"الطرق في بلاد فارس. (المجلد I.) (خراسان وسيستان.)" [ظ‎‎١‎٩‎٧] (٥٣٦/٣٩٩)

Route No. V (u) — contd.
5 SHlRKHIST .. 28 m. General direction^ S.
_ Road starts SSE.
87 j over a mixture of
Icamr and gravel soil, which becomes in passable after heavy
rain, and is very bad at any time. At 2 miles wind in and
out of the running water-courses and kandts of Dastgardun
which lies on the right. Valley on the right is open, forming
a large plain dotted with villages. At 5J miles pass a hauz
containing muddy water. At 6| miles pass another similar.
At 10J miles pass 2 villages about 4 or 5 miles off at the bottom
of a valley. A large ridge of sand runs from them in a NNW.
direction, on which there is grazing for sheep. At 18| miles pass
some mud hovel and a kandt, mile off to the right. Amina-
bad is visible in a SE. direction under the hills on the opposite
side of the valley. At 22 miles a road comes in on the left
rear from Nishapur. Good road ascending very slightly. At
28 miles Shirkhist. Road this stage passable for- all arms and is
good except for the first 2 miles and a bit near Dastgardun.
where the going is heavy. A long way off the road there is
camel grazing and scrub throughout the march, but it is too
small for good firewood.
See Route V, stage 12.
6 CHAHAR DEH 22 m. General direction S.
At 3 miles pass a
109£- hauz 200 yards off to
the right. At 4| miles, a road from Aminabad comes in from
the left rear. Road gently rising passes over undulating ground,
which culminates it a low watershed. Descend and round
the foot of a hill to the left. Leaving the hills the road runs
over ground much cut up by dry water-courses, which is reached
after passing down a broad stony slope between two water
courses. Ground is stony, but is partially cleared of loose
stones as this is the road used by the Governor of Tabas when
he drives to Meshed. At 8 miles pass a hauz 21 feet by 7 feet
containing muddy water 6 feet from the surface. At 11| miles
pass a dry hauz. At 12J miles descent becomes less steep.
At 16 miles pass a dry hauz. At 18£ miles pass a large village,
1 mile off to the right. At 19 miles there are numerous bushes
forming an abundant supply of firewood, 1,000 yards off to
the right. Into Chahar Deh by a good road descending gently