'Military Report of the Nushki-Chagai-Western Sinjarani Country' [‎15r] (34/302)

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serais at Hurmak, Nawar Chah, Gircli Tliana, and Muhammad
liaza Chah. At Hauzdar there is an old Persian fort, surrounded
by a moat, which is occasionally full of water until late in April.
The shape of the fort is oblong, and it has ten turrets on the high
walls which are in good repair, with numerous houses and domes
within the walls.
This route is populated and provided with supplies sufficient
for the use of caravans nearly the whole way ; caravans proceeding
to Neh and Birjand, therefore, prefer this road to the more
direct desert route from Hurmak via Ledhi Chah, Gali Chah,
Chungi Shor, Safidawa, Madeh to Neh, 159 miles, and thence to
Birjand, which is 116 miles further on.
The road from Hurmak to Seistan has, however, many dis
advantages for camels, the chief of which is the Seistaui fly which
causes them much trouble. On the whole, there is no serious
obstacle to traffic on this section of the trade route, and under
proper management the road might, no doubt, be made fit for
wheeled traffic,
4. Nushki to Kandahar, length 100 miles, 12 stages .— Route No. 1 .
During the greater part of the year kafdas travelling from
Nushki to Kandahar prefer to keep along the western lower slopes
of the Khwaja Amran range until they strike the Chaman-Kanda
har road at or near Spin Baidak, a few miles north of C’haman.
They then continue along the main road to Kandahar. Five
alternative routes are, however, given, collected from native inform
ation, which take an almost straight line across the Registau be
tween Jat Poti and Kandahar. These routes are interesting,
chiefly from the fact that they tend to prove the assertion that, at
certain favourable seasons of the year, the Registan is traversable
in almost any direction, between the Helmand and the Khwaja
Amran range.
5. Nushki to the Ilelmand river, length 169 miles, 14 stages .— Routes Nos.
These are all routes from, or from near, Nushki leading ’ 3 * 14
across the Registan to the Helmand river. Tln-y are so similar
that a general description is all that is required here. They are
all difficult owing to want of water, except between the months of
December and May. After good rains the water lies in the naivars
for some months, and then it is that the Registan is said to be
traversable in almost any direction. It may, at any rate, be taken
as almost certain that it can, under the conditions mentioned, be
traversed by the routes given.
The tracks are fit for camels, and, in some stages, are easy
for all arms, but in others, owing to sand, must be considered as
almost impassable for wheeled artillery. There is generally a good
supply of wood and camel grazing. Were the inhabitants friendly,
it is probable that sheep and goats in considerable numbers would
be procurable.
The best route from Nushki to the Helmand would appear,
from the reports, to be that given by Sheik Mohi-ud-diu in 1889
rm Sinduri, Sher Shah Nawar, Kohi, Arab, Janu Khan, Maksud,
Miren, Shekh Mulla Fakir and Basabat, a distance of 168 £ miles
kj