'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎235v] (475/610)

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424
Supplies.
Drinking water- The supply is practically unlimited at all stages. In the
hi Is when drawn straight from the springs, it is admirably pure
r wholesome, but the streams are fouled by the villagers.
. Cas Pian _ lowlands springs are scarce and the streams
ich are ubiquitous are particularly liable to surface pollution.
See also p. 147-8.
ebepl UPPheS ° f 2rice ’ barle y 5 bhusa, 'lucerne, sheep,
heese, eggs, mast (curds), and honey are of excellent quality,
and are generally procurable, but in very limited quantities,
wVd Pr ° dU f e ° f many mountain valleys is actually insufficient
o the maintenance of the inhabitants, who eke out a livelihood
by trading between the plateau towns and the Caspian lowlands
and buy their requirements from neighbouring districts. One
Hartv^fTn ht ^ bi l Ietted for a ni S ht each village and
party of 30 to 40 men and animals can travel together without
p evious preparation. Larger parties must either send forag
ing parties m advance, or split up and halt at different villages.
f ^ lr V Tl T + and '{ aly before the harvest the population live
from hand to mouth and gram stocks are very low 4 indeed.
« estimate one day’s supplies for 1,000 men
11 ri r an j m f S cou d usua Hy be collected and fetched from
productive districts within a radius of about 60 miles in 7 da vs
except m winter, when the passes are closed by snow, or in early
summer, immediately before the harvest, when even the pnZ
ductive districts have little reserve of grain, and a forcfof
? and 3 , 00 amma ls would be supplied with difficulty.
Local transport, provided the confidence of the natives had
been obtained, would be sufficient to bring these supplies.
A few districts, e.g., Hazar Jarib, Lariian (route No 2 )
^and" A A (r0Ut f . Nos - 3 and 4), Kalardasht (routes Nos.
_fj- i C0U uiamtam a force of this size for several weeks
and nf At ’ es P eciad J ^ l° ca l export of grain were stopped,
h -'nA ab ° at 200 m en and animals in early summer until July
ore the harvest. The Dailiman district (routes Nos. 9 and
s rt? a ’ su S ar > and vegetables are scarce.
near the 1 rice™rowin°AV<ftrW= P ^ OP ° r ^u n ' )rea ^ _ ea ten by Persians, especially
peans or a 11 a - e a t i 11 ■ - 7m l i! r/f ,? 3 much greater than the amount eaten by Euro-
to the size of the fopuSn C0nse<luently the su PPl y Aovr is small relative
aithou-h'tea An tfn°n S wayside teashop (called Qshveh khaneh,
with no supplies excent a liniAfnHriTf 18 ' 86 ^^ 1 ' 3 ] at a , distance from a village and
routes carrv lirp’ni f, fodder, as the frugal charvadars ” using these
mountain sides to shift for themTelves^ ^ mUleS are tumed ° ut ° n t0 the
difficultv a - of gendarmes with 20 horses experienced great
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