‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎347r] (700/722)

647
TUKGTJVAH-Lat. , Long. ; Elev
A a T ±A e ln n ’ 12 mi,es west of Mashhad. It is a flourish;™ place
of 800 houses. The water is good here, and fruit of all kinds is abundant
— {rerner. Clerk.)
TURSHIZ-Lat. ,Loxo. • Elev.
A small district of Khurasan, lying east of the great salt desert or
Kavir, bounded on the north by the Kuh Askand. A part of it is said to be
very productive, abounding with fruits of all descriptions. The grapes and
pomegranates of Turshiz are unsurpassed by any in Persia. The inhabitants
are chiefly of Arab descent; but there are many nomads of Baluch extraction,—
the whole number of the population, however, not reaching more than 20 000 .
The southern and most direct road from Tihran to Herat passes through this
district. A very large quantity of silk is produced in the district of Turshiz
which is exported to Constantinople and the countries bordering on the
Caspian and Black Seas. Very little, if any, of it is sent to Western Europe,
the price of silk being actually higher in Persia than it is in Lyons and
Marseilles—the European seats of the silk trade. Silk waste is very cheap
in the district; and this can be exported at a good profit. The Persians are
unable to make any use of the silk waste, which is, therefore, of little or no
value to them. In theTursluz district more money is made by the export of
silkworm eggs than by any other product. No disease has ever appeared
among the worms in Turshiz; and the worm is celebrated as resisting
disease better than any other, even when hatched elsewhere. In con
sequence, the eggs are in much request, and fetch an exceptionally high
price, being worth 18 tumans, or £6-13, a man of 13 lbs. The cocoons are
worth from £1 IQs. to £1 125. a man of 13 lbs. The silk that is broken in
reeling is sold for 85 . a man; but this waste silk can only be procured in
small quantities. The actual case of the cocoon after all the silk has been
reeled off is also exported.
The chief town of the district is Sultanabad,—frequently marked in maps
as “Turshiz.”
The revenue of this district was estimated by Malcolm in 1865 at 30,000
tumans Khurasam net, about £10,000, and by Clerk in 1858 at only
£9,000.
The district, till very lately, was much subject to Turkuman ravages, and
suffered also severely in the famine. The nomadic population, a large
proportion, w T as dispersed southward towaids Sibtnn and Baluchistan.
Some quantity of grain, nevertheless, found its way thence to Mshapur and
Mashhad in the last season of famine, which was most severely felt in
the north. It may be assumed, therefore, that for some years there will be
an available surplus of produce, though a 5 cry small one. ^ ^
There is a road across the desert from Turshiz direct to Shahrud, about
200 miles, which is occasionally taken by caravans, and by which the
troops from Sistan returned to Tihran. _ . ,
Bellew says that there are turquoise mines m Turshiz.— IVolff,
Ferrier, Clerk, Conolly, MacGregor, Stewart, Gill, Napier)
TURtJKH Lat. 36° 12' 27 // [Lentz), Long. 59° 37'0 v [St. John) Elev.
/
A villao-e in Khurasan, 5 or 6 miles south of Mashhad. It contains
some 500 houses, is walled, and is protected by numerous Turkuman towers.
It is surrounded by abundant cultivation.—