'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎59r] (122/610)

Through the “Miyanband” the 1 rivers are narrow, deep,
rocky, and impetuous torrents, difficult to ford at any season,
and quite unfordable during the spring floods from March to
the end of June.
An exception to the narrow valleys of the “ Miyanband is
also found in the case of 3 small highland alluvial plains between
longitudes 51° and 52°, of Kujur, Pul, and Kalardasht.
The plain of Kujur, 5100/ 17 miles North North-West of
Baladeh in Nur, is 6 miles long from North-west to South-East
and averages 2 miles in breadth. A small stream from it reaches
the coast at Allabad.
The plain of Pul, 4,270', 8 miles West of Kujur, is 3 miles long
from East to West, and I mile broad. At the South-West
■corner it also branches for 2 miles up the valley of a stream from
Mikhsaz, which flows down to join the Ohalus at Pul-i-Zughal.
The plain of Kaldrdasht, 3,500', 8 miles West of the Pul-i-
Zughal, beautifully situated under the Takht-i-Sulaiman moun
tains and surrounded by wooded hills, is a pearshaped basin
with the stem to the East, about 7 miles long from East to West
and 5 miles at its greatest width. It has a considerable rainfall
and also is irrigated throughout by the Sardabrud, and tributary
brooks, which traverse it from South-West to North-East.
These 3 little upland plateaus are a formation 2 peculiar to
this district. They are important, especially Kalardasht,
as they produce large crops of wheat, barley, and millet for
export to villages in the rice growing lowlands, and to Elburz
villages where the crops are insufficient to maintain the popula
tion.
In Mazandaran the ravines of the larger rive? s on nearing
the plain open out into spacious grassy dales set among wdoded
hills. In spring, when every bank is gay with primroses and
violets, these meadows delight the traveller who has toiled
over the Elburz, whose snowy ridges glisten in the background
and complete a scene of surpassing natural, beauty.
The lowlands near the Caspian are ca’led “ Qishlaq ” Caspian Low*
(winter quarters). The sea originally washed the base of the
hills, but silt carried down by the rivers and banked up by the
waves has gradually formed an alluvial strip, called “ Dasht ” or
1 These rivers in order of size are Safid P»ud, Haraz, Pul-i-Rud, Talar,
Tejen, Babul, Nikah, Seh Hazar, Chains. The Sardabrud, Izarud, and
Chalkarud are smaller streams.
2 The plateau of Lar, to the South of Damavand, resembles them, but owing
to its elevated and exposed position it is uncultivated and deserted except in
summer when its meadows afford pasture for large flocks. The Lar stream on
leaving this plateau above Pal Or rushes down rocky ravines and becomes
the Haraz.