'Military Report on S.-W. Persia, Vol. I. Bakhtiari Garmsir' [‎56r] (116/168)

99
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boring was made at Shardin, and a second boring at a spot opposite the
village on the south bank of the stream : the borings were sunk to a depth
of about 2,500, but with absolutely no result. The plant, workshops,
and houses erected were of the same kind and on the same scale as those
erected at Maidan Minaftun {q.v.). A cart-road was made to Mamatain
from Shikarch and Ahwaz : it was originally intended to cut through the
gach hills on the west side of the Ramuz river near its entrance to the
’Arabistan plain : a road 10' broad was actually constructed on this align
ment at great expense in 1906-07, but when it had been completed it was
found impossible to take carts through it, and the old alignment along
the Ramuz river, crossing it once, and shortly after recrossing and joining
the original alignment at Cham Lashun was finally adopted.
MANGASHT—
The name given to a lofty mass of mountains extending from the east
of the Malamir plain to the valley of the Ab-i-A’ala, and bounded on the east
by the Karun and on the west by the Malamir-Bagh Malik road. There are
three main peaks, the highest being east of Bagh Malik, and probably about
11,500'high, the lowest, east of Malamir, is 9,600'in height (Malamir 3,000').
Snow is usually found in the rifts on the summits of all these heights till
the end of July, but in the abnormal summer of 1908 the last mentioned
peak was without snow at the beginning of July, though the two others
had a plentiful supply of snow. The range is very deficient in streams or
springs, although composed entirely of limestone. Springs, however, exist
at Shaikhun, on the east slopes of the mountain at its north end, at Ab-i-
Harmun, on the west of slopes in a similar position, and the village of Bula-
was, above the Bagh Malik valley, is plentifully watered all the year
round and possesses numerous fruit gardens.
At a time when the maximum daily shade temperature of Maidan
Minaftun was 116°, that at Ab-i-Harmun was 82°, that at the summit
75°. Ab-i-Harmun is 6,000' above sea level, and a pleasant spot for a camp.
The spring is usually plentiful, but in 1908 produced only 3 gallons an hour,
enough, however, for a small camp, as transport animals could be kept at
the bottom of the hill at the spring of Kaleh-i-Nai, known as ‘ c tambaku
kali ’ ’ owing to a small tobacco plantation at the spring.
The following route is the only track from Malamir up the peak referred
to above as the lowest of the three :—
Ab-i-Harmun .. 14 14 General direction south-east. Leav
ing Malamir strike across the
plain towards a long rocky spur
which juts out into the plain to
the east, and follow it, keeping between it and the. marsh of Bundun at the
end of the Malamir plain. The camps on the borders of these marshes are the
best places whence to procure a guide. At 2 miles cross the Ahwaz-Isfahan
track. At 6 miles reach the bottom of a tang, whence Malamir bears about
310°. Ascending this pass over a low kutal on which is a ruined fort,
known as Kaleh-i-Nai. At 8 miles reach a small spring, good all the year
round, and flowing with a minimum of some 10 gallons per minute.
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