266 
THE BASIN OF EASTERN PERSIA AND SISTAN. 
the recent past the lakes of Central and Western Asia have been more extensive than 
at present. The length of the epochs of high water was so short that no beaches 
or bluffs were cut upon hard rocks, although very distinct ones were cut in soft silts 
and gravels. In the lake of Kogneh, al.so, three probable periods of high water 
are indicated, and these are seen to be connected with ri\'er terraces of apparently 
the same date, and also with older ones. 
TERRACES AMONG THE MOUNTAINS FROM MESHED TO BIRJAND. 
F'rom the basin of Khaf our route led westward into the mountains to the east 
of Birjand, thence southeastward to Sistan, and finally back by another route north- 
westward to Meshed. Sistan is so important that it will be reserved for fuller 
treatment later. The mountains from the border of the Sistan basin, near Birjand, 
Fig. 159. — A slightly terraced Valley in the Mountains of Binalud Kuh, 30 miles north o( Turbat-i- 
Haideri, March 3. 1904. 
to the vicinity of Binalud Kuh, near Meshed, present so many features in common 
and withal so few of special importance, that they may be described in general terms 
without the tedium of particulars. As a rule, the parts of the mountainous districts 
of which the traveler in Persia sees most are the areas of deposition, the basins. 
In these it is not to be expected that terraces either of tectonic or climatic origin 
should be found, for the streams oftentimes come to an end in gravel, even though 
the form of the mountains round about shows that they might find ready outlet 
from the basins, as they probably have done in the past, if only they were provided 
with sufficient water. A significant feature of the basins is that almost universally 
gravel is encroaching upon finer sediments of a silt)- or sandy character. 
Wherever valle\s were seen in which water sometimes flows, they were found 
to be terraced almost without exception. The terraces are for the most part cut in 
