"الطرق في بلاد فارس. (المجلد I.) (خراسان وسيستان.)" [و‎‎٥‎٩] (٥٣٦/١٢٢)

109
r ,
almost,
igand
pitous
into a
camel-
' ivliere
tin the
ed nins-
m from
, or, as
allowed
aiband-
i over a
y steep
lormous
d fit for
ly stony
nated as
iorisan
passage
wind is
life. K
ravellers
s by the
rognis^
uncom-
lel-men
When
isible to
d blows
, stand,
revision
so that
Route No. IV— contd.
in case a blizzard is encountered the pangs of starvation and
thirst may not be added to the suffering caused by exposure.
Miscellaneous .—The camel caravans generally march about
10 a.m. and continue to until 5 P.M., when they halt to feed
and rest. At about 9 p.m., the camels are again loaded and the
march continued until about 8 a.m., when another halt is made.
This is repeated until the desert is quitted. After the first
night the men with the caravans, especially those not used to
the work, become so sleepy and exhausted that the greatest
care must be taken that no one is allowed to loiter or remain
behind on the road. Men have been seen to fall to the ground
whilst asleep on their donkeys, but they are so overcome by
sleep that even the shock of the fall does not av'aken them.
The village of Fidishk, situated about 25 miles to the V . of
Birjand, furnishes the majority of the hardy camel caravan
men, who frequent this route.
This route during the winter months appears to be grven
the preference by caravans going either to Kerman or Khabis.
During the summer months the few caravans that go from
KhorSsan to Kerman travel by the Gai m ab-Nalband -R avar
route. .
Water .—There is absolutely no water in the desert. Ine
water of the Rud-i-Shur is so salt and bitter that it is untuink-
able and injurious to both man and beast. All w^ater therefoie
must be carried from Garmab. This water moreover, though
drinkable, is brackish and impregnated with sulphur. It
is most dangerous to rely solely on mussaks for one s w atei
supply in the desert, since they are so liable to injury and leakage.
Camels are not watered during their journey across the desert ;
water, however, must be carried for donkeys, mules and horses.
It was found that in winter the donkeys existed, without exhi
biting injurious effects, on an allowance of a quartei of a bucket
of w^ater, morning and evening, horses on half a bucket, and
men on a pint of water.
Sweet water is reached at about 125 miles at the lowest
point of the Rud-i-Shirin near Sar-i-Jangal. Good and plentiful
water is obtainable there from the stream. There was said to
be water obtainable from a spring in the Kuh-i-Murghab, lying
some 10 miles to the W. of tbe road at about 75 miels. That
this supply could not be relied on is apparent from the fact