182 REPORT—1874. 
the little Pamir, by the lake Barkut Yassin. The Pamir was crossed by twenty- 
five mile marches through deep snow-drifts, firewood having to be carried for seven 
marches and grain the whole way. Its drainage is all to the west, the Kizzilyart plain 
being the true watershed. There are tvco lakes called Kara-kull, one draining east, 
the other west, the apparent discrepancies in the accounts of former travellers 
being thereby explained. Wakhan itself is very poor and thinly inhabited. 
The party, not receiving permission from Shere Ali to proceed vid Cabul, left 
Kila Panja on 26th April, Colonel Gordon returning by the Great Pamir and 
Captain Biddulph by the Little Pamir, diverging from the original route at Surhud 
with the view of visiting the Buroghil and Darkot passes, never yet seen by a 
European. 
Notes on some Roads in Northern Persia and on the Russio-Persian Frontier. 
By Lieut. Gru1, RL. 
Lieut. Gill accompanied Colonel Baker in a tour through Northern Persia in 
1873, during which he made a rough survey of the country seen, determined the 
latitude of places and their altitude by aneroid or hypsometers. The mountains to 
the south of Teheran rise to an altitude of 15,000 feet, and the roads through them 
wind along fearful precipices and are practicable only during summer, after the 
melting of the snows. Gulhek is one of the most charming villages at the foot of 
these mountains. It absolutely belongs to the British Government, and its inhabi- 
tants are exempt from paying taxes. All the valleys on the southern slope of the 
great mountain-range which separates the tableland of Teheran from the plains of 
the Caspian abound in water and vegetation; small villages occur at intervals of 
two or three miles, and in their fields the streams, having their rise in the hills, are 
absorbed by irrigation before they reach the desert plain. The upper portions of 
the valleys afford pasturage to sheep and goats, and in the most inaccessible 
recesses the mouflon and ibex are met with. Coal of fair quality is found at 
Shunshak, but owing to the cost of transport it fetches as much as £3 a ton at 
Teheran. Immediately on crossing the water-parting towards the Caspian the 
nature of the country changes, and the valley of Lar contrasts by its dreariness 
with the valleys to the south. Its stream abounds in excellent trout; and at 
Ask, well known for its hot sulphur-springs, cultivation is carried on extensively. 
The valley is hemmed in several times in succession by precipitous rocks, until it 
enters a wooded park-like country, extending to within five miles of Amol. A 
large portion of the Caspian plain consists of jungle, and cultivation isnot so exten- 
sively carried on as might be expected. Amol, at the time of Lieut. Gill’s visit, 
was almost deserted, the inhabitants having gone to the hills. The nature of the 
country remains the same as far as Bartrush ; but thence, and as far as Ziaret, it 
is covered with extensive forests of magnificent planes, beeches, oaks, walnuts, and 
immense box trees, having trunks as thick as a man’s wrist. The teak likewise 
grows in certain localities. Cultivation is carried on only at a few spots. Above 
Ziaret the forest ceases, and beyond a pass 4500 feet above the sea a fertile valley, 
thickly populated and affording pasture to sheep and cattle, is entered upon. The 
trees here grow in clumps, and beyond Atula they disappear altogether, and a 
barren plateau, seven or eight~miles across and 7000 feet above the sea, is entered 
upon. This plateau forms the water-parting between the Caspian and the rivers 
flowing inland towards the desert. Lieut. Gill proceeded by a well-known road to 
Shahrud, Sebzawar, and Mushed, the latter, aside from its sanctity, offering no 
features of interest. Kilat is one of the most remarkable places in the world. It 
hes in a circular valley encompassed by precipitous hills, and accessible only 
through five narrow gorges not more than two or three yards wide. Water abounds; 
and as there is much space for cultivation, the inhabitants could hardly be starved 
out. On the road from Kilat to Idalik the mountains rise to a height of 10,000 feet, 
and from the top of the difficult pass the valley of Atrek may be seen. The Persian 
frontier province of Déregez is described as one of the most prosperous of Persia ; 
and, though situated in the immediate vicinity of the Turkmen, it suffers nothing 
from their incursions. This prosperity is due entirely to the wise government of 
Elia Khan, whose family has held the post of governor for many years past, and 
