‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎321v] (649/722)

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of Khurasan. It is situated under the hills, 21 miles from Tun, on the
Birjand road.— [Belleiv, MacGregor.)
SARAKHS— Lat. 36° 31/ 30", Long. 61° 16' 0^ Eley. '(Burnes).
A frontier fortress, situated about 1,000 yards from the left bank of the Tajand
river. It is garrisoned by a battalion of infantry, numbering some
400 men, 6 small guns of sorts, and a few horsemen ; but the dimensions of
the fort are such, that ten times this number would be required to man
the walls. Its trace is that of an irregular polygon, with eleven bastions
and numerous intermediate towers for musketry. On the south is the
‘ arc*/ or citadel, which is a similar work to the above, cut off, as it were,
from a part of its walls. In the citadel are quarters for infantry and
artillery ; but many of the former live in lines in the centre of the fort.
Outside the fort are a number of Turkuman towers ; and round each of these
is a small patch of ground, cultivated by the men of the garrison, and
watered from wells. The soil is everywhere of a light, sandy nature; but as
there is abundance of water at a depth of about 20 feet, no doubt it would
be capable of affording large crops.
The Tajand river in the vicinity of Sarakhs is usually dry, except in the
spring or after rain, when it contains a considerable body of water.
It is not probable that Sarakhs in its present condition could, for any
time, resist a force equipped with modern fieldguns, though unprovided
with a regular siege-train.
There are 400 inhabitants in the fort, besides the garrison; and some 20
families of Turkumans, who have settled here, live outside the fort and culti
vate. The Persian inhabitants can only leave the fort or go beyond the
reach of their artillery when they are in large numbers, or else with a mili
tary escort of considerable strength.
The distance from Sarakhs to Herat in a direct line is 137 miles. Mr.
Lessar's road to Kuhsan, the first Afghan post in the Herat district, is 145
miles, which is the whole distance that would have to be traversed. An
army marching would probably take a more direct road from Rubat,
Surkh, or Abdulla Khan. Marching at only 15 miles a day, Herat could be
reached in ten days. Mr. Lessar reached Kuhsan in five days. Between
Sarakhs and Lutfabad there are only two places with a plentiful and
continual supply of water. Early in 1883, a rumour was current that
a force of 400 Russians was advancing on Sarakhs to turn the Hari Rud
stream in the direction of Marv, with a view, by the selection of that
route, of affording a better water-supply to the troops in the event of an
advance.
Just a year later the advance has taken place ; and although nominally
only the Old Sarakhs has been touched, practically the fortress of Sarakhs
has become the Russian advanced post in this direction.
There was an old town of Sarakhs situated on the east side of the Tajand,
a few miles from the present Persian fort, the ruins of which are still
visible. It was the principal residence of the Salor Turkumans, a very
powerful tribe, who were settled in the country between the Murghab
and Tajand rivers. The present town was built by the Persians in about
1850.— (deBlocgueville, MacGregor, Stewart, Stephen.)
SARASIA— Lat. , Long. ; Elev.
A village in Khurasan, 3 miles north-by-east of Mashhad.— {MacGregor.)