BEL 



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BEL 



declivity and at the foot of the mountains, is under the do- 

 minion of the Khan of Kelat, and forms the province of 

 Kutch Gundava. The western boundary of Beloochistan 

 is likewise formed by mountain-ranges, which begin on the 

 coast with Cape Jask and Cape Bombarack or Ras Ke- 

 razee, at the latter of which the straits of Ormuz commence, 

 and stretch northward to the desert, where they terminate 

 with the Surhud Mountains, which divide the Persian pro- 

 vinces of Mogistan and Kerman from Beloochistan. 



The Hala Mountains, which begin at Ras Mooaree and 

 rise abruptly to a conspicuous height, run for about a hun- 

 dred miles N.E., and form in this space one single chain 

 with a few short lateral ones, which extend in breadth from 

 thirty to forty miles, and separate the plains on the Indus 

 from those of the province of Lus. Near 26 N. lat. the 

 principal chain begins to run due north, and continues 

 thus to the most northern extremity of the country. At 

 the same place (26 N.) a high lateral chain branches off 

 to the N.W., in which direction it continues for upwards of 

 200 miles, declining afterwards gradually to the N. and 

 N.E. till it terminates nearly at the most northern point of 

 Beloochistan with the Ajrum range. At a short distance 

 from the Ajrum range the Tukkatoo Mountains begin, and 

 running east, soon join the Hala range, which is here called 

 the Umbar Mountains. 



The extensive tract enclosed by these ranges is an up- 

 land country and comprehends the provinces of Jhalawan 

 and Sarawan, with the intervening district of Kelat, and 

 the two districts of Mustoong and Shawl, which form the 

 most northern angle of Beloochistan. This upland country 

 extends nearly 200 miles in breadth in 28 N. lat, but it 

 grows somewhat narrower to the north and south of this 

 parallel ; but even at the most northern extremity it may 

 be a hundred miles across. 



Where this upland country is widest, that is, in the pa- 

 rallel of Kelat and about fifty miles to the north and south 

 of it, the whole surface is covered with a succession of high 

 mountains and narrow valleys, with only small levels be- 

 tween them. The highest part of this mountain-tract is 

 about Kelat, where the elevation of the whole country may 

 be not much less than 8000 feet above the level of the sea. 

 To the south, as well as to the north of it, are some plains of 

 considerable extent, which, like a succession of terraces, 

 seem to decrease in elevation as they recede from the cen- 

 tral mass. Such plains on the south are those of Soherab 

 (from thirty to forty miles in length and from ten to twenty 

 in breadth), Khozdar, and Wudd, and on the north the 

 Desht be Doulut (the desert without riches) and the plain 

 of Quetta. These plains are generally divided from one 

 another by ridges twenty miles and upwards in breadth. 

 That part of the province of Sarawan which is to the wesl 

 of the mountains and borders on the desert has a large 

 portion of level ground stretching out in extensive plains. 



The climate in the higher parts of this upland country 

 resembles that of the northern countries of Europe, and has 

 four seasons. Snow falls from October to the end of Fe- 

 bruary ; and from the close of the month of November to 

 the beginning of February the whole country, even the 

 valleys, are covered with it ; at the game time the frost is 

 very intense and commonly attended with north-eastern 

 winds. The winter is followed by a good deal of rain in 

 February or March, and then comes the dry season, which 

 la-Is to September. September and October are showery 

 and so is the whole cold season, except during frosty weather 

 when the air is keen and bracing. The heat is never un- 

 pleasant, unless it may be a few days at the close of the 

 summer, and in the country bordering on the great desert 

 The mountains consist of hard black or grey rocks, an< 

 the earth in the plains and valleys is mixed with such a 

 profusion of pebbles and stones, that there is often not tin 

 slightest appearance of mould ; yet in some places th< 

 crops of wheat, barley, and jawaree (holcut sorghum), are 

 plentiful, and other places afford excellent pasture for shee] 

 and cattle. Wheat is sown in August and September ant 

 reaped the 'June following. Rice is only planted in the 

 low valleys, where there is a supply of water to keep i 

 flooded, which is only practicable in the southern districts 

 In the northern districts there is not a single stream which 

 is above the rank of a rivulet, unless when swollen by heav; 

 rains or the melting of snow. 



Kelat or Kelaut-e-Nausseer is the residence of a khan 

 whose dominion extends over a country larger than England 

 This town is enclosed with a wall of mud, and stands partly 



in the declivity of a hill, on which the palace of the khan is 

 milt. It contains 3750 houses and about 20,000 inhabitants. 

 Among the smaller towns are Sarawan, with 500 houses, 

 .ml Kharan, which is somewhat larger, in the province of 

 Sarawan, and Zuhuree in Jhalawan, with from 2000 to 3000 

 louses. In the district of Shawl is Quetta or Kwotta, with 

 400 houses, a place of some trade. 



At the northern extremity of the upland country which 

 we have here described, the plains of Iran approach nearer 

 ;o those on the Indus than at any other place, and as a 

 smaller number of mountain-ridges here opposes the pro- 

 gress of the traveller, this district has been chosen for the 

 :ommon line of communication between the high plains of 

 [ran and those on the Lower Indus. Two passes are already 

 known, each of which begins at the town of Quetta in Shawl. 

 One traverses the Hala Mountains in a southern direction 

 and leads to the town of Dadur in Kutch Gundava. This 

 pass, running through the Vale of Bolan, has received the 

 name of the Pass of Bolan. The other road passes from 

 Quetta south-west to Mustoong, thence south to Kelat, and 

 from Kelat in a south-eastern direction to Gundava, the 

 capital of the province of Kutch Gundava. The latter pass 

 is practicable for loaded camels. 



The province of Kutch Gundava forms a striking con- 

 trast with the upland country. It extends on the eastern 

 side of the Hala Mountains, and belongs, properly speak- 

 ing, to the plains on the Indus; but it does not extend to 

 the bank of that river, being separated from it by a desert 

 tract. Its length from north to south is about 120 miles, 

 but the habitable and fertile part of it is little more than 

 sixty miles broad. The southern boundary is formed by a 

 jungle of low trees, which between Saatee and Poonoo runs 

 east and west, and extends southward to the Indus, whose 

 banks it fringes. 



The whole of this province consist* of a plain of arid 

 white soil, the crusted surface of which, in dry weather, is 

 cracked like the dried bed of a marsh. It would be unfit 

 for cultivation but for the rivers, which in the rainy season 

 inundate a large portion of the plain, and whose water is 

 brought by canals and embankments to the places which 

 lie farther off, and reserved to fertilize the country in the 

 dry season. The two most considerable rivers are the Naree 

 and the Kauhee, both of which issue from the mountains 

 where the Tukkatoo range crosses the Umbar chain and 

 unite nearly in the centre of the plain. Its course hence 

 is southerly to Cunda, where the river goes off to the west, 

 nearer the mountains, and loses itself in the sand and im- 

 penetrable jungle. According to some, the Naree reaches) 

 the sea. (Conolly.) This river hag an immense quantity of 

 water when heavy rains prevail or the snow on the moun- 

 tains melts, but it is often almost dry for months at a time. 

 This plain partakes of the climate of the intertropical 

 countries, the year being divided between the dry and the 

 rainy season. The latter lasts during the south-west monsoon 

 (from July to September), and the dry season occupies the 

 remainder of the year. The winters are very mild, but the 

 heat of the summer is oppressive. In the latter season the 

 Bade Sumoom or pestilential wind blows frequently, and 

 many people lose their lives by it. Kulch Gundava is a 

 grain country, and many sorts are cultivated to a great ex- 

 tent, more especially jawaree, bajree (holcu spicatus), and 

 wheat, besides cotton, indigo, and til (sesamum). The vil- 

 lages in this fine plain are very numerous, and are moreiis-ing 

 every year. Gundava, the capital, is not so large as Kelat, 

 but is better built, and probably contains about 20,000 in- 

 habitants. The other considerable places are Dander, Bbag, 

 and Lheree, of which Dadur contains 400 houses and 

 Bhag or Baugh 2000. 



The province Lus, which extends along the shore of the 

 Indian Ocean, between the sea and the upland region, is a 

 plain perfectly flat, and in general barren, except on the 

 banks of the rivers, where it produces abundant crops of 

 grain, sugar-canes, &c. The remainder is partly covered 

 with sand and partly bare and stony, or diversified with 

 thick jungle. Along the sea-coast a salt marsh extends 

 twelve or fifteen miles inland, which is diversified with 

 tamarisk and other jungle, and in many places perfectly 

 white with salt. To the north of Bela the country is undu- 

 lating, and, towards the mountains", hilly. 



This plain is separated from Sinde by the Hala Moun- 

 tains, and by another chain from Mukran. This latter 

 branches off from the upland region to the north of 26 

 N. lat., and runs in a south-western and southern direction 



