"الطرق في بلاد فارس. (المجلد I.) (خراسان وسيستان.)" [و‎‎٧‎٣] (٥٣٦/١٥٠)

Route No. Y— contd.
Water. —Good, but brackish.
Supplies .—A few.
7 CAMP AMONG 19 m. General direction NE.
SAND HILLS. Road runs at first
128f among low hills,
then down the bed of a water-course, about 100 yards wide,
gently descending with a high hill close on left, and a
mountain away on the right, about 5 miles distant. Surface
stony, but fairly good. At 5 miles Shor Ab with half a dozen
houses, a tower and a very small patch of cultivation with a
few trees and one or two dejected looking dwarf date-palms.
There is some water, and though it is very salt, horses will
drink it. At 10 miles tank with sweet water. From here
there are two roads to Robat-i-Khan. The northern or shorter
road is the one now described. There are no dwellings of any
kind on this road. At 12 miles the mountain on the right
ends, and the plain stretches many miles to the E. On left is
the same apparently limitless plain. The road up to this is
hard and good. In front to the NE. there is a distant range
of hills, towards which the road is directed. At 14 miles there
is some small tamarisk here brown and scrubby; and near
this, road passes over one or two sandy bits. At 15 miles
road is again good and hard, and the growth of tamarisk
ends. At 15f miles road passes through sand hills. Going very
heavy. Up to 17 miles road has steadily descended. Alti
tude here 2,310 feet. Road now suddenly leaves the heavy
sand, and by a gentle ascent crosses end of some low black
hills on right. Here road is hard and good. At about this
point is the boundary between Khorasan and Isfchan. At 19
miles road enters an immense strectch of sandhills, where there
is a considerable growth of fairly large tamarisk shrubs, and
also a good quantity of yellow grass in tufts. Going is terribly
heavy. Camel caravans halt in these sandhills, as there is
good feeding for camels, but of course, no water. There is
also plenty of fuel.
Water. — Nil.
Grazing. —Good.
8 ROBAT-I-KHAN 19 m. General direction NE.
Road now winds a
good deal, but in a
147f