"الطرق في بلاد فارس. (المجلد I.) (خراسان وسيستان.)" [ظ‎‎٨‎١] (٥٣٦/١٦٧)

Route No. VI — contd.
men. The hamlet gets water from a stream and has some
1,000 by 800 yards of cultivation. If it were required to break
this stage, Fakhr-i-Daud would be a suitable spot. The track
winds across the low hills which run down from the main range.
At the time of Sykes’ journey in December, snow was lying
most of the way. At 16 miles the Ab-i-Dizbad is crossed.
At 27 miles Bagh-i-Shan.
Camping ground. — Nil.
Water .—For 1 regiment of cavalry.
Fuel. —Plentiful.
Crazing. —Good.
Supplies .—Fair quantities.
3 NISHAPUR .. 20 m. Direction slightly to
the N. of W. The
71 road runs through
a fertile track to about 5 miles where it crosses a stream
and reaches Kadamgah. Fine caravanserai, shrine, fir trees
and village. At 6 miles the summer track from Meshed joins
and (see Alternative stages VI A), Nishapur is reached at
25 miles.
Nishapur is enclosed by a partly-ruined wall and shallow
moat. It may be entered by the gate in the western way
or it can be skirted by passing to the S. and thence around the
SE. corner to the large serai on the E. side. Vehicles, however,
must go through the town, the other road being very narrow in
places. Nishapur possesses telegraph and post offices. Outside
the town, on the N., E. and S., there are two factories fitted
with machines for ginning and compressing cotton for export,
run by Russian Armenians. There is a fair-sized bazar, well-
stocked with Russian goods. The prosperity of Nishapur, like
that of Sabzawar, has returned, thanks mainly to the demand
in Trans-Caspia for cotton.
(A track suitable for mules runs N. from Nishapur to
Ghinaran ; said to be 2 stages.)
The Governor-General of Nishapur is appointed direct from
Tehran, and is not under the Governor-General of Khorasan.