"دليل بلاد فارس. مجلد I" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٠] (٨٢٠/٣٦٦)

a few miles farther on it dwindles to a tiny rivulet 4 feet by 1 inch, crawl
ing along at about | mile an hour. This is caused by the quantity of water
taken out for cultivation, the whole streim be ng frequently diverted for
th s purpose, but it soon regains its volume owing to numerous small
streams and springs which flow into it. Just below Meshed, from which it is
distant about 5 miles, the river flows with fairly open banks, with a volume
of some 12 yard? by 1 foot 3 inches up to as much as 4 feet in places.
The quality varies quite as strangely : from Meshed to Langaiak it is
brackish but drinkable, from here cn it gets salter and salter, till at
Baghbagnu it is quite undrinkable, and generally remains so to Akdaiband.
Hence it improves owing to large streams of fresh water coming into it
and frequent springs. After passing Shurchah it gets worse again ; at
Pas Kama • it is brackish but drinkable. The remarks as to quantity and
quality refer only to summer and autumn, when the river is at its lowest.
The total fall from source to Pul-i-Khatun is 1,787 feet, or 5 9 feet
as an average, per mile.
Between Pul-i-Khatun and Kuzqan the river is hard to cross except at
the recognized crossing places, this is due to the steepness of the banks
and the treacherous nature of the bottom, which is generally mud of a quick
sand nature. This is specially applicable to the section between Langarak
and Akdarband, where it is particularly dangerous. In summer the water
is nowhere deep enough to prevent a passage, but in winter it is quite
impassable, though, being so narrow, it would be very easy to make
temporary bridges.
In the upper reaches there are many fords, but below Meshed there are
but few, the best and easiest is the one at Baghbaghu. When crossing the
Ka^haf Pud it must be borne in mind that there are many canals more
or less at right angles to the river, which, in many cases, are much more
difficult obstacles than the river itself.
The Kashaf Rud valley from Ohashmeh-i-Gfilas to Kuzqan is very densely
populated, and cultivated almost without intenupti n, consequently a
great quantity of the river water is drawn off for irrigation purposes.
To the east of Kuzqan the population is considerably less populous.
The Kashaf Rud crosses all the roads coming from Transcaspia, Chehckeh
and the east, to Meshed, Turbat-i-Shaikh Jam and Pish Robat.
There are three bridges across the river, two north of Meshed on the
road to CKhcheh and Dushakh, the third south of that town, near Kuzqan,
on the road from Meshed to Pul-i-Khatun. All three bridges are stone
and very solidly buiit.
Eight miles above I’sma’rlabad (2) the river divides into two arms re
uniting again at IsmarTabad (2), forming an island some 8 miles by an
average of half a mile, which is partly cultivated. There is a . oad along
the river from Meshed.
The Kashaf Rud has the o owing tributaries on the r’ght bank :
Ab-i-Tureq ,Ab-i-Shirad (called the Sang Bast by Oranoffsky), the KaTeh
Minar stieam, the Barash and the Bik Kashmir.
On the left bank—
Rivers Tulgar, Tukhrmnji, Andiu, Pirzu, Tabatku, and Mazda an.
—[Oranoffsky ; Smyth, 1902.)