'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎256r] (516/1278)

2.
DAM—BAR 249
quantities, grain yields from 10 to 50 fold. The products of the district
are wheat, harley, zurat, suffered (a kind of millet), rice, tobacco, sesame,
seed, and cotton. The district possesses numerous flocks and herds ; of the
former, which are usually black and brown, or red, as in other parts of Ears,
goats are more numerous than sheep. The climate, of course, varies with the
elevations, but for a general description of it, as also of the administration
of the district, vide this Gazetteer, Ddrdb Town. The revenue of the district
is £6,300 annually, divided amongst a fixed population of 2,500 families,
probably 10,000 souls. The hills on the south side of the plain have no
water, and are uninhabited. (Kinneir — Malcolm — Jones — Abbott — Preece,
1884 — Vaughan, 1890.)
DARAB oe DARAGIRD.— Lat. 28° 45' N. ; Long. 54° 37' E. ; Elev. 4,045'.
A town in Ears, and the capital of the district of the same name, lying
about 140 miles south-east of Shiraz, and 208 miles north-west of Bandar
’Abbas. South-south-east of the town lies the Kaleh-i-Dar b (q.v.). The
town has a fine situation on the banks of a river, in an extensive plain
interspersed with villages and cultivation, and is surrounded by groves of
lemon and orange-trees. The mountains on the north of the Kuh-i-Ma’dan
{q.v.) form an amphitheatre, the deepest part of which is about 1 mile from
the town, w r hich extends towards the two horns of the crescent. Nume
rous palm or date-trees, planted wide apart, are scattered over the
surrounding country.
Town and 'population. —The town is not as well built as Fasa. The houses
are mostly built of mud and stones ; very few kiln-burnt bricks are to be
seen. The main street is long and straggling, and, owing to the numerous,
and apparently thriving, gardens, the town appears to cover a lot of ground.
The town proper contains about 1,000 houses, of which the central bazar
accounts for something over 100 shops. The total population is about
6,000 souls.
Trade, supplies, and resources. —The lemon and orange-trees yield such an
abundance of fruit that the juice is exported to every part of Persia.
Tobacco is cultivated to a great extent, and is so excellent in quality that
it is exported to Shiraz and even to India and Arabia. The people appear
to have neglected the date palms which flourish here, and out of 100,000
w r hich were formerly said to exist only about 30,000 remain. As well
as the date-palm, apricot, peach, plum, almond, and pistachio-trees flourish
here* and grape-vines grow on the hillsides. On the Kuh-i-Ma’dan above,
■copper, silver, and iron are all said to be found, but none is now worked.
Gach also can be obtained from the hills. Kiln-burnt bricks cost 15 hrdns
per 1,000 ; and sun-dried bricks 2 krdns per 1 , 000 . The labourer’s hire
is from 10 to 15 shdliis per diem (=4d. to 6 d.). The villagers own 400
donkeys and 4,000 sheep, and provisions of all kinds are abundant.
Climate. —The climate is oppressively warm in the plain during the sum
mer months. In winter snow is rarely seen. On the whole the climate is
so mild that lemons are found ripening on the trees all the year round.
Administration. —Darab may be termed the family seat of the Quyvam-
ul-Mulk, who is hereditary mayor of Shiraz. The exactions of this potentate