‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎58r] (120/722)

Page 613, Vol I.
SI1ELA.G RIVER AND HAM UN AND ZAM1N I-SHELAG.
The Shelag river vises in the Koh-i-Khwaja, to the north-west of
Sihknha and to the west of Nasratahad, in Si.vtao. It flows in a southerly
direction /parallel to the Helmand, which flows nearly due north) to a point
a few miles to the south, inclined to west, of Nawar (latitude 3i<* l.'T 41" ;
longitude 60° 5 7 O' 7 ) ; it then takes a sudden turn to the south-west, then
flows east, inclined to south (still keeping parallel to the Helmand) into the
Shelag Hamun, called Ciod i-zirreh hy Macgregor. Jennings crossed the
Shelag river in March 1885, a few miles south of Nawar, and the
following article is compiled chiefly from his diary and field book. The
whole country to the north of Koh-i-Sultan, Koh-i-Girtigal; to the north
east of Katcha Koh and Tar Koh ; to the east of the range running north
and south called Turshab Koh, Darwaz Koh, Pulan Koh, Murkisor Koh,
etc. ; to the south of the cultivated and inhabited part of Sistan ; also the
desert to the south of the low range of sand and gravel hills which
separate the drainage of that portion of the Helmand which flows from
east to west past Rudbar and Chahar Burjak from the Shelag drainage;
and to the east of Koh-i-Malik Dokand, is called the Shelag Desert.
Euan Smith in 1871 describes this plain as the ** Shilah tract” or
“ Zamin-i-Shileh, ” and writes of it as follows :—
“The entrance to the alluvial soil (coming from Bam to Sistan) of
Sistan from the stony ground to the west and south-west, is indicated by
a clear and well defined line. Stones and pebbles suddenly and entirely
cease; and, instead of bhita and camel-thorn, the soft earth is covered
with a dried-up, yellowish-looking grass, called bnnnu by the natives, on
which our hor°es commenced to feed vigorously. This grass, however, though
excellent food for sheep and cattle, is too salt to housed as regular forage
for horses without much previous washing. It grows in vast quantities,
owing to the immense fertility of the sdl formerly deposited after
the overflowing waters of the lake had receded; and the excellent pas
turage thus afforded makes this tract of country a regular resort for the
nomad Nharui Baluchis, who are in the habit of coming here regularly to
pasture their flocks, and who used to take refuge on the slopes of the sur
rounding hills when driven away by the waters cf the lake. Now that
there has been no inundation for five years, it is feared that the crop of
buinu, getting less and less, may soon cease altogether. The dried grass is
regularly fired about a month before the Nau-Roz, and a fresh crop of young
green shoots soon appears in its place. The natives pointed to the fact of
its having .o long survived the absence of water as a proof of the immense
richness and fertility of the original soil deposited. This plain, called the
Zamin-i-Shilah, is as flat as the palm of the hand, and, as already stated, was,
until five years ago regularly submerged during a certain season in the year.
There were apparently no landmarks by which we could guide our course,
and certainly no vestige of a path to follow. Our adventures were thus
described at the time hy one of the members of the Mission :—‘ Continuing
< ur route over the plain, and trusting blindly to the so-called geographical
knowledge of our wild Baluch guide, at eight miles we came to a low,
shallow sort of ditch or canal, about thirty yards wide, quite dry, and which
is known as the Shilah (the general term in Sistan for the bed of a small
rivulet), and which gives its name to the surrounding country. This ditch,
the "uides sav, used in former days to connect the two Hatnuns or lakes
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