"الطرق في بلاد فارس. (المجلد I.) (خراسان وسيستان.)" [و‎‎٧‎٨] (٥٣٦/١٦٠)

147
onsidetable
y about 1
* mountain,
miles road
mile wide
1 miles the
passed, At
walls, The
be road on
md utilised
r there are
high, bare,
side oi the
md slopes,
her side by
ground al
ation. The
. The road
owhere bad
irection S.
Up the ?el
d valey
it ground is
y high, bait
and stony.
i valley, and
direction.
iy the water-
irrow gof,
Jley twists a
ad not good,
miles valley
road to left
er overbang-
small village
ions cultiva-
rther village
cipal village
Route No. V— contd.
of Khur is reached. Here are 100 houses, and the ruins of an
old castle picturesquely situated on the summit of a conical
hill. The village is built on steeply sloping ground. Valley
very narrow all the way, and bounded by steep, bare mountains
sloping sharply down. At 8 f miles gardens and trees end
but cultivation continues. Road is rather bad and narrow in
places. Valley very narrow and everywhere overshadowed by
high, precipitous, bare mountains. At 9 miles two roads lead
to Chinar; that to E. is shorter, but much worse than western
road, which is here followed. At lOf miles road enters another
gorge amongst overhanging rocks, where there are a great
number of Ud (willow) trees. The valley is exceedingly pic
turesque, and there is a beautiful stream of clear, sweet, spark
ling water. The gorge lasts for a few hundred yards only. At
11 miles there is another open space with a patch of cultivation.
At llj miles a road from Bijvat joins in from left. Here there
is a stream of water. The cultivation soon after this comes to
an end. At 13 miles there are neither trees nor cultivation,
and the valley is surrounded by low hills. At 14 miles gain
the summit of the Gudar-i-Chinar by an easy road. Altitude
of the gitdar 5,590 feet. The ascent has been gradual, and
nowhere very steep ; but road goes a great deal up and down
small spurs. * In some places it is almost impassable for wheeled
artillery, but it could easily be made practicable. From here
the snow range above Nishapur is visible, and road is directed
generally on the highest point. Up to here, road which has
zigzagged about, has borne away to W. From the gudar,
road is good, and descent slight into open valley surrounded
by low bibs. At 111 miles tliere is a stream of water, and
cultivation commences. Near here is the small village of
Chinar, with trees, and 50 houses, lying a little to right of road.
There is a good deal of cultivation also. At 19| miles a tower
lies a little to right of road, and tliere is some cultivation round
it. At 20 miles there is a stream of sweet water. A ruined
fort lies a J mile to the NW. An isolated pyramidal peak lies
also to NW., rising alone amongst the low hills in that direction.
To W. the country is broken and hilly for some miles, but
there are no high mountains. To E. there is a distant range of
hills. Plain is much cut up and broken. There are low hills
in every direction. Altitude of this point 4,850 feet. The
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