National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

glazed pieces, no definite chronological indication being afforded by them. The
same remarks apply to the pottery remains found over an extensive area of low
debris about half a mile to the south from the foot of the spur, evidently from
completely decayed dwellings built, like those of Warāwī, with rubble and mud
plaster.

Crossing ground cut up by branches of the flood-bed, we reached a line of
low limestone hillocks which crop out down the middle of the wide valley
trough. The westernmost of these had been described as bearing traces of an
old settlement, but the only remains definitely recognizable were a circular well
cut through the rock at its foot and a cistern similarly cut at the foot of another
hillock.

After returning thence to Warāwī, I visited a series of small caves visible
across a wide boulder-strewn fan at a distance of about 1½ miles to the north-east
of the village. These have been roughly excavated, undoubtedly by the hand of
man, in the comparatively soft limestone conglomerate of a low ridge at the foot
of the northern range of hills. The caves, of which I counted at least thirty,
riddle the narrow end of the ridge for a distance of some 150 yards, about half
of them lying on the opposite side of the ridge where it is adjoined by a deep
ravine. These caves, which vary much in size, consist mostly of a small roughly
circular or oval chamber measuring up to 15 or 16 feet across and provided with
little niches on the sides, probably meant for storage. Quite low passages lead
from some of these small caves to others on the opposite side of the ridge. There
was nothing to suggest that these rough excavations had served as places of
burial. Their probable use as troglodyte dwellings was indicated by small
built-up platforms found in front of some of those facing towards Warāwī
village. Nowhere did the floor seem to be overlain by refuse such as might result
from long-continued occupation. But there was evidence of the caves being still
occasionally used as shelters by herdsmen. The absence of any provision for
water by storage tanks or wells was puzzling.

On returning in the evening to Warāwī I was met by the disappointing intelli-
gence that letters from Zāl Mirzā, the Tarakuma headman, received by both
Sohrāb Khān and the commander of our escort, emphatically declared his in-
ability to supply transport for our proposed move to Ishkanān or to ensure our
safety on the journey. The tribe was described as being wholly out of hand
owing to the disturbing effect of the fighting between the troops and the Qāsh-
qais supporting 'Alī Khān's rising. In the face of this report Sohrāb Khān could
not be expected to offer effective aid towards an attempt to reach Lār via
Ishkanān. It was equally obvious that our small escort of conscripts could not
have protected our party from being plundered en route. So, however reluctantly,