'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎87v] (179/610)

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during summer. If compelled to traverse it in summer it is
advisable to halt as close as possible to the beach where mos
quitoes are relatively few and a breeze off the sea affords relief.
Many of the inhabitants and all the herds migrate to the “ yailaq”
and the people who remain in the “ qishlaq ” can be distinguished
from them at a glance by their sallow unhealthy appearance.
The evil tropical reputation of this climate is, however,
due only to these summer months, as from the beginning of
November to mid-April it is temperate and healthy resembling
the South of England, but slightly milder. Late spring, i.e-,
the latter half of April and May, and early autumn, i.e., the
latter half of September and October, are cool but enervating.
The trees are usually in full leaf by 21st March, and do not
become bare until December.
In the ‘ miyanband ’ the forest levels below 2,000 / are infested
with large horse flies in summer. These regions are then deserted
and ‘ charvadars,’ if passing through them, travel at night.
Above 3,000' the climate becomes delightful. The summer
temperature is much lower than at the same altitude on the
plateau, the sun less powerful and the atmosphere, while fresh
and bracing, is softer and more pleasant than the intense dry
ness of the plateau. The winters on the other hand are milder.
This equable climate is found to perfection in Kalardasht
and Pul. The highlands of Dailiman, and the ridge to the
right, i.e., north of, the Shahrud between Loshan and Manjil
are delightful in early summer.
The rainfall is most variable and at no season can fine weather
be reckoned a certainty, but May, June and July are generally
the least rainy, though the most humid, months and autumn
and winter the most rainy.
The rain falls as in England, either as a steady downpour or
in drizzle, and clouds and mist may envelope the hills between
1,000' and 8,000', i.e., up to the limit of the forest, for many
days. Looking down from a mountain, fog may be seen creep-
ing up a valley to this level and then hanging motionless over it.
Some valleys, for instance that of the Do Hazar in Tunakabun,
are particularly subject to this fog. At other times it rises beyond
the forest and eddies and swirls as high as the ridge of the water
shed, but does not pass beyond it, and on the southern side the
sky remains cloudless and gives no indication of its presence.
It usually, however, causes strong gusty winds in the mountains
and valleys to the south. In Gilan cloudy skies prevail, but in
Mazandaran in March and April 1920 heavy rain fell at intervals
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