‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎207r] (420/722)

tliP common frontier of Persia and Turkey, from Ararat to Basrah, is still
undefined; though it was fixed within certain limits by the Anglo-iiussian
Commission of 1S51-54. Recent maps emanating from Russian s o« rce s
give the Atrak, from its mouth to the point where its most northern amuent
joins it, as the western boundary of the new Russian district east of the
Caspian ; and this is probably the interpretation placed in St. Petersburg on
the so-called and oft-denied Atrak frontier treaty. Further east all is
a« yet uncertain ; bur, can hardly remain so for long. Sarakhs is held by
Persia; the Daman-i-Kuh, or Atak, by the Tekke Turkumans. the
southern slopes of the Kuran hills are held as far west as Daragaz by
the Kurdish vassals of the Shah, transplanted there three centimes ago ;
thence to the Russian‘frontier they are probably occupied by the GroUan
Turkumans. Even if the Russian columns now marching eastward from
the Caspian do not settle this part of the frontier of Persia satisfactorily,
they will assuredly obtain the geographical information necessary tor
doing so. ,
Climate. —There is, perhaps, no country in the world which has a greater
diversity of climate than Persia. This difference of temperature, however,
appears to be more dependent upon elevation and soil than upon distance
from the equator. In the southern part of this kingdom, which includes
those districts of the provinces of Karman, Luristan, Pars, and Khuzistan
that lie between the mountains and the shores of the Persian Cult, the heat
in summer is very great; and it is increased by those sandy and barren plains
with which this tract abounds, and which present to the eye or the traveller
nearly the same prospect as those of Arabia. x , . . .
The hot winds, which are known under the name of samum m Asia
and ‘ sirocco' in Europe, are neither frequent nor attended with cianger in
this region, which is probably owing to the narrowness of the space
between the sea and the mountains During the two first months of
summer, a strong north-westerly wind prevails over the whole 01 this tract
which at times blows with such violence that it brings with it clouds o
a lio-ht impalpable sand from the opposite shore of Arabia, a distance of
more than two degrees. In the autumn the heats are more oppressive
than in summer ; but in winter and spring the climate is delightful. I
is never very cold; and snow seldom falls on the southern side of that lan^e
of mountains by which it is divided from the other parts of l eisia. The
rains in this quarter, which are not heavy, fall in the winter or ear y in spring.
The prevailing winds are from the north-west and south-east; and ram
is almosl always accompanied by the latter, which, though often very violent,
hardly ever continues above-three or four days at one period, home pai s
of the interior of the provinces of Karman and Luristan are subject to
extreme heats-particularly those districts of the latter which border upon
^ThHotn andlrstrict of Shims, and the other parts of Ears above the
mountains enjoy a fine climate; and are subject neither to the oppressive
heats of the lower and more southern parts of Persia, nor to that seventy
of 1 cold which is experienced in the more elevated and northern provinces
of that kingdom. The temperature of this part of
the elevation of the different valleys with which it is interspersed, nut
npither the heat nor the cold is excessive. , •
The soiiof the interior part of Fdrs is in general rich and productive.
There are few large streams, but abundance of rivulets; and, while its