"الطرق في بلاد فارس. (المجلد I.) (خراسان وسيستان.)" [ظ‎‎١‎٠‎٤] (٥٣٦/٢١٣)

200
Koute No. IX — contd.
then turns ESE. Then over some low rolling hills and undu
lating hilly country out of sight of river, from £ miles to 1 | miles
from it and 50 feet to 100 feet above it, until the village of Gim-
zard is reached at 6 miles. (A camel-track runs from Nazaria,
within f mile of the river, past the village of Shadichah Bala,
at 4J miles, 20 houses, to Shadichah Pain, 6 miles where there is a
ford, 20 yards wide 2% feet deep, current 4 miles an hour, March
28th 1914, to the right bank and the village of Kalateh-i-Mirza
Jan). Between Nazaria and Gimzard there are several more
large villages along the river bank, but they are not passed by
this route, which does not come near the river in these 6 miles.
After leaving Gimzard the country slowly becomes less culti
vated and loses its open appearance. The hills become steeper
and higher, and the valley gradually closes in. At 9 miles pass
village of Siah Bala on other side of the river, 50 houses. At
14 miles Kiohidar, also on the other side of the river, 80 houses.
Here the valley is about 1 mile broad.
Still following the left bank of the river, at 19 miles pass
Isma’Ilabad, 100 houses, on the other side of the river, and at
19 miles Robat Mahi in ruins on the near bank. At 28 miles
reach Sarsari, 50 houses.
Water .—Salty and scarcely drinkable, but is fit for animals.
Fuel .—More plentiful.
Fodder .—Fairly good grazing for camels and horses.
Supplies .—Less than in then preceding stage. In normal
seasons with a day or two’s notice, supplies sufficient for a
cavalry regiment or infantry battalion, with transport passing
through could be procured.
4 AK D ARB AND 21m. General direction. E.
by S. The road fol-
lows the river, keep
ing more or less along its bank, with occasional short-cuts, but
never leaving the river’s edge for more than J mile. The road
is of firm earth, with not many stones, and is only passable
for camels if the river is high. If, however, the river is low (at
times it almost dries up) field guns could be taken by using
the river bed where the path along the hill side becomes too
narrow. The river valley is from J to J mile broad, and the