the summit Bala-ser-i-rabat-khan, which has been visible for two days. The ground changes, hard pebbly soil becomes predominant, and on it quite small dunes stand in rows. But farther on the sand increases again in a belt called Rig-i-dou-dou, but we can, by marching in zigzags, easily avoid the dunes, which are more than 13 feet high. The road forks, and its right branch goes to Darin and Tebbes. We take the left, for this road is better, and runs along the southern front of thinly overgrown dunes as much as 65 feet high, which hide the Kevir and its boundless expanse from sight.
We cross the Rudkhaneh-i-Darin with a bed now dry, leave the high sand behind us and come among low hills, where a small brook of partially clear water purls pleasantly and musically among the stones in its bed, an unusual sound. It comes from the snow which fell yesterday, and therefore will soon fail. Here the whole party halts, the camels are watered, and the men enjoy the fresh sweet water, quite a different fluid from that in the briny wells. My servants wash themselves for the first time since they left Teheran. A little farther on we cross the road from Yezd to Khorasan ; it is a shah-rah, or royal road, a main artery for caravans and pilgrims who resort to the tomb of Imam Riza in Meshed.
The camping-ground to-day is called Hauz-i-Sultan-sar, and is situated at the eastern foot of a steep crest, in the flank of which strongly folded strata lie in fine exposures of various shades, sometimes light grey limestone, sometimes fine dark crystalline or compact. The reservoir is an open rectangular vat of stone, to which the water is conducted by a canal. The vat is now filled to the brim with water which stands and clears, and has a fresh bluish-green colour. Even if there is no more rain this supply will last at least three months ; but usually there is some water in Hauz-i-Sultan-sar throughout the year, for the store is from time to time replenished by fresh rain. To-day, too, two small showers fall. At Hauzi-i-Sultan-sar we are at a height of 3225 feet, and therefore have mounted 554 feet during the day's march.
Habibullah had of late shown himelf more disagreeable
IIIFカラー高解像度
