‘Military report on Persia Volume I 1930’ [‎25v] (55/154)

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next to it. the one saucer overflowing into the next belotf
and so on. The road across the Hamun from Lab-i-Baring
to Afzalabad lies along what may be described as the lip of
two adjoining saucers. Even when the Hamun is in flood,
camels can get across this route, generally led across un
laden, their loads being ferried across on tutins (rafts mad©
of bulrushes). During the dry season (October-June) the
Hamun can be traversed by car between Seistan and Safi-
dawa, and Seistan and Shusp via Bandan.
On occasions the Hamun overflows, the water being dis
charged into the Gaud-i-Zireh in Afghan territory. In
summer the Hamun area is practically impassable and in
winter it still offers considerable obstacles to the passage of
troops.
(3) Rivers.
The Helm,and is an Afghan river, which, after arriving
in Seistan divides into three branches. The first, called
the Rud-i-Seistan, is really a big canal which takes off at
the Band-i-Seistan. On it Persian Seistan depemds largely
for its irrigation. The main channel of the Helmand is
now the Rud-i-Parian. Towards the end of March the river
is usually well in flood and impassable to mounted troops.
Maximum flood is towards the middle or end of April, or at
latest, early in May, after which the river slowly subsides.
The best fords are always at the bars or shallows of the
river. In dry years the fords are not closed long. Rafts,
called sal, are used on the Helmand > these are formed of a
framework of sticks placed across gourds or inflated goat
■skins. A raft measuring some S' by 6 1 is said to be able to
(Tarry three camel loads. Camels are swum over with the
help of two inflated skins.
The only other river of Seistan is the Sar-i-Shilag, or
Shila, a wide deep gully, formed by the overflow of the
Hamun, and draining the Palangan Kuh. The amount of
water contained in the river bed depends entirely on the
overflow of the Hamun, for the ravines which run down
from the Palangan Kuh add but little water to its volume.
The fords are few and may become impassable when inun
dations are deep. The river banks are vertical and in
places 35 feet high. The bottom at the sides is of soft
mud. The water in the centre of the stream is very salt.;
Sweet water can usually ]?e got by digging the sand of the
i>ed.