"الطرق في بلاد فارس. (المجلد I.) (خراسان وسيستان.)" [ظ‎‎١‎٨‎٣] (٥٣٦/٣٧١)

Route No. V {n)^-contd.
abundant enough at long intervals, is yet insufficient in all places
for the requirements of troops. Supplies are scarce and totally
inadequate to meet the supply of anything beyond the few
caravans and solitary travellers who pass this way. The road,
though unfit in its present state in a few places for guns, is a good
one, and though it crosses several mountain ranges, the ascents
and descents are so gentle that they form no serious obstacles,
if the passes E. of Duzai and N. of Chah Pali be excepted. The
greater part of the road now runs over open gravel plains or
■along glacis like slopes, formed of the same materials which
connect the hills with the kavir. To the S. the Dasht-i-Kavir
stretches away for miles, and though I examined it with the
greatest care and questioned many natives in the hope of finding
routes across it, there were only two that I saw or heard of—
the route from Yazd to Damghan via Jandak, and the road I
crossed N. of Chashmeh Dubur, which was said to run direct
from Anarak to Meshed. The country to the N. of my route
between Samnan and the Kuh-i-Taurab contains, I believe,
at least one parallel route and several large towns, which are not
shown on existing maps. For instance, Khar to the N. of Riza
is said to be a place of about 1,000 houses, and a centre of desert
communications. During the months of June, July and August
the heat on this route is excessive. March, April and May are
the best months for movements, when the climate is milder
and the water supply considerably larger. A vast supply of it
might be obtained by the construction of dams and shallow
tanks, by which means shepherds maintain thousands of sheep
for weeks together out in the desert during spring time, when
grass herbage abound everywhere^except on the kavir itself.
No. of stage
and total
Details.
distance.
1
CAMP ON
KAVIR
.. 16J m. Descend down dry
water-course which
(2,890'). for 20 yards is im
passable to guns. Then S. along watercourse (with sand and
gravel) between perpendicular banks. At 1J- miles leave streams
bed which runs towards kavir, and cross soil over open ground
surrounded by low hills. At 4 miles road begins to ascend