国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

both derived from Nearcho's account, the conjectural reading of Τεῖσα λιμένα
for Τάλμενα λιμένα suggested by Tomaschek in Arrian's text appears to me
very convincing.⁵

In view of this classical mention of the harbour of Tīz it seems doubly signifi-
cant that in spite of a diligent search I failed to trace any remains indicating
occupation of the site dating back to pre-Muhammadan times. This is in keeping
with the fact that a similar absence of remains which might indicate settlements
due to early trade intercourse by sea between the region of the Persian Gulf and
India was observed by me on my journey of 1932–3 along the coast of the Gulf.⁶

No evidence of early occupation was found in the caves which I had occasion
to examine at Tīz and to which brief reference still remains to be made. One of
them, known as Bānsiti, is situated on the precipitous face of sandstone cliffs
about 100 feet above the torrent bed and about 1,000 yards to the north-west of
the valley entrance. It is roughly hemispherical in shape with a diameter of
some 18 feet. It is said to be regularly visited by Hindus trading at Chāhbār,
and a multitude of pilgrims' graffiti in Nāgarī and Lahndā scripts are to be seen
on the plastered walls. A coarsely built platform within the cave, surmounted
by a small cone, is supposed to mark the resting-place of a saint. Outside there
once existed a similar small cave, of which the outer half has fallen away through
the crumbling of the rock face. Here, too, plenty of graffiti are to be seen; one of
them is dated in the Śaka year 1734 (A.D. 1812). About 40 yards to the east
is another larger cave about 20 yards in diameter; this appears to be mainly
natural, though traces of white plastering are to be seen on parts of the rock
walls. On its eastern side there opens a rift in the rock leading down into what
local belief takes to be an unfathomable depth. Some 300 yards farther to the
east there opens a third cave, still larger and certainly natural, which serves
as a shelter for sheep.

Section iv—THROUGH THE HILLS OF MAKRĀN

On January 30th we started from Tīz in order to make our way through the
hill chains to the north towards the basin of Bampūr. The physical features of
that great drainageless area raised some hope of my finding there remains of
prehistoric civilizations which might link up with those I had been able to trace
in the course of my former explorations in British Balūchistān and Makrān. It
was necessary to press on in view of the fact that the climatic conditions of that
drainageless basin, desertic in character and of comparatively low elevation,