'Report on Sistan and the Country Between It and Mashad' [‎24r] (52/118)

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1 was told the same stories that other travellers have recorded about the
pestilential fly and the 120 clays' wind.
The fly is veiy destructive to horses^ of which there are very few in the
country. They have to be swathed in cloths from head to foot during the
summer.
Cattle and donkeys fare very well, but camels from strange countries
sometimes fall ill from the bite of these flies. Sihkuha is not so bad as
Nasirabad in this respect.
As regards the wind, I imagine it must be as strong in many places in
* It is the same at Herat and Hashtadan. We are Birjand, judging from the wind-
oaly just out of it. at. Mash ad, and in fact get a mills all over that country.*
pleasant breeze, which is perhaps the edge of it. J
E. R. T.
Still, taking the climate all the year round, one has only to look at the
physique, and general appearance of the Sistanis to be convinced that the
country is by comparison with the rest of Persia very unhealthy.
. That is very different, however, from a comparison with many parts of
India.
The largest ruins now apparent are those of Zahidan. They lie to the
Ruirs east of Nasirabad and extend in a narrow strip for a
length of 14 miles. The houses were evidently of two
or three storeys, and must have been built largely of burnt bricks, as there
are quantities lying about, as well as red tiles.
There are also bits of pottery and porcelain ware strewn around.
In the midst of the rains stands a tower about 60 feet high, with a spiral
staircase inside. Round the outside is an inscription in what appear to be old
Cufic characters.t
Taimur is supposed to have captured this city by the aid of the king's
daughter, who told him her father would never yield the town unless Taimur
succeeded in cutting off the supply of water which flowed from the Helmund
by a subterranean channel. He accordingly dammed up the river and the
city surrendered. He then killed the daughter for a traitress. Taimur
invaded Sistan in 1383 a. d. This is the legend that the villagers relate.
Besides these there are other large ruins near Jezinak, and various
smaller ones dotted over the country containing remains of old forts—notably
on the Kuh-i-Khwaja.
But it is the country further south beyond the limits of Sistan that will
best repay the archaeologist.
Forts such as Haozdar and Tarakun are well known and are of compara
tively recent date, but further south, between Ramrud and Godar-i-Shah to
the east of the regular caravan track, I passed almost continuous evidences
of what must once have been large cities, extending over a tract of country
40 miles in length. In some places a wall or two and-a few mounds were the
only striking marks of former habitations, but on examining the ground one
could seethe whole country was strewn with bits of red brick, tiles, and pottery,
as at Zahidan, and also broken pieces of marble vases and handsome stones.
f Note, — I copied as much of this inscription as had remained intact and sent it to Dr. Kien
of the British Museum, who is an authority on old oriental inscriptions. He pronounced it to be a
form of Cufic of about the 5th century of the Mahomedan era. He was unable to decipher more
than the words “ub Sultan ah Mazaffar Salatan ab Islam,” but could find no date nor
proper name that could lead to the identification of the Sultan who erected the tower. The
transcript was no doubt imperfect.—(/T. D- N),