ملاحظات أُعدت كمرجع خلال جولة كرزون في الخليج الفارسي، وأوراق أخرى عن بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي [و‎‎١‎٨‎٧] (٦٧٨/٣٧٣)

'ueo. Sykes—Second Revise. 29
doned as being too exposed for a capital.*
It was the second week in May when we left Saiidabad and shaped
our course for a flat-topped hill known as Takht-i-Tanbur,f or Throne
of Timur, the route we followed lying to the east of the one shown
on the. map. Halting at Amirabad, I was visited by the brother of
the chief of the Karai tribe, or rather of its Kerman branch, under
whose guidance we entered the hills, and, striking a small river
at Sukta Chal, a hamlet of Seiids, ascended to the headquarters of the
tribe at Tangru, probably a contraction of Tang-i-Rud,* where some
two hundred black tents were pitched. From this stage we again
tolWed the river to the village of Takkia, where the chief of the
Buchakchi visited me. He is quite a Persian Robin Hood, and a few
years previously had held Sirjan for a considerable period, pretending
at he had been appointed governor, and writing imaginary tele
grams whenever he was getting the worst of it. Continuing the
journey a mile above Takkia, we passed a remarkable spring termed
Abbad, where the water bubbled up with considerable noise, but at a
normal temperature. It is evidently the spring about which the late
bir Oliver St. John was told of as “bubbling up to a great height
with a noise that is audible a farsalch off.” §
Ihe mountains were thickly covered with scrub and the stunted
tree from which gum is extracted, and we crossed the pass known as
Seh Grudan || at an elevation of some 9000 feet. We thence descended
into a steep valley crowded with willows, and, skirting the Chehel
Ian range, camped on the mountain slope at a village that is termed
. aai ang. Ibis was our last cold night, a short march bring
ing us to Mashiz, which, in the middle of the nineteenth century,
was occupied by Agha Khan for some months. At this point I
struck my first journey in Persia, and two days later Kerman was
again reached after a most interesting tour.
In July, 1900, I climbed the Kuh-i-Shah, which I had ascended
in 1895, and Kuh-i-Hezar was next scaled. It also rises to nearly 14,000
feet, and in shape is a gigantic hog’s back, the climb not being
difficult. The term Eezar, or Thousand, is said to refer to the number
of its plants. In any case, a botanist could not do better than start
work m this range, where the number and variety of scented bushes
was extraordinary. During this tour the little district of Givar, to
the east of Sardu, was given an existence on the map; and I returned
to Kerman, having explored the whole of its highlands.
I had been told by a Khan that, while laying out a garden in Khina-
man, a large number of bronze arrow-heads had been dug up, and as
the district lying due west of Kerman was a blank on the map, I
decided to ascertain whether or no my friend had made an interesting
discovery. When I reached Khinaman, I found that some 5 feet below
the surface hundreds of tombs had been struck. The corpses were
dust, so that it could not be ascertained in what direction they had
been laid. In each tomb was a small jar of pottery and the following
articles in bronze, viz. a round bowl, a pair of bracelets, two pins, and
four or five arrow and spear heads. An axe-head representing a fish
and two handles that apparently fitted some weapon completed the list
of what was to be seen, my host having allowed almost everything to
be thrown away. Of the bowls there were three shapes, one being evi
dently a.lamp of a primitive kind. I was also told of a corneliao,f a
pair of silver bracelets, and a lozenge-shaped earring of the same metal.
Great jars full of yellow dust, probably wheat, had also been found
and well-burnt bricks. The jars I saw, and found them wider and
more squat than those of to-day. The yellow dust had all been thrown
away.
* In the Journal of the Eoyal Asiatic Society of April, 1901, Mr. Guy le Strange
relying on the itineraries of the Arab travellers, considers that the capital was else
where ; but these worthies are most inaccurate.
t Cf. “ We’ll lead you to the stately tent of war,
Where you shall hear the Scythian Tamhurlaine
Threatening the world with high astounding terms.”
Marlowe.
J Or Eiver Defile.
§ ‘ Eastern Persia,’ pp, 103, 104. || Three “ Passes ” is the signification.
If A cornelian with the names of the twelve imams engraved on it is often placed
in the mouth of a dead man. 1