vicinity of the Charboli and Ehuspas Biver north, to Rudbfir south. Its breadth is variable, but trifling compared to the length, the actual boundaries being assumed as the limit of river.
408 APPENDIX A.
cultivation on the east. To this may be added the Sistin Desert, comprising Zirah and the ' Shilah.'
Sistin Proper is now, under certain reservations, to be hereafter noted, in possession of Persia, whose Governor is Mir Alam Khin of K£m. Outer Sistin, on the other hand, irrespective of the Desert, Shilah and uninhabited tracts, is in possession of Baldch chie& who profess to acknowledge Persian sovereignty, or disclaim allegiance to any sovereign power but Afgh&nist&n.
A study of the territorial history of Sistdn Proper leads to the conclusion that in the days of Shah Kamrfin, Jalfilu-d-din, son of Bahram, K&iy&ni, held Jal&lab&d, Banjir, and other places to the north and west of this tract ; Muhammad BizA, Sarbandi, held Sekuha, Chilling, and other places west and south-west ; Hishim Kh&n, Shahraki, held Dashtak, Pulg^, and other places in a centnl position and near the main canal ; the Nharui Baluchis under Dost Muhammad Khfin held Burj-i-Alam Kh&n and the' south-eastern comer; and AH Kh&n or Ibrahim Eh&n, Sanjar&ni, whatever his claims on this side the Helmand by inheritance from his father Khin Jahdn, was restricted to Chakhansur and the opposite bank. Ali Khfin had at one time to recover Chakhansur from an Afghin nominee of Shah Eamran ; but lighting and dispossession were not uncommon in Sist&n, and the above distribution seems to illustrate with sufficient accuracy the condition of things at a particular epoch.
On the expulsion of Jaldlu-d-din, Muhammad Biza took Jalilab^ and other places to the north. It is probable that his associates shared in the spoil, and that, before his demise, Ibrahim Kh&n had crossed to the left bank of the Helmand ; but it is evident that, if, during his life-time, there was any one acknowledged Chief of Sist&i at all^ that one was Muhammad Bizi. Lutf Ali succeeded his father Muhammad Biz&^ but was removed by his uncle Ali Khfin ; and he again was killed and succeeded by Tdj Muhammad, a younger brother of Lutf Ali. The latter, before the arrival of the Governor of Karmin in Sistfin, appears to have availed himself of Persian soldiers to oust Ibrahim Khan from Jahanabdd and other places seized and held by him in Sistfin Proper ; and the subsequent arrival of strong reinforce- ments from Persia prevented the return of the Baluchis.
Mir Alam Khan, of K&in, then possessed himself of the whole country of ' Sistdn Proper.' Sharif Kh&n, brother of Dost Muham- mad, whose succession to that Chief on his death in 1857 (a. h. 1273)
THE SISTAN ARBITRATION. 409
was acknowledged to the prejudice of Darwish Eh&n, son of the deceased, is associated with him to some extent in administration, but in a subordinate capacity. Few traces of the old feudal or independent Sist&n chiefdoms now remain. Of the E&iy&nis, two grandsons of Malik Bahram have some kind of nominal status,— one at Jal&lab&d and one at Bahr&mab&d. Of the Sarbandis, the recognised head, T&j Muhammad, has been removed to Tehran. The representative of the Shahrakis, Muhammad Ali Khfo^ resides in the same capital.
Briefly, being unable to justify the recent action of Persia in Sistdn on the score of ancient right to that province, I am bound to state my opinion that as regards her possession of * Sist&n Proper,' ^efact is established; although the action of the authorities before described has unquestionably caused me to entertain misgivings on the attitude or sentiments of the population in certain instances.
As regards ' Outer Sist&n,' the professed allegiance of Eam&l and Im&m Kh&n, the Baluch chiefs, residing on the banks of the Hel- mand, does not to my mind constitute a case of absolute possession similar to that of * Sist&n Proper; ' nor do I find that any arguments bearing upon these particular lands have been used by the Persian Government, except that my own request for the recovery of a stolen horse, made on the right bank of the Helmand to a Persian Y&war, is cited in favour of Persia's claim. As it is unusual for an arbitrator to express his opinion on the merits of a dispute while actually in process of investigation, or to supply at such time evidence on either side, I am bound to explain that my reference was simply to the head of an escort accompanying me for ordinary protection, and had no bearing whatever on the matter of territorial possession. Had the Y&war chosen to decline the responsibility as being in a foreign country, I might not perhaps have demurred. But the horse was never recovered at all, nor compensation given for the neglect of the Persian soldiers.
The garrison in Kaleh-i-Futh, I regret to consider as brought there in contravention of the terms of the arbitration ; therefore the fact of its existence can have no value, nor can its discussion be appro- priate in the present paper.
Chakhansiir is not in Persian possession, but held by Ibrahim Kh&n on the Afgh&n side.
(Signed) F. J. GOLDSMID, Mqjor-General,
On Special Mission.
APPENDIX B.
The SistIx AxBmATiox.
Gtmerml Smmmarf mmi Jriifral Opimiom ; iaied Tdkrdn^
ike I9li Ampui 187a.
PreauMe,
The Arbitiml opinion which I urn reqaii«d to deliver has been fenned after perusal of the several histories of SistiLn of more general note ; after examination of much oral and written evidence ; and after a stay of forty-one days within the localities under dispute. Naturally the more immediate argument with which I have to deal is contained in the statement authoritatively given in by the Persian Government (through the Foreign Office, or Mirza Melkam Kh&n), and Afgh&n Commissioners. These have been careftilly considered together with the documentary evidence with which they are supported.
I now proceed to summarise my views on the whole Sistin question, and to carry out the instructions with which I have been honoured.
Summaiy.
I. Sistim waa undoubtedly in ancient times part of Persia, and it appears to have been so especially under the Safavian Kings : but under Ahmad Shah it formed part of the Dur&ni Empire. Further it had not been recovered to Persia until at a very recent date; and ikat only partially, and under circumstances the nature of which materially afiect the present enquiry.
IL Ancient associations^ together with the religion, language, and perhaps habits of the people of Sistan Proper, render the annexation of that tract to Persia by no means a strange or unnatural measure. Persia has no valid claim to possess it on abstract right,
THE SISTAN ARBITRATION, 411
whether the country be taken from Afghinist&n, or whether it be simply deprived of independence. The period referred to for former connection is too remote. A century of disconnection cannot fail to be a bar to validity.
III. The possession of the Afgh&ns for the second half-century may have been more nominal than real, and more spasmodic than sustained. It may have been asserted by raids and invasions^ or mere temporary tenure : but it has nevertheless a certain number of fiu^ts in support ; and these are most material in an enquiry of this nature. General principles and theories are always important, but they cannot produce facts : whereas fiicts have a more practical ten- dency— for they support and establish general principles and theories. Neither ancient associations nor national sympathy are strong enough to nullify the force of circumstances, and circumstances show that Persia has exercised no interference in the internal administration of Sist&n from the days of Nadir Shah until a very recent date.
lY. Oeographicallyj Sist&n is clearly part of Afghinistin^ and the intrusion of Kfi'in into that province is prejudicial to the delineation of a good natural frontier.
It has been commonly considered part of Her&t and L^h Juwain ; though its dependence on the Helmand for irrigation may cause it to be iucluded by some in the general valley of that river. The Neh Bandan Hills manifestly separate Sistdn from Persia. I cannot but believe such would have been found to be the status had an illus- trative map accompanied the sixth article of the Paris treaty.
Y. But while^ in my opinion, Afgh&nist&n has the advantage in claims on the score of an intermediate tenure^ superseding that of Nadir Shah or the Sa£avian Kings^ it cannot be denied that from year to year she has been relaxing her hold over Sist&n ; and this has been evinced in a marked manner since the death of the Wazir Yar Muhammad. It would be absurd to contend that the second half- century of Afgh&n connection with the province has been a period of continuous possession. That Sist&n has now fallen into the hands of the Amir of K&in can only be attributed to the helplessness of its independence and the personal action of its ruler. It was for a time at least out of the hands of Afghinist&n. I do not admit that the manner in which Sist&n was occupied by Persian troops corresponds with an appeal to arms such as contemplated by Lord Russell's letter quoted — There was no fair fighting at all. Nor can it be admitted
412 APPENDIX B.
that allegiance was obtained by the single means of military move- ments or open procedure of any kind. On the other hand^ I cannot see that the Afghans took any measures to counteract the proceedings of Persia when treating with Ali Kh&n, Taj Muhammad, or other Sist&n chiefs.
VI. As the Sist&n of the present day is not the separate prin- cipality of the past, and it is essential to a due appreciation of claims, that the parts in possession of either side should be intelligibly defined, I revert to a territorial division which has appeared to me convenient and approximate. By this arrangement the rich tract of country, which, the H&mun on three of its sides and the Helmand on the fourth, cause to resemble an island^ is designated * Sist&n Proper,' whereas the district of Chakhanstir and lands of the Helmand above the Bank, and Sistfin desert, are known as ' Outer Sist&n.'
The first may be considered in absolute possession of Persia, and has a comparatively large and mixed population.
The second is either without population or inhabited chiefly by Baluchis, some of whom acknowledge Persian, some Afghan sove- reignty. The professions of Kamal Eh&n and Imam Khdn do not to my mind prove a possession to Persia, similar to that of Sist&n Proper. Chakhansur on the right bank of the Helmand is under the Afgh&ns. But the fort of Nad Ali on the same bank has been lately taken by the Persians.
YII. I have to consider ancient right and present possession, and report briefly my opinion on both these heads : ist. That Sist&n was incorporated in the Persia of ancient days : but the Afgh&nist&n of Ahmad Shah, which also comprised Sist&n, had not then come into existence ; and it is impossible to set aside the fact that this kingdom did exist, any more than that Ahmad Shah was an independent monarch. 2nd. That the possession of Sist&n obtained in recent days by Persia cannot afiect the question of right as regards Afgh&nistfin. If admitted at all under the circumstances, it can only be so subject to certain restrictions, and with reference to the particular people brought under control.
Arbitral opinion.
Weighing therefore the merits of the case on either side as thered from evidence of many kinds, and with especial regard to
THE 8ISTAN ARBITRATION. 413
the great advantages of a clearly defined frontier, I submit an opinion that the tract which I have called * Sistfin Proper' should be hereafter included by a special boundary line within the limits of Persia, to be restored to independence under Persian protection, or governed by duly appointed governors. This opinion is accompanied by an ex- pression of the sincere and earnest hope that the Persian rule will prove beneficial to a people whose nominal state has been from time immemorial one of terror, suspense, and sufiering.
But I am thoroughly convinced that, by all rules of justice and equity, if Persia be allowed to hold possession of a country which has fallen to her control under such circumstances as these detailed^ her possession should be circumscribed to the limits of her actual }>os- session in Sist&n Proper, as far as consistent with geographical and political requirements. She should not possess land on the right bank of the Helmand.
If in a question of ancient right and present possession, a military occupation of six or seven years and the previous action of a local chief be suffered to outweigh rights and associations extending more or less over a whole country, and Arbitration award the most covetedj populous, and richer part of the Sist&n province, it is manifestly fair that some compensating benefit should accrue to the losing side.
It appears therefore beyond doubt indispensable that Nfid Ali should be evacuated by Persian garrisons, and both banks of the Helmand above the Kohak Band be given up to Afgh&nist&n. And this arrangement becomes doubly just and proper when the character of the inhabitants along the banks of the river is compared with that of the Sist&nis of Sekiiha, Deshtak, and Sist&n Proper.
The main bed of the Helmand therefore below Kohak should be the eastern boundary of Persian Sist&n, and the line of frontier from Kohak to the hills south of the Sist&n desert should be so drawn as to include within the Afgh&n limits all cultivation on the banks of the river from the Band upwards.
The Malik Si&h Koh on the chain of hills separating the Sist&n from the Karm&n desert, appears a fitting point.
North of Sist&n the southern limit of the Naiz&r should be the frontier towards Lfish Juwain. Persia should not cross the H&mtin in that direction. A line drawn from the Naiz&r to the " Kuh Si&h" (black hill) near Bandan, would clearly define her possessions.
It is moreover to be well understood that no works are to be
414 APPENDIX B.
€Mrried out on either side calculated to interfere with the requisite •applj of water fbr irrigation on the banks of the Helmand.
F. J. OOLDSMID, Mafor-Oeneral,
On Special MUrion.
Poitseripi.
A Map, showing the boundaries claimed as well ae those of pos- session, has been prepared to lay before the final meeting. A smaller Mapi illustrating the country awarded by Arbitral opinion, will be given with a copy of the said opinion to each Commissioner.
APPENDIX C.
Obnialogical Tbbes, with Notes, for the Sistan Chiefs of ths EIaitaki, Sabbajtdi, and Shahbaki Families ; as also the Nhabui AND Sanjarani (Toki) Baluchjs of Sistan.
OoxDi^led from variouB louroes and information gathered on the spot by Major-General
Sir F. J. Goldfonid, on Special Mission.
Memorandum.
The aooompanying Trees and notes maj be useful in illustrating the position and elainui of the principal families or tribes of Sistin as represented by individuals at the present hour. The only notable names under recent Persian encroachment and occupation are those of
f« . -mr / ' J -kt' vxrT r Tree No. a. Sarbandi Sistfinis. Taj Muhammad^ No. XVI. J
The first of these is said to be still living at or near Sekuha^ blind ; tiie second is a prisoner at large in Tehr&n :
Sharif Khfin No. III. Tree No. 4. Baluchis, Nharui, a Shia'h, and connected by marriage with the Persian Oovemor Mir Alam Khin, whose lieutenant he may be considered to be in the general adminis- tration of the province of Sistfin :
Ibrahim Khin, No. VH.")
Imim Kh&n^ No. XI. > Tree No. 5. Baluchis Sai\jar4ni.
Kunil Eh&n, No. X. J
Uie first of these acknowledge Afghin sovereignty in Cfiakhansfir, while the other two proCras allegiance to the Shah ia the Kamil Bandar and Budbar districts of the Upper Helmand.
i^ibAu^ti$t, 1872.
416
APPENDIX a
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GENEALOGICAL TREES. 417
TREE No. I. KAIYANIS.
I. Asad UUah, mentioned by Khanikoff as the father of Malik Husain, flourished probably about a.d. 1700. There appears to have been a Malik Ja'far about the same period, but his omission from the tree does not affect the general question.
II. Malik Mahmud, called * Shah of Mash-had/ whose name is still well known in Sistan and parts adjacent. According to Malcolm he made terms with the Afghans when they besieged Isfahan in 1722 ; and retired from the neighbourhood of that city with 10,000 men to take possession of Khuras&n, awarded to him, in addition to his hereditary province of Sistan, by his new allies. Later on, Malcolm says he proclaimed himself king, and gained possession of almost all Khuras&n, except Herat. Put to death by Nadir.
III. Malik Husain, called the younger brother of Malik Mahmud by Mr. Wynne, quoting ConoUy. He is also mentioned by Khanikoff as the son of Asad XJllah ; and evidence locally obtained is to the same effect. As he is said to have been invested with the govern- ment of Sistan by, and to have rebelled against Nadir, he must have flourished between a.d. 1730 and 1747.
IV. V. VI. Mr. Wynne, quoting still, I apprehend, from Conolly, says : ' The K&iyfini brothers Fath Ali and Lutf Ali were succeeded in Sistan by their brother Sulaiman.' I have endeavoured to test the truth of the statement by local evidence and have obtained at least negative corroboration of the conclusions exhibited. Khanikoff, more- over, makes Sulaiman the son of Husain. Flourished certainly between 1740 and 1780.
VII. Malik Nasir, called the elder brother of Bahram by Khani- koff, and mentioned by Leech as the deceased uncle of Jal&Iudin.
VIII. Malik Bahram, mentioned by Elphinstone, Malcolm, Christie, Conolly, Leech, and Khanikoff. His position as chief in Sistan is corroborated, moreover, by all local evidence. The date of his decease is undetermined, but I take it to have been at an advanced age in about 1833.
VOL. I. " EC
418 APPEXDIX C.
IX. Dioghter of Malik Sulaiman, married to Ahmed Shah Abdali, who reigned in A%hanistan from 1747 to 1773.
X. Diughter of Malik Nasir, married to Shah Kamran, who was killed in 184a.
XI. Jaliladin, eldest son of Malik Bahram^ whose history is told by- Leech and T^ Muhammad, and summarised by Mr. Wynne. Although the exact period of his rebellicm is doubtful^ as well as of his first expulsion^ I gather from local enquiries that the first event took place shortly before his father's decease, and probably between 1832 and 1835^ and the second in the latter year, or 'about four years before ' Lieutenant Leech wrote his Report on Sistan. That he was reinstated in 1836 and 1837, and re-expelled in 1838, is tolerably well ascertained from a report of Major Todd to Government, dated 2nd October, 1839. He writes that Jaliludin was then a refugee in Herat, having been driven from his country * twelve months before.* As in November, 1837, Mahmud Shah's army arrived before Herat, and the siege was not raised until September, 1838, so the last insurrection against Jal^I- udin was most probably at some time between these two dates^ when the Heritis were engaged in resisting the Persian aggression. He is said to have died ten years ago, a powerless prince in Sistan.
XII. Husain, of whom no particulars are given, beyond the fact that he never obtained any high position.
XIII. Malik Hamza, mentioned by Leech^ and local evidence of tbe present day.
XrV. Nasir, mentioned by Leech, but no particulars given by local evidence.
XV. Malik Abbas, as he is still called^ is now nominal governor of Jal&labad ; in reality an inferior kind of mayor, or burgomaster. Attended the ' istikbal * which met the Mission on arrival at Nasira- bid this year.
XVL Gnliir^ Katkhuda, a local functionary like his brother Abbas, but in a less important place^ Bahramabad.
P. J. G.
QBSEiLOaWiL TREES.
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420 APPENDIX C.
TREE No. II. SARBANDIS.
I. Kambar, oi Mir Kambar, said to have been chief of Seknha is the time of Nadir Shah, a.d. 1730-47.
II. Ktichak, or Mir Kuchak. On local evidence I am informed that Adil Shah, Nadir's nephew and saccessor, conferred upon him Karman in jdgir — i. e. free from state levies. Shah Sukh A^hn, then governor there, would not, however, surrender the place. Tto fought, and Kuchak was killed.
III. Muhammad Riza. Khanikoff makes him the son of Kucbak, and I should have accepted this arrangement as more consistent witk the chronology of the Tree ; but local evidence was opposed to the change. The above-named writer states that Mir Kambar, 'chief (tf the Sarbandis from Shirdz,' was sent to Sistan by Nadir Shah for purposes of cultivation, and settled at Sekuha as Kaldnlarj and tiiat the title descended to his successors. Probably a.d. 1780—90.
lY. Amir Khan. Khanikoff calls him < Mir Khan ' and says that in Fath Ali Shah's time he became nearly independent^ * encroach- ing on the lands of the K&iy&nis.' He is one of the persons men- tioned in Mr. Wheeler's Memorandum of the 17th February, 1868, as the three independent chiefs of Sistan.
Y. Muhammad Riza : eldest of five sons and his father's successor in power. Joined H&shim Khan Shahraki and Ali Khan SanjaHLni Baluch against Jal&ludin K&iy&ni, whom they succeeded in expelling. He was reinstated by Shah Kamrdn, but again driven out of Sistan, Muhammad Riza becoming possessed of much of the K&iy^i terri- tory. He was found by Ferrier in 1845, perhaps at the zenith of his power ; but he is wrongly described by that author as a ' Sharegi ' (page 415, Caravan journeys), and Baluch chief (page 417). Died, it is believed, in the same year as Muhammad Shah of Persia, or A.D. 1848.
YI. Ali Khan ; having been passed over in the succession on the death of his brother Muhammad Riza, took up arms against him, and eventually obtained the assistance of Sard&r Kohandil Khan of
GENEALOGICAL TREES.
421
Kandahar. Sard&r Mihr Dil Khan, bringing an Afghan force to Sistan, seized and blinded Lutf Ali Khan, the son and successor of Muhammad Biza, and deposed him from the chiefdom in favour of his uncle, Ali Khan. The last-named looking to Persia for support, in his ill-gotten authority, was induced to proceed to Tehran and accept in marriage the hand of a royal princess. On his return to Sekuha with his bride he was assassinated.
VII. VIII. IX. Need no separate mention.
X. XI. XII. Daughters of Amir Khan : one married to Dost Mu- hammad Nharui Baluch ; one to Hamza Khan K&iy&ni.
XIII. Lutf Ali: now living in Sistan, blinded and deposed as stated under No. VI.
XIV. XV. Need no separate mention.
XVI. T&j Muhammad. If not the actual assassin, was present at and instigated the murder of his uncle, Ali Khan, whom he succeeded at Sekuha. Acknowledge allegiance to Persia ; visited the Shah at Mash-had ; is now at Tehran.
XVII. Kohandil Khan. Died at Tehran^ whither he had proceeded on more than one occasion from Sistan. Date of casualty compari- tively recent.
XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. Need no separate mention, one daughter
of Muhammad Riza given by Shah Kamran to the son of his Wazir,
Yar Muhammad.
P. J. G,
422
APPENDIX C.
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GENEALOGICAL TREES.
423
TREE No. III. SHAHRAKIS.
An old Shahraki, Hajji Abdallah, guide to the Sistan Mission, states that he and his clansmen can in no way be considered Baluchis, or indeed anything but Sist&nis, as they were residents in Sistan centuries ago together with the K&iy&nis and Sarbandis. They were originally * Nakh&is.' After Taimur's death, his son Shah Rukh came to Sistan, destroyed the hand of Gurshasp across the Helmand at Malakhiln, and captured the city of Z&id£n, driving out and scattering its inhabitants. The Sist&nis spread here and there, the Nakh&is and others going towards Hamadan and Gulpaigan in Irak^ and acquiring a grant of land there. Years afterwards the Nakh&is returned to Sistan as * Shahrakis ' from their Persian settlement of Shahrwan ; and some of their companions took the name of Sarbandi from their abode in the ^ Sarband ' of Silakhor.
YI. H&shim Khan. Perhaps the most noted in modem times of the Shahrakis. He joined with Muhammad Riza Sarbandi in effect- ing the expulsion of Jalilludin K&iy&ni. But though he shared in the distribution of K&iy&ni territory consequent on this revolution, it does not appear that the Shahraki chiefs had the same influence as, or divided the ruling power in Sistan with the Sarbandis.
XIII. Muhammad Ali Khan. In 1867 accompanied T&j Muham- mad^ Sarbandi, of Sekuha, to Mash-had, to meet the Shah of Persia. Thence they were sent, as qu(m prisoners, to Tehran. Had been deputed before to Tehran, some three years after the death of Ali Khan Sarbandi.
Other numbers need here no separate mention.
P. J. G.
424
APPENDIX C.
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GENEALOGICAL TREES. 425
TREE No. IV. BALUCHIS (NHARUI).
I. Alam Khan. Said to be first cousin of Shah Mihrab, Khan of Bampur in Pottinger's time. Settled in Sistan, under the auspices of Malik Bahram K&iy&ni, on the borders of the little H&mun in the lands called * Sabz Kim.'
II. Dost Muhammad. A powerful chief, died 1857. Leech, writing probably in about 1838-39, mentions that he married the sister of Riza Khan, and gave his own sister to Ali Khan Baluch, adding ' He is under K&mr&n.' His tomb is shown close to Kala'h-i-N&Uj or, as sometimes called, * KaWh-i-Dost Muhammad Khan,' near Burj-i- Alam Khan, the capital town of the Nharui Baluchis in Sistan.
III. Sharif Khan. The principal Baluch chief in Sistan, whose devotion to Persian interests, whether assumed or real, has no doubt greatly tended to consolidate the power of the Amir of Kfi'n. The son of the latter is, it is believed, married to Sharif Khan's daughter. Sharif Khan has many sons, of whom one has expressed openly allegiance to the Amir Shir Ali Khan of Afghanistan. Others are in Persian pay or service.
IV. Shir Dil Khan, of Kimak and Burj-i-Alam Khan. Has local influence, but is ostensibly in Persian interests.
V. Azim Khan, of Deh Sharif Khan.
VI. Needs no separate mention.
VII. Darwish, passed over in the succession to his father's chiefdom in favour of his uncle Sharif Khan.
VIII. One of them is in charge of Nid Ali, the recently acquired Persian fort on the right bank of the Helmand.
IX. Haidar Ali : a well-manneted youth educated in Tehran, but now at Burj-i-Alam Khan.
P. J. a
426
APPENDIX C.
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GENEALOGICAL TREES. 427
TREE No. V. BALUCHIS TOKI (SANJARANI).
The story is, that in the days of Malik Bahram K&iy&ni^ the Toki Baluehis, of whom the Sanjar&nis may represent the ruling branch, under their chief Khan Jah&n, had wandered some time on the left bank of the Helmand, when JaUludin^ son of Bahram, fell in love with the chiefs daughter and married her. The consequence was the g^ft of a fortress, whence sprung the settlement of Jah&nabad, and a considerable increase of the influence of Khdn Jahan.
I. J&n Beg. The first of any note of whom mention is made in Sistan history, among these particular Baluehis.
II. Kh&n Jah&n. Spoken of by Christie, Khanikoff, Leech, and other writers on Sistan. He seems to have held Chakhansur in gift from the Wazir Fath Kh&n Barakz&i.
III. IV. Need no separate mention.
V. M6m : murdered by his brother Ali Khan^ after the death of their father Kh&n Jah&n.
VI. Ali Khan. Succeeded to the chiefdom of the Sanjarfinis in Sistan on the assassination of his elder brother. Is supposed to have died in 1 840.
VII. Ibrahim ; now chief of Chakhansur. Shared power with his brother Ali Khan during his lifetime.
VIII. Besides Jan Beg there may have been two other brothers; but there is little worthy of record regarding them to be here noted.
IX. Im&m Khan, now residing at Chahilr Burjak on the right bank of the Helmand. Shares control over Rudbar, and other places border- ing on the river, with his brother,
X. Kam&l Khan. Both these chiefs profess themselves to be sub- jects of Persia.
XI. XII. XIII. Need no separate mention. One or more of the sons educated at Tehran.
F. J. G.
APPENDIX D,
1. Itinerary from Tekrdn to Karmdn,
Date.
' 1870. Odobw ao..
Namb or Stagb.
KAU*h.N^ or N4a
HMIB)^lllt4ll
§0.
IMliDaUk Kiim ..
Approximate
DiSTAMCB
IN Milks.
31.. ' Lmunun&d XoTMnbtri •• i SiS'Siii » a.. I KAshAn 6. . I Kahrdd SAo .. MnrohAkir
♦»
»«
If
I:.
9- 10..
a6..
a;.. a8.. 19..
December i . .
tt tt
t*
tt
tt tt
M M «t tt tt M tt It
a.. 3-
4-
5 •
6.. 10.. la.. 13.. 14.. 15.. 16.. 17.. 18.. ao. . ai.. as-.
Oai ..
lafiih&n GulnabAd
Kui Tudashk
BMnbiz
Niugumbai Akda ..
Miibiit
Gird-Firaman
Taid .. Sttr-i-Tftzd .. Zddnu-d-din .. KannAnnhahAn Shams Aii4r •• B&iy&z
Kiub-Kuh .. Bahr&mab&d .. Kabiitar Kh4n Bighin Kiumin
7 ao
n
aa
'I
20 26 ai
ao la la
14 19 «4
a8
la 36
30
30
6
»4 18
16
17 aa
18
18
as
19
Gekkral
DiBXCTION.
S.
8.
S. by W. abyW. S. by W. S.£. S.E.
S.E by S. S. by S. W. S.E. by S. S. by W. S. by E. S. by W. E. by N. E.NE. E.N.E. E.byN. '9E.byN. 7 E.S.E. ' 5E.N.E. ^7E.byS. E.S.E. S.K
13 E.S.E. i7S.E.byS 20 S.E. 10 E. by S. S.E.
S.K by S. S.E. by 8. S.E.
S.E. by S. S.E. E. by S. S.E. S.E. , E.
E. by S. EJ^.B.
665 miles to Kannia.
ITINERARIES.
429
2. Karmdn to ChoAdar.
|
DATS. |
Namb of Staoi. |
Appboximats DlSTAKOl IN MILI8. |
GSKIBAL DisicnoH. |
|
1871. |
|||
|
Januaiy 5.. Mihiin .. •• |
32 |
S.E. |
|
|
.. 6.. |
H4nakah |
16 |
S.S.E. |
|
» 7-. |
lUylii |
24 |
(17S. by B. l7S.W.byS. C15 E.S.E. |
|
H 8.. |
TTK^tiaYi Tni4tiin |
32 |
{ 3 N.N.E. M5S.E.byS. |
|
9- |
D4rziii . . . . |
H |
S.E. |
|
H 10.. |
Bam .. |
17 |
£.o.£. |
|
n 14 • |
Aiic4Ud |
38 |
E.S.E. |
|
n I5- |
BilrjiMahiz |
13 |
E.S.E. |
|
H i6.. |
Rig&n.. |
19 |
(10E.S.E. I9S.E. |
|
» i8.. |
Ab-i-garm .. .. •. |
31 |
(II S.SJL tioS.E. |
|
H 19- • |
Cli4bi Kambar |
10 |
S.E. by S. 6 S J:. by E. UE.byN. |
|
„ 21.. |
Dag-i-Farb4d |
15 |
|
|
5 S.S.E. |
|||
|
H 33.. |
Sar-iN&ran |
19 |
S. |
|
» 23.. |
Khiisrfn |
24 |
S.S.E. |
|
H 34.. |
Ladi |
30 |
S.S.E. |
|
t. 35.. |
Kalinxao |
9 |
a.aK. |
|
n 26.. |
ChAh-i-ShiSr |
23 |
E. by S. |
|
»> a?- |
Kdcb Gardin |
36 |
S.E. |
|
.. 28.. |
Bampiir |
16 . |
E. |
|
February 1 6.. |
Sar-i-Band |
8 |
E. |
|
.. 17 . |
Sar Kohran |
13 |
S.E. by E. |
|
.. 18.. |
Ab-flow&r&n . . |
17 |
S.E. by S. |
|
19 • |
Pa-God4r |
30 |
E. |
|
•. 20. . |
Kolioi |
17 |
S.S.E. |
|
.. 21.. |
Sarb&z |
19 |
S. |
|
H 23.. |
Dipkhaur |
14 |
SB.W. |
|
ft 24. . |
Pi-nid |
13 |
S.E. by E. S. byE. |
|
.. 25.. |
Rask |
14 |
|
|
» 26. . |
Biigani . . . . • • |
15 |
E.S.E. |
|
.. 27.. |
Piihin |
10 |
E. by 8. |
|
March i.. |
Kastag |
10 |
S. |
|
M 2.. |
GbiBUn |
10 |
S.S.E. |
|
3 • |
Kubnariflunt |
23 |
S.E. by E. |
|
M 4** |
Dard4n |
13 |
S.S.E. |
|
5* |
Giirrok |
17 |
S.E. |
|
. 6.. |
Gw&dar |
30 |
S.E. |
Karmlbi to Gwadar, 638 milM.
TebrAn to Karrnin Karm4n to Gw&dar
TOTAL.
665 miles. 638 „
Total
1.293
t>
APPENDIX D.
S. From Bandar-Abbot to NatirobAd in Sittdn : —
See page 141 of tiajor Smith'i NamtiTe to Bam . . 14S milM.
„ 455 „ a Tdm-i'Mir Dost 146 „
31 J „ .. Nailr»b4d .. 57 ' „
Total 551
4. From NatirabAd in Sitldn to Ckahdr BUrjak, on ike rigkt
hank of the Helmand, and back to Banjdr : —
Page 313, M^or Smith's NartatiTe 180^ milea.
5. From Banjdr in SUldn to Maak-kad : — Page 35G, Major Smith'i Nairatire .. 58a} tnilea.
6. From Maak-kad to Tekrdn : — Page 391, Major Smith'a NamtlTe .. 558 milu.
N.B. — The road from Maah-hsil to Tehrin ii well known. My note-book makca it S44 milee. Ferrier reckons it at a lew figure (or 141 fartakSt), unlese he kllows nsrij tbm milea a/artoAA for the long meiuiuremeiita of Khdraaiti. It ahould be noted, with niif- encetoTableNo, a, that MajorSt. John makes the diitanoe between Bam uid Bampurltai. b; II milea, than Major Smith. A difference of actual route foUovod, between Bamu^ Rig&n, would only in part accouDt for the diicropanoy. My own computation nooriti in 1866 i( in fovaur of the higher figur«>; but it wai roughly effected, u>d M^ St. John's ineaBuremenla are doubtloM more accurate.—^. J. 0.
' Incluiive of four miles from Tiim-i-Mir Dost to ChAli-i-Khak-i-Muhtuumad Darviih.
INDEX.
Abaka, 400.
Ab4rik, 86 (Aw^k, post).
A*bd8, 99.
Ab-band, 75.
Abbd8ab4d, 376 ; inhabit- ants, ih.
Abbds Kb4n, 250.
— Malik Kh&n, 303.
Abbott, Keith, la, 87, 92.
Abdiilabid, 180, 351, 385.
Abd-ul-Rahim tower, 133.
Abddl Rastil Khin, 316.
Ab Dazd&n, 131.
Ab-i-garm, 82, 199.
Ab-i-Rahmat, 229.
Abivard, 8.
Ab-pat^ 70.
Ab Sow4r^n, 131.
Abd-1-K4gim, 342.
Abu S4iyid, 400.
Acacias, 125.
Adarbaij4n, 2,
Aden, 226.
Adil Shah, 401.
* Adjutant Bashi,' 357.
A%h4n Commissioner, see S4iyid Nur Muhammad Shah.
— Mission, see Perso- A^hin.
Afgb4nist4n, Amir of, 145,
149. Afrasiib, sons of, 352, 399. Agh4 Beg, 351.
— J4n Kh4n, 346.
Sarbandi, 297 ; -camp
at, tb.
— Muhammad Kh4n, 92.
of Bombay, 228, 243.
Ahmad Kh4n, 307, 316, 321,
322.
— Shah, 227, 309, 395, 402. Ahiian, 382. 'Ahubaieh,' 125.
Abut, 399.
' Ahwill pt&rsi,' 265, 358. Aibi, 60, 66. Aiw4ni K4if, 387.
A'k4sh B48hi, 361. Akbar Kh4n, 269. Akda, 169 ; tank on road to,
ib, ; cultivation, i&. ; the
caravanserai, 170. Akhdnd Zadah, 319. Ala Khaniba, 386. Alam Kh4n, 404, 408. Alexander, march of, 74,
245- Alhak, 376.
Ali's horse, hoof-prints of, 63.
Ali Agha, 182, 189.
— Khkn, assassination of, 406.
Sarbandi, 397, 40a.
Aliabid, 352.
Alison, Mr., 147, 149, 162,
165, 209 ; death of; 377. Allahabi&d. 168. Almond, wild, 57, 104. Aloe, 136, 140. Alp Arslan, 400. Amb^ conference, 324. Amir of A%hlbiistlin, 145. Amirab^, 382. Ammo-Perdix Bouhami, 24. Amr bin L^is, 399. Amtdani, 140.
— Dumdk, 140. Anir, 177. Ankora, 123. Appendices, 395. Apricots, 383.
Arabs, 53 ; robbeij and murder by chief, 90.
AnuUn, 386.
* Arbilbls,' 59 ; districts in- habited by, 59.71 ; Pottin- ger's account of, 59.
AHabil, 343.
Ardag^n, 171.
Ardashir Bkbakiln, 399.
Aryan, 104.
Armenian Archbishop, 160.
Arsinjin, 50, 94.
Asadab^, 354.
Asadullah Mirza, 353.
Asafoetida, 57, 72^ 329. Asafd-d-Diulah, 343. Ashkinak, 289 note. Asiab^, 134. Asparagus, wild, 104. Aspich, 67. Asses, wild, 107. Astrabid, 373. Astrakhihi, 147. Atak, 5, 17. Atash-Gih, 280. Atash Kadah, 109. Aurora, 151. Awirik fort, 195 ; relics
from, ib. Asid Ehin, 56, 62, 283,
»9»» 3031 40^' Azarbazin, 399.
Azizl^b^, 197, 244.
B^bism, head-quarters o^
108. Bltdblni, breakfiut at, 105. Bddgir$, or wind-towen,
337. Badi*u-z-Zam^ Mirza, 399.
B^, 104.
BafUn, 132; valley, 133,
219; old village, 219. B4ghin, 102, 104, 181. B^, 228. Banarld, reiving part of,
109. Bahmran, 195. Bahman, 399. Bahram, 256.
— Kiiy4ni, 40a. Bahr4inab4d, 179 ; cotton
cultivation, ib. ; Uie Ntfib, 180, 274, 409. B4hti, 123, ia6, 133.
— Kal4t, aa, 27 ; tempera- ture, 29.
Baiiz, 178.
Baila, 125.
Biji, 125.
Baker, Colonel Valentine, 8.
— Dr., 18.
432
I N D E X.
'BikA, everlMtlDg fires at,
147. Bftl4 Kalit, 60.
BaUghar wRtohotower, 345.
Balgetta, 137.
'Bal6ob/ 47; pUteao, 11 ; camel driven, ai ; mode of driving, 134; origin of, 46; a wounded, aoa.
^ Khin, 55.
BalAchis, Rfgl, 62 ; oamp of, 8a.
-» (Nharui), genealogical tree of the, 424.
^Toki (Sanjarimi), genea- logical tree of the, 426.
Baldchistikn, oiden to survey, 18; plateau, 25; fiMina, a 7 ; forts, 34 ; Pottinger*s joum?y, 51 ; land tax, 67 ; Major Lovett*s journey, Ii<^i42; river systems, 119; mountain systems, 121.
Bam. 50 ; fort, 86, 105, 197 ; extent of town, 196 ; route to, 233 note, 236; plain. J40 ; halt Kt, 241 ; Kin- neir's account ot, 243 ; population and tnuie,
>44* Bam-Karmashir, 28.
BftmhiK, 168; the Hajji,
ib, Bamptir. plain, 9, 199, 203 ;
thermometer at, 76 ; fort
and garrison, 76 ; 112,1 30,
ao6; British flag at, 209;
N^b of. 217. Bampdsht, highlands, 23, 53,
62. B4n, 141. Bandar- Abb&s, 6, 19, 120;
exports, 227 ; temperature,
tb. Bandai^i-Kam&I Khin, 286
and note, Banjiir, 303. Bannu, 253. Barak, 350. Biraks4iH, the, 402. Barbaris, oamp of, at Chel-
ling, 261.
B«r^ 53> 5^-
Basmin, 50, 68.
• Bast^' or sanctuary, 363.
B&yftsid, grave of; 378.
Begist&n, or BAjistin, 349 ; population, 350; tradition of an ancient handt, ib,
tAO\ kaUntar or
37.
Bellew, Dr., 226, 308, 389
no/r. Bert, 135. Beehni, 107.
Besoar-stone, 100 ; as a talis- man, lOI. Bidarin, halt at, 86 (Beh-
dirun). Bina-i-kiU, 297, 299. Birds—
Black-breasts, 140. Bustard, ' hoobareh,* 125, 179,203, 326. Ch4<5r, 273. Cuckoo. 340. Duck, w^ 125, 15a, 261,
267. Eagle, 231. Geese, 297. Grouse, Sand, 125, 177, 203,
297. Kaftari-Sail, or Pigeon of
the Rapids, 273. Koh, Swan, 273. Magpie, or KiU^-i-ahlak,
285. Mihi MarwArid, 273. MurghiU Andak, Sabs- gardan, or wild duck, 273. Ni^tingale, 361. Partridge, 203; black, 21 1,
244, 297. Pigeon, 297. Quail, 297. Sak4, Water Carrier, or
Camao, 273. Sistin, o^ 273. Stork, 153. Taghalak, 273. Teal, 125, 261, 273, 297. Water-fowl, 152, 26 1. Biijand, 334 ; population.
Bamprir, 209, 262, 265;
settlement o^ 307. Bruce, Mr., 160. Btiddr, 51. Bdg, 128. Bugini, 219. Bdh86, Dr., 15. Bdiniird, 8.
Bukhira, prisoners of, 371. Burj^ 198. Btirj-i-A%hin, 303. Bdrj-i-Ahim Khin, 276, 284,
304, 408. Btirji-FaUksar, 258. Bdrji-Mahiz, 198. Bdij-i-Muhammad Kh4n, 84. Bushahr, 6, 18, 95. Bdz-mfji, 83.
Camel, lifting, 28 ; supply, 30; killed by change of climate, 31; thorn, 71, 134; drivers, 70, 122 ; owners, 212; obstinacy, 246 ; anecdote, 247.
Camels, trouble with, 103, 105 ; — hair cloth, 166.
Cameron, Sergeant, 318.
Campbell. Captain, 163.
Cannibalism, 361.
Caper, wild, 204.
Capra SBgagrus, 100.
Caravan, our, 22.
Carp, 105. 109.
Carpet manu£ictories, 10 1, 187.
Carrifour, 355.
Carunas, tribe of, 90.
Caspian Survey, 11 1.
Castor-oil plant, 153.
Cats, 16, 84 ; Angora, 84.
Cave-dwelling, 105. 336 ; route ^m, to Turbat- 1 Central Persia, area o^ 5.
i-H4idari, 338 note.
Bhmford, Mr., i, 13, 19, 33, 52,94, no.
Blue Mtinshi, 150.
Bog, creation ot, 14.
Bojd, 334.
Boklu-Kala'h, 384.
Bolah, 311.
Bolida valley, 135.
Boitajan, 380.
Bostdn, 378.
Bower, Quartermaster-Ser- geant, 77, 115 ; appointed to Pertfo-Bal^ch Mission,
150; I95» 2M. 225, 240; leaves Mission for England with despatches, 380; his death, 389 note, British Flag question, at
Chddar-i-shahi, 350.
Chafta, 170.
Chahdr Bdrjak, or J^i'Imim
Kh&n, 288. Ch4hb4r, attack on, 75. Ch4h-i-Bermeh, 331. Chdh-i-Damdam, 329. Ch4h - i - Kh4k • i -Muhammad
Darwish, 255. ChAh-i-Shdr, 79, 204. Ch^ Kambar, 82, 200. Chih Sagrak, 327, 330. Chakhanstir, 271, 282, 298,
408. Champ, plateau, 127; vil-
huge, 1 29 ; inhabitants, ib. Champain, Major, 95, 163. Chang-i-Mdrgh&n, 263 and,
note.
INDEX.
433
ChapdOf 72.
' Chapar/ or post, 366.
Cliapar khdnaht 38 a.
' Ghasbmah-i-Gez/ 376.
Chisttin, 230.
Chelling, a$o ; canal at, a6i ;
275.
Chib, 135 ; fort. 139.
Chn Khan, 138.
Chin&r-tree, 103, 108, 1 6a; at 'BAyin, 194.
Chiragh Khin, 235.
Chirak, 1 25 ; probable popu- lation, 126.
Christie, Captain, la, 50, 316.417.
Chronometers, difficulties with, a6.
Clark, 15.
Colville, Dr., 146.
Cunolly, Edward, ao9 ; jour- nal* 273; 3x6, 318, 320,
3", 417- Copper, at Kann4n, 100,
aso. Com, &c., price oi, in Sistdn,
371 note. Cotton, in the vicinity of
Kiim, 153 ; cultivation at
Bahrdmabid, 1 79 ; yield
of the Karm&n district,
180, 337. Crocuses, aoa. Cumming, Dr., 163, 171.
184, 185 note, 191, 196;
patients at Bam, 198; aoa. Cypress-tree at Ruknabad,
171.
Daena, 13.
Dag-i-Farhid, 8a, aoi ; le- gend of, aoi. Diuiarzin, 86 (see D^rzin). Dak-i-Debli, 284; tombs, a86. * Dam-Damah,* 299. Dam Dew41i, 286. Damghi&n, 15, 380; ruins,
381. Daniabad, 179. D'Anville, 74. Darah-gaz, 8. Darak^h, 336. Dardin, 232. Dariii-i-Kabir, 8x. Darogha Ata Muhanmiad,
305. Darvishes, 84. Darwish Khin, 409. D&rzin, 195 ; fort, 6). ; 240. Dasht, 137 ; plain, 139. Dashtiirl, chief of, 123, 125 ;
inhabitants, 126.
VOL. I.
Dasht-i-Atashkhinah, 329.
Dasht-i - Biiz, or Shahr - i - Farsi, 345 ; mosque, 346.
Dasht-i-Khiishk, 238.
Da^ht-i-Kuweer, or Daria-i- Elabir, 15.
Dasht-i-Rukh, plain of^ 354.
Dasht-i-Sangbiur plain, 257.
Date, trade, 55 ; groves, 63, 66, 72, 125, 169, 215 ; cultivation, 138 ; impreg- nation, 218 ; tax, 232.
Ddulatabad, 381.
D&ulaty&r, 342.
De Blocquevdle, M., 375.
Deer, 170 ; legend, 383.
Dehak, 07.
Dehgwar marsh, 63.
Deh Miilla, 380.
— Namak, 385.
Deh-i-Pain, 326.
Dehnid, 368 ; effect of fam- ine, 369.
Delta of Persian Arabistan, 8.
Dervish's well, 256; baro- meter at, ib.
Deshtak, 261, 274, 408.
Dildwar Kh&n, 33, 61, 68.
Din Muhammad, 123, 125.
Dipkhor, 216 ; revenue, ib.
Dipkbur, 132.
* Dir&nchu,* 245. Dirham bin Nasir, 399. Dls, 135.
Diz,47.
Dizak, 50, 68, 120; valley.
Do Kalali, 326.
Donkey encampment, 232.
Dost Muhammad Kb4n,
263 note, 278, 2S0.
Baltich, 404.
Dozaneh, 138. Dradund, 141. 'Drik,'87. Dughab&d, 352. Ddm, 138.
Durand, Sir Henry, 205. Diirm&nii plateau, 91. Dumb, 331. Dus&ri (Jabli-B4riz). 237.
Echis viper, experiment with,
80. Elizabeth, Queen, 382. Ellis, Mr., 397. Elphinstone, 417. Enzeli, 147. Esai, 138.
* Evil eye,' the, superstition,
264 note, 332, 350. Executions, 185 note.
Ff
Fahrw (ruins) 74, 84, 244 ;
or Pahra, 245. Faizabad, 351. Falarl, 22, 123. Famine, 94 ; feeble attempts
to check, 96; deathB
through, 08; cannibalism
during, 361. Fardmurz Khan, 326. Fari&b, 231.
Farrant, Colonel, 342, 343. Fars, 69 ; disturb^ state of,
99. Fasji, 109. Fath Ali, 401. Shah, 152 ; college
established at Kum by,
153; I54» H3. 384- — KhfCn, 402.
*Felek' stick, 175.
Fern, Maiden-hair, 57, 65.
Ferrier, J. P., 262, 268, 275,
282, 287, 293, 370, 373,
381. Figs, 387. Fin (Kiishan), longitude,
113. Firamurz, 256.
Fir-trees, Scotch, 172.
Flrrlz4b&d, 132, 218.
Fog, 90.
Forbes, Dr., 268 ; murder of,
317- Fort, ancient ruined, 86.
Fox, grey, shot, 204.
Eraser, J. B., 112.
Oach, 374. Gadrosia, 74. Game, see Birds. Garambigih, 81. Garmsil, 48. Garmslr, 109, 198. G4vkh4nah swamp, 10, 15. Gaz, longitude, 113. Ga2eUa /u9cifrons, male, 65. Grazelle, 37. Geh, 67, 80. G^roft, 74 (see Jlrdft). Ghaf&r Beg, 150. Gh4zan Kh4n, 400. Ghazni, Muhanunad of, 399. Ghistan, 22a Ghiuk, 338. Ghori4n, 112. Ghufar-Khan, 132. Ohuldms, 88, 103. Gibbons, Serjeant, 107. Gicbki, 138.
Gill, Lieutenant, B.E., 8. Gir&n Beg, 202. Giranrig, 81.
434
INDEX.
Gird-FinunuR, 17a; silk
culture, ib, Girimmnj, 345. Gishtigin, 3^ 41 ; fort of,
44. 46 ; 47- Goat, wild, 100.
GAd-i-Kurkdrin vaUev. 280.
Goldmnid, Major • General Sir Frederic, 10. 28, 31, ^'.74.83.87,92, 110,123; as arUtrator of the Sistin frontier quertioo, 145 ; in- terview with M. Streni£i- ukoff, 146 ; at Astrakhin,
Gypeeous strata, 10.
HafUd lUh. 319. Haftar, 73.
Hitidar AH Khin, 278. Hijji Abdullah Kbin, 242, 266.
— Abdun Nabi, 69.
— Ahmad, 226; Major Euan Smith's interview regarding. 227.
— Ali. 152.
— Firuzu-d-din, 402.
— Muhammad HdsainKhin,
*44. ^77-
147 '. »t Tehhbi, ib.\ at
I^iahin. i <;9 ; at Karmin. 1 Taki, 175
1^3 ; viat to the Wakfl- , Hajjiabad, 334.
ul - MAlk, i6. ; Kception Hxlaku, 400.
ofHindds, 1"^ : int^nriew Hamadin, 15.
with IVniaB Commb- Hiaaka. S9, 193.
o^MMf. 1S5 ; at Bam l«>rV Hanw, 179.
ig^ »•■>#»;'' 20I, »5; f^ EUrrifcm, Major, 31,
cvf^XMi .>f IVrfthim Khin, 215-
KA. Ill »iif« ; at l«wi>
«>ar. it.% aad M«4r ; %iKkff«d
to Sw4*iw 115 : at OU-
CNiiij^ iKk, <4i» J65 : at
Kiwak. t;v i int>erriew
with !^a\Ur iBUUtt Khin.
t.^ : vwtt 10 Sardir Ah-
WM«) KKaii,3J J ; the Mash-
Iim) f«*x>rt, 352 ; interview
«ith Sdltin Mnnid Mirza,
3 CO, and Sartip Hdsidn All Khin, 362 ; presents to the Prince of Mash-bad,
366 ; 379 ; enters Tehrin,
387; 389; arbitral decision,
390 ; in London, ih. Gorjak, 297. Grant, Captain, 51. Great Salt Desert, 16. Greyhounds, 61. Grumkhan, 138. Gdchah, 381. Gulahak, 388. Gulist^ 367. Gulnabad, 164. Gulpiigiln, 105. Gulzir Kh^n, 320 ; death
at the age of 110, 321. Gumboki, 84. Gdnibad, plain, 346, 348. GArg. 247.
GuTTok, 222.
Gorshasp, 399.
Gw^Ular, 19, 112, 138, 141,
a23. Gwi(m-i-TaUb Kh^, 81. Ow^-Manzil| 221. Gwilrpnsht, 130. ^.123.
205, of.
3S1. Haaaaki canal, 303. Hashim Khin, 404. Hashmat-ol-Mulk, 249 ; visit
to. 267. Haus-i-dir, 25$ ; graveyard
near, 257. Hauz-i-Kaisr, 120. Hauz-i-Stilt^ caravanserai,
151 and noU. Heath, prickly, 202. Heit, 128. Helmand robbers and the
Kortbi, 54. Henna manufactory, 86. Her^t, 50, 1 1 2, 1 15. 270, 355. Hiramatabad, 172. Hindti, in JiQk, 62. His^bnd-s-Saltanah, 1 74, 308,
319. 335. 348. 361. Hoeltzer, Mr., 160 ; servant
to. 379- Hokilt plidn, 320.
Hormusabad, 179.
Hting plateau, 40. 53.
Hiisain Ali Khin, Sartip,
362. — Khin, 217. Htisainab^, 169, 267, 332 ;
valley, 332. Htisainabid-i-Nau, 289. Hydrography of Persia, 1 - 1 o. Hyena hunt^ 274.
Ibex, 37. 251.
Ibrahimabad, 172; Scotch firs at, ih.
IbrtUiim Khin, 22 ; adminis- tration of, 28; 60, 66, 71, 76. 85, 196, 199, 205 ; de- feat of, by Bidtichis, 234 ;
^59t 304. 3071 the mur- derer of Dr. Forbes, 317 ; his sons, 318; at Nikl Ali fort, 321 ; 334, 398, 405. 409.
— Sdltin. 33. 54, 77.
* Ichthyophagi,* 69. Id-i-Kurb^, 126. Hiitti, 89, 96, 98, 231.
* Illustrated London News,'
»75- Imim Juma, the, 97.
— KhiUi, Sardar, 288, 409 ; visit to, 291 ; 306.
— RizA, 347 ; shrine of. 356, 363 ; father of, 374.
Inikmab^ 380.
ImimziSdah, 85; of Shah- sidah Sult^ Muhammad Ali, 347 ; of the Forty Virgins, 381. I ' India,' the, 19, 226.
Indian servants, 64, 70.
Irafshiin, 40, 67, 68.
Iranian plateau, 2 ; area, height above sea-level, and drainage, 3 ; heated stratum of air, 6.
Irij, ancient fort, 109.
Iris, fine species, 380.
Iron at Kurmin, 100 ; Parp4 mine, 107.
Irrigation, 7, 9, 104.
Isay^, 135.
Is£fthi(n, 10, 18, 50, 98, 106, 122; longitude, 113; 149, 157; Haft Dast Palace, 157; the governor, %b. ; ban- quet, 159; the <kama at, 160 ; the shaking minarets, 161; view from Mount Su- fia, {&.; the Madrasah, 162 ; 164.
Isfandak, 55, 57, 60, 66.
Isfandiar, 256.
IshkambarabiU, 338.
Ishkizar, 172.
Iskil, 303.
Ismail Sam^ni, 399.
Ispatki, 131.
lapidi 234.
Inatabiid, 167.
Istiibonat, or Savonit, 109.
Istikb^ 75, 91 ; at Nlrls, 108 ; at Isfisthdn, 157 ; Yazd, 173 ; Kanmbi, 182 ;
. IU3rin, 193; Bam, 196; Bi^ptir, 206; P^r^d,
INDEX.
435
ai7; Khinii, 234; Ban- j^, 308; Birjand, 334; Ydnsi, 350; AbdtiUbad. 351 ; Maah-had, 357 ; Ni- shiiptir, 369. Itinerary of route, Siatin to Mash-had, 356 ; Mash-had to Tehran, 391 ; Tehr^ to Kanmln, 428 ; Karm^ to Gwad;ir, 429.
Jackals, 213. Ja'fiir Khin, 233, 235. Jaghat^i Mughids, 400. Jah^nab^, 300 and note. Jil-i-Gharak, 366, 368. Ja-i-Jinn valley, 377. Jal^b^ 303 and noU,
409. Jal^u-d-din, 404. J^lk, 56, 61, 112. Janiitli, 84<
JamJbdz towdr^ 200, 217. Jambul trees, 231. Jnmshid, 399. Jangiz Khibi, 400. Zi,Ti90z Mirza, 378. J^in^k, 307. Jaz>moriin, 79. Jester, a Nlrfs, 108. Jfrdft, 74, 79 ; plain, 106. Jonah, the prophet, 350 ; his
grave at Mosul, ib. Jordan willow-trees, 107. Juf^, 192. Juma Khiln, 60. Jungleoftamarisk and acacia,
22. Juwain fortress, 319.
K^ul, 399.
K^buli pilgrim, 62.
Kabtbsh^, 8.
Kabdtar-Kh^, 180.
Kabtitarkhina, 104.
Kiidirabid, 380.
* Kafeh,' salt swamp, 106.
Kilfir-Kalali, 355, 402.
Kablri, 131.
KiU, royal bouse of, 401.
Kai Khusrd, 399.
Kaiilni kings, burial-place of,
393. Kaimag^, 72.
KiiXn, escort, 251 ; products
and exports, 336 ; imports,
337 ; town, 341 and note ;
moR<iue, 341, 343 noU]
Amir of, 406 (Mir Alam
Khin), 408 ; Amir*8 sons,
337 note.
ILiAyim Maliks, 401 . K^yilnis, genealogical tree
of the, 416. Kaj^r dynasty, 244. Kaj^rs, 27, 103. Kajdwas, 371. K^khk, 346 ; tomb at, 347 ;
ancient citadels, ib. Kalag, 63. Euilag^n, 48, 50 ; ravine, 58,
59, 61 ; valley, halt in,
64. Kala*h, 67.
Kal*ah-ad-din, 65.
Kala'h-i-Aspiki(n fort, 39.
Kalali-i-Bagalun, 355.
Kala'h-i-Dulditar, or virgin*s
. fort, 191, 354; legend oi,
354.
Ka]a*h-i-Fath, 292 ; camp at, 293; garrison, 294, 409; fort, 295.
Kala'h-i.Kah, 326.
Kalali-i-K^ 229 ; temper- ature, ib.
Kala'b-i-Khang, 275.
Kala'h-Nau, 278, 313.
— Shur, 193.
Kalaki, march to, 37 ; cha- ractOT of country, 38, 70.
Kalinzao, 80, 204.
Kala't, 348.
KaUt, 50 ; one of the de- fenders of, 53.
Kah^tak, 126; Islamic fes- tival at, I a6 ; population, ib.
KaUVi-BtSjdi, 338.
Kala't-i-Mdlla. 346.
Kalpikakihi, fort of, 66 ; 67.
Kam^l Bandar, 286.
— Kh^ 305, 409. Kamih, 354. Kam-Nasir, 345. Kamran, Prince, 403. Kandif 61 ; superstition re- garding, 103 ; diggers, 204.
Kandahdr, 288.
Elapar, 141.
Kar^hi, 6, 50.
Karaen-ul-Mtilk, 107.
Karaw^ Rig, 325.
Karbala, 147.
Karin-i-Ibn-i-Jamshid, 342.
Kdriz, 61.
Elarmi^ desert of, 12, 16; governor of, 21 ; ruins of fort, 93 ; copper at, 100, 150; position given by Pottinger incorrect, iii, 163; istiWidl, 182; the Bi(gh-i-NiBh^t, 182; Wa-
F f a
ka-ulMiilk, 183; theNa- wib, ib. ; Chnstmas pre- sents, 183 ; arrival of English mail, 185 ; carpet and shawl manufactories, 102 ; shawld superior to Kashmir, 187; visit to, ib. ; presents from the Wakil- ul-Mtilk, 189 ; farewell to, ib. ; visit to Hindtis, 190; parting gifts, 191 ; popu- lation and revenue, t6. Karm^-Bandar. Abbaa road,
9- Karminshihin, 176.
Kasarkand, Chief of, 217, 219.
K^iahkn, 94, 149, 156 ; gover- nor and inhabitants, 154; produce, t&. ; importance and extent, ib. ; palace of Fin, ib.\ plain, 155.
KeuhedaJi, 347.
Kashit, 86.
Kaahk^ tribe, 109.
Kashmir, 379 ; ahawla, 102.
Kiaimabkd, ruined pillar of, 301.
KaaivKand, 1 20, 1 23 ; springa, 129 ; valley, 132.
Kastag, 33,
* Katkhuda,' 83.
•Kavir,' or Great Salt De- aert, 152.
Kavirt, 15.
Kizrtin, &ilure of water at, 96.
Ked j, or Kej , disturbances at, 20; 122, 134; thermometer
at, 135- Kelug, 137.
Kkf pronunciation of, 69.
Khabfs, 91, 93.
Khaf, plateau, 5, 15.
KhairabiUi,3 1 6 ; swamp, 1 06 ;
village, 107, 110.
Khalif, 399.
Khdlta, 386.
Kh^ B^bd Kh^ 263, 308.
Khin of Dizak, 40.
Kh^-i-Khittin, 87.
Kh^.i^iirkh, 104.
Khdn Jah^ Khin, 318, 321.
(Sanjanlni), 404.
— of KaWt, 38, 44, 54, 1 19,
139.
— Muhammad, 46. Kh<inah-i-Darwirfi, 355. Khanak, 340. Khanikoff, M., if, 15. 49,
81, 92, III, 316, 370,
417-
436
INDEX,
Kliilati, 334; governor of,
ib. ; lUve inhabitanta, ib. ;
route firoui, to Bam, 236
noU.
KhAnbi, desert, 5, 48, 51,
68. i^- Ntishirw^nia, 67 ; reported
raid of, 83. Kharwaj, 34O. KhittiniO)^ 388. — (Khinah Khittin), 194. Khtr, 108.
Khojah Ahmad, 281. Khtidadiid of KaUt, 78. Khudabandan, 138. KhdrasiD, plateau, 81, 98 ;
Wazlrof, 371, 374. Khdsrin, 80, 203. KhdBni KhiCn KajAr. 371. Khtiziflt^n, plain of, 8, 14. Khw^jah Ahmad. 297. '— Ali Kibd, 331. Kil^h-ib. 250; plain, 251 ;
well at, ih. Kimak, 279.
Kin^Kragird, longitude, 113. K.inneir, 243. Kiria, 261. KiahUk. 3F6. Kishm island, 228. Kiskat, 354. Kisri. 345. Kug^D, 9. KohatidU Kh^ 309, 396,
398. 402. Kohrdd, 81 ; longitude, 113. Kolanch valley, 141. Kolini, 214.
KolmiCrut, *Mihrtlb' at, 391. KoIvAp, 109. Kosh&n, 71.
Koslik, 135 ; halt at, 140. Kruk, 244. Kdch Girdan, 204. Ktich^garddn, halt at, 79. K6chdn, 366 and note, Kdh, 85.
Kdhak, or Sar-i-Band, 44, 53; capture of, 60; 121, 280 ; fort, 283. Kdh-Ban^n, 12. Kuhmetah, 132. Kdhp^, 81.
• Kulah-i-Faringi,' 155. Kulmaristint, 221. Kiim, Xaw'r, 16 ; sacred cit}' of, 81, 152; shrines. 153; present state of, ih.\ £ftnati- cism of priests, ib. ; manu- factures, (6. Kuniir-bastah, 60. Kundar ruins, 256.
Ktint&ktih, 103.
Kupa, 165 ; its manufiacture*
166 (Ktihpi, ante). KtSrds, 53. KHren IHgh, 8. Kurk, 187. . Kdrdk, 84. Kushkob, 178. Kustug, 2 30. Kutbu-d-dfn, 400. Ktitbu'-d-din-Haidar, 353. Ktitrti, 15, 107. Kwojah-Aiikir, 196.
Laddi, 80, 203.
Ladgasht, 63.
Laftiin Juwain, 521.
Lajf, 60.
LiCr plain, 106.
Las Baila, 50.
L&h,ii5; fort, 316, 322.
L^tah-gird, 384.
\AsAi Juwain, 271, 307, 315,
320 n<Ae. Leach, Major, 69. Lead at KarmiLn, 100. Leech, Lieutenant, 417. Lenmi, 112. Lentz, M., 92 ; published
observations, III. Liquorice, wild, 109. Locust, 382. Loories, 69. Louis Philippe, 361. Lovett, Major Beresford, 12,
31. 47» 7.^. 79. 94 ; route through Beshnil, 107; jour- ney in Baluchist^, 119; hints to explorers, 122; Gwildar to Chirak, 123; to Kasr-Kand, (27; Champ to Bampdr, 1 30 ; joins Mis- sion-camp, 1 3 1 ; Bampdr to Pishfn, ih. ; at SarbiU, ib. ; PIshfn to Kej, 133 ; to Panjgtir, 135; Panjgtir to Mirf , 1 39 ; Mfri to G wiSdar, 140; 150, 162, 165, 200, 205, 225, 240, 274, 283.
391. 303. 307. 3»o. 32J» 368 note^ 389.
Lilt, 63.
Ltit, or Lot, desert of, 16,
81.
* Ldtls,' or players, 160.
Lutf Ali Kh^ 243, 401.
Macnaghten, Sir W., 269.
Madder, 133.
Madrasah of Isfah^ 16 a.
— at K^hk, 347.
Magas, 51, 67, 72 ; murder
of the chief of^ 69 ; in,
xai. Mii^^ea, 89. Mahiflii^ no. Mi^hi-Abad, 338.
* MiUii-Khor^; 69. Mahomed Lon^ Beg. 377. MlQidn, 90, 192 ; shnne, ^.\
popalati<Hi, 193. MahwilAt, village groiip,35L MlUbtit, 1 70 ; poUeiieB oC
171. Maki^n, 6; cos«i scatay,
3 2, 68. Malcolm's * Histoiy of Per
sia,' 184, 417. Malik Husain KiUyini, 401.
— Muhammad EiUyini,40i-
— Shah, 400.
• Maluki-TMiUf,' 399, Mamasanis, 54 ; attack cw»*
van, 56. Mand, i a i ; importanoe ot
Mango-tree, a 16.
Mansur Sami(iii« 399.
Manuchahr, 399.
Marco Polo, 89.
Mardlbi Kbkn, 319. 322.
Marmot, or prairie-dog. 35j-
Mash-had, 08, 35 7 ; the Prince o^> 359 ; loss of inhabilttta by fiimiDe, 361 ; shrine,
363. Mashfsh, 81, 103. M^hkld, 51, 53; report <^
enemy at, 54. Maskat, 6, 19. Mask tin, 239. Masonic star, the, 315. Ma'stim "Kh&n, 196, 205. Ma'sdma Fatima, 152.^
• Maukuf^t,* 347. Milwar^un-nahiLr, governor
of, 399. Mayo, I#ord, 324. Mazandar4n, 379. Mazimin, 373 ; escort, 375.
* Mazra'hs,' 37. Meh Kahnti, 345. Mehnah, 35 a. Mehr, 374.
Mehrdil Khi&n, 398, 404. Merewether, Sir W., 189. Merv, 342.
Mets, news of capitulatioQ
of, 152. Miiim^, 377. MianDasht, 375, 377. Mi^deh, 351. Milln Jangal, 109. MihmiindAr, the, a a.
INDEX.
437
Mihmandoftt, 380. Mibm^n-Klianah, or cara- vanserai, 386. ' Mihr^b' at Kolmirut, 392. Mihr^b Khihi. 68. Miles, Captain, 19, 22, 70. Mil-i-N2(^, 247. Mfl-i-Z^idtin, 302. Mimosa thorn, 133. Minib, 120, 135, 230. Minir of Khusru Gird, 373. Minarets, the shaking, 161. Minstrels, 231. Mir, fort of the, 288. Mir Afzal Kbin, 398.
— Akhlrd^, assistance of^
39 ; breach of contract,
40 ; quarrel with, 42. Mirage 124. Mlrukhor, 75. Mfrakhor Gbafur Beg, 240. Mir Alam Kh^ 317.
— AFaduUah Beg, 349.
— Kuchak Khio, citadel of, 258.
— Muhammad, 401.
— Mtirtld, 44, 59, 60.
— Shing Khin. 138.
— Wirls Kahintar, 305. Mirheim, 92.
Mfri Baz^, 121, 123, 125; probable population, 126;
134. 138. Mirza Abdullah, 231.
— Ashraf All Khiln, 20, 54, 72, III.
— Husain, 339.
— Jah^o, munler of, 348.
— Kb^n, 60.
— Mahdi Khin, 380.
— Ma'stim Khin, 147 ; un- fitness as arbitrator, 148 ; 150. »85, 189, 199, 209, 237, 242, 250 ; treachery oi 260; 289, 304, 309; suspension of, 313; 334,
358» 378. 383. 389-
— Melkam Kbiin, 389.
— Taki Kbiin, 1 54 ; bis popu- larity, 155; his death, 156.
— Ulagb Beg, 400. Mominab^ 380. Mortaneh, 132. Mosquitoes, 218. Mountains, uniform direction
of ranges, 10 ; exceptions, 1 2 ; same phenomenon probable in Arabia, 1 3 ; surveyed portions, 1 1 ; minor ridges, 1 2 ; absence of prominent spurs, 1 3 ; general elevation, ih. ;
gravel slopes, t6. ; highest continuous range, ib,
Ab Kand mound, 314.
Abdzir hill, 340, 342 note, 370.
Ahmatli, 237.
Ahu Ran, 139.
Akhor-i-Bakhsh, 257.
Albdrz chain, 5, 10, 13,
15. 81. Angarin bill, 339. Askardb hills, 89. Badani^Cn hills, 102. Bagilrband range, 35, 125,
127. Balkan, Lesser, 5. Baldcbist^n system, 5. Bamptisbt hills, 44, 47, 57,
137- B^hakird hills, 79, 204, (or
Bdshkiird), 9. B^smin hill, 73, 79, 130, 204. Behtid, 344. Caucasus. 2, 11. Chah^ Gdmbaz, 93. Char-gul-ka-Dikri, 124. Dahnah-i-Nirfs, 107. • Dabnab-i-zaidar,* 377. Damavdnd, Mount, 7, 10,
13. 79» 387- Dam dam rock, 330.
Darabol Ktih, 124.
Daria Cham, mud volcano,
142. Dawir^n range, 182. Deb Bakri. pass, 87, 93,
238 ; range, 193. 201. Devan-i-Murad hills, 234. Dfzak hills, 6, 57, 66, 70. Di!irminii, 93. Fanoch pass, 80. Farah hill, 326. Firuz-Kdh, 387. Gbanii bills, 228. Giruk Pass, 135. Godar-i-Baidar, 354. Godar-i-Bonsir, 57. Godilr-i-Brinj{niln, 66; or
Bringinin, 73. G odar - i - Darakht - i - Benar,
346. Godar-iDthrtid, 368. Godar-i-Dukhtar pass, 103. Go<lar-i-Gtid, 344. Godar-i-Khir-Sang pass,
354- Godar-i-Lard-i-Z^rd pass,
330. Godar-i-Meshun pass, 331. Godar-i-Rig pass, 333. Godar-i-Shurtin, 231. Gonda-Kdh range, 333.
Gwtokt&h ridge, 67.
Hindd Ktish, ii.
Hindt&witn pass, 47, 53 ; view from summit, 48.
Jafar Kt&h, 181, (spelt Ju- fir). 192.
Jam^ B^rid, 236.
Jamal-Bjbiz range, 13, 82.
Jambkf range, 23,25,32,1 a6.
Jbal, 38.
Jupil, 89, 90, 102.
Kala'h-i-Kdh, 330.
KaUt hills, 121, 128.
KhikhiKtih, 124.
Kh^-i-Surkh pass, 8t.
Kh^rptisht, or the Porcu- pine, 237.
Khiiras^ hOLi, 6, II, 13,
73. 104. Kohnid range, 81, 93, 104,
167. Kopet, 2, 4.
Kothal-iPllchinlirpass, 366. Kuba mound, 314. Ktih BiUmln, 336.
— Dinar, 13.
— Dtim-ba-L^, 107.
— Hazir. 13,85, 88, 103.
— Kafdt, 86.
— Kal-i-g^v, 103.
— KashkiU, 1 10.
— Mehdl, 141.
— Salai, 41.
— Ttidah, 109. Ktib-i-Bars, range oC 354. Ktib-i-Basmiin, 12. Ktih-i-Birg, 51 ; altitude o^
72.
Kiihi-Garak hiUa, 231.
Ktihi-Gband, 229.
Ktih-i-Guebre, 51.
Ktih-i-Homand, 73, 119.
Kdb-i-Ispidin, 73.
Ktih-i-Kahh*h-i-Kah range, 326.
Ktih-i-Khwijah, 253, 257, 267. 307.
Kdh-i-Mazamp\isht, 47.
Kdh-iMulla, 134.
Ktih-i-Nasar, range of, 354.
Kdh-i-Naushiida, or SaUm- moniac, 12, 79.
Edb-i-Panj, 104.
Kiih-i-8abz, 48, 139.
Kiih-i Sagaricand, 47.
Kdh-i-Saliim, or Hill of Sa- lutation, 356.
Kdh-i-Shah, 193, 330*
Kdh-i-Sbairas peak, 133.
Ktih-i-Shamn(n, 387.
Kdh-i-Zihcila, 331.
Ktirdish, 7.
138
/ .V I) E X
KardkUa, ol, 8, 13. Kflrva. J. 4. Kuni nyn^ \y
Mjit K*k 31JI*. i
Sjwru a a^ \ itm^ Si. >M. Nm,'> r^w»(f^^v I4I.
Siurvhi vv Kuxida rrnnge,
Sturbuul hills, 6, li.
SarvUtiui range, 19.).
SAvaUn, Mount, 13.
Shah Koh hill, 203.
8hih-Si>wi(rin range, 82.
Shairas peaks, 36, 39.
Shir-K6h, 17 a.
SiaOi-KAh. 32, 346.
Sij^eh K6h range, 12, 48, 57, 66, 73, 120,
Sig-i-Jandin, 231.
Sufia mount, 16 (.
Sdlainuiniah, hill of, 370.
SiVrok hills, 41.
Tahrfid cliff, 86 ; hills. 240.
Takht-i-NiWlr, 82. 201.
Taljlr range, 36 ; pass, i a6, 141.
Tang-i-KaHm pass, 109.
Tang-i-Sardibi pass, 387.
Taurus, 11.
Zj^groe, slopes of the, 8. Mdd, 3.: 3.
Muddkhd, ISO note, 365. Muhammad of Ghasni, 399.
— Afiud Khin, 327.
— Aslam Khin, 326.
— Be^, 250.
— Hibdar, 323.
— Husain B^, 102.
— Hdsain Kluln, 384.
— Hasan Khin, 237, 321.
— iMroail Beg, 349.
— Khj(n, 205. 217.
— RasiiKhiin, 261.
— Biza (Im^m Risa), 383.
— Risi Khin, 396, 402.
Muhammad Yaktib Khin,
Si's.
Muhammadabid, 88, 171 ;
silk fiictocies, 176. Muhammad*, 67.
* MuhamKs/ 150. Muhhat Khin Miarui, 179. Mulberry tree, 340. MuUm, 99.
Malta i^'kUar's tower, 133. ~ KKab, 287.
MA»^ »JMi, iSi.
Muiuhi Karamat Khio. 318.
Murchtkir, loogilude, 1 13.
Mor^h^ 107.
Murti, 39. 41, 53, 54, 56.
Mibhkindn. 167.
Mostafis Khan, 33* $^ 44t
45. 53. 57- Mdsta4iaru-UMdlk, 371.
* Mustiifi,* the, 158.
' Mu5tofi-ul-Mumilik,* 147. Mdaaffar&d.DMilah, 301.
406. Muzri, 127. Myrtle, wild, 169.
Nid Ali, 282; fort, 298;
ruins, 299. Nadir KuH Kh^ 401.
— Shah, 243, 250.401. Nahiiwand, battle of, 399. NiUb Snliman Khin, 199. Ndibg, 106.
N<ibu4-Aiilab, the, 361. Na'imabid, 244.
Nain, 167.
* Niiz^,* the, 304. 314. Nakal makdn, 310. N«Q. 56.
Ni^, 124.
Narain, 139.
Nariman, 399.
Narmashlr, 50, 74, 80 ; plainer, 199, 245.
Nasfrab^i, 1.^4, 259; recep- tion at, 263; fort, 266.
375- Nasr, 399.
— Rastonai, 227. Naani-din-Sh&h, 275. N^u-Gdmbaz, 168, 388. Nau-Roz, 201. 253, 272. 287. N^ushirw^n, 382.
' Nawiib,' the, loi and ito/e. Nectarinia, the new, 32. Neh, 112, 115. Neh-Banddn, 330. Nhartii, 404. Nhaniis, the, 404.
Nijni-Novgorod, 146 ; hotel at, lb.
Nim-bait!ik,orMiinbijiz,345 ; valley, ih.
Niris, 107 ; head-quarters of Bibism, 108.
Nishi4)ur, 355, 366, 370.
Nolent, 141.
Niini-din, 235.
Ndshlrw^nf, 46, 55, 60.
Ndshki, 51.
Nusratab.'Ul, 246, 248 ; gar- rison, 249.
Oleander, 140, 202. Opium, 102 ; trade, 1 75, 347. Orange-tree, 216. OreognttAy of Persia, 10- 1 7. Oniidz lahuid, 228. Owls, 261.
PiKieh, 3S6.
Pa-Godar, 368.
• Pahluwan,* or wre8tler,a,35o.
Pahra, 213.
Pahiini, 58.
Palm group, 67, 70.
PanjDeh, 323, 324.
Panjgdr, 53, 122, 135 ; date cultivation, 138.
Paris, petroUuses, 257 ; treaty of 1837, 145.
Parom plateau, 1 36.
Parp4 iron -mine, 107.
Partridge, francolin. 70.
PA-rtid, 132, 216; revenue, 217; ruined tower near, 218.
Pasand Kh^n, 72.
Pasangin, longitude, 113.
Pasktih, 67.
Pattinson, Lieut., 2^9.
Perkins. Mrs., 363.
Pcxsepc^s, 105.
Persia, the famine, 94 ; phy- sical geography of, I, see Physical ; population, 98.
Persian, Commissioner, see Mirza Ma'sdm Khin ; service, pay in, 106 ; senti- nels, 238 ; New Year, 326 ; lady*s costume, 347 ; state- ment of claims to SisUKn,
395» 396. Perso-A%hin Mission, 225 ;
the Sisti^ question, (h. ;
Sir Frederic Goldsmid
leaves England, ib. ; from
Aden to Bombay, 226; sail
for Persian Gulf, ih.; at
Bandar- Abbas, 226; leave,
228; halt at B^, ib, ;
INDEX,
439
Takht, 229; camp at the Rddkhinah-i-Dtizdi, 231 ; at Kh^d, 234 ; communi- cate with Major Lovett, 237 ; at the Deh Bakri pass, 239; Major Lovett and Sergeant Bower at Bam, 239; joined by Major Lovett at Bebdirun, 240; preparations for march into Sist^tn, 241 ; itinerary of route, Bandar- Abbas to Bam, 241 note; halt at Bam, 241 ; migfortunes of the unpaid attach^, 242 ; leave Bam, t6. ; strength of Mission, t6. note ; camp at Tdm-i-Rig, 247; halt at Nusratab^, 249 ; arri- val of the Sist^in escort, 250; camp at Tdrtih-^b, 252; sight SLstin, 253; on the ZAmin-i-Shilah, ih. ; itinerary of march, Bam to Sistdn, 255 note ; halt at the Dervish's well, 256 ; at Sekuha, 259 ; Chelling, 261 ; reception at Naafra- b^ 263 ; evidence of hos- tile feeling, 265 ; the Per- sian Commissioner's trea- chery, 266; visit to the Governor of Sist&n, 267 ; breakfast at Tapah-i-I^g, 269 ; leave Nasfrab^, 270 ; march up the Hel- mand, 271 ; at KaWh- Nau, 278 ; Kimak, 279 ; the Sist&n 'Band,' 281; camp at Dak-i-Dehli, 285 ; march to ChahfCr Btirjak, 988 ; further trouble with Persian Commissioner, 290 ; at Kala*h - i - Fath, 293 ; Aghi J^ Sarbandi, 297 ; Jabiinibad fort, 300; Za- hidtin, 302 ; refused ad- mission to JaljUab^, 303 ; at Bdrj-i- Afghan, 304 ; op- position to meeting of Com- missioners at Bd^-i-Alam Kh^, 304 ; at Banjilr, 305 ; Ma'sum Khin, 305 ; preparations to receive General Pollock and the Afghan Mission at Btnjiir, 300; leave Banjir, 311 ; quit Sist^, ih. ; object of Mission frustrated by Per- sian authorities, {b.\ visi- tors at Litsh Juwain, 318 ; Captain Lovett's return
from survey of Chakhan- sdr, 321 ; L^sh fort, 322 ; Panj-Deh, 323 ; receive news of assassination of Lord Mayo, 324 ; camp at Dokalali, 326 ; Duruh, 331 ; detained at Sar-Bl- shah, 333; march from Mtid to Birjand, 334 ; April 1st in Birjand camp, 337; at Seh Deh, 339; K^n, 341 ; Dasht-i-Bi^, 345 ; K^khk, 347 ; me- mento of travel, 348 ; Be- gist^, 349 ; utikhdl at Yiinsi, 350 ; the Tehran courier robbed, 351 ; halt at AbddUbad, ih, ; wel- come at Ttirbat-i-Haidari, 353 ; ^^ t^6 Tang of Mu- hammad Mirza, 354 ; Sha- rifab^, 356 ; reach Mash- had, ib. ; reception by Stil- ts Mur^ Mirza, 359; officers not admitted to the shrine of Mash-had, 363 ; leave Mash • had, 366 ; beauty of the Dehrtid route, 367 ; halt at Jit-i- Gharak, tb. ; at Dehrdd, 369 ; haJt at Zafartini, 371 ; at SabzawAr, 373; Mehr, 374 ; Mazin^n escort, 375 ; meet the Shahrtid escort, 376 ; Mi^miti, 377 ; arrive at Shahnid, ih.; Quarter- master - Se^eant Bower leaves for England, 16. ; halt at Deh Mdlla, ib.; Damghin, U). ; Gdchah, 381 ; Ahtian, 382 ; Sam- nin, 383; march from Lish-g^rd, 385 ; pass Ab- duLib^ ib. ; wind and sand-storm at Deh Namak, 386 ; KisbhUc, t6. ; camp at AiwAni Kilif, 387; Sir Fred. Goldsmid rides into Tehr^, ib. ; halt at Khi- ttinjibid, 388 ; enter Teh- ran, t6. ; rejection of Arbi- tral decision by Persian and Afghiln Commis- sioners, 390 ; Sir Frederic Goldsmid, General Pollock, and Major Euan Smith quit Persia for London, 390. Perso-Baltich Mission, 145 ; Sir Fredeiio Goldsmid as Arbitrator, ib. ; Sist^ question postponed, 149 ; Makr^ question pro-
ceeded with, 150 ; leave Tehran, ib. ; at Kak'h nti, ib.; at Kdm, 153; reach K^h^, ib. ; route from KiCsh^ to Isfahan, 157 ; leave Is&h^ 164; at Bambiz, 168 ; joined by Persian Commissioner at Husainabiid, 169 ; at Ak- da, 1 70 ; reception at Yazd, 173; Bahramab^, 179 ; halt at Baghin, 182 ; reception at Kamuln, 183 ; instructions to Persian Commiiisioner, 185; quit Kami^n, 191 ; B^yfn, 193; Bam, 196; arrangements for march to Bamprir, 197, 199 ; detained by storm at Chihi Kambar, 201 ; on the Bampdr plain, 203 ; preparations to meet Ba- Iiich chiefs, 205 ; reception at Bampiir, 206 ; Ibrahim Khlbi and arbitration ques- tion, 207 ; advent of Major Boss and party, 210 ; un- looked-for complications,
211 note ; leave Bamptir,
212 ; anticipated attack of Ibrahim Kbin on Tdmp and Kej, 215 ; at Sarb^, ib.; Pi-rtid, 217; Pfshln, 220; dismissal of Persian escort, ih. ; at the Persian and Kal^t boundary, 221 ; arrival at Gw^ar, 222 ; acceptation of the boun- dary-line in Makrin by the Persian Government, 223 note.
PeshfCwartfn, 313; ruins, 315.
Phayre, Colonel, 267.
Photographer, a Royal, 361.
Physical Geography of Per- sia, I ; Iranian plateau, 2 ; boundaries, ih. ; drainage, 3; rainfidl, 5, 7; prevailing winds, 6 ; heated stratum of air, ib. ; rivers and streams, see Bivers; uni- form direction of moun- tain ranges, 10, see also Mountains ; valleys and plains, 14; salt-swamp, ib,
Pierson, Captain, 112.
Pigeon- towers, 162.
Pigs, 204, 244.
Pirikasr, 63.
Pirsan, 132.
Pfshfn, camp at, 34 ; dress of natives, ib.; forts, 35, lai,
u>
/ .V /> £ X
% « %
l\iA^S^«b^ 4). 15. 4SW 1x7;
»*«v. t^» ii>
:^>*9i;t« »c^v .v^* ivijrv is55. x^ Vs> ,^'^ i>^«**Ri^
V*. xitf^o- «^ 5*. *5^ ^cv S^;; :^ 4^ ^kfi. »v>e^ i>^
Rahim KMa, 97.
lUhmail KHjU. J(9S.
R»lii€dl on iVmuiic Mid Cm fOMi wMMvli^U, 5 : GiUa i «mh) XliunaKUnUi, 6 : aver^
lUln mk) i\v» M<«»iu. 14?.
^^' i
mi«M« fHhiv^l yi)^2« \>t 4^. i
R;lvit. I Si. 24S. KUa i Kbi. 3;5i.
Rkv* $a, 115.
■*^*-*^ J. 13.
KimK triSr i< ja 34. 46.
««^^-* c».4-
A.Hnw> ml 171. 319. A^ttiflti. 9.
A7:ik\>Mw 1. 7
Rn SmL 141.
1>mM. 141.
IWbt, 9. a J, 3a, 119, 133.
ii6» 134, JJ3. DMktiirl 9, a a, 3a, ia6. DMht>i-SMgbAr, a;;.
I>u,8.
Euphrates, 4.
FWab-nld, a7a, 314, 317,
3>'<
FinifiaM(d.9. Gamuh, springs, 330. GaibasUn. 139. Gi^mieh Kban^, or Genne
Riid,8. Ghishkhdr. 135. Girin B«ga, ao3. — R«?ir, aoa. GinUr-i^NiOrgiln, 331.
Gi&iv<Uu&
Gw1ur|^t bed, 137.
HaKl, 1.;^
Hamadiui Ri^d, or Ki^tmu,
lliiiuitn, ^98. llAUUAi« 39, 40.
llAn^W 5, 3*a}. IMumuhU 3. 3, 48, a 7a, aSa iH«#ir, ^83 Ntiff, a86 mde,
llin^^ Ui«, 1 19.
Hni^*. 4a ]
Imiiit, J, 8. i
Jaghatd, 10. I JajrtSd. 386. : JanOii, 8. ' Jfnift.9. KiJQ, 1 34, 1 a6, 1 28 ; source, 129. , Kalaglin torrent-bed, 65. Kalaki, 24. Kir-agach, 9. Kirasd, 15. Karkhah, 8. Kirdn, or Rtirdn. 8. Kaah, 132. Karlr, m. RhiAh-rdd, 272. Khaur>i-chahi&r-rtik2£D, 71. Khdsb-Rii.iak, or Khtiahk-
Riid, 325. Rfl, 134, 140. Kir. 9, 119.
Kii;l>riiiD, or Safid-RiSd, A>urce of, 3 ; 7. , Kodinf, 53. Konar-niU, 82. Kdr, a, 7 ; source of, 3 ; 10. Kan»-id, 141. Kostuk, 221. Uir, source of, 7* Alafdiish, 104. M^bhkidy or Boodoor, 5, 9,
48, 57. 63. "o- Minab, 9.
Morin Pisha, spring, 130.
Mudi Khor, 136.
Nam, 119.
Newan, 138.
Kibing, 9 ; course, 23 ; camp in bed o^ 39 ; journey up bed, 43; 48, 133; source,
136.
Nlluk. 141.
Parsuk, 128.
Piakdl. 138.
Rakhah^, 9, 48, 138.
Rddbjir, 9, 79.
Rdd-i-MiOii, 248.
Hud-k'hdna,, 197.
Rddkhifaiah-i-Ddzdi, 232.
R i\d khiCnah-hG hishkan, 232.
R(ldkh4nab4-Mi^bi^,345.
RddkhiCnah-i-Shtir, 229. Salt, tainted, 10. Sarbis, 132, 215. ShjChid, I41. ShahK, 42, 49. S\wUh. 56. ShattHil-Arab, 8. Shit4(b, 136, 140. Shiintt). lo, 15, 371. Sol. 203. Tib, 8. Tkhr(id,86.
INDEX.
441
Tajand, 5.
Tigria, 3, 8.
Volga, 147.
Zaindartid, 10, 104, 106, 164. Roane, Mr., 19. Bobnis, start for, 109. Roaario, Dr., 225, 233. 235.
370. 335. 389- Bo^jOH, a happy omen, 67 ;
briar, 104. Boss, Major, 200, 205, 222. BddbilLn plain, 231. Rrid-i-Mfl valley, 330. Rddkbiinab-i-Ddzdi, 233. Rti-hilleh, 9. Buknabad, 171; cypress-tree
at, ih. Btim, 339. Bussell, Lord, 406. Busaian Caspian Survey, 13.
— Scientific Expedition, 1 1 1 . Btistam, 256 ; horse of, 257 ;
298, 352, 399.
— Khiu, 69.
Saadatjtb^, 105.
* Sabz-i Ktiin,* 277.
Sabzaw^r, 371, 372; gover- nor of, ih. ; exports, 373.
Sabzwir, 115.
Sadi, 181.
Sjidiki, 261.
Sa<]r Azim Mirza Agha KhiCn, 371.
Sadrabdd, 375.
Saduzdis, the, 402.
SaidiCbdd, 81.
Saif-ud-diu, 132.
Saint, Prime Minister to a,
364- St. John, Major Oliver B.,
Physical Geography of Persia, i ; journey with Mr. Blanfoni, ib.i sur- veys, 1 2 ; journey through Baltichist^n and Southern Persia, 1 8 ; landH in G w^klar Bay, 19; difficulties with the 'Sarhang/ 21 ; at Si- rokl, 22 ; camp at Bilhti Kaliit, 27 ; interview with Y^ Muhammad, 29 ; at Pfshfn, 34 ; reaches Kalakf , 38 ; Gishtig^, 47 ; at the Hinddw(ln pass, 48 ; attack on date-caravan by Baldch Khfin, 55 ; at Jdlk, 61 ; slarts for Dfzak, 64 ; leaves Dfzak for Bampiir, 70 ; camp at Bamptir, 75 ; Ja- m^, 84 ; at Bam, 85 ;
halt at B^yln, 89 ; Kar- mj(n, 92, 101 ; crosses the Kohrtid range, 104; re ception at Nlrfs, 108 ; Sar- vfstdn, no; reaches Shfrdz, ih, ; 245 ; joins Sir Frederic Goldsmid at Tehr^ 108, 1 10, 280. S4iyid Ikb^I, tomb of, 315.
— Mir Asad Ullah Beg, 332.
— Muhammad, 398.
— Ndr Muhammad Shah, 295. 308, 324 ; and the Hisjlmti-s-Saltanah, 365; see AfgluCn Commissioner.
Saiyidabid, 103 ; arrive at,
105 i governor of, ih, Salah-ibn Nasir, 399.
— Kluin, 319. Sali^n, 313. 'Salma,' 234.
Salor, 135. «•
Salt, layer at Ttim-i-Big,
247 ; plain, 106. &im, 399.
Samad Khiin, 320, 322. Saman, 23, 126. Samn^, 15, 383; mosques
and colleges, 384. Sandstone, 43. Sang Ea]a*h-dir, 371. SangdbiUl, 84. Sanjar^ni, 404. Sarakhs, 5, 16. Sarawdn, 50, 69. Sarbandis, genealogical tree
of the, 419. Sarhdz, 78.
Sarb^, 67, 68, 123, 131, 215. Sar Bishah. 332 ; population,
ib. ; valley. 337. Sarbistiln, 86. 109. Sardir Ali KhiCn, 258, 261.
— Kohandil Kh^, 396. Sarfariiz KhiCn, 286. Sarhang^ 106.
' Sarhang,* see Mirza Ashraf
Ali. Sar-i-band, 213. Sar-i-Fahraj, 72. Sar-i-Ndnin, 202. Sar-i-Sham, plateau, 47. Sar-i-Shum, 136. Sar-i-YazJ, 176. Sarjiin, 94. Sarjo, 69, 70. Sar Kburan, 1 38.
— Khoran plain, 213.
— Poshida, 372.
Sartip, the, 76 ; see Ibnlhfm
Kh^. Sarvlstdn, no, 194.
Sar Zar, 355. Scorpions, 78, 156. Seas, Lakes, &o. : —
Arabian Sea, 2.
Bakhteg^ Lake, 10.
Caspian Sea, 2 ; watershed of; 4, 7-
Gokcha Lake, 4.
Hdmdn, or Lake of Sistdn,
3. 5- Kazn(n Lake, 10.
Nfris Lake, 10, 14. Persian GiUf, 2, 7. Shfr^ Lake, 10. Urmia or Urtimlyah Lake,
4 ; basm, 7, 10, 14. Van La\e, 14. Segestdn, 74.
Segzi, 165 ; curiosity of in- habitants, i&. Seh-Deh, 338.
Sekuha, 197, 250, 256; po- pulation, 259. Serpents, in Sist^, 273. • Shabah-i-Shah,' 363. Shabaz, 137. Shahgaz, 379. Shafi Muhammad, 129. Shaftarabad, 172. Sh^, H. M. the, representa- tive of. 20; 44, 119 ; pil- grimage to Karbala, 147 ; and a mystic spring, 381, 388 note ; visit to England and consent to Arbitral decision of PerBO-A%h^ Mission, 390. Shah Abbas, 154, 376, 384.
— Abdul-Azim, 388.
— Isra^ Safavi, 400.
— Kamran, 402.
— Mamud, 402.
— ndmah, 47.
— naw^ KMn, 60.
— Niimat Ullah, 192.
— Pasand Khiln, 316, 321.
— Bukh, 400.
— Sulaim^ Safavi, 382.
— Sufi, 347.
— Stilts Husain N^ir, 152.
— Tamasp, 347. Shahraki, 405 ; genealogical
tree of the, 423. Shahr-i-B^bak, 50, 04, 106. Shahr i-Kad(m, 266. Shahr-i-Nau, 266. Shahr-i-Sokhta, ruins. 256. Shahristan, 284. Shahnid, 377; manufacture
and produce, 378 ; Russian
residents, 379 ; telegraph
line at, i&.
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IVjfvr ' auftd * Ovtar
suli^ r Esau. S^ I45. r^r« \4f^ 1*4. I'^l^. J05, iP(»» 1:1. ii5» nJj; y^
«3U F^cwB^nck Jli»-
. k
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Slf*v ^. ::. \i, a;. 50.94, ^ttivMik 119^
^toiiL:} pwoRNW KesMT a* r«-
Soh, longitude, 113. Sohnin, J36. Sonmiinf, 50. Sardu, 138. SowMo tower, 137. Sfyring, 104; a mjstic,
381. Stebles M places of refuge, iSj. i.Siep|«»>— BoUiaim,!. Kkira^ a. SouOiRiadA, a. Slork, iacTtdnaM o^ 153.
5SK ♦?. rt^
:i;BU»lar I^mIu Kkaa, 331.
sail HaviUar, a68.
Setk. ««hiii«, i;a ; tnde at • Scmaiiakoff: M., 146.
Yastl 175. > Solaunaa >Gbm, 370.
Siai frvttuer» 119. 1 Solimaa Khaa, $5.
Su»>«UDk loa^nak* 113. ! Sulphur tviuga, 249.
$i|«b SdOar. 343. 3;?^ 5^ ^^fcia AK, 399.
3$^. — Hoaain 3ijna^ 399.
Sln>ki» ij. — Jin. 313.
S&nifit aa« 114: tthabitants — Muhammad, 399.
«t I i^ — Munid Mina, 359 : inter-
&&ititt. 51 ; lake« 110 ; arlii- riev with, ».
tratian. 145 ; |M«t|wne> '. — Saajar, 400.
meat ot 149 ; 153 ; priw , 5fillajM;, 106.
of coim» te^ 171 ; oiakee j Sdrdoa, 70.
and biidt oC 873; the , Surmkiu 130.
* Bmd,* a$i; 311; ituMiaiy
of roateiB,3i3: i«auiai7 TalMtf. 15 : GoTemor o^ and
of AibitiatMHi vndenoe, the fi^mine, 351.
39$ ; I>M«iiw claim, A. ; Tkg4>I>unih, 33a
A%ybiaaim. A.; Fenian Tahrdd, 194.
teoond atatement, 396 ; i Taumur ling, 400.
A%ybi MOi»d itateincni, | — Sliah, 373.
397; doeiiBeii.ts connected Ti^ Muhammad Khin, 259,
with, A.; diiBcultj of col> 2S1, 304, 402,421.
lectii^ aTidcnoe, 308 ; Sir Tijiks, 105.
¥Ved«ic Gokianid s state- Takht, 229.
K 9>.\ andent right TdUf -f-ltlinii^ 18, 373.
and goTenment, 399; a
Tkkialitfd, 245.
7«. lift 133, "36. 197.
Taog, or defile of Mohammad Mvxa. 354.
Tapah-i-Rig, 268.
Tarabid, 106.
Taradir-Hnarm, 39.
Tarantulas, 78, 80.
Tartar Amir, 400.
T^-hkok, 53.
Tasp. 138.
T«hrin. ii, x8, 50, 98, 110; loBj^tude, 113, 147.
Tele^rraph. Angio - Persian, 1^ 95 ; line 00 the * Kavir,* 152 ; at Shahrtid, 379 ; at ]>eh Miilla, 3S0; at Dam- ghia, 3$i; at GUchah,
Thamasp, Prince, 401.
Thomas, Mr. Gerard de Visme, 225, 371. 389.
Thull fort, 139.
Tiflak, 300.
Tubacoo.cultivation,r34, 2 1 5.
Tudd, Major. 418.
Toghrul, 400.
Tonk, 141.
• Tower of Silence,' 1 76.
Trees, tamarisk, 197.
Tr^ael, 15.
Truilhier, travels o^ 12. 16.
Tudesbk, 167.
Tdfangdiis, 374,
Tuli Khin, 400.
Tulipe,339.
Tuufajt. 106.
Tdmi-Mir-Doet, 250.
T6m-i-Rig, 245 ; tempera- ture, 247.
Ttbnp. 38, 133 ; chief of, 205.
Tdn. 112.
Tun-wa-Tabas, 346.
Tinrbai, 353.
T'^'***» I34» 348; Governor oC 352-
Ti&rbat-i-Uaidari, 353; gar- I rison. ih.
TdrUt-i-Isa-Khin, 353. I Turkman horses, 361.
Tdrkmans, Russian expedi- tion against, f, 1 7 ; raids,
339» 34». 345. 35»; ™- I checked by the govern-
ment, 366, 379. Turqu<nse minea, 370. Ttirsh ib, 250; camp at, 252. Ttirshiz, 15. 'T«a,* 276 note.
Umbelliferous plant, 104. Uromastiz liiard, 82.