'Report on the preliminary survey of the route for the Central Persia Telegraph Line. By W King Wood, Assistant Superintendent, Indo-European Telegraph Department.' [‎110r] (224/300)

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Svvattatls^Oml^XToadf"^ ^ ^ MaIik Seah W ot
nalM is rough. co^^ ^ bttt
Malik Skah Iv u ii to Hurmak.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route.
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
4th January 1899.
5
Hurmak, 2,825 ft.
5T3
108*56
_ , A . S q'?' 1 arr * n S? l d ,7 n leaving Lid is on the 26th December to meet
CajUam Sykes at Malik Seah Kuh on the 3rd January, and as I heard he was
at Mahk Robat, t decided to do a short march to Hurmnk, which is a re-ular
halting place on the S.estan trade route. Leaving Malik Seah spring!
road keeps tn the torrent bod for ftO miles, where toe torrent bed bear S °off to
the right, 28 , while the road, turning abruptly to the left for a short distance
again swings round and bears dtto north over undulating ground. We enter
theHurmak torrent bed at 3 50 miles, and, keeping a northerly direction,
follow it. At 5 miles, we pass some tamarisk bushes 10 yards to our left
while at 5-10 miles a spring of sweet water is passed, also a' few yards to the
left, and we halt, in the nullah bed, where there- are several springs of
sweet water, slightly tepid, and with a fair supply of fuel. Hurmak is on the
Perso-Atguan frontier.
Htjrmak to Heeg-i-Shelag.
Date.
No. of
March.
Route,
Intermediate
Miles.
Total
Miles.
6th January 1899.
6
Eeeg-i-Shelag,
14-30
122*86
1,695 feet.
We continued down the Hurmak torrent bed in an easterly direction for
the first three-fourths of a mile, when the hills on either side ceased, the
breadth of the nullah, which is very stony, being about 500 yards at this point.
We now emerge on to the Shelag desert, there being notiiing to break the
view in front (N.-N.-E.) or to our right (E -S.-E.), whilst on our left the low
Tars ha b hills are seen some distance off. We gradually swing round to the
north, and at 3 miles our bearing is 23°. The track descends over stony
ground, and a path joins in on our right rear, which is said to be a short-hand
cut to Kuh-i-Malik Seah. At 9 miles, the stones end, and we are now travers-
ing a gravelly plain which is covered with “ Meez,” a species of shrub which
camels are fond of. We enter a strip of tagaz, a diminutive tree of the tama
risk species, at 10J miles, which continues to 14»’50 miles. This tree is
excellent fuel, and,.it is from here the fuel supply, s transported to Siestan.
At 11*40 miles, wo are on the plain proper, and here the first sand drifts are
seen. From this point to our camping ground at 14'30 miles, the view is
obstructed by the thick growth of tagaz and by numerous Tumuli, and sand
drifts. The water in the well at Shelag is discoloured and quite undrinkable.
n 51