830 Itinerary from Yezd to Herat. QNo. 154. 



The only wild animals to be found in the hills are wolves, antelopes, 

 a few hares, and some partridges ; bears are rarely seen ; it is only to- 

 wards the hills of Guisk, that traces of them are to be met with. We 

 killed two enormous ones near the salt spring of Kaband. On this 

 route, you come upon troops of wild asses that abound in Seistan. 

 This beast is much smaller than the horse, resembles in form the do- 

 mestic ass, from which it differs only in the colour of its hair, which 

 is reddish. Its speed is great, and they are long-winded, seldom allow- 

 ing itself to be approached sufficiently near to be shot ; the Affghans 

 are fond of its flesh. 



Amongst the very few trees to be seen near the hamlets, th^re is a 

 bush in the district of Gosk, that produces the zerisk, which the 

 Persians are so fond of in their pilau. The tree is like the pomegranate, 

 its branches in September are adorned with scarlet berries, which have 

 a pleasing effect. 



The whole country which extends from Yezd to Herat is subject 

 from May to October, to violent gales of wind. The heat is suffocating 

 in summer ; during this season, you are also exposed to the hot wind of 

 the desert, but which in this country is not of a fatal nature. It rains 

 in March, April and December ; it snows a little in winter. Notwith- 

 standing that there are two crops annually, the produce is barely suf- 

 ficient for consumption. 



What is most remarkable during this fatiguing journey, is the total 

 absence of any natural streams of water ; here and there are a few 

 springs in a karez* which are often brackish, and do not allay the 

 traveller's thirst ; and what does flow from them barely suffices to water 

 a few acres of ground, and for which purpose, the inhabitants keep it 

 in reservoirs that are only opened two or three times a day, and dis- 

 tributed with great care. Their miserable-looking dwelling places take 

 off but little in appearance from the frightful sterility of the country; 

 a small patch of verdure only distinguishing them at a distance. The 

 people are generally sedentary in their habits, but you meet with some 

 wandering tribes, such as Shrondanes, the Kazunees, the Bani Kazals, 

 Beni- Assad and Beni-Kafodzes, who inhabit the lands of Tobaz and 

 Toon. Towards the dependencies of Kayin, are the Falohies, the Shah- 



* An nqueduct which brings the melted snow, or a spring from the hills. 



