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

As no other old remains were known to exist in the vicinity, it was a relief
when, after protracted efforts, sufficient transport could be collected to allow us
to resume our journey by December 29th. In order to make up for lost time I
decided to move to Chārak, the next small port up the coast, by the somewhat
shorter route which passes to the north of the rugged hills intervening between
the Mihrakān swamp and the sea, instead of following the track along the wind-
ing coast-line. Though it took us three days to cover the distance of 50 miles
to Chārak, yet the choice of route proved fortunate. For progress was much
hampered by constant break-downs and desertions among our transport, now
mainly donkeys, and had we proceeded by the barren coast, where cultivation
is almost entirely absent, we might have been brought again and again to a
complete standstill. As it was, help requisitioned from the small hamlets passed
on the way made it possible to avoid this. In the end I had reason to feel
thankful when, after five trying hours spent over crossing the last 6 miles of
swampy ground and salt creeks before Chārak, the night of the New Year
saw us and our baggage safely arrived at the little port.

Experience of the difficulties already encountered and with good reason to be
foreseen ahead induced me, after a day's halt under the walls of the local
Shaikh's castle (Fig. 66), to make our way to Bandar Muqām, the nearest
small place on the coast with any resources, through the valley of Gulshān, which
runs parallel to the coast and was believed to be less affected by famine conditions.
The vicinity of the higher coastal range, the foot of which this hitherto imperfectly
known route skirts, enabled useful survey work to be done on the next three
marches; but opportunities for antiquarian work did not present themselves.

Bandar Muqām, which was reached on January 5th, is a small port serving
the western valleys of Lāristān. There was again evidence of medieval maritime
intercourse with India and the Far East to be seen in the shape of fragments of
Chinese porcelain found among the debris of low mounds extending along the
shore to the west of the local Shaikh's castle. Fortunately the young Arab chief
still retained some authority. He was thus able to show his goodwill by pro-
viding such transport and efficient guidance, under the control of a trusted negro
slave retainer, as enabled us to follow the route along the rocky coast to Shīū. It
proved the most desolate ground so far encountered along the barren shores of
the Gulf, and its difficulty and insecurity explained why this stretch of the coast
had apparently never been surveyed. For the most part the track skirted the foot
of steep and fantastically eroded sandstone cliffs, while in places it led across
small inlets of the sea lined by slippery boulders, or over narrow rock ledges
falling off steeply into the sea. Even here, however, in the small cliff-bound
bay of Thehahīl, now frequented only by smuggling hillmen from the tract of