'Report on Sistan and the Country Between It and Mashad' [‎48r] (100/118)

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From Bajistan to Kain the distance is 93 miles. The first part of it,
28 miles to Zihbud (200 houses), is bad, and would require some work before
artillery could pass. Thence to Dasht-i-Piaz the route is well populated, but
hilly. The pass between Kakh and Dasht-i-Piaz is easy; only at*two
places are the gradients too steep for artillery, and these are for short distances,
and could be made practicable without much trouble. Between Dasht-i-
Piaz and Kain there is the Godar-i-God, 6,000 feet ( 1,200 feet above Kain), pre
sumably passable for artillery, as the contrary is not stated.* From Kain
# Bellew. distance is 66 miles. On leaving Kain
the path leading up to Rum would require a little work,
but the remainder of the road, though hilly, is practicable. The following
villages are passedRum (80 houses), Sihdih (280 houses), Ghibk (80
houses), Pisukh and Mahiabad (15 houses).
From Birjand to Sistan the distance is 237 miles. The road is practicable
for artillery throughout. Ten villages are passed between Birjand and Neh,
a distance of 129 miles, where water and supplies are procurable. Between
Neh and Bandun, 52 miles, are two villages—Khunuk (100 houses), 5 miles,
and Aliabad (20 houses), 25 miles from Neh. Then from Bandun to Nasirabad
are 56 miles of waste with no habitations till Afzulabad is reached, 5 miles
short of Nasnabad. ater is only to be had at one stage, Barang, in between,
31 miles from Bandun.
The total distance is therefore 565 miles from Mashad to Nasirabad.
1. (#) From Mashad to Turbat-i-Haidari, 82 miles, as above described.
From Turbat-i-Haldari to Mihneh, 32 miles, the road lies through a populous
country, and presents no difficulties. From Mihneh to Kakh, 66 miles, 50
miles as far as the confines of Gunabad being over a very sparsely populated,
but level, country, passing only one village en at the 32nd mile, namely--!
Rabat-i-Imrani, where there are only 40 houses, and the water is brackish,
but drinkable. From Kakh to Kain the distance is 50 miles, and, as described
in ( 1 ), also is the route between Kain and Sistan, 303 miles: total 533
miles.
1 . (5) From Mashad to Kakh as in (la) 180 miles, and from Kakh to
Birjand 118 miles. This leads over the same pass from Kakh as in the
former routes, but, instead of going by Kain, strikes across from Kidri nearly
due south to Muhammadabad. Between Kidri and Naoghab, 19£ miles, the
road crosses the mountains by fairly easy ascents, the steepest gradient
being 13°; but in some places it follows up a stony river bed, and in others
it is only a footpath, which would have to be widened for the passage of
troops—easily done as these places are earth slopes. The descent from
Naoghab is practicable for all arms, and there is no difficulty until thr
Kalata-i-Yusuf is reached at the 99th mile. There again a pass is crossed
and, though the gradients are not excessive, the road would have to be widened!
The descent is easy, over low spurs, at the foot of which lies Birjand. As far
as Birjand this route is almost exactly the same length as l(ah namelv 299
miles as against 297 ; but it is not so well populated. ‘ ’
Between Kidri and Birjand, 101 miles, the only villages on the road
are Naoghab (30 houses) 19| miles, Tirghab (150 houses) 12 | miles,
Muhammadabad (250 houses) 9 miles, Chahak (60 houses) 19| miles and
Rabat-i-Yusuf (3 houses) 21 | miles, intermediate.
From Birjand to Sistan, 225 miles, the road goes round the western
slopes of the Kuh-i-Bsgheran via Mukhtarun, 48 miles; there are villages
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