"تقرير عسكري عن بلاد فارس - المجلد I ١٩٣٠" [ظ‎‎١‎٧] (١٥٤/٣٩)

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lower but its cliffs are absolutely precipitous. In conse
quence of the opening formed by the Duringan stream
debouching into the Northern plain, the real rampart is
further to the south along the crest line Ak-kamar, Kuh-i-
Imarat, Allah-ho-Akbar, Hazar Masjid up to Kalat-i-Nadiri.
It is penetrated only by bridle paths over rocky ascents,
some of which the agile Kurdish camel has no great diffi
culty in negotiating. The more important of these are : —
Muhammadabad to Kuchan via the Allah-ho-Akbar.
Kaakha to Meshed via Robat-i-Khakistar and Lain.
Kaakha to Meshed via Kalat-i-Nadiri and Qardeh.
The next sector is from Kalat-i-Nadiri to near Sarakhs,
and is very characteristic. The crest line is not more than
3,500 feet above the plain but on the inner (or Persian)
side the top which is 500 feet high is a perpendicular cliff,
and the range itself runs in straight lines from point to
point. The outer or Russian slopes are easy and in places
negotiable by a mounted man, but the range is only pass
able by defiles, or Darbands, formed by the gorges -where
streams break through, at Darband-i-Nafta (a part of
Kalat-i-Nadiri), Darband-i-Haji Bulan, Qaratigan, Cheh-
eheh, and Chil Kaman ravine. The portion from Chil
Kaman to Sarakhs is as yet unmapped. Here the range
becomes lower, splits up and loses its distinctive character
as it approaches the Han Rud. A rough track goes from
Sarakhs to Mazdaran, which is in places just passable for
wheels.
The inner range of hills starts north-east of Bujnurd
as a series of rolling downs including Khushkhaneh and the
Julga-i-Takmiran, and rises to the massif of Potlagao (lat.
37° 40' N. long. 58° 4' E.). From here eastward it conti
nues as the Allah-ho-Akbar and Hazar Masjid, described
above.
From the jumble of bilk: south of Kalat-i-Nadiri the
Kara Dagh range runs to the sputh-east forming the
northern wall of the Kashaf Rud valley. This .range is also
rough and rocky but can be traversed by several passes
which are negotiable by Kurdish camels in good weather.
(a) t rom Haji Bulan via the Gau Kotal Khaur valley,
and the Sanduq Shikan pass to Meshed.
(b) From Haji Bulan via Chehcheh, Amirabad and the
i Ghif Kotal to Meshed.