'Military Report of the Nushki-Chagai-Western Sinjarani Country' [‎24v] (53/302)

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Route No 65.
Route No. 33.
Route No. 64. 33 . Rharan to Ja!k vift Washuk and Nok Chah, length
miles y 13 -South-west across the eastern end of the
Kliaran desert to Washuk, 75 miles, thence this route skirts
northern slopes of the Panjgur hills and the Sianeh range.
20 miles before Washuk is reached, and for 6£ miles after,
road goes over heavy sand ; elsewhere the road is good and fit
all arms, except that, after leaving Nok Chah, 178£ miles from
Kbaran, numerous nalas running down from the hills have to be
crossed. Distances of 25 and 26 miles, without water, intervene
between Shahnah and Fir Kanda, which latter is reached at the
204th mile. _ Supplies are procurable at Washuk and some at Jalk,
but none at intermediate stages. On the whole, the camel grazing
and water-supply on this route are very inferior.
^ Q^huk to Jalk via Galugah, length 152 milesy 9 stages .—
This route is the same as Route No. 64 as far as Palantak, 121§
miles from Kharan ; it then strikes off in a north-west by westerly
diiection. Except that it avoids the broken ground encountered
on the other route, it has no apparent advantages over it, and the
distances to be traversed without meeting water are even greater.
35. Valbandin to Jalk vid GaliChahy length 141^ miles, 7
stages. Dalbandin is the 7th stage on the trade route, 123
miles from Nushki. This is the most direct route connecting the
trade route with Jalk, but it is not fit for the use of troops owing
to the deficiency of the water-supply. Heavy ridges of sand are
crossed on the road which make marching very difficult, and fit for
lightly laden camels only.
Route No. 130. 36. Panjgur to Meski, length 168\ miles y 10 stages.—'Yhere are
tour passes through the Koh-i-Sabz range north of Panjgur by
which roads run to Meski, and any of these may be followed Com-
mencmg irom the west and passing eastwards the passes are named
the Drawag defile, the Bibi Lori, the Korkian, and the Palantak.
il1 ® y rawag defile is the most difficult of all these, and the
iraJantak is the easiest, especially with regard to railway construc-
tion. Ihe Palantak is practicable for artillery, and the flood
iroug i this pass does not run so high as through the others,
these passes are described in detail in the military report of Mak-
ran. It may be sufficient here to describe the route by the Gra-
wag e i e, which is reached at 29 miles from Dashtak Panjgnr.
i hfi road winds through this defile for 10 miles, crossing and
recrossmg the stream many times. When the river is up, the track
is impassable owing to the depth and swiftness of the current, but
a road could be made, at a considerable expense, so as to be above
t he flood mark. The defile is very strong, abounding in excellent
positions, but these could be turned by light infantry. It could
sdso be turned to the west by a long detour following the
Gazinda ravine and then the Tump ravine, emerging
on the bank of the Mashkel at Tump. The road then crosses the
valley between the Koh-i-Sabz and the Siahan ranges, a distance
ot 36 miles, when it enters the latter range by the Zoratti defile;
this pass is similar to the Grawag pass, and is about 8 miles
through. The Mashkel river is now crossed, and the road tra
verses a level gravelly plain for 37 miles vid Miau Rud to Nalaf,